Russellville, MO

Russellville was platted in 1838 and named for Joseph Russell, the original owner of the town site. A post office has operated here since 1848, and the railroad arrived in 1881, bringing a hotel, mercantile, drugstore, taverns, and the other businesses that followed a rail stop. Russellville lies about seventeen miles southwest of Jefferson City, with State Highway C through the middle of town and Route AA leading south toward U.S. 54.

The Louis Bruce Farmstead Historic District near Rock Enon Creek preserves a different piece of the local story. Listed on the National Register in 1992, the farmstead includes a limestone I-house, barn, springhouse, granary, smokehouse, and stone wall from the late nineteenth century. Russellville has had a school since 1882, and the current district keeps education at the center of town life. Railroad-era streets, farm roads, the historic farmstead, and the short trip to Missouri's capital all meet in this Cole County city. That rail legacy remains visible.