HISTORY OF SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 291 Harbison, George Netherton, Abraham Win- chester, Crow, McCrary, George and Thomas Williams. The first physicians were John (rolden, Samuel Chapman and Dr. A. S. Hen- derson, who came to the town in 1842. The town was incorporated in 1860 by the county court, with James Parrott, A. S. Henderson, D. H. Leedy, Daniel Abbey and Edward Burke as trustees. The principal thing about Benton is that it is the county seat of the county, and the court house is situated in the midst of the public square. It is a two-story brick building and was erected in 1883. There are about a half dozen business establishments, including a large flouring mill. On the court house square there is a large well, from which the town is supplied with water, and there is a good sys- tem of electric lights. There are three churches in the town and a public school building. The Benton Bank was organized in 1903 and has a capital stock of $15,000. The population is about 320. SiKESTON The first town in the neighborhood of Sikes- ton was called Winchester, and was named in honor of Colonel Henderson Winchester, who lived in the vicinity. This town was laid out in 1814 about a half mile south of the present site of Sikeston. The first store in Winchester was opened by Thomas Bartlett, and Hartwell Baldwin kept the tavern at that time. Other stores were opened by David Hunter, Mark H. Stallcup, and Christopher Houts. The town grew rather rapidly for a time and was the seat of justice for New Madrid county. When the county seat was removed to New Madrid. however, the town practically ceased to exist. This was in 1822. Its successor as a town was laid out in Sikeston in 1860 by John Sikes. The site selected was the place where the Cairo & Fulton Railroad crosses the road called the King's Highway from Cape Girar- deau to New Madrid. In the year that Sikes- ton was founded the Cairo & Pulton Railroad was completed to that place. Sikeston has experienced the most rapid growth of any town in Southeast Missouri in the last ten years. In 1899 its population was about 500; its present population is 3,327. This rapid growth is due in part to its situa- tion with regard to railroad transportation, it being on the main line of the Frisco and also on the Cairo & Texas branch of the Iron Moimtain. It has prospei-ed also because of the fact that the farming country about it has developed wonderfully in the last few years. There is no better soil than that on the Sikes- ton ridge ; it produces large quantities of wheat, corn and melons. Sikeston has also been fortunate in having an unusual and ex- ceptional group of business men, who have pushed the interests of the town very rapidly. At the present time there are about fifty busi- ness establishments, including several large general stores; there are two flouring mills, one of them being the largest in Southeast IMissouri. The usual church organizations are to be foimd here and the Methodist church South has recently completed a very large, handsome building, perhaps the most costly in this part of the state. The Bank of Sikes- ton was organized in 1800 and has a capital stock of .$250,000. The Citizens' Bank was organized in 1895 and has a capital stock of $150,000, and the People's Bank was organ- ized in 1909 and has a capital of $50,000. The public school system of Sikeston is a good one and there are two new and commodious buildings and a four years' high school course fully accredited is maintained. The Herald is a Democratic paper and The Standard is an independent paper. Just south of the town
