Kingdom City

History

The intersection that would give rise to Kingdom City was built in the late 1920s. The city of Fulton hoped that the planned US Route 40 would run from Columbia to their city, where it would intersect with the planned US Route 54. But residents of McCredie to the north fought for a route closer to their town, including staging a parade through the heart of Fulton with banners that read "54-40 or Fight". On December 30, 1925, the Supreme Court backed the Highway Commission's chosen route through a rural farm and forested area south of McCredie. When the road was being built and huge numbers of workers were brought in to do the work, McCredie became a boom town. The future Kingdom City received its first gas station and a two-story hotel, which burned down in 1930. At the time, the intersection was referred to only as the "Y". People in Fulton wanted to name it "North Fulton"; people in McCredie called it "South McCredie". The Kingdom Oil Company, owned by B.P. (Bernard Parker) Beamer, suggested Kingdom City after the nickname for Callaway County. Through the 1920s and 30s, numerous dance halls, restaurants, cafés, and hotels came and went in Kingdom City. Gasper's opened for business in 1965, and presently became a local landmark. In 1970, the McCredie Post Office moved to Kingdom City and took the community's name. This was the same year Kingdom City incorporated as a village and included the former unincorporated community of McCredie.

Geography

Kingdom City is located along U.S. Route 54 about a half-mile north of I-70. McKinney Creek flows past the south edge of the community and Auxvasse Creek passes two miles to the north. The town of Auxvasse lies about five miles north along Route 54. As of May 2024, the Route 54/I-70 intersection was to be upgraded, with roundabouts and a flyover, part of a larger project to expand I-70 in Missouri. According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of , of which of it is land and is water.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  841
• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  831
• Red-bellied Woodpecker

  Melanerpes carolinus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  705
• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  655
• Tufted Titmouse

  Baeolophus bicolor (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  653
• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  627
• Downy Woodpecker

  Dryobates pubescens (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  543
• Turkey Vulture

  Cathartes aura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  525

Largest nearby schools

• FULTON SR. HIGH
  High · FULTON · 678 students · 15.8:1 ratio
• FULTON MIDDLE
  Middle · FULTON · 498 students · 12.1:1 ratio
• BUSH ELEM.
  Elementary · FULTON · 370 students · 13.7:1 ratio
• NORTH CALLAWAY HIGH
  High · KINGDOM CITY · 364 students · 12.1:1 ratio
• MCINTIRE ELEM.
  Elementary · FULTON · 363 students · 13.4:1 ratio
• HATTON-MCCREDIE ELEM.
  Elementary · KINGDOM CITY · 248 students · 12.4:1 ratio
• BARTLEY ELEM.
  Elementary · FULTON · 237 students · 12.5:1 ratio
• NORTH CALLAWAY MIDDLE SCHOOL
  Middle · AUXVASSE · 234 students · 12.3:1 ratio

Most recent

• M 2.59 — 2022-12-05
  4 km SW of Madison, Missouri
• M 3.3 — 2005-07-31
  Missouri
• M 2.9 — 2004-02-08
  6 km SSW of Stoutsville, Missouri