Leopold, Missouri facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Leopold, Missouri
Unincorporated community
Nickname(s):  Vinemount (archaic), The Big Pold
Motto(s):  the sunshine state
Location of Leopold, Missouri
Country	United States
State	Missouri
County	Bollinger
Area
• Total	0.1 sq mi (0.2 km2)
• Land	0.1 sq mi (0.2 km2)
• Water	0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2)
Elevation	627 ft (191 m)
Population  (2000)
• Total	65
• Density	645.6/sq mi (249.3/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	63760
Area code(s)	573
FIPS code	29-81430

Leopold is a small, unincorporated community in eastern Bollinger County, located in Southeast Missouri, United States. It sits on Missouri Route N, about four miles southeast of Marble Hill. Around 65 people live here, and it has one of Missouri's smallest public school districts. Many residents are Roman Catholic and have Dutch-German roots. It's known as one of the wealthier communities in Southeast Missouri.

Leopold is also part of the larger Cape Girardeau–Jackson metropolitan area.

Discovering Leopold's History

Leopold began in 1856 when Reverend John van Luytelaar and 12 other families came looking for farmland. They traveled by boat down the Ohio River and up the Mississippi River to Cape Girardeau. From there, they found the area and named their new community Vinemount. More families soon followed, helping the community grow.

How Leopold Got Its Name

In 1894, the first post office was built for Vinemount. However, they found out there was already another post office in Missouri with the same name. So, a name change was needed! The people first suggested "Leopolis," meaning "City of Leo," to honor Pope Leo XIII. This name was not approved, so they proposed "Leopold," which was accepted.

The first postmaster in Leopold was John Hahn. He would get the mail from Mr. Gerhard Luebbers at church and give it to the townspeople. In 1953, when Elmer Nenninger became postmaster, the post office moved to its current spot on Highway N and Main Street.

Local Businesses and Community Spirit

What was once Macke's Feed and General Store is now the Leopold Country Store. It has changed owners a few times and is currently owned by Albert and Cindy Arnzen.

Another local business is Beussink’s Transmission Service. Fred Beussink started this auto repair shop after moving back to Leopold in 1973. Today, it's a transmission service and gas station, run by Mike Vandeven.

In 1952, the Leopold’s St. Johns Cemetery Association was formed. This group helps church members care for the graves of their family and friends.

On October 16, 1966, a group of Catholic men started a local chapter of the Knights of Columbus in Leopold. They bought land in 1967, and the Knights of Columbus Hall was built there in 1968. A special shrine to Our Lady, Queen of Peace, was built nearby in 1973.

Nearby Historical Communities

Leopold is surrounded by several smaller, unincorporated communities that have interesting histories.

• Clippard is a historical area located northeast of Laflin. Some say it was near a creek, while others place its old post office a few miles south of Laflin.
• Drum is a community just south of the Route T and Route F intersection. It was founded in 1893 and named after State Senator Robert Drum. Students from Drum attend either Leopold R-3 School District or Delta R-5 School District.
• Glennon is a village at the intersection of Route T and Route AB. It was named after Archbishop John Glennon, who allowed a church to be built there in 1905. Students in Glennon go to Leopold R-3 School District.
• Laflin is a community at the end of Route U, northeast of Leopold. It once had a train station on the Belmont Branch Railroad. The Laflin Post Office operated from 1871 to 1954. The area is named after Sylvester M. Laflin, a director of the St. Louis & Iron Mountain Railroad. Students from Laflin also attend Leopold R-3 School District.

Education in Leopold

The History of Leopold Schools

Soon after the first settlers arrived, they realized how important education was. They formed the Society of St. Willibrord to set up a school. Early classes were held in homes. One of the first school buildings was a log cabin, located near what is now Lawrence Macke's farm.

In the early days, schools in Leopold received state support for only four to six months a year. To ensure children got more education, the community members paid extra to cover the teacher's salary for an additional three to four months each year.

Records show that starting in 1889, young women from the community were hired to teach the younger grades. Their salaries were quite low, starting at $8.00 per month and going up to $15.00 per month.

Leopold R-III School District Today

The Leopold R-III School District is a small, rural school system. It includes one elementary school and one combined junior-senior high school. In the 2009-2010 school year, there were about 200 students and 30 teachers. The school colors are blue and white, and their mascot is the wildcat.

Students can join many activities, such as the Beta Club, Business Club, Science Fair Club, Student Activities Council, and the LHS Concert Choir. For sports, there's boys' basketball, girls' volleyball, boys' baseball, girls' softball, and cheerleading. Volleyball games are especially popular and bring the whole community together!

The Southeast Missourian newspaper has recognized Leopold as the best public school in the area for three years in a row, from 2005 to 2008.

On May 6, 2008, Leopold R-III High School received the Gold Star Award in Jefferson City. Leopold was one of only 15 schools in the state to get this award. It was given because students performed in the top 10 percent of all schools on the Missouri Assessment Program (MAP) tests. The school also met its yearly progress goals.

Religion in Leopold

St. John’s Catholic Church, located on Main Street in Leopold, was built in 1899. Construction began in the spring, and the church was built in a pure Gothic style using local limestone. The church members themselves did most of the work. Since then, the inside of the church has been updated many times.

In 2003, Bishop John Leibrecht announced that St. Anthony’s Parish in Glennon would become a mission parish of St. John’s Catholic Church. This was a good idea because many people in Leopold have relatives in Glennon. Also, students from Glennon attend the Leopold R-III School District.

St. Anthony’s Catholic Church is the third oldest mission in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau. It's in the small village of Glennon. The first wooden church was dedicated on February 3, 1906, but a tornado destroyed it in 1917. Another wooden church was built, but it burned down in 1969. The current church building was dedicated in August 1970. Father William Hennecke is the current priest for both St. Anthony’s and St. John’s Parish in Leopold. Mass is held at St. Anthony’s on Saturday evenings. Behind the church is a hall for social events, and a small cemetery is nearby.

St. John's and St. Anthony's are the only two Roman Catholic churches in Bollinger County.

In May 1944, the Shrine of Our Lady Queen of Peace was dedicated. It honored the members of the parish who were serving in the armed forces. Children from the community were asked to find the stones used to build the shrine. After it was built, evening Rosaries were said for those serving in the armed forces.