County of town: Lincoln County
Location of town: central and north of center in the county; crossroads of MO-E & CR-275, between Olney and Silex
County is central on eastern border of state
Elevation: 640 feet (195 meters)
Population: 85 (2013)
"Millwood - A town in the central part of Millwood Township, about twelve miles west of Troy. In 1843 an effort was made to establish a post office and Dr. Hilary P. Mudd, who later became the first postmaster suggested Fairview as a name for the new office; but this name could not be adopted because at that time there was already a post office in the state of the same name. He then sent the name Millward, for the Federal Marshall of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, William Millward, then a prominent Whig politician, to Washington. Mr. Millward was born in Philadelphia, June 20, 1822, engaged in the manufacture of leather, was elected as a Whig to the Thirty-Fourth and Thirty-Sixth Congresses, was chosen United States Marshall for the eastern district of Pennsylvania, 1861-1865, was appointed Director of the United States Mint in September, 1866, but served only six months because the appointment was not confirmed, and died in Kirkwood, Delaware, November 28, 1871. The postal department in Washington mistook the last syllable, "ward," for "wood," hence the name "Millwood." The founder of the town was Joseph S. (or James) Wells, a pioneer settler and early school teacher, who founded Olney and became a Baptist minister. The first house, which also served as a store, was built in 1851. The site was surveyed in 1853 and acknowledged before Francis Parker, county clerk. The name is spelled Milwood by Goodwin." ~ Goodwin; Postal Guide; Campbell's New Atlas of Missouri, 1878, page 14; History of Lincoln County, Goodspeed, 1888, page 419-21; The State of Missouri in 1904, Walt Williams, page 429; Biographic Directory of Congress; TROY FREE PRESS, Jan. 1, 1889, page 1
"Millwood is situated in the western part of Section 14, and the eastern part of Section 15, in Township 50 N, Range 2 west, and is about twelve miles northeast of Troy. In 1843 an effort was made for the establishment of a post-office near where Millwood now stands, and Dr. Hilary P. Mudd, who became the first postmaster, selected and sent to the department at Washington the name of Fairview for the new office; but there being already a post-office in the State of that name it could not be adopted. He then sent in the name of Millward, after the name of the Federal Marshal of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, who was at the time a prominent Whig politician. The post-office department mistook the last syllable, "ward", for "wood", hence the name "Millwood". Joseph S. Wells built the first house in the village in 1851, and used it as a store and dwelling house.
"In 1888 the village contained a general store, two drug stores, kept respectively by Drs. H.B. Wommack and J.D. Mudd. The physicians were the druggists mentioned...
"The history of Millwood would not be complete without a personal mention of its founder, Joseph S. Wells, who was one of the pioneer settlers of the county, and who taught the first school in the neighborhood, and who taught the first school in Millwood and neighborhood. After leaving Millwood he went to Olney and founded that village... After completing a period of very useful citizenship in the county he moved to Texas, where he remained until his death." ~ History of Lincoln County, 1888, Goodspeed, pages 420, 421.
"It had four stores, one church -- Catholic, one school and a carding machine. Population was about 90." ~ Campbell's Gazetteer of Missouri, 1874, page 314.
"It is situated on Section 14, 15, Township 50 N, Range 2 W east from D.
"The post-office was discontinued in 1905." ~ General Scheme of Missouri, Taft, page 61
"Mail now is via Silex; population is 60." Map of Missouri, Rand, McNally, 1974.