MOUNTAIN VIEW HISTORY

The City of Mountain View was founded in the County of Howell which is one of the southern tier counties in the State of Missouri near the center from east to west and bounded on the north by Texas County, on the east by Shannon and Oregon counties, on the south by the State of Arkansas and on the west by Ozark and Douglas counties. The County of Howell was organized March 2, 1857 and was created from parts of Oregon and Ozark counties. The area was settled by the Osage Tribes in 1808 and in the early days, hunting bands of Indians from the Delaware, Kaw and Shawnee visited the country frequently and the woods were filled with bear, deer, elk and other game. Running north and south through the county is an ancient Indian trail and more than 1,000 prehistoric mounds have been identified in the area.

The first settler in what is now the County of Howell was a hunter named Adams who settled at the "town spring” in the summer of 1839. At the time, his nearest neighbor was said to have lived 20 miles away. Within that same year Adams sold his "improvements" to Josiah Howell who migrated here from Tennessee and is credited with being the first permanent settler in the county which now bears his name. By the beginning of the Civil War in 1861, the county's population was about 3,200 boasting many fine farms. With the beat of "war drums" there erupted differences of opinion. Friends and families became estranged and soon became bitter enemies.

Many of the county's inhabitants were "Southern Sympathizers" and several companies were formed for service to the southern army. The conflict of opinions made the area a "hotbed" with raiding parties supporting both sides engaging in raids. Many area residents sought refuge in areas less dangerous and it is said that only about a dozen families remained in the area during the war. Men who stayed were often forced to hide in the woods and caves for weeks at a time to avoid capture and certain death. Near the end of the war, raiding parties and guerillas ripped through the area burning most of the farm houses and most of the fencing. After the war ended, those that left began to slowly return finding only ashes where their homes once stood and their fields fenceless and grown up in young timber.

By 1865, only a few families had returned, and by the spring of 1867 they began to drift home at a more rapid pace. By 1868 and 1869, many new settlers had also come to the area. The county was reorganized in 1866 and Peter Lamons, Joseph Speers and Richard Haven were appointed county justices. W.D. Mustion was the sheriff and W.Z. Buck was the clerk. With the courthouse being reduced to ashes, the first courts were held in a little log cabin. Most of the county's records survived the war hidden in a cave but were destroyed by fire in 1866 which erupted in the 10' x 12' box shanty which served as the clerk's office. The county's unsettled political conditions retarded its growth until about 1870 when the bitterness began to wear away and an era of peace and prosperity began to emerge. In 1871, the population began to increase rapidly and by 1873, the number of inhabitants was estimated at 8,000. The new settlers were primarily from Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana and Illinois.

The City of Mountain View was established in 1878 with a U.S. Post Office. It is much debated to this day who originally founded the city. Many records indicate Green McClellan settled the city by opening the first general store around 1866. The local currency used at the time was called a “Klondyke” however, given the reconstruction of the county and a scarce circulation of money, a large deal of bartering and trading was carried out. For example, if Mr. McClellan acquired a large number of hogs in trade, he and several helpers would drive them to the City of Rolla, Missouri a trip with oxen would take about a week in order to exchange goods. The supplies that Mr. McClellan brought back to the City of Mountain View mainly consisted of salt, sugar, soda, and coffee beans.

Others claim the original founder of the City of Mountain View was John Goldsberry a general store owner as well and the one who formally named the city “Mountain View.” John Campbell a co-owner with Mr. Goldsberry also hauled their supplies to the City of Salem and to the City of Rolla, Missouri. With the completion of the current river road, F.M. Pollock the owner of 200 acres of land around the main city site established near the grave yard today, succeeded in encouraging the change of the main city site to where 1st street is today. Mr. Pollock influenced this change by giving a depot site, currently where the Community Center resides to the railroad. In 1882, K.C.F.S.M. & B. Railroad was built from the City of Kansas, Missouri to the City of Willow Springs and the City of West Plains, Missouri enabling the transportation of supplies to these major hubs within the County of Howell. In the winter of 1885 the railroad established a supply line through the City of Mountain View enabling the city to grow and develop into the goods and services residents utilize today. The City of Mountain View was incorporated in 1917 with a municipality classification of fourth class as prescribed by the State of Missouri.