NEOSHO, a post-village, capital of Newton co., Missouri, 200 miles S. W. from Jefferson City. It has considerable trade with the Indians. Extensive lead mines have been opened about 6 miles from this place. (Baldwin & Thomas, A New and Complete Gazetteer of the United States ... 1854)
NEOSHO The county seat of Newton county, Neosho township, situated on Hickory Creek, 300 miles from St. Louis, and 200 from Jefferson City. The post office has been established about 20 years. There are two stage routes, one to Springfield, 75 miles, and one to New Mexico, 800 miles. This is the terminus of the south-west branch of the Pacific Railroad, which, when completed, will be of the greatest benefit to the place, the nearest navigation point being 200 miles distant: A weekly paper is published here, viz: the Weekly Herald. A high school is in successful operation here; two Masonic Lodges, viz: Neosho Lodge No. 81, and the Newtonia, No.-. The Odd Fellows have the Granby Lodge No. -, and Neosho Lodge No. 85. The town contains three churches, viz: Baptist, Cumberland Presbyterian, and Methodist. There are any amount of good mill sites on the river. The chief products are corn, wheat, oats, rye, barley; minerals, lead and iron in abundance; timber of every variety. The average price of cultivated lands, $15 per acre, and uncultivated, $5. There are eight attorneys, one auctioneer, 2 bakers, five blacksmiths, one pork packer, one boot and shoe dealer, three cabinet makers, three carpenters, two wagon makers, seven general stores, two hotels, five physicians, one leather dealer, &c. Population 500. County Judge, G.W. Grave, County Sheriff, John K. Choat. (Missouri State Gazetteer..., 1860)