Town Talk: Malta Bend, Missouri

Dustin Todd Rennells
Mar 4
2 min read

Updated: Jul 16

Malta Bend, Missouri

by Kathy Green

History

Malta Bend, MO, is located on West US Highway 65, half a mile South of the Missouri River. It was established in 1867. This community's name was taken from the steamboat Malta, which sank while navigating a bend in the Missouri River.

How Did We Get Here?

Two families gave land on which Malta Bend would be built: the Brown Family, who moved from Virginia in 1831, and the Isaac Lunbeck Family, who moved from Ohio in 1849. The first petition to incorporate Malta Bend was never filed until January 1869. But, for some reason that no one knows, another petition to incorporate was filed on April 6, 1888. In September 1900, a third petition was filed, but this time the reason was that the town's name was misspelled. Then, on August 2, 1956, an ordinance was passed to make Malta Bend a Fourth-Class City. A vote of the citizens ratified this ordinance, 128 to 38.

Commerce

A post office was established on September 30, 1860, seven years before Malta Bend was planned. The first postmaster was Joseph Boone, who served until October 11, 1861, when the unrest of the Civil War intervened. The post office reopened on May 17, 1866, with James Needles as the new postmaster.

Some early settlers' names included A. J. McRoberts, Joseph and Charles Pittman, and William and George Nye. Other names, such as Renick, Huston, Wilson, Clyde, and Gauldin, are associated with Malta Bend and its future.

Railway

The railroad came to Malta Bend in 1886 when the Missouri Pacific Railroad Company built a railroad from Jefferson City to connect to Lexington's existing railroad, which ran to Kansas City. This was called the "River Route”. The first station was built in 1887. In the life of the rail station, there were only four regular station agents. The first agent was R. S. Thomas, then Harry England, and Henry W. Begeman. The last agent was Rex Sloan. The Station is no longer manned. The railroad brought fame to Malta Bend when the TV show “Wide, Wide World” broadcast a 90-minute segment titled “Flag stop at Malta Bend”. The feature on the show was Agent Rex Sloan and his son Todd. It is estimated that thirty-six million people watched this show.

This old photograph is of a Queen Anne style home in Malta Bend, Missouri

At Its Height

Malta Bend was a bustling town in its heyday. It boosted twenty-one stores selling dry goods, furniture, groceries, and hardware. There were two livery stables, two undertaking establishments, two lumber yards, two blacksmiths, an ice plant, a bank, a produce plant, two implement establishments, two drug stores, and two grain elevators. Yes, in its heyday, Malta Bend was well established and booming.