Flory, Missouri facts for kids
Flory, Missouri is what people call a ghost town in Dade County, Missouri. A ghost town is a place where people used to live and work, but now it's mostly empty. Flory is located in the northwest part of Dade County, not too far from towns like Cedarville and Jerico Springs. It's also close to the border of Barton County. Back in 1904, maps showed Flory at a specific spot where four land sections met.
What Was Flory?
Flory started as a small trading post around the year 1900. A trading post is like a small store or market where people can buy and sell goods. The town was named after a well-known politician in Missouri at that time. A politician is someone who works in government, making decisions for the community. Some local newspapers also mentioned families with the name Flory living in the area.
The Post Office
Flory even had its own post office! This was important for sending and receiving mail. However, the post office closed down in 1905. This happened because of something called rural free delivery. This meant mail carriers started delivering mail directly to homes in the countryside, so people didn't need to go to a post office in a small town anymore. Today, the area where Flory used to be is part of the Jerico Springs ZIP code.
School Days in Flory
Even though Flory was a small place, it had a school! It was part of the Dade County Common School District No. 81. The school was a single-room building called Rockdale. In 1932, a report about public schools in Missouri showed that 21 students were attending Rockdale School. These students were in grades first through eighth, all learning together in one room.
Why Did Flory Disappear?
For a while, even after the post office closed, people still talked about Flory as a landmark or a place to know. Local newspapers mentioned it until after World War II. However, by 1971, a researcher named Arthur Paul Moser was told that there were no signs left of the old town. It had completely disappeared, becoming a true ghost town.
