Berryman, Iron County, Missouri facts for kids

Berryman was once a small community in Iron County, Missouri. Today, it's known as an "extinct town" or a ghost town, meaning it no longer has people living there. It's now just a historical spot on the map of the United States.

The Story of Berryman

Berryman was a tiny settlement that appeared on maps for a short time. Like many small towns in the past, its existence was often tied to a specific industry or a person. The official records from the GNIS help us keep track of places like Berryman, even after they are gone.

A Town with a Sawmill

The community of Berryman got its name from a man named John W. Berryman. He was important to the area because he owned a local sawmill. A sawmill is a place where logs are cut into lumber, which is wood used for building houses, furniture, and many other things.

In the late 1800s, Missouri had many forests, and sawmills were very common. They provided jobs and helped new towns grow as people moved into the area. Berryman likely grew up around Mr. Berryman's sawmill, with workers and their families living nearby.

The Post Office and Daily Life

For a short time, Berryman even had its own post office! It opened in 1884. A post office was a really important part of any community back then. It was how people sent and received letters, news, and even packages. It also served as a central meeting place for the people living in the area.

However, the post office in Berryman didn't stay open for very long. It closed just one year later, in 1885. This short lifespan of the post office gives us a clue about how quickly the town might have faded away.

Why Towns Become Extinct

Many small towns, especially those built around a single industry like a sawmill, can become "extinct." This often happens for a few reasons:

• Resources run out: If all the trees in the area were cut down, the sawmill would no longer have wood to process.
• Industry moves: Sometimes, the sawmill might move to a new location where there are more trees.
• People move away: As industries change or better opportunities appear elsewhere, people often move to bigger towns or cities.
• Transportation changes: New roads or railroads might bypass a small town, making it harder for people and goods to get there.

For Berryman, it's likely that one or more of these reasons led to its decline. Once the sawmill was no longer active, there was little reason for people to stay.

Berryman Today

Today, there isn't much left of Berryman. When a town becomes extinct, it often means that buildings crumble, and nature slowly reclaims the land. It might just be an empty field or a wooded area where a community once thrived.

Even though Berryman is gone, its name remains on maps and in historical records. It serves as a reminder of the many small communities that once dotted the landscape of Missouri, each with its own unique story.