Corkery, Missouri facts for kids
Corkery was once a small town in Missouri, located where Dallas and Laclede counties meet. Today, it is considered an "extinct town," which means it no longer has people living there. It's like a ghost town!
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Where Was Corkery Located?
Corkery was built on a high ridge. This ridge was special because the Niangua River flowed around three sides of it. The river made a big, winding loop, almost like a U-turn, about 300 feet below the town. This kind of river bend is called an "entrenched meander."
How to Get There
Even though the river surrounded the town on three sides, the only way to reach Corkery by road was from Laclede County. This made its location quite unique and a bit isolated.
The History of Corkery's Post Office
A post office is a place where people send and receive mail. Corkery had its own post office, which opened in 1893. It served the community for many years.
When Did the Post Office Close?
The post office in Corkery stayed open for over 50 years. It finally closed its doors in 1944. After the post office closed, fewer people lived in the area, and the town eventually became extinct.
How Corkery Got Its Name
There are two main ideas about how Corkery got its name. Both stories involve people named Corkery who were important to the early community.
Mike Corkery or Ed Corkery?
One idea is that the town was named after Mike Corkery. He was a local merchant, which means he owned a store and sold goods to people in the area. Another idea is that it was named after Ed Corkery. Ed was a millwright, someone who builds or repairs mills. He came to the area in 1863 to set up machinery for a mill. He decided to stay, opened his own store, and even became the first postmaster of Corkery.
