Centralia

History

Centralia was laid out in 1857 and was named after its central location on the North Missouri Railroad from St. Louis to Ottumwa, Iowa, and from the fact that it was located near the center of a vast prairie between Mexico and Huntsville, and between Columbia and Paris. On September 27, 1864, 22 unarmed Union soldiers returning home on leave were pulled from a train in Centralia and executed by Confederate bushwhackers under William T. "Bloody Bill" Anderson. A Union force pursuing the guerrillas was ambushed, and about 150 were killed. The incident came to be known as the Centralia Massacre. The A.B. Chance Company was founded in 1907 by Albert Bishop Chance. He invented the first practical earth anchor. The company played a vital role in the growth of Centralia. Over the course of nearly 120 years, Chance has delivered pole line hardware, switches, cutouts and fuse links in addition to anchors, foundations, hot line tools, fiberglass and rubber products to the world-wide electricity transmission and distribution industry. Acquired by Hubbell in 1994, the Chance brand is manufactured in Centralia, Missouri. The company still plays a major role in Centralia's economy with employing 860 people. The following Centralia locations have been listed on the National Register of Historic Places: * Albert Bishop Chance House and Gardens * Chatol

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  1,774
• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  1,566
• Tufted Titmouse

  Baeolophus bicolor (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  1,313
• Red-bellied Woodpecker

  Melanerpes carolinus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  1,294
• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  1,189
• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  1,058
• Downy Woodpecker

  Dryobates pubescens (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  1,045
• Black-capped Chickadee

  Poecile atricapillus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  1,032