PIERCE CITY The Hustling Little City to the East --Facts About the Place. ..Peirce City the town is named (pronounced Perce), but the postoffice knows it as Pierce City, was laid out in the spring of 1870 by the Peirce City Real Estate company, composed of Governor Phelps, Henry C. Young, Judge Sherwood, now on the supreme bench, and others. The place was named for Andrew Peirce, the first president of the Atlantic and Pacific railroad company, under which the name the Missouri portion of the 'Frisco was constructed, the Kansas line having been built under the name of the Missouri and Western. ..The first train on this road was run into Peirce City, which was for some time the terminus, on July 8, 1873, and brought in a great load of excursionists, who, togeeher [sic] with the people of the surrounding country, celebrated the event with the genuine western enthusiasm. It is related that a couple of young men from Arkansas who were on the train near Aurora, being told that it was Peirce City, jumped off and came near being killed. In the early eighties the Kansas end of the line was built, as was also the line running from this place terough [sic] the Indian Territory. ..From the time the road reached this place until about twelve years ago this was a division [headquarters], and the liveliest town in Southwest Missouri. Since then the town has depended upon the surrounding

agricultural country for the greater portion of its trade. ..It is a pretty residence town, and some of the old employes [sic] of the road still reside here. ..The people could hardly believe the railroad would move the division to Monett, four miles east, until it was done, and hope that one of these days it will return. As a convincer of their hopes and argument it is cited that the railroad has built a fine depot at this point, and retains the twenty acres of land formerly used for round houses, tracks, etc., which it does not seem anxious to dispose of. ..Peirce City is well supplied with good substantial church and school buildings the public school, the Catholic people have a school, and the Baptist denomination a college. Colonel Cloud, one of the prominent attorneys of Lawrence county, is mayor, this being his third term, his first two having been from 1883 to 1896. He is a pleasant and entertaining talker whom it does one good to meet. One passing through on the train does not get the proper impression of this place. The land surrounding the depot is quite level, but in going back into the residence portion it rises in some places quite abruptly. The public school is located on the point of a pronounced hill, and one is impressed with the thought that a deep moulding [sic] or screen is needed on the south side of the grounds to prevent the young american from falling into the yard across the street. The school building is a very imposing and substantial structure.