Foley Centennial - Foley, MO - Community Commemoration on Waymarking.com

County of community: Lincoln County
Location of community: On MO-79, between Winfield and Elsberry on the Mississippi River
Location of stone: Mill St. & Walnut St., American Legion lawn, Foley

Text on Commemoration:

"A town in the south-central part of Burr Oak Township, on the St. Louis, Keokuk and Northwestern Railroad. It was founded in 1879 and laid off by B.F. Robertson and John C. Downing. It was named either for Addison Foley, who was owner of the land where the town was built and who died about the time the village was established, or for Miss Addie Foley, who shared in his estate. The post office was established by 1880." ~ Postal Guide; History of Lincoln County, pages 413-14; Eaton, page 187; Andy J. Brown

Foley (elevation 445 feet)

"Foley was situated on the St. Louis, Keokuk & Northwestern Railroad, fifty-one miles from St. Louis, and on part of Section 1, Township 49 N, Range 2 E, and on parts of Surveys 425 and 741. A short time before the railroad was completed to this point, B.F. Robertson bought six acres of land and gave the railroad company $500 in consideration of their locating the depot on his land, where it now (1888) stands... Then William McGuire, administrator of the Foley estate, laid out an addition to the town, and gave others lots to the railroad company on condition that they would locate the depot where it is (1888) and name the town Foley, in honor of Miss Addie Foley" ~ Oral from Mrs. D.H. Young, of Fulton, Missouri.

"The donations were accepted and the town named accordingly. D.N. Trescott erected the first storehouse in Foley, the same year the depot was built... The large flouring mill in the south end of the town was the original Burr Oak Valley mills, brought to Foley in 1880, by Messrs. Mildenstein & Anderson, who operated it until 1884, when the former sold his interest to Broyles and the latter to Trescott...

"Following is a list of the businesses of Foley in July, 1886; General merchandise, Robertson & Marks, Lee Frank and Wagner Bros.; drugs, Thurstin & Tipton; grain dealer, Columbus Broyles; Foley House, Mrs. Dodge; blacksmith shop, John Bricker; wagon maker, B. Wagner, Sr...

"Burr Oak Lodge 378, I.O.O.F. was chartered and located at Burr Oak in 1877. It was moved to Foley in the fall of 1882. There was no church building in Foley, but the Baptists, Methodists and Christians held services occasionally at the school house." ~ Goodspeed, History of Lincoln County, pages 413, 414.)

"It is situated on Survey 747, Township 49 N, Range 2 E, on 79 north from Winfield." ~ State Historical Society of Missouri, Columbia

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