Millard: Local History and Travel Orientation

You can consider Millard in your travel planning through two themes: its local and church history, and finding your way while traveling. This makes choosing a hotel a simple question: Is historical development your main focus, or the town’s role along your route?

Community and Settlement History

The Presbyterian Church in Millard was founded in June 1870. In May 1872, Millard was surveyed and platted for S.F. and Maggie A. Miller. This means the congregation was founded before the town was surveyed and platted. A Presbyterian Church building was constructed in 1873–1874; the building cost $1,000. The congregation’s pastoral care is also part of this history: the pastor from Kirksville served the Presbyterian Church at least once a month for twenty years or longer. The founding, construction period, and frequency of pastoral care mark distinct stages in Millard’s Presbyterian history.

The Dover Baptist Church followed a different course. Shortly after Millard was laid out, the congregation moved there and became known as the Millard Baptist Church. It disbanded by 1890; some of its members went to La Plata and others to Kirksville. Compared with the Presbyterian Church, which received pastoral care for decades, this sequence shows that Millard’s church history includes both long-term pastoral care for a congregation and the later dissolution of a church.

Historic Millard also had a schoolhouse and a warehouse. These two features complement the church histories with other elements of the settlement. Thus, local history encompasses not only the founding of congregations and church construction, but also a schoolhouse and a warehouse.

Road Orientation and Travel Planning

An official Missouri Department of Transportation map from August 2021 shows U.S. Route 63 passing through Millard. If you travel through Millard on the David Hall Trail, continue west to reach Kirksville Regional Airport. These two road references help with different planning questions: the map shows U.S. Route 63 through town, while continuing to the airport involves the David Hall Trail and heading west. If you are relying on U.S. Route 63 for current travel, check the applicable route before setting out.

Factoring Millard into Your Hotel Choice

The historical milestones give you a concrete sense of place if the development of communities and settlements is among your travel interests. The road information, by contrast, is useful if you are considering Millard in connection with a journey. The distinction between local history and wayfinding can help you determine Millard’s role in your stay and choose a hotel suited to your own needs.

Discover more destinations: Kirksville.

Return to the main travel overview: Adair County.