Ghost Towns of Missouri, D

Ghost Town USA’s

Guide to the Ghost Towns, Mining Camps,

and Other Formerly Inhabited Places in

MISSOURI.

Locations beginning with D

PLEASE NOTE:

Unless noted otherwise, most of these listings are quoted from postings to Rootsweb’s Missouri Ghost Town discussion forum (THE LIST). Some minor editing for editorial consistency and spelling WAS made, as well as spelling out of directions (N, SE, NNW, etc), and numbers less than ten.
Unless noted otherwise, indicated population figures are from the 1990 census. (In the next year these should be updated to the 2000 census.) If the population is listed as 0*, the asterisk indicates “assumed”, based on other facts.
Many of these listed locations may be just rural post offices, country churches schools, forts, stage stations, crossroads stores, mills or river fords, rather than what we normally consider towns. The reason for that is that many of these types of locations had small communities grow up around the main business.
When a current town that is not listed in this work went by a different name, or a name markedly different than its present name, it is indicated by the DEAD NAME entry. These are noted due to the fact that these names MAY be discovered in research, and by listing them here, it makes it easier for the researcher to discover the current name.
In all the listings below, personal comments will be noted with either names or initials, like (MF) {Mike Flannigan}, or (GBS) {Me}. In some cases, I didn’t write down the name, but only an e-mail address, so I left them in. If you know of any Missouri ghost town location not listed on these pages, please contact THE LIST if you are a member, or me if not. I will pass on the information to THE LIST.
Highways are marked thus...

CR – County Roads
SH – State Highway
US – US Highway
I – Interstate Highway

Locations marked with a $ indicate an admission fee is charged to visit the site.
Locations with part of the name HIGHLIGHTED are linked to a page listing “all” locations of the same type such as those listed below. Many times these type of locations acted as a magnet for a small community that later faded away. Some of these locations included: Ferries, Mills (These include flouring, grist and logging mills.), Mines (and the associated mining camps), Rural Post Offices (These were usually small “post offices” located in a farmer’s home or out building. They served folks in outlying farming areas, and often acted as a community center or gathering place to catch up on the latest gossip or commodity prices.), Way Stations (These include railroad & stage stations, rural stores, taverns, or other stopping points along transportation routes.).
See also our Ghost Town Index, listed by County.

Without further ado, let’s visit some of Missouri’s many hundreds of ghost towns!

-D-

DALES MILL Lawrence Co.

Dales Mill was named for its pioneer owner.

DALLAS Bollinger Co.

DEAD NAME – This is an early name for Marble Hill, the county seat (1990 pop – 1447).

DAMONVILLE St. Louis Co.

Located in St. Ferdinand Township.

DAN Maries Co.

Dan was a rural post office in northeastern Jefferson Township. It was named for Daniel Boone Crider, an early settler.

This might be outside Maries Co., over in Gasconade or Osage counties, but I'm not sure. (Mike Flannigan)

DANA Bates Co.

AKA – West Point.

Dana was a post office occupying the town site of West Point. It was established in 1886. West Point was located less than a mile from the Kansas line in northwestern West Point Township. It was so named because it was the last outfitting place after Westport on the state.

Looks like this is just south of Merwin. (Mike Flannigan)

DANFORTH Adair Co. Rural

Latitude: 40°14' 29" N, Long 092° 44' 02" W – Elevation: 805’

DANIEL M BOONES FORT St. Charles Co.

AKA – Boones Fort

Located in Darsts Bottom in Femme Osage Township. Built by Daniel M Boone about 1800.

DANVILLE Montgomery Co. 75

This one-time county seat has faded from its glory, and is located on I-70, 43 miles east of Columbia, and five miles south of Montgomery City. (GBS)

DARBY MINE Franklin Co.

…SEE Thomas Mine. Part of the Thomas Mine complex.

DART Adair Co. -

Lat 40° 02' 48" N, Long 092° 34' 02" W – Elevation: 935'

DAUGHERTY Cass Co. 60

AKA – Eight Mile

Eight Mile Post Office was located in southwestern Camp Branch Township. It was established in 1879 about eight miles south of Harrisonville. It was named for the stream.

I think this is the present town of Daugherty. (Mike Flannigan)

Daugherty had a 1990 population of 60, and is listed above. Rand McNally gives Eight Mile as an alternate name. (GBS)

DAUGHERTYS MILL Johnson Co.

