Annapolis, Missouri

Annapolis is a city in southern Iron County, Missouri. It had a population of 345 at the 2010 census.

History

American pioneers had started to move into the Annapolis area by the 1850s. Most were from states of the Upper South such as Kentucky and Tennessee, though there were also a few immigrants from Germany and Sweden. The area initially bore multiple names, including Big Lick and Jackson's Mill, but no organized community existed until the St. Louis and Iron Mountain Railroad was extended through the region in 1871. That same year, Thomas Allen, an official with the railroad, laid out the town and gave it its current name. According to some accounts, Allen named it in honor of his wife, Anna; others suggest that it took its name from Annapolis, Maryland. It is possible that both versions are correct.

The town initially boomed from the presence of the railroad and from the construction of multiple sawmills in the area to feed the timber industry, rising to a population of nearly 700 by 1890; however, it soon declined sharply as the timber nearby was exhausted, and its fortunes fluctuated thereafter. Annapolis was one of the first communities struck by the Tri-State Tornado of 1925, in which two locals were killed and 90% of the town suffered damage, but it quickly rebuilt. Another setback came with the closing of the local railroad depot in 1969. However, timber harvesting continues to be an important occupation, providing jobs and money for the town's economy.