Ethel

History

Ethel had its start in 1888 when the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway was extended to that point. An early variant name was "Ratliff". A post office called Ethel has been in operation since 1890. On July 26, 2011, the U.S. Postal Service announced plans to permanently close the Ethel post office as part of a nationwide restructuring plan.

Geography

Ethel is in western Macon County. Missouri Route 149 passes through the town as Oak Street and West Main Street, leading south to New Cambria and north to Route 11. Macon, the county seat, is to the southeast. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Ethel has a total area of , all land. The town drains to Little Turkey Creek, an east-flowing tributary of the Chariton River.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  475
• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  453
• Ring-billed Gull

  Larus delawarensis Ord, 1815 · Aves
  431
• Red-bellied Woodpecker

  Melanerpes carolinus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  302
• Canada Goose (canadensis Group)

  Branta canadensis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  294
• Turkey Vulture

  Cathartes aura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  284
• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  276
• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  254

Most recent

• M 2.53 — 2025-07-15
  3 km W of Hale, Missouri
• M 2.59 — 2022-12-05
  4 km SW of Madison, Missouri
• M 2.9 — 2004-02-08
  6 km SSW of Stoutsville, Missouri