Although not being laid out as a town until 1872, the Downing area was one of the earliest settled areas of Schuyler County, with Henry Downing building a home and claiming land a few miles south of the area circa 1837. Landmarks include Downing Railroad Depot. Downing is the birthplace of Samuel W. Arnold, politician.
Downing, Missouri gifts and souvenirs: 23 designs made from Downing's own map, landmarks and history, from $10 to $95. Printed to order and shipped free in the USA.
| Popular | Price |
|---|---|
| Downing Hometown Ornament | $23 |
| Downing Vintage Travel Poster | from $40 |
| Downing Varsity Crewneck | from $57 |
| Downing Est. Tee | from $33 |
| Downing Town Line Mug | from $26 |
| Downing Market Tote | $37 |
Ceramic keepsake, gold ribbon, in 3 styles
Its landmark photo in a classic travel-poster layout
A local landmark photo as a gallery print
The town's story in dates, from its own records, for home or classroom
Map of local landmarks, washable fabric
Heavy-blend fleece, street map printed on the back
Red heavy-blend crewneck, knit-stitch town print
Soft Bella+Canvas jersey
Kids' Bella+Canvas jersey, youth sizes
Bella+Canvas toddler jersey
Bella+Canvas baby bodysuit
Glossy ceramic, dishwasher safe
Weatherproof, for the front walk
24″×16″, printed coir-look fibers, rubber back
12″×12″ printed wood, ready to hang
Soft-touch, zip cover
A local landmark photo with the town name, 18″×18″
Sturdy all-over-print tote
Glossy top, cork back
Soft fleece, 50″×60″
20 oz, double-wall stainless
6″×4″ postcard, glossy front
The town's earliest Sanborn fire-insurance map, drawn building by building and hand-coloured, from the Library of Congress
Population 2010: 335 → 2020: 300
From Wikidata (CC0).
Although not being laid out as a town until 1872, the Downing area was one of the earliest settled areas of Schuyler County, with Henry Downing building a home and claiming land a few miles south of the area circa 1837. It was also near present-day Downing that the first school in the county was established. In the spring of 1841, a crude log cabin was built for this purpose near Henry Downing's home and Miss Esther Hathaway was employed as a teacher. One of the early names for the unincorporated settlement was Cherry Grove.
During the Civil War, on July 1, 1862, a small skirmish took place near Cherry Grove. Cavalry from the second battalion, Eleventh Missouri State Militia, a pro-Union force, engaged a small number of Confederate troops under Colonel Joseph C. Porter. Porter's outnumbered forces were defeated, with four killed and several men and horses captured. The Union forces had one man badly injured, who would die a few days later. At the time of the skirmish, Porter was heavily involved in recruiting men in northeast Missouri for the Confederate cause. The following month, he suffered a larger defeat some twenty-five miles southwest at the Battle of Kirksville.
In September 1872, the Missouri Town Company created the original town plat, naming it for the president of the company, H. H. Downing. Land for the town, the railroad right of way, and depot were donated by James Prime, and the Missouri, Iowa, and Nebraska Railway constructed the depot in April 1872. By the late 1880s, the Downing business district included four general stores, two drug stores, two grocers, two hardware stores, a restaurant, blacksmith, and two hotels. Manufacturing included two handle factories, a wagon maker, a hoop factory, a harness and saddle maker, and two combination saw/grist mills. Downing had two tobacco-buying warehouses in the late 1800s, with both reporting extensive business. At its peak in 1902, over 155,000 pounds of tobacco were dealt through the Downing warehouses. The town's location on the Keokuk & Western railroad provided opportunity for the convenient shipment of goods, crops, and livestock from the Downing area.
The Downing Railroad Depot was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983 and now serves as a museum. The depot was moved approximately one-quarter mile from its original trackside location and now serves as the centerpiece of a city park with other nearby buildings, including the former Downing jail.
Adapted (trimmed) from the Wikipedia article Downing, Missouri, revision 1374305281 by its contributors, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
We share a part of every Downing sale with local partners, and we'd love to print from your collection. Old photographs, maps and postcards make the best keepsakes.
Partner with usA favorite landmark, your street, a school or team, an anniversary gift, a different product. Tell us and we'll get back to you by email.
1 free coloring page of Downing, each traced from a photo of a local landmark. Print them at home, at school or for story hour.
Downing's population was 300 in the 2020 U.S. Census, down from 335 in 2010.
Downing Railroad Depot