County of city: Audrain County
Location of city: SE corner of county: crossroads of MO-19, MO-N & MO-U
County is in the NE section of the state
Elevation: 810 ft (247 m)
Population: 307 (2016)
This community has been nominated as The Nicest Place in America in 2017 in a Readers Digest project
"A town in Loutre Township, laid out in November 21, 1857, and named for William Russell Martin, a Kentuckian, who settled in the county in 1851. The station previously was known as Hudson City, named by Martin for a friend, a traveling clockmaker, who was well liked in the community. He was quite a philosopher. The name was changed to honor the donor of the town site. Early spelling varies with Martinsburgh." ~ History of Northeast Missouri, Vil I, page 227; Plat Book 1
"Wm. H. and Jackson H. Bane were proprietors of the Martinsburgh elevator and corn sheller. Chas. E. Burchard was railroad agent. J. W. Douglas & Co., dealers in general merchandise; Patrick H. Gantt and John E. Fish, composing the first of Gantt & Fish, dealers in general merchandise; Oscar Krueger, dealer in general merchandise; Joseph S. Munster, carpenter and undertaker; J. R. Toneyson, blacksmith and wheel-wright." ~ History of Audrain County, pages 621, 630, 656, 659, 666.
"It had a church, school, picture frame factory, bank, newspaper the "Success", hotel, and about fifteen other business places, including stores, shops, etc. There were also coal mines in the vicinity. Population, 1899 (estimated) 300." ~ Encyclopedia of the History of Missouri, 1901, Conard, Vol. 4, page 210.
"Martinsburgh...on the St. L. K. C. & N. R. W. (now Wabash) 14 miles southeast of Mexico, had a population of about 500. It had 1 church, 1 school-house, 6 stores and a cheese factory." ~ Campbell's Gazetteer of Missouri, Campbell, 1874, page 49.
"It is situated in southeast corner of the county on Sec. 24, Twp. 50 N, R. 7 W at the junction of V, N & 19.
'It was laid out in January, 1859, by William R. Martin and named in his honor. He was a native of Kentucky and settled near the town site in 1854." ~ How MO Counties, Towns and Streams Were Named, Eaton, First Article, p. 204.