Early Days of Edna MO

The Early Days of Edna, Mo.

To the Editor of The Jumplicute, Scott City, Missouri

The town was Edna, Missouri.  This was the first name given to the town now called Scott City.  The name of Edna was given to honor the granddaughter of a pioneer citizen*.  However, the name of Edna soon gave way to Fornfelt because of a mail problem.

All the mail kept going to Edina, Missouri.  Then Fornfelt became the name of the town to honor a resident family of that time.  Fornfelt in recent times has become Scott City.

It is interesting to note that the first school was held in the city hall.  The first eight grades were taught.  Miss Lois Williams* was the very first teacher.  This first teacher is known now as Mrs. Grover Smith.  She is now in her nineties.

A nice new brick school house was built later.  The new school was built upon a hill about four blocks from the new Scott City Bank.  Eight grades were taught in this school for many years.

In the early days of Scott City the first high school was located north of the Cottonbelt Roundhouse and the railroad yards.  This high school was used until recently when a new high school was built west of Scott City.

If you remember some of the western movies on television of the early days, you would get a rather good picture of how it was in the towns.  Many tough characters came and the law men were busy maintaining the laws.

As I recall the first church in Scott City was built on a hill.  It was a little white frame building.  The location of this church was north of the Broadway Methodist Church, which was built to replace the old church.

* Lois Williams Smith was Edna’s sister.

Sincerely, Edna Drexler