Deventer, Missouri facts for kids
Deventer is a small place in Mississippi County, Missouri, USA, that doesn't have its own local government. It's located on Route 77, about 10 miles southeast of Charleston.
The Story Behind Deventer's Name
Have you ever wondered how places get their names? For Deventer, there are a couple of interesting ideas!
A Name from Far Away?
One idea is that Deventer might have been named after a city in the Netherlands called Deventer. It's possible that people from the Netherlands moved to this area a long time ago. They might have named their new home after the city they came from. This would be a way to remember their roots!
A Post Office and a Friend
However, there's another very detailed story about how Deventer got its name. This story comes from a study written in 1938.
Back in 1910, the people in this small community wanted to have their own post office. A well-known landowner named Mr. Frank May asked for the post office to be set up. Another landowner, Mr. Dave Reeves, helped Mr. May by supporting his application to become the postmaster.
Mr. May sent a list of eight names to the government for the new post office. These names were:
- Earl (named after a friend of Mr. May and Mr. Reeves)
- Reeves (named after Mr. Dave Reeves)
- Harris (named after the father of C.P. Harris)
- Mayville (named after Mr. Frank May)
- Boyce (named after another friend)
- Tinner (named after a landowner)
- Prat (named after another landowner)
The very last name on the list was Deventer. This name was chosen to honor Deventer Miller. At the time, Deventer Miller worked in a store in Oran and was a friend of Mr. May. Later, Deventer Miller worked in the insurance business in St. Louis. The postal authorities liked the name Deventer the best, and that's how this small community got its unique name!
