Henry Leo's Blacksmith shop

Broadway and 7th St.

This location was originally known as Broadway and Bluff Road for the large hill that loomed west from 7th street.

Here was the blacksmith shop of Henry Leo. The building has been repurposed through the years as a blacksmith shop first, then a livery, and gas station. The shop was moved from the town of Nelson when Elsberry was established. This was a fairly common practice at the time - to literally "pick up" and move.

The history of Elsberry began in 1879 when the new St. Louis, Keokuk & Northwestern RR line was completed from St. Louis north. The railroad executives began establishing towns every 4 miles beginning in Clarksville and going south. Can you name some of those towns? (Kissinger, Annada, Dameron) The first train arrived in Elsberry on August 10, 1879. Six months later there were 25 new homes here. Having a railroad available for both freight and passenger travel was a huge boon to the area. Prior to the RR arrival, freight had gone down river from Falmouth, MO to St. Louis and that was a two-day trip! With the establishment of the railroad, you could be in St. Louis in a mere 4 hours.