Napton, Missouri facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Napton, Missouri
Unincorporated community
Location of Napton, Missouri
Country	United States
State	Missouri
County	Saline
Elevation	640 ft (200 m)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
Area code(s)	660
GNIS feature ID	723116

Napton is a small, unincorporated community in Saline County, Missouri, in the United States. An unincorporated community means it's a place where people live, but it doesn't have its own local government like a city or town. It's located about 8 miles (13 km) southeast of a larger town called Marshall.

A Look at Napton's History

Napton has an interesting past, including a name change and a time when it was very important to the county.

How Napton Got Its Name

Napton was first known as Jonesboro. It was planned out in 1887 and named after the local Jones family who lived there. Later, the community's name was changed to Napton. This new name honors William Barclay Napton, who was a very important judge on the Supreme Court of Missouri.

When Napton Was a County Seat

For a short time, from 1831 to 1839, Jonesboro (which is now Napton) was the county seat of Saline County. A county seat is like the main town or city in a county where the government offices are located. It's where important decisions for the county are made. Before Jonesboro, the county seat was in a place called Jefferson, and after Jonesboro, it moved to Arrow Rock.

Jonesboro also had a post office starting in 1828. This means people could send and receive mail there, which was a big deal back then! The post office served the community off and on until 1873.

Historic Buildings in Napton

Even though Napton is a small community, it has some buildings that are considered very important historically. Two of these buildings, the George A. Murrell House and the Neff Tavern Smokehouse, are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This means they are recognized for their special history and are protected.