A brief history of
Thomasville, Missouri
Thomasville is the oldest white man settlement in all of south central Missouri. It is located in the very fertile valley near the head waters of the Eleven Point and Middle Fork rivers.
Charles Hatcher discovered this beautiful valley in 1809 and built a home on what he called Rich Hill. Charles was soon followed by six men from Slaughterville, Kentucky. Their names were Howell, Lane, Thomas, Woodside, Moore and Olds.
At this time there were two large tribes of friendly Osage Indians living near where Thomasville is now located. The mounds on which their tepees were located are still visible.
John and Mitilda Thomas gave ten acres to start the village. Streets and lots were laid out in a checker board pattern. Lots were sold to raise money to build a courthouse and jail.
In the year of 1847 it was decided to make Thomasville the county seat of what is now several counties. John R. Woodside submitted the plans for the court house. It was to be twenty feet square, two stories high, and made of ten inch white oak logs. The jail was to be located on the first floor with no windows and the only door was in the sheriff's office on the second floor. There were to be stairs on the outside leading to the second floor.
During the Civil War, Thomasville served as an enlistment center. It also had a Civil War Hospital and Cemetary.
The Bellah was the first public cemetary. It is located near the Eleven Point River, just west of Thomasville. The Woodside cemetary was the next, located on a hill, overlooking the town to the north.
When the railroads came through the area, they bypassed Thomasville because of the swampy areas surrounding it.
The county was soon divided and the court house moved to a more central location. Other counties were formed. Mr. Howell of Thomasville named Howell county and named the county seat West Plains, because it was on the plains west of Thomasville.
Thomasville continued to grow and prosper for several years. It had many businesses, some which were grocery stores, two theatres, a Chevrolet and Harley Davidson Cycle Agency, a Light plant, a Bank, good schools, a hotel, a canning factory, three churches, a grist mill, a lumber yard, a concrete block plant, a black smith shop and livery stable, and one large tavern.
There were three doctors in Thomasville in the early 1900's; Dr. Plummer, Dr. Davis and Dr. Pace. Dr. Plummer's and Dr. Davis's houses are still standing today.
The gypsies used to come to Thomasville each spring and camp between the rivers (Eleven Point and Middle Fork) where they gathered willow limbs and made furniture to sell (some of the furniture can still be seen in local homes). Many parents used the gypsies to threaten their children (instead of the "boogie man").
Thomasville has produced several people of some noteriety. Rusty Lewis pitched for the St. Louis Browns, Wilma Williams Leach played baseball for the Rockford Peaches (immortalized in the movie "A League of Their Own"), Bill Williams and Jack Wallace who also played professional baseball, Dr. Harriett Wright served in the Peace Corp in Africa and the Phillipines, Dwain Willard taught philosophy at the University of Nebraska, Dallas Willard is a professor at UCLA, Gene Washington teaches at the University of Missouri, Eddie Pierce was the Registar at SMSU for several years, Enother Woodside became a United States Congressman, Don Purteet was Assistant Missouri Attorney General, Rallie Kaywood was a well known race car driver in the early days of racing, and two published authors, Wanda Daves and Carl Williams.
Wanda Daves has published a paperback called "Why Not Me?" and Carl Williams has published two hardbacks, "The Loves of Ted" and "The Loves of Ivy". The grandfather of Ivy is Buck Paty.
Thomasville survived the Civil War, the Jamison Gang (with the help of Colonel Monk sent by the Governor to clean them out), the Sons of Liberty (who swore an oath, "No ____ Yankee would ever be allowed to settle in Thomasville"), the Gypsies, a bank robbery, one hanging, several shootings, ladies who dressed and wore makeup far ahead of their time, several sore heads and a bunch of prudes.
In the late 1920's and throughout the 1930's area residents were, on Sunday afternoons in the summer, treated to baseball games. A diamond was maintained at the northeast corner of the school ground and the local "town team" gave above average performanct. No admission was charged, but "the hat was passed" to help defray expenses. Ed Pierce was the manager and for years the lineup included Troy Griffith, Russel and Irvin Lewis, Woodrow and Harry Gum, and Richard and Tom Boyd. In later years teenager Lee "Bud" Woodside joined the team. They exchanged games with Eminence, Winona, Birch Tree, Alton, Riverton, and occasionally Thayer and West Plains.
Thomasville has gone from a busy thriving town to a sleepy little village. Thomasville now has less than 75 inhabitants. There is a General Store, one restaurant, one little shopper, two churches, Thomasville Wood Products, a very active and beautiful community center, an active Masonic Lodge, and a boat dock with picnic tables and a bathroom. Thomasville is bordered on the east and west by two large working ranches. Brookwood Ranch on the west and the Eleven Point Ranch on the east, both include several thousand acres.
There are more pictures on Thomasville picture page
Carl Williams
Rt. 3, Box 131
Thomasville, MO. 65438
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