List of mayors of Portageville, Missouri facts for kids

Portageville, Missouri, is a city located in southeastern Missouri. It's one of the biggest cities in New Madrid County, which is one of the oldest counties in the state. Like many cities, Portageville has a mayor who helps lead the community. This article will tell you about some of the people who have served as mayor of Portageville over the years.

Leaders of Portageville: The Mayors

Being a mayor means you're the top leader of a city. Mayors help make decisions about things like schools, roads, and public safety. Portageville has had many different mayors, each serving for a period of time and helping to shape the city.

Early Mayors and Family Connections

• Joseph Casey McCrate was mayor from about 1933 to 1947. He was born in Ohio.
• His son, Joseph Edward McCrate, followed in his footsteps and became mayor in 1947, serving until 1953. He was also a school superintendent and involved with the local bank and hospital.
• A. Henry Workman also served as mayor from 1951 to 1953.
• Leonard Faherty Pinkley Sr. was mayor from 1953 to 1957.
• Bailey Rutledge served as mayor from 1957 to about 1960.
• Leeds K. Butler was mayor from about 1960 to 1964.

Mayors with Military Service

Many mayors of Portageville have also served their country.

• Joseph E. Christian was mayor from 1965 to 1967. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II, from 1943 to 1945.
• Earl McCall Walker became acting mayor in 1969. He had served in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War.
• James D. Patton, Sr. was mayor from about 1995 to 1998. He served in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II.

Mayors Who Served Multiple Times

Sometimes, a mayor might serve, leave office, and then come back to serve again!

• Barry L. Richardson was mayor from about 1968 to 1969. He resigned to take a job with the Agriculture Stabilization and Conservation Service. He later returned and served as mayor again from 1973 to about 1978.
• Don Rone, Jr. was mayor from about 1978 to 1981. He was later elected to the Missouri House of Representatives in 2014. He also served as mayor again from about 1991 to 1995.
• Denis McCrate served as mayor from 2012. He later served again from 2017 to 2019.
• Floyd Simmons was mayor from 2015 to 2017. He also served again from 2019 to 2020, resigning for health reasons.

Other Notable Mayors

• Roy Moore was mayor from about 1971 to 1973. He had been a hardware merchant for 40 years before becoming mayor.
• Arvil Vernell Adams served as mayor from 1981 to 1991. He was also the president of the Portageville School Board for many years, from 1957 to 1972.
• Don Day was mayor from about 1998 to 1999. He later served as a county commissioner for New Madrid County.
• Vince Berry became mayor in 2020.
• Dennis "Rodi" Walker was elected mayor in 2023, following in the footsteps of his grandfather, Earl McCall Walker, who also served as mayor.