Daughertys Mill was built in 1856 in Warrensburg by William Daugherty.

DAVID McMILLANS MILL Lincoln Co.

...SEE McMillans Mill

DAVIS MILL Barry Co.

...SEE J. J. Davis Mill

DAVIS MILL Johnson Co.

Davis Mill was a water-powered mill on Clear Fork Creek in Simpson Township. It was named for Dr. Hamilton C. Davis.

DAVIS MILL Lincoln Co.

Davis Mill was a treadmill two miles west of New Hope and named for Ephraim Davis.

DAWSON FORD Lincoln Co.

Dawson Ford was located at Bryants Creek on the New Hope and Paynesville Road.

DAWSON LaFORGE SCHOOL New Madrid Co.

Exact location of this historical location not determined.

DAWSON SCHOOL New Madrid Co.

Exact location of this historical location not determined.

DEAD MANS FORD Franklin Co.

This place was a crossing on the Meramec River between the northeastern part of Boles Township and northwestern Calvey Township, between Catswissa and Pacific.

It appears to be near Prater. (Mike Flannigan)

DECATUR COUNTY Ozark Co.

DEAD NAME – From 1843-1845 the county was renamed Decatur Co. (GBS)

DEEPWATER Henry Co.

…SEE Austin City

(NOTE: Don’t confuse with present town of Deepwater with a 1990 population of 441 – GBS)

DEEPWATER Hickory Co.

Deepwater was a rural post office between 1886 & 1887.

Is this really different than the one in Henry Co.? (Mike Flannigan)

DEER CREEK VILLAGE St. Louis Co.

Located in Central Township near Ladue.

I suspect this might be Brentwood. (Mike Flannigan)

If so, Brentwood had a 1990 pop of 8150, and is no ghost! (GBS)

DEGARMAS MILL Lincoln Co.

...SEE Coffeys Mill

DELAWARETOWN Christian Co.

Was a trading-point inhabited by the Delaware Indians.

Isn't there a boat launch area named after this? (Mike Flannigan)

(Same listing as Greene Co. – below)

DELAWARETOWN Greene Co.

Was a trading-point inhabited by the Delaware Indians.

I think this is in Christian County. Isn't there a boat launch area named after this? (Mike Flannigan)

DENNYS MILL St. Charles Co.

An early water-powered mill on Dardenne Creek.

DENTS SETTLEMENT St. Francois Co.

AKA – Dents Station

Located south of Bismark, on the Missouri Pacific Railroad.

DENTS STATION St. Francois Co.

...SEE Dents Settlement

DETMOLD Franklin Co. 30

AKA – Boeuf Creek

This is NOT the same place as BOEUF SETTLEMENT. This tiny community is located in the northwest corner of the county along Boeuf Creek, on CR Y, about two miles north of its junction with CR YY, six AIR miles southwest of New Haven. It is in the SW¼ Sec 20, T44N, R3W, Boeuf Township. The population in 1880 was 10. (GBS)

Lat: 38.5428271, Long: -91.2904331

Lat: 38º32’34”N, Long: 091º17’26”W

DEWEY Adair Co. Rural

Lat 40° 17' 22" N, Long 092° 49' 17" W – Elevation: 860'

DIAMOND MILL Bates Co.

Diamond Mill was erected in 1869 in the north part of Butler by D. S. Fairchild and named by him.

DIBBITS MILL St. Charles Co.

Location not determined.

DIGGS MILL Lincoln Co.

Diggs Mill was located in northwestern Hurricane Township. Diggs Mill was the first water mill in the county. It was washed away by a waterspout around 1870.

DILLARD MILL Crawford Co.

On Huzzah Creek, just off SH 49.

DILLINGHAM SPRING New Madrid Co.

Exact location of this historical location not determined.

DIXONS MILL Henry Co.

Dixons Mill was erected on Honey Creek in 1838. It was owned by John Dixon, for whom it was named.

DODGE COUNTY Putnam Co.

DEAD NAME - This early county was established in 1851, and in 1853 it was dissolved and absorbed by Putnam County. (GBS)

DOE RUN JUNCTION St. Francois Co.

Located five miles southwest of Farmington.

This appears to be just over one mile southeast of Doe Run. (Mike Flannigan)

DOG TOWN St. Francois Co.

