Rock PortEstablished 1855
The town site of Rock Port was laid out by Nathan Meek on April 8, 1851. At that time there were two towns in the county- Linden, the county seat, and Sonora, which was located on the Missouri River. The first Act of Incorporation was approved by a special Act of Legislature on December 13, 1855. Within two years the population of Rock Port had grown to nearly 500 people. On February 27, 1872 a second corporation was granted, making the organization complete. The county seat was moved from Linden to Rock Port on June 21,1856. The assembling of the county court in Rock Port was completed August 19, 1883. Growth on the town began with the erection of a general merchandise store by A.G. Buddington. The store was located on the southwest corner of Main and Mill streets, now the site of the Atchison County Library. The first bank, the Bank of Atchison County, was organized in 1870. The growing town included a brewery, hotel, boarding house, dress shop, bakery, opera house, general merchandise and grocery stores and two newspapers. Church congregations in the early years included the Methodist Episcopal Church, the Christian Church, the Methodist Episcopal South Church, the Rock Port Missionary Baptist Church and the Southern Presbyterian Church. The first school, a two story brick building, was constructed by 1892. The school was organized with seven departments and offered three years of work in high school. Enrollment was approximately 400 pupils. (Historic pictures of Rock Port are needed. Please contact ACDC if you have any available)
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