388 HISTORY OF SOUTHEAST .AIISSOURI has experienced a rapid growth, sixty resi- dences having been erected during 1911. Illmo Just as is true of Fornfelt, lUmo owes its existence to the building of the Thebes bridge. It was settled in 1904 and incorporated in 1905, the first mayor being Phillip Ruebel. Among the first settlers were J. P. Lightner, Casper Roth and Charles Will. The mer- chants during the early period were B. Thomas, D. T. Titwell and Beggs Brothers. At the present time there are eight general stores and one factory. The Bank of Illmo is in a flourishing condition and takes care of the financial interests of the town. There is an electric light plant which supplies the resi- dences, business houses, and also lights the streets. The more important buildings are the Southern Hotel, Lightner 's Opera House and Crews building. The town of Illmo is the division headquarters for the St. Louis South- western and St. Louis, Iron ^Mountain Rail- roads. Crowder The first settlers in Crowder, Scott county, were James ilarshall, James H. Marshall, J. H. Denbow, W. H. Page, Lee and W. C. Well- man, E. Virgin, W. J. Page, S. W. Wisdom, T. A. Cooksey, S. P. ilarshall, T. A. Mc- Cutchen, William Utley, Dr. C. C. Harris and Major McKinley. The first settlement in the town was made in 1897 and the town was in- corporated in 1902, the first mayor being Sterling P. ^Marshall. The first stores in the town were conducted b.v James Marshall & Brother, Huddleson Store Company, and J. A. Rifner. There are now three general stores in the town. Besides these the princi- pal business interests consist of a saw mill, hoop mill and stave factory. The town is sit- uated in the midst of a farming community and draws its support from the farms about it. There is still more land to be opened up and no doubt the town will experience a growth with the cultivation of this land. The population is now 288. Kelso Kelso was settled in 1882 and incorpo- rated as a town in 190-4, the first mayor being A. L. Drury. Among the early settlers were John Blattle and Charles Roberts. The first merchants in the town were George G. Wright and A. Baudendistel. There is now one gen- eral store and the principal manufacturing establishment is a flour mill. The Farmers & Merchants Bank was established in 1903 and has a capital stock of $10,000. The town is in Scott county and is situated on the main line of the St. Louis Southwestern Railroad, and is also the southern terminus of the Cape Girardeau & Thebes Bridge Railroad. Blodgett The settlement of Blodgett in Scott was made in 1869. It is situated on the Belmont branch of the St. Louis, Iron Mountain & Southern Railway. The men who laid out the town and were among its first residents were : W. B. Congleton, B. P. Slarshall and Charles L. Stubbs. Marshall and Stubbs and W. R. Sherer were the early merchants. The town was incorporated in 1900 and Z. T. Wright was made the first mayor. There are now two general stores besides some drug stores and other business establishments. Both the gen- eral stores are of viuusual size considering the population of the town, cariying stocks of goods which would be a credit to a city. The Blodgett Bank, which was organized in 1901, with a capital of $15,000, looks after the finan- cial interests of the town. The present pop-
