Cardwell

History

On January 1, 1893, the Paragould Southeastern Railway, originally a tramway, began construction to extend its mainline from Paragould, Arkansas eastward into the Missouri Bootheel. By November 1894, the line had been graded to the new townsite and it was being advertised in local papers that plotts were being sold. On January 19, 1895, the first train was reported to have arrived in Cardwell, and platting continued into the following year by the Bertig family of Paragould, AR, and a post office was established soon after. A school district was established for Cardwell in 1899, and that July a contract was let for the construction of a two story brick school building. In 1902, the Paragould and Memphis Railroad, a "tap line" built a link between Cardwell and Manila, AR. This line was mostly used to haul lumber. In 1904, the city of Cardwell was formally incorporated.

Geography

Cardwell is situated in the southwestern corner of Missouri's Bootheel, with the Missouri-Arkansas state line lying both to the west and south. Missouri Route 164 traverses Cardwell, connecting the city with Arbyrd and Hornersville to the east. U.S. Route 412 passes just south and east of Cardwell. Paragould, Arkansas is ten miles to the west on Route 412. The St. Francis River follows the state line two miles to the west of the community. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land.

Race & ethnicity