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In the early 1900's two hotels, several grocery stores and other businesses to serve an agricultural community made Peculiar a busy place. There are still some residents who recall the Saturday night movies and dances that were held ob Broadway under the stars. Many things have changed in Peculiar, but almost everyone who chosen Peculiar for their home thinks of it as a nice little town to live in.
We are pleased that you are interested in Peculiar, too. We hope you will visit our city one day!
by Don Eddy
PECULIAR is a village in rural Cass County, Missouri. How Peculiar's name originated is peculiar, too.
Peculiar's patriach, Uncle Bud Callaway, who hasn't lived outside of Peculiar in all his 70 odd years, says the story goes back to pre-Civil War times, when pioneer settlers decided their drowsy, maple-shaded hamlet ought to have a name.
After several sessions in the general store around the molasses barrel they narrowed their choice down to three names, but couldn't get together on one. So they sent all three to the Post Office Department in Washington DC for consideration. The Post Office reported all the names were in use elsewhere and requested more suggestions.
The settlers thought and thought, but nothing happened. Finally, in desperation, they composed an appeal directly to the Postmaster General, agreeing to let him make the final decision.
"We don't care what name you give us," they told him, "so long as it is sort of peculiar."
Probably with tongue in cheek, the Postmaster General wrote a long and courteous reply. He said he had given their predicament grave consideration. "My conclusion," he wrote, "is that in all the land it would be difficult to image a more distinctive, a more peculiar name, than Peculiar."
And Peculiar it has been ever since.
Two citizens of Cass County have been carrying on a unique system of boycott and have come to grief thereby. The place of their operation was the little town of Peculiar in that county and the institution boycotted was none other than the US Post Office.
It appears that A.S. Gilson, the postmaster at Peculiar, is about the only Republican in a howling wilderness of Democracy, and that many of his Democratic neighbors were dissatisfied at his appointment, two of them, Thomas Duckworth and John Moore, being so sore that they contrived a scheme which is quite in keeping with the name of the town.
Now the postmaster's income depends on the amount of business transacted, especially the number of stamps cancelled, so these two worthies consulted on another, and resolved to cut off his income in that line by canvassing the country, gathering up all letters periodically and mailing them at the railroad station, leaving the object of their resentment to languish in idleness. This plan they carried out with much success until the federal authorities were notified and Deputy Marshals Oechsli and Liddell were dispatched to the scene where they…. In the guise of stock dealers… in the little country store listened to Messrs. Duckworth and Moore regale in admiring crowd with a full description of the success of their scheme.
The story finished, the narrators were confronted with warrants for their arrest, and crestfallen and disgusted, brought to Kansas City where they were placed under bond to appear before United States Commissioner L.E. Wynne tomorrow.
By the time Messrs. Duckworth and Moore have fully explained things to their Uncle Sam, they will conclude to retire from the boycotting business.
The two factions are composed of the best men in that section of the country and the men directly impacted are leading citizens and well-to-do. It is indeed quite a calamity that has befallen that quiet little village, and neighbor being arrayed against neighbor, and brother of the same church against brother, makes matters extremely unfortunate. It is to be hoped, however, that the question will be amicably settled, and that quietude may again reign over that once peaceable neighborhood.
The ground on which the town of Peculiar was platted has an interesting history.
CARY NATION, in her autobiography, tells that her father, George Moore, sold the farm land to a Mrs. Hawkins to enable her to establish a spiritualist colony , and that later a town named "PECULIAR" was located on this tract of land.
On the 29th of July 1866, Robert Austin, County Surveyor of Cass County, surveyed into lots, blocks and streets of the Town of Peculiar.
CITY of PECULIAR | |
Population | 2604 |
Area | 2,208 acres |
GO to City of Peculiar web site
http://www.cityofpeculiar.com/
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