Idalia is an

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...

in Stoddard County,

Missouri Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...

, United States. It is located six miles northeast of

Dexter Dexter may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Dexter, the main character of the American animated series ''Dexter's Laboratory'' that aired from 1996 to 2003 * Dexter, a fictional character in the British Diary of a Bad Man#Main, web series ''Diar ...

. A post office called Idalia was established in 1889, and remained in operation until 1966. According to tradition, the community was named after the daughter of the original owner of the site. Idalia was at milepost 43.91 of the Illmo Sub-division of the

St. Louis Southwestern Railway The St. Louis Southwestern Railway Company , known by its nickname of "The Cotton Belt Route" or simply "Cotton Belt", is a former Class I railroad that operated between St. Louis, Missouri, and various points in the U.S. states of Arkansas, Ten ...

. It was known as Station I-44 and in 1935 had a day telegrapher. The telegraph call for Idalia was "DN". There was a 159 car siding and additional capacity of 26 cars in the local business tracks of the railroad. A mail crane was located at Idalia to pick up the U. S. Mail by moving train.St. Louis Southwestern Railway Northern Division Time Table No. 10 dated August 18, 1935 According to Paul Wooldridge, Idalia had a population of about 30 in 1934 while he was there as a farm worker. The Cotton Belt depot was destroyed in a freight train derailment in 1939.

References

St. Louis Southwestern Railway Northern Division Time Table No. 10 dated August 18, 1935 Cotton Belt Memories by Paul B. Wooldridge self-published in 2006 by the Arkansas Railroad Club. Unincorporated communities in Stoddard County, Missouri Unincorporated communities in Missouri 1889 establishments in Missouri {{StoddardCountyMO-geo-stub