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Hi! Welcome to Myrtle's past.
There were settlers here before the civil war but the site which ultimately became Myrtle wasn't laid out until 1881.
Mr. J. Scott Moore built a store on the site of the Three-in-One store and laid out a townsite. Other businesses soon sprang up and, when a post office was established in the Moore store, the town officially became Myrtle. The name came from one of Moore's daughters. "Myrtle" was crippled and couldn't get out much so the town children were used to "Going to Myrtle's" to play with her. Therefore, it seemed pretty natural to name the town after the store/post office.
It turned out that this little Ozark settlement was
just far enough away from any place to become "someplace." People didn't go to Pocahontas, Alton or
Thayer since the round trip took 2 days and they would
have to stay overnight. So, people just "stayed hitched" and shopped in Myrtle.
The town grew and many new businesses appeared - including a steam powered flour mill, a blacksmith shop, a cotton gin, and a lumber mill. Churches and schools also appeared and, like "Topsy", the area just grew and grew. In 1920, the population of Myrtle township had grown to over 800. It was not uncommon to see between 500 and 600 people in town on Saturday and Sunday--trading, buying, selling, chatting, exchanging news, and, in general, having a great time. And, any time Otto Crass and Henry Underwood were in the same area, there was a fight which would provide entertainment to the onlookers until some people in the crowd got the boys separated. Sometimes they'd be "bloody as hogs" but everyone involved seemed to really enjoy themselves.
As electricity, telephones and the radio brought the outside world closer, Myrtle's isolation was drawing to a close. With the establishment of Highway V through Myrtle, it was no longer attractive to come
there to buy, sell or trade. Instead, the family automobile had brought Pocahontas, Doniphan, Thayer and even West Plains and Poplar Bluff close enough for a shopping trip. By 1981, the town's centennial, local businesses had dwindled to just a hardware store, a general store, library, post office, beauty parlor, pool hall, a second hand store and 3 auto garages.
Many people who have lived elsewhere for over 30 years still call Myrtle home. Myrtle has retained the
distinctive flavor of an isolated Ozark village. Folks
still gather in the stores, post office, and McFann"s garage to exchange news and pass the time of day. Tall
tales are often heard, tobacco is still chewed, and whole familys flock to the Quick Stop for sweet treats,
drinks and gossip. Perhaps, as the price of gas climbs
even higher and "civilization" becomes even more frightening, it will once again make sense to "stay hitched and shop in Myrtle."
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