La Plata, Missouri
| La Plata, Missouri | |
|---|---|
| City | |
 Location within Macon County and Missouri |
|
| Coordinates: 40°1′26″N 92°29′32″W / 40.02389°N 92.49222°WCoordinates: 40°1′26″N 92°29′32″W / 40.02389°N 92.49222°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Missouri |
| County | Macon |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1.60 sq mi (4.14 km2) |
| • Land | 1.59 sq mi (4.12 km2) |
| • Water | 0.01 sq mi (0.03 km2) |
| Elevation | 935 ft (285 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 1,366 |
| • Estimate (2012) | 1,361 |
| • Density | 850/sq mi (330/km2) |
| Time zone | Central (CST) (UTC-6) |
| • Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| ZIP code | 63549 |
| Area code | 660 |
| FIPS code | 29-40682 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0739998 |
| Website | cityoflaplata.net |
La Plata is a city in Macon County, Missouri, United States. The population was 1,366 at the 2010 census.
The beginnings of La Plata can be traced back to March 17, 1827 when Drury Davis established a trading post near the town's current location. The ensuing few years saw Davis joined by family and friends to create a small village that included a blacksmith shop, an inn, and stagecoach station.
La Plata was platted in 1855. It was named after the city of La Plata, in Argentina. The name is of Spanish origin meaning "Silver". Two men, Louis Gex and Thomas Saunders, were the primary force behind the town's platting, and drew straws to choose the community's name. Saunders wanted to name the town Charlottesville to honor a favorite sister, while Gex pushed for the name La Plata. Gex won out and the town is believed to have been first incorporated on September 29, 1856. Another of the early settlers who helped in creating the town was Dr. W. W. Moore, who erected La Plata's first hotel. The North Missouri (later known as the Wabash Railroad) came to town in 1867, and the Santa Fe Railroad twenty years later, passing through La Plata on its route from Chicago to Kansas City. The combination of the two railroads made La Plata an ideal shipping point for timber, livestock, grains, and other goods for northern Macon county and southern portions of neighboring Adair county as well. As part of this growth, the town was incorporated as a fourth-class city on April 4, 1881 with Jacob Gilstrap serving as first mayor. La Plata's first major industry, a creamery, was established in 1883. The facility had the capacity to produce up to 1.25 tons of butter per day. However, fire destroyed the creamery and it was never rebuilt. Other light agriculture-related industry has existed in the town over the years, including a large chicken hatchery and turkey hatchery. Two major oil pipelines pass through La Plata as well, the Prairie Pipeline being the first in 1912. A "tank farm" of large storage tanks was located for many years on the city's northern edge. The Wabash railroad no longer exists, but the Amtrak station is still running on the Santa Fe rail system, and the town is served by the Southwest Chief. A small but active business community still exists in the town.
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Wikipedia