Page Contents for Norborne, Missouri

Statistics & Facts

History & History-related items

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Statistics & Facts

The Missouri state capital is Jefferson City.
The population of Norborne is approximately 856 (1990), 708 (2010).
The approximate number of families is 410 (1990), 306 (2010).
The amount of land area in Norborne is 1.619 sq. kilometers.
The amount of surface water is 0 sq kilometers.
The distance from Norborne to Washington DC is 945 miles.
The distance to the Missouri state capital is 98 miles. (as the crow flies)
Norborne is positioned 39.30 degrees north of the equator and 93.67 degrees west of the prime meridian.

History & History Related Items

Norborne was started as a railroad town. The first railroad to play an important part in the history of the area was the North Missouri. In 1862 the North Missouri was consolidated with the St. Louis, Kansas City and Northern Railroad. In 1879, another consolidation took place with the Wabash. The Santa Fe started its expansion east to Chicago in 1874 and completed the route in 1878, forming the double tracks in Norborne. (Running from Carrollton in the east to Hardin in the west.)

Norborne B. Coates was born in Randolph County, the son of Captain Thomas Coates, one of the earliest pioneer families of the Randolph County area. In 1868, Mr. Coates secured the position of Land Agent and Surveyor for the North Missouri railroad. He was also a notary public (with his signature on many old abstracts in Norborne). He came to the area in 1867 to contact owners of land and start negotiations for a right-of-way for the railroad. He surveyed land owned by John and Catherine Deitrich, purchased the railroad rights, then used his shrewd business talents to help plat a town on the site. Hence the name, NORBORNE.
The town was incorporated in 1874 and reorganized under a new state law in 1878 to become a city of the fourth class.
Source: Norborne Centennial Book-1868 to 1968
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The incorporation of Norborne

1874

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