Missouri Towns That Changed Their Names
Several Towns Across Missouri Decided that Change Is Good
The one thing that is constant – is change. Over the course of Missouri’s 200-plus years, several towns have changed their names. It happens for a number of reasons such as:
- Honoring a valuable citizen
- Better Marketing
- Avoiding confusion
- Burying the past
Here are some of the towns in Missouri that have changed names over the years.
Osage Beach
The original name of Osage Beach was Zebra. The settlement was founded in 1886 before officially becoming Osage Beach in 1935 after the Lake of the Ozarks was formed.
Branson West:
The town has changed names a couple of times. The city was originally called Linchpin, then officially changed its name to Lakeview before becoming Branson West in 1992 to capitalize on the growth of neighboring Branson.
Kansas City:
Originally Westport Landing, it was incorporated as the Town of Kansas in 1850. It became the City of Kansas in 1853 and was renamed Kansas City in 1889.
Tightwad:
The original name of Tightwad was Edgewood. There are several theories floating around the web, but the one most recognized is a frustrated postmaster who was charged an extra 50 cents for a watermelon and called the shopkeeper a “tightwad” for being stingy.
Ballwin:
This town was originally named “Ballshow.” But that didn’t last too long. The name was changed to Ballwin two days later, due to some sort of rivalry with nearby Manchester.
Other Changes:
There are several other Missouri towns that changed their name, but in less dramatic ways. Here are a few of those.
- Mexico used to be New Mexico.
- Springfield is the combination of both Springfield and North Springfield when they merged.
- Nevada used to be Nevada City. In fact, before that, it was called Hog Eye. But it was never officially a town under that name.
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