Editing Keytesville, Missouri (section)

===Late 19th century===
In February 1866, a contract was awarded for construction of a replacement courthouse, a two-story brick building with cupola. Built at a cost of $40,000, it would serve the county until it was destroyed by fire on August 27, 1973.<ref name="Courthouse">{{cite web|url=http://extension.missouri.edu/p/UED6020|title=Chariton County Courthouse profile|publisher=University of Missouri Extension|year=2011|access-date=5 August 2012}}</ref> By the mid-1890s, Keytesville had an estimated population of about 1,100 citizens and two newspapers, the ''Chariton Courier'' and ''Keytesville Signal''. Businesses included the Keytesville Roller Mill, a large water-powered grist mill on Mussel Fork Creek; two banks; a building and loan association; two hotels; a distillery; general mercantiles; and restaurants.<ref name="Historical"/><ref name="Chamber"/> Because of the town's location {{convert|1.5|mi|abbr=on}} north of the [[Wabash Railroad]] line, Keytesville merchants encouraged the construction, in 1889, of a streetcar line. Hugo Bartz and J. J. Moore, secured land and financing for the project, which when completed consisted of two miles of track and a large barn for horses and rolling stock, constructed for a cost of $10,000.<ref name="Historical"/> Two horse-drawn passenger coaches and a large flatcar for freight delivered new arrivals at the Wabash depot to the town.