Americus, Missouri facts for kids
Americus is a small, unincorporated community located in Montgomery County, Missouri, in the U.S. state of Missouri. An unincorporated community means it's a place with a shared identity but without its own local government.
History of Americus
The community of Americus got its name from a famous explorer and mapmaker named Amerigo Vespucci. He was one of the first people to realize that the lands discovered by Christopher Columbus were actually a whole new continent, not just part of Asia. That's why the Americas (North and South) are named after him!
Americus had its own post office for many years. It first opened in 1867, which was a long time ago, right after the American Civil War. The post office helped people send and receive letters and packages until it finally closed in 1959.
Famous People from Americus
Even though Americus is a small place, a couple of very famous people were born there! They were brothers who became well-known in the world of horse racing.
- Lester Reiff was born in Americus in 1877. He became a professional horse racing jockey, which is the person who rides horses in races. Jockeys need to be very skilled and brave!
- John Reiff, Lester's younger brother, was born in Americus in 1885. He also became a successful racing jockey. John was so good at his sport that he was honored by being inducted into the US Racing Hall of Fame in 1956. This is a very special award for athletes who have achieved great things in their sport.
