OUR HISTORY
Although an act of the Missouri General Assembly created Scotland County in 1841, the city of Memphis wasn’t founded until more than two years later. In 1927, the Pheasant Aircraft Company established its headquarters in Memphis. The Pheasant Flight engine, designed for the H-10 biplane, was manufactured in Memphis.
The H-10 made several successful trips across the country, and the first private airline in Saskatchewan launched its enterprise with the H-10. In 1929, the Pheasant Aircraft Company was relocated to Fond Du Lac, Wisconsin, and it was absorbed into Dayton Aero & Engineering Company a year later. One surviving Pheasant H-10 is on display today in Memphis. A mural of the Pheasant aircraft is still visible on the side of the original factory in town, as well.
Memphis was the scene of a notable skirmish during the American Civil War. Confederate Col. Joseph C Porter and his troops captured Memphis, raiding the Federal armory and rounding up suspected militiamen. It is widely held that Col. Porter’s motive for seizing Memphis was to silence Dr. Wm Aylward, a prominent Union man in the community who was killed during the raid.
LOCAL CLIMATE
Watch the past come alive at the Downing House Museum in Memphis. This Greek Revival mansion built in 1858 houses Civil War artifacts, relics from early aviation and exhibits preserving local heritage.
Are you dreaming of a secluded hunting tract in northeast Missouri? Maybe you’re looking to work the fertile Missouri soils. Contact one of the friendly agents at United Country – Absolute Auction & real Estate Co. With over 20 years of experience selling farmland, no one knows the country like we do.
AREA AMENITIES
Educational needs in Memphis are met by the Scotland County R-1 School district. Students can continue their education at Truman State University in neighboring Kirksville. Truman State, a four-year, liberal arts institution, has been recognized as one of the Midwest’s premier public universities by U.S. News & World Report and the Princeton Review. Culver-Stockton College in Canton offers an active, faith-based approach to the liberal arts. Students can also attend Moberly Area Community College. Aside from its main campus in Moberly, it offers many locations throughout the state.
RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIESIf you love hunting, fishing and exploring the great outdoors, then northeast Missouri is the place for you. Trophy whitetails and turkey are especially abundant. With terrain ranging from dense forest to wetlands teeming with waterfowl, Indian Hills Conservation Area is a fantastic hunting destination. Five miles of streams, lakes and ponds provide spectacular fishing. Discover a world unto itself at Thousand Hills State Park. Trails winding through majestic woods and sprawling savannas can be explored on foot or bike. Lounge on the beach at Forest Lake, or head to the marina to stock up for your boating or fishing excursion.