Well, I am going to try, I am a lifelong resident of the area, (70 plus years) I currently live less than 1 mile south of Corsicana, MO Which is now a Ghost town, There are mostly poultry houses located there. I have asked that question many times. I do not believe there is an easy answer? Some of the known facts are : The town was originally called Gadfly after an early settler named Jasper Fly who owned a General Store, located on the banks of Joy's creek (also named after an early resident.) on this creek sprang up a village and at one time had two mills owned by Lorenzo Jackson Blankenship family. a flour/ feed mill and a carding mill. (Lorenzo's oldest daughter was born there in 1851). Most of the families who settled near Gadfly came from VA most likely about the late 1830's - 1840's At the time just before the Civil war they had a PO called Gadfly. Due to the mills, Gadfly was the victim of more than one civil war skirmish. Even though the residents tried to remain neutral and even wrote up articles of neutrality. It is my understanding that the PO was abandoned during the Civil War. In 1869 after the war the PO was named Corsicana. About that time several immigrants from France and Italy came to Barry County and Settled south of Monett and even nearer Gadfly. I have suspected the new name was named by one of those Italian/ French families in honor of their homeland? The Swindle family was a prominent family in Gadfly and owned land from Joy's creek south to Pogue's creek. One of the Swindle sons was educated and started a subscription school for older students prepatory for teachers, nearby which was called Swindle College. Perhaps Corsica held an attraction for them? and last but not least, Many Missouriians fled to Texas during the Civil war, even the Confederate leaning Gov took the State seal out of Missouri to Marshall, TX so who knows? We tried very hard to come up with more History about Corsicana while compiling the Wheaton Echoes Book, As most of the children around Corsicana went to school in Wheaton. Several stories were submitted but none to verify the reason for the name change? If anybody out there has any information, I would love to hear about it? Betty Lamberson I apoligize that this is not a very quick answer!! ----- Original Message ----- From: "Donna Cooper" <donnac58@yahoo.com> To: "Brandi Collard" <brandi.collard@navarrocollege.edu> Cc: <mobarry@rootsweb.com> Sent: Thursday, August 25, 2011 2:38 PM Subject: Re: [MOBARRY] Info about Corsicana, MO That is an interesting question. I am going to send your message to the mailing list to see if any of our list readers have an immediate answer for that question. Thanks for writing. Donna Cooper >________________________________ >From: Brandi Collard <brandi.collard@navarrocollege.edu> >To: donnac58@yahoo.com >Sent: Thursday, August 25, 2011 2:14 PM >Subject: Info about Corsicana, MO > >Hi, Donna! >I am the library assistant at Navarro College in Corsicana, TX. We were so >surprised to learn that there was another Corsicana. I would really like to >know WHY the name was changed in 1870 and if there's any connection to our >little town in Texas. >Thank you!! >Brandi Collard > > > The list-admin is Donna Cooper, address - (thedonnacooper@gmail.com) ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to MOBARRY-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

>From Goodspeed's 1888 History of Barry County: The county court was petitioned in January 1870 by John B. Fly & George F. Perry. to change the name from Gadfly to Corsicana.   Nancy Wickam   From: Betty Lamberson <betquilts@leru.net> To: Donna Cooper <donnac58@yahoo.com>; mobarry@rootsweb.com Sent: Thursday, August 25, 2011 3:57 PM Subject: Re: [MOBARRY] Info about Corsicana, MO Well, I am going to try,  I am a lifelong resident of the area, (70 plus years) I currently live less than 1 mile south of Corsicana, MO Which is now a Ghost town, There are mostly poultry houses located there. I have asked that question many times.  I do not believe there is an easy answer? Some of the known facts are : The  town was originally called Gadfly after an early settler named Jasper Fly who owned a General Store, located on the banks of Joy's creek (also named after an early resident.) on this creek sprang up a village and at one time had two mills owned by Lorenzo  Jackson Blankenship family. a flour/ feed mill and a carding mill.  (Lorenzo's oldest daughter was born there in 1851). Most of the families who settled near Gadfly came from VA most likely about the late 1830's - 1840's At the time just before the Civil war they had a PO called Gadfly. Due to the mills, Gadfly was the victim of more than one civil war skirmish.  Even though the residents tried to remain neutral and even wrote up articles of neutrality.  It is my understanding that the PO was abandoned during the Civil War. In 1869 after the war the PO was named Corsicana.  About that time several immigrants from France and Italy came to Barry County and Settled south of Monett and even nearer Gadfly.  I have suspected the new name was named by one of those Italian/ French families in honor of their homeland? The Swindle family was a prominent family in Gadfly and owned land  from Joy's creek south to Pogue's creek.  One of the Swindle sons was educated and started a subscription school  for older students prepatory for teachers, nearby which was called Swindle College. Perhaps Corsica held an attraction for them? and last but not least, Many Missouriians fled to Texas during the Civil war, even the  Confederate leaning Gov took the State seal out of Missouri to Marshall, TX so who knows? We tried very hard to come up with more History about Corsicana while compiling the Wheaton Echoes Book,  As most of the children around Corsicana went to school in Wheaton. Several stories were submitted but none to verify the reason for the name change? If anybody out there has any information, I would love to hear about it? Betty Lamberson I apoligize that this is not a very quick answer!! ----- Original Message ----- From: "Donna Cooper" <donnac58@yahoo.com> To: "Brandi Collard" <brandi.collard@navarrocollege.edu> Cc: <mobarry@rootsweb.com> Sent: Thursday, August 25, 2011 2:38 PM Subject: Re: [MOBARRY] Info about Corsicana, MO That is an interesting question. I am going to send your message to the mailing list to see if any of our list readers have an immediate answer for that question. Thanks for writing. Donna Cooper >________________________________ >From: Brandi Collard <brandi.collard@navarrocollege.edu> >To: donnac58@yahoo.com >Sent: Thursday, August 25, 2011 2:14 PM >Subject: Info about Corsicana, MO > >Hi, Donna! >I am the library assistant at Navarro College in Corsicana, TX. We were so >surprised to learn that there was another Corsicana. I would really like to >know WHY the name was changed in 1870 and if there's any connection to our >little town in Texas. >Thank you!! >Brandi Collard > > > The list-admin is Donna Cooper, address - (thedonnacooper@gmail.com) ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to MOBARRY-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message The list-admin is Donna Cooper, address - (thedonnacooper@gmail.com) ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to MOBARRY-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message