A mining settlement. Location not determined.

DONALDSON COUNTY (Donaldson Co.)

DEAD NAME – There was an attempt to establish a county by this name, but it failed. (GBS)

DOZIER St. Louis Co.

Located in southwestern Meramec Township on the Missouri-Pacific Railroad.

(Mike Flannigan, Dec 30, 2000)

This might be way out by Pacific. (Mike Flannigan)

DRAKE Franklin Co.

This was probably near Arrowhead Lake. (Mike Flannigan)

DRAKE St. Louis Co.

Located in southwestern Bonhomme Township on the Missouri-Pacific Railroad.

(Mike Flannigan, Dec 30, 2000)

Must be located somewhere down by Jedburgh or Castlewood. (Mike Flannigan)

DRAKES Jefferson Co.

Located in northern Plattin Township.

DRAKES FORD Lincoln Co.

Drakes Ford was on the Cuivre River.

DRENNANVILLE Phelps Co. -

PO 1873‑1881. (A) c1870's map shows it at or near what is now known as Vida. (MO-GT, Dave P, Sep 07, 2002)

DRYDEN Lincoln Co.

...SEE Drydensville

DRYDEN & SHARPS STORE Montgomery Co.

This store was in southern Bear Creek Township. It was built in 1853 and operated by F H Dryden and Benjamin Sharp and named for them. A post office, (since relocated) to High Hill, was located here for a short time. (Mike Flannigan)

DRYDENS MILL Montgomery Co.

This mill was in northeast Danville Township, two miles west of New Florence. It was a horse-powered

mill built by Thomas Dryden, who came from Virginia in 1828 or 1830 and for whom the mill was named. (Mike Flannigan)

DRYDENSVILLE Lincoln Co.

AKA – Dryden

Drydensville was a village in eastern Snow Hill Township.

DUBLIN Barton Co.

Location not determined.

DUBOIS SETTLEMENT Franklin Co.

This was an early settlement located at or near the confluence of Dubois Creek and the Missouri River. That would place it on the east side of Washington, in Sec. 30 (?), T44N, R1E, St. Johns Township, at an elevation of about 492’. (GBS)

The mouth of Dubois Creek is at:

Lat: 38.5397742, Long: -90.9556964

Lat: 38º32’23”N, Long: 090º57’21”W

DUEMLER Franklin Co.

Duemler was also a ghost town and was located in the Lonedell area.

(Dave McKinney, 01/27/2003)

DUNAVAN Phelps Co. 0

A USGS 1949 map has a 'Dunivin' about two miles west of Dillon on the railroad. Today it would be along the railroad and old St. James Road ¾ mile west of the CR V exit off I‑44. (MO-GT, Dave P, Sep 07, 2002)

An abandoned village in Dillon Township. It was named for Mike Dunavan, who for many yrs was the only settler in that part of the county. (GNIS)

DUNCANS MILL Lincoln Co.

Duncans Mill was on Crooked Creek in northeast Clark Township.

DUNDEE Franklin Co. 30

This may well possibly be the current name for Newport, which was the original county seat for Franklin County (1818-1830). It appears that the name Newport/New Port was changed to Dundee, as GNIS lists Newport and New Port as variant names for Dundee. Dundee is located on Dundee Road, along Little Bouef Creek, a quarter mile south of the south bank of the Missouri River, a quarter mile north of SH 100, five miles east of New Haven and seven miles northwest of Washington. (GBS)

Lat: 38.5933835, Long: -91.1245927

Lat: 38º35’36”N, Long: 091º07’29”W

DUTCH MILLS Lincoln Co.

Dutch Mills were large saw and gristmills on Camp Creek three miles east of Truxton. The name referred to the German owners.

DYSART & HEADLEE SAWMILL Greene Co.

On the Sac River, this sawmill was built in 1848.

SW¼ Sec 16, T30.

* * *

Also visit:

Ghost Town USA’s Ghost Towns of Missouri

Missouri Ghost Town locations with names beginning:

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | PQ | R | S | T | UV | W | XYZ

Detailed information on individual locations:

Blythedale | Rivermines | McLellan Springs

Listings of related groups of locations

FERRIES | MILLS | MINES | RURAL POST OFFICES | WAY STATIONS

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First Posted: Jul 07, 2001

Last Updated: Dec 31, 2005

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