Menfro is an unincorporated community in northeastern Perry County, Missouri

Perry County, Missouri

Perry County is a county located in Southeast Missouri in the United States. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the county's population was 18,132. In 2008 the population was estimated to be 18,743. Its county seat is Perryville. The county was officially organized on November 16, 1820 from Ste...

. It is located eight miles (13 km) northeast of Perryville

Perryville, Missouri

Perryville is a city in Perry County, Missouri, United States. The population was 7,667 at the 2000 census. The 2008 estimated population is 8,172. It is the county seat of Perry County.-Governance:...

.

History

Menfro was established on a small portion of Levi Wiggin's land grant #1328. In January 1877, this small plot of land was ubdivision (land)|subdivided by the Perry County Surveyor and eventually became known as the Town of Menfro.

In September 1879, Valentine and Margaret Hoehn sold a portion of land grant #1328 to Frederick Moldenhauer. The Moldenhauer family still owns this tract of land which is home to the Moldenhauer Alfalfa Mill

Mill (grinding)

A grinding mill is a unit operation designed to break a solid material into smaller pieces. There are many different types of grinding mills and many types of materials processed in them. Historically mills were powered by hand , working animal , wind or water...

.

Menfro began as a stop on the St. Louis, Memphis & South Eastern Railroad, which began construction on 22 September 1902, with the intention of linking Perry County with St. Louis

St. Louis, Missouri

St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...

 in time for the 1904 World's Fair

Louisiana Purchase Exposition

The Louisiana Purchase Exposition, informally known as the Saint Louis World's Fair, was an international exposition held in St. Louis, Missouri, United States in 1904.- Background :...

.

Floods

The Town of Menfro is located on Cinque Hommes Creek, which is usually called "Menfro Creek" by the local population. Menfro Creek empties into the Mississippi River

Mississippi River

The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...

just a mile (1.6k) downstream from the Town of Menfro. When the water level in the Mississippi River rises, the Menfro Creek runs backwards, taking in the rising water from the Mississippi. As such, when the Mississippi River floods, so does Menfro.

Three major floods have affected Menfro (1943, 1973 and 1993). Each time, the Town of Menfro was destroyed. After the 1943 and 1973 floods the town was rebuilt; however, after the 1993 flood the town did not recover.

Further reading

Erzfeld, Patricia L. Menfro: People's Dream, Mother Nature's Plan, Perry County Historical Society, softcover, 161 pages. This book is one of the few compilations on the History of Menfro, written from first and secondary sources. This article was written from the information found in this book.