Altona, Missouri facts for kids

Altona is a small, unincorporated community located in northern Bates County, in the U.S. state of Missouri. An "unincorporated community" means it's a place where people live, but it doesn't have its own local government like a city or town. Instead, it's part of the larger county's administration.

You can find Altona on Missouri Route Z, just north of Missouri route 18. It's about 5.5 miles east of a town called Adrian.

Altona's History

Altona was officially planned and mapped out, a process called "platting," in 1860. This was just before the American Civil War began.

The community was named by one of its first settlers. This settler came from a place called Altoona, Pennsylvania, and decided to name the new Missouri community after their former home.

For many years, Altona had its own post office. It opened in 1868, which was a time when mail was very important for connecting communities. The post office served the people of Altona for over 50 years, finally closing its doors in 1920.

By 1925, the community was quite small, with only 11 people living there. This shows how some places can be very tiny but still have their own unique history.