Keytesville is a city in and the county seat of Chariton County, Missouri, United States. The population was 440 as of the 2020 census. Keytesville is the hometown of U.S. Army General Maxwell D. Taylor, who commanded the "Screaming Eagles" 101st Airborne division during the Normandy invasion of World War II. Confederate General Sterling Price, who attacked Keytesville during an unsuccessful cavalry raid across his home state, had previously operated a hotel there.
History
thumb|Chariton County's second courthouse. It replaced one destroyed by Confederate raiders during the Civil War.
The town is named for James Keyte, an Englishman and Methodist preacher who purchased a large parcel of land in 1830 and, two years later, donated fifty acres of it to Chariton County to establish a seat of county government. Until then, county business had been conducted from "Old Chariton," a village near the confluence of the Chariton and Missouri Rivers that was plagued by disease-spreading mosquitoes and subject to repeated flooding.
James Keyte constructed the first home in Keytesville, and the first business as well. Both were log structures, with the second doubling as a post office. Keyte also created the town's first industry when he constructed a mill near his home on Mussel Fork Creek. under the command of Major John Thrailkill. This action was part of Price's 1864 campaign that extended across the state from eastern Missouri to the Kansas City area. When Thrailkill's force arrived, Keytesville was defended by a small Union detachment of 35 men from the Missouri militia, commanded by Lieutenant Anthony Pleyer. Many local residents were sympathetic to the Confederate cause. Early on the morning of September 20, under a flag of truce, Thrailkill demanded the surrender of the Union troops, promising fair treatment. Unable to persuade his men to fight, Pleyer surrendered. Price paroled the Union garrison, and six men promptly joined his force. Confederate forces then briefly occupied the town, commandeering supplies from various merchants, burning down the courthouse, and executing Chariton County sheriff Robert Carmon and William Young, a Union scout and alleged spy.
Late 19th century
In February 1866, a contract was awarded for construction of a replacement courthouse, a two-story brick building with cupola. Built at a cost of $40,000, it would serve the county until it was destroyed by fire on August 27, 1973. By the mid-1890s, Keytesville had an estimated population of about 1,100 citizens and two newspapers, the Chariton Courier and Keytesville Signal. Businesses included the Keytesville Roller Mill, a large water-powered grist mill on Mussel Fork Creek; two banks; a building and loan association; two hotels; a distillery; general mercantiles; and restaurants. swimming pool, insurance sales, bank, convenience store, law offices, chiropractor, restaurant, auto repair, agricultural services and medical clinic. In 1889, what might be considered the first modern-style school, a large 2-story building, was erected at a cost of $13,000. By 1909, Keytesville school was rated a first-class school by the state of Missouri. In 1949, a large number of the rural schools were combined with Keytesville to form the current district. The school mascot is the Tiger and school colors are black and gold. Keytesville competes athletically in the Carroll-Livingston Activities Association. Its enrollment places the Tigers in Class 1 under Missouri State High School Activities Association guidelines.
Geography
Keytesville is located at the intersection of U.S. Route 24 and Missouri Route 5. It is east of Brunswick and west of Moberly.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water.
Demographics
2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 471 people, 225 households, and 124 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 275 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 98.5% White, 0.6% African American, 0.4% Native American, and 0.4% Asian.
There were 225 households, of which 20.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.2% were married couples living together, 7.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 44.9% were non-families. 40.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.07 and the average family size was 2.71.
The median age in the city was 46.4 years. 17.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 21.2% were from 25 to 44; 31.5% were from 45 to 64; and 21% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.7% male and 50.3% female.
2000 census
As of the census