Colony, Missouri
Encyclopedia
Colony is an unincorporated community
in Colony Township, Knox County
, Missouri
, United States
. It lies a few miles southeast of where the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway
line goes through Rutledge
.
founded the town of Colony some time after 1830 and before a post office was established in the area in 1853. The early settlers probably considered this area between the North Fabius River
and the Middle Fabius River to be productive farming land with water nearby.
It was originally called Kentucky Colony and formed by a group of four or five families in a location about two miles northeast of the present location. The present location of Colony was at first called Centerville because it was halfway between Monticello
in Lewis County and Sandhill in Scotland County.
In 1836, the Methodist Episcopal Church
formed a congregation at the Colony. Then in 1847 the first church building in the county was constructed at the Colony and named Wesley Chapel. In 1890, a Baptist church was built.
The Colony area was the scene of numerous incidents during the American Civil War
. Several houses were burned and several persons killed, including a southern sympathizer named James Meriwether, who was shot in Colony by William Hubble and William Killen on July 20, 1866. The two were not officially charged for the killing until the next year and were acquitted. During the Civil War a store building burned and for many years there was but one store in Colony.
By 1873, Colony had two stores, an entertainment house, ten dwellings, a church, a blacksmith
shop and a schoolhouse. The one-room schoolhouse was enlarged in 1915 with another room and a hall.
In 1950, Colony had two stores, two churches, a Masonic Hall, a community Hall, a switchboard, twenty dwelling houses, and a schoolhouse. In October 1939, electricity was brought to Colony by the Rural Electrification Administration, and in 1950 the first state highway
was completed through Colony connecting it with Baring
and LaBelle.
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
in Colony Township, Knox County
Knox County, Missouri
As of the census of 2010, there are 4,131 people in the county, organized into 1,791 households and 1,217 families. The population density is 9 people per square mile . There are 2,317 housing units at an average density of 5 per square mile...
, Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It lies a few miles southeast of where the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway
The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway , often abbreviated as Santa Fe, was one of the larger railroads in the United States. The company was first chartered in February 1859...
line goes through Rutledge
Rutledge, Missouri
Rutledge is a village in Scotland County, Missouri, United States. The population was 109 at the 2010 census.The surrounding area is also the home to three intentional communities: Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage, a growing ecovillage on of rolling land, Sandhill Farm, and Red Earth Farms.Rutledge is...
.
History
Settlers from KentuckyKentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
founded the town of Colony some time after 1830 and before a post office was established in the area in 1853. The early settlers probably considered this area between the North Fabius River
Fabius River
The Fabius River is a tributary of the Mississippi River in northeastern Missouri in the United States. It is formed near its mouth by the confluence of the North Fabius River and the South Fabius River. The North Fabius River also flows through southeastern Iowa...
and the Middle Fabius River to be productive farming land with water nearby.
It was originally called Kentucky Colony and formed by a group of four or five families in a location about two miles northeast of the present location. The present location of Colony was at first called Centerville because it was halfway between Monticello
Monticello, Missouri
Monticello is a village in Lewis County, Missouri, United States, along the North Fabius River. The population was 126 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Lewis County.Monticello is part of the Quincy, IL–MO Micropolitan Statistical Area....
in Lewis County and Sandhill in Scotland County.
In 1836, the Methodist Episcopal Church
Methodist Episcopal Church
The Methodist Episcopal Church, sometimes referred to as the M.E. Church, was a development of the first expression of Methodism in the United States. It officially began at the Baltimore Christmas Conference in 1784, with Francis Asbury and Thomas Coke as the first bishops. Through a series of...
formed a congregation at the Colony. Then in 1847 the first church building in the county was constructed at the Colony and named Wesley Chapel. In 1890, a Baptist church was built.
The Colony area was the scene of numerous incidents during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. Several houses were burned and several persons killed, including a southern sympathizer named James Meriwether, who was shot in Colony by William Hubble and William Killen on July 20, 1866. The two were not officially charged for the killing until the next year and were acquitted. During the Civil War a store building burned and for many years there was but one store in Colony.
By 1873, Colony had two stores, an entertainment house, ten dwellings, a church, a blacksmith
Blacksmith
A blacksmith is a person who creates objects from wrought iron or steel by forging the metal; that is, by using tools to hammer, bend, and cut...
shop and a schoolhouse. The one-room schoolhouse was enlarged in 1915 with another room and a hall.
In 1950, Colony had two stores, two churches, a Masonic Hall, a community Hall, a switchboard, twenty dwelling houses, and a schoolhouse. In October 1939, electricity was brought to Colony by the Rural Electrification Administration, and in 1950 the first state highway
Missouri Supplemental Route
A supplemental route is a state secondary road in the U.S. state of Missouri, designated with letters. Supplemental routes were various roads within the state which the Missouri Department of Transportation was given in 1952 to maintain in addition to the regular routes...
was completed through Colony connecting it with Baring
Baring, Missouri
Baring is a city in Knox County, Missouri, United States. The population was 132 at the 2010 census.Baring is located on the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe railroad's mainline between Chicago and Los Angeles, which carries heavy mixed freight and intermodal traffic, as well as Amtrak's Southwest...
and LaBelle.
Demographics
Colony is within Colony Township. As of the 2000 census, Colony Township had 173 people, 58 households, and 47 families. The racial makeup of the township was 99.4% White and 0.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.6% of the population.Sources
- History from Knox County Library, author unknown
- Demographics from U.S. Census Bureau