Yarrow, Missouri facts for kids
Yarrow is a small, quiet community in Adair County, Missouri, USA. It's not a city with its own government. You can find it about ten miles (16 km) southwest of Kirksville. Yarrow used to have its own post office, but now mail comes from Kirksville.
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Yarrow's Early Days
Yarrow started in 1847 as Domey's Mill. This was a special mill built on the Chariton River. Farmers used it to grind their grain into flour. The first mill was destroyed by ice in 1874. But people still needed a mill! So, a new, bigger mill was built in 1876. This new mill also had a sawmill to cut wood.
The community had many names over the years. It was called Domey's Mill, Lower Iron Bridge, and Linderville. Then, around the early 1900s, a postal official named it Yarrow. The name came from the many wildflowers called "yarrow" that grew nearby.
A Busy River Town
In 1902, the Iowa & St. Louis Railway came to Yarrow. A train station was built, and the town began to grow! Yarrow became a busy place. It had a bank, a general store, a post office, and other shops.
One cool fact is that Yarrow was once the smallest community in America with electricity! This happened in 1910. The mill owner, Michael Weber, put in a water-powered generator. Wires were strung around town. Homes and businesses could have electric lights from 6 to 10:30 p.m. It cost only one cent per light each night. Most other small towns in Missouri had to wait many more years for electricity.
Changes Over Time
Like the river, time kept flowing for Yarrow. The Great Depression in the 1930s made things hard for small towns. Yarrow's bank closed in the early 1930s. The mill closed in 1937. More ice in 1941 caused a big part of the mill to fall into the river. One general store stayed open until the early 1970s before it closed too.
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A view of Webers Mill, the mill dam, and iron bridge around 1910.
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This store remained open until the early 1970s.
Yarrow Today
Today, Yarrow is still home to several families. Many people also have small cottages there for weekend getaways. These were built after World War II because of the great fishing in the Chariton River. The old mill dam was removed in the 1950s. Now, only a concrete slab remains where the mill once stood.
Fun Events and New Life
In the 1980s, Yarrow became famous for one weekend each year. It was the finish line for the Great Chariton River Raft Race! People built amazing rafts and floated down the river from Novinger, Missouri. Hundreds of people would come to Yarrow for this fun event.
The Iowa & St. Louis Railroad no longer runs through Yarrow. But the old train station is still there! It has been turned into a private home. In recent years, Yarrow has seen some new businesses open. There's a popular local bar and restaurant, and even a campground nearby.
