Vera Cruz 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 central Douglas 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 on

Bryant Creek Bryant Creek (also known as Bryant River) is a stream in the Ozarks of Missouri. Bryant Creek has headwaters just west of Lead Hill and southeast Cedar Gap in southwestern Wright County and flows in a southeasterly direction through Douglas Cou ...

, approximately east of Ava, at the terminus of

Route Route or routes may refer to: * Route (gridiron football), a path run by a wide receiver * route (command), a program used to configure the routing table * Route, County Antrim, an area in Northern Ireland * ''The Route'', a 2013 Ugandan film * Ro ...

AB.''Ava, Missouri,'' 30x60 Minute Topographic Quad, USGS, 1985

History

Vera Cruz was established in the 1840s and named for Vera Cruz in Mexico. The village was originally called Red Bud and was at the junction of the Rockbridge– Hartville road, up Bryant valley with the Old Salt Road or Rockbridge Road, which ran northwest through Smallett to

Springfield Springfield may refer to: * Springfield (toponym), the place name in general Places and locations Australia * Springfield, New South Wales (Central Coast) * Springfield, New South Wales (Snowy Monaro Regional Council) * Springfield, Queenslan ...

.Vinyard, J. C., ''The Battles of Vera Cruz'', Nov. 7 1862 — Nov. 3, 1864, Douglas County Historical Society Journal, May, 1994, pp 18–21 The name was changed to Vera Cruz in 1859. It was the first county seat of Douglas County.Moser, Arthur Paul; ''A Directory of Towns, Villages, and Hamlets Past and Present of Douglas County, Missouri''
/ref> In 1870, the county seat was moved to

Arno The Arno is a river in the Tuscany region of Italy. It is the most important river of central Italy after the Tiber. Source and route The river originates on Monte Falterona in the Casentino area of the Apennines, and initially takes a s ...

and shortly after to Ava. The

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

battle

Battle of Clark's Mill The Battle of Clark's Mill was fought on November 7, 1862, near Vera Cruz, Missouri, as part of the American Civil War. Confederate troops led by Colonels Colton Greene and John Q. Burbridge were recruiting in the Gainesville area. Federal ...

on November 7, 1862, took place at a mill on Bryant Creek, approximately north of the current location.
U.S. National Park Service CWSAC Battle Summary

/ref> A second battle occurred on November 3, 1864, near Wilson's Mill, during which the Confederate forces were driven out of the area.

Gallery

File:Hunter Creek bluff.JPG, Hunter Creek bluff above the old mill pond at Vera Cruz, Missouri File:Vera Cruz, Missouri cemetery.JPG, The cemetery in Vera Cruz, Missouri

References

Unincorporated communities in Douglas County, Missouri Unincorporated communities in Missouri {{DouglasCountyMO-geo-stub