BlockBates City, Missouri
19 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1894 and the latest in 1983. It stands in Clay Township. It lies in ZIP code area 64011. The Survey maps it on the Bates City quadrangle. 219 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 860 feet above sea level.
Population over time
2 figuresBates City grew from 219 to 219 between 2010 and 2020. These are the recorded population figures Wikidata holds for this place, reached through the Geographic Names Information System number this page is keyed on rather than by name, so they belong to this place and not to another of the same name. Most are census counts, but not all are: an early figure may be a founding or settlement estimate, and an estimate published within five years of a census is left out. The change column is computed, and is left blank where more than 20 years separate a figure from the one before it, because a gap that long is not a change between two counts.
| Year | People | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 219 | |
| 2020 | 219 | 0 (0%) |
Topographic sheets covering this place
8 surveys from 19 printed sheetsMatched by testing this settlement's coordinate against the published boundary of every sheet in the United States Geological Survey's historical collection. Each opens the scanned sheet at the Survey.
- 1894 USGS Independence quadrangle1:125000, 5 printings
- 1950 USGS Bates City quadrangle1:24000, 2 printings
- 1950 USGS Kansas City quadrangle1:250000
- 1951 USGS Bates City quadrangle1:24000, 2 printings
- 1954 USGS Kansas City quadrangle1:250000
- 1956 USGS Kansas City quadrangle1:250000, 4 printings
- 1960 USGS Kansas City quadrangle1:250000, 3 printings
- 1983 USGS Kansas City quadrangle1:100000
What happened here
An account from the chapter on Clay township. The inset identifies its exact source book and publication year.
Dark Deeds
Among the incidents worthy of here being recorded are the following: During the Civil war days James Johnson, who lived at Bates City, was killed by a band of "Kansas Jayhawkers," supposed to have been at the instigation of a negro, whom he had once whipped while acting as constable in his township. The act was forced upon him by law, but the dire spirit of revenge upon the part of the black man caused him to call upon these troops, who took Mr.
In the county-history sources
20,313 words on this townshipHistory of Lafayette County, Mo. , Carefully Written and Compiled from the Most Authentic Official and Private Sources, Including a History of Its Townships, Cities, Towns, and Villages, Together with a Condensed History of Missouri; the Constitution of the United States, and State of Missouri; a Military Record of Volunteers in Either Army of the Great Civil War .., published 1881 names this settlement in its chapter on Clay Township. These are the passages that mention it, exactly as the scans read.
The Methodist Episcopal Church South, of Wellington, was organized in the year 1850, with the following members: Morley Arnold, Melissa Arnold, Affiah Arnold, Nancy Cundift, Thomas Bryant, Cornelia A. Corn, Elizabeth Crews, John A. Mahan, Cynthia M. Mahan, Sarah Bryant, Susan Duck, P. Ferrell, Eliza Ferrell, George W. Ferrell, Man- Lewis, Barbara Carr. A brick church was built in the year 1853, at a cost of $2,500, and dedicated in 1854, by Bishop John Early. The ministers in charge have been J. L. Porter, P. O. Clayton, Ephraim Wagoner, Wm. M. Leftwick, H. W. Webster, J. R. Bennett, John R. Murphy, Wallace Potsman, Newton Cordon, W. F. Truslow, Rev. Bedsworth, John Shackleford, Wm. Pitts, Wm. M. Bewley, Preston Phillips, and L. W. Pierce. The number of present membership is 65, and with the exception of the time during the war have held services regular.
Mr. Theodore 'Bates laid out the town of Bates City, on the Chicago & Alton railroad, in 1878, and in January, 1879, it was established as a post office, with J. F. Eneberg, first postmaster. Mr. L. B. Kelley built the first house, and the first store was owned by J. F. Eneberg. The first school house, a frame, was built in 1881, at a cost of $800 - the number of pupils being twenty-three, and the compensation of teacher $25 per month. David Aulobaugh to Mattie Early, Rev. Noel officiating, was the first marriage in the town and occurred in 1879. Theodore Alexander Bates, son of Geo. W. and jemima Bates, August, 1879, was the first male, and a daughter to R. E. and Ann Casey was the first female child born in Bates City. The first death was that of Mrs. Casey, which occurred in April, 1880, - she was buried at Missouri City. Dr. M. W. Flournoy, of this county, was the first regular physician. The first religious service was performed by Rev. P. T. Cobb, of the Methodist Church South.
There are two dry goods stores in Bates City, one drug store, one blacksmith and wagon shop, one mill, two hotels, one church, one school house, one physician, one millinery shop, one butcher, and one boot and shoe shop. The town is located in the southern part of Clay township, and is beautifully situated upon the open prairie.
Machine-read from a century-old scan, so expect the errors a machine makes: misspelled names, dropped words, stray characters.
Read the whole chapter on Clay Township - it names this place 19 more 19 times.
Fires near this place
5 since 2005Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 5 fires within 5 miles of Bates City between 2005 and 2019, burning about 72 acres in total. None started naturally. 1 was recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Reported cause | Fires |
|---|---|
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 3 |
| Recreation and ceremony | 1 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 1 |
The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 April 2006 | Arson/incendiarism | 1.0 acres | Missouri State Fire Marshal's Office | not named |
| 2 April 2005 | Recreation and ceremony | 10 acres | Missouri State Fire Marshal's Office | not named |
| 29 March 2005 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 60 acres | Missouri State Fire Marshal's Office | not named |
| 10 March 2019 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Missouri Department of Conservation | 178276-05441-03102019-1323 |
| 22 October 2019 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Missouri Department of Conservation | 179463-05441-10222019-1450 |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Mines and quarries near this place
5 within 5 milesRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 5 workings within 5 miles of Bates City: 4 past producers, 1 producer. 1 still produces. What was taken out: Stone, Crushed/Broken. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Where | Site | Commodity | Status | Recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Covenant Enterprises | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer | ||
| Mitchell Qsuarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer |
Storms near this place
24 since 1995Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Bates City in 24 storm reports between 1995 and 2025: 11 hail, 10 thunderstorm wind, 2 tornado, 1 flash flood. No death or injury is recorded in these reports. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | Bates City | $7,000 | no account filed |
| September 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | Bates City | $5,000 | A strong thunderstorm over western Lafayette County knocked down trees and power lines. In Bates City, a barn was destroyed and there was minor damage to some homes. |
| May 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | Bates City | $5,000 | Numerous trees were downed near Z and TT highways, 2 to 3 miles south of Bates city, partially blocking the roads. |
| May 1995 | Tornado (F0) | Bates City - | $3,000 | A severe thunderstorm dropped up to golfball size hail on Bates City, and then went on to develop 2 weak tornadoes. The first tornado touched down south of Bates City at 1820 CST and was crossing Interstate 70 3 miles west of Odessa at 1831 CST. Only minor tree damage was reported. It then lifted north of Odessa. A second touchdown occurred about 5 miles northwest of Higginsville at 1845 CST. The track took it across State Route 13 5 miles northwest of Higginsville near the Tabo Creek bridge at 1900 CST. At 1905 CST, the tornado crossed Route 213 3 miles southwest of Dover, and then lifted 1 mile southwest of Dover at 1906 CST. A house along state Route 13, 6 miles southeast of the junction with Route E, had shingles removed from the roof as the funnel apparently lifted as it passed overhead. Eyewitnesses reported that the tornado bounced up and down as it continued on a path about 4.5 miles to the east-northeast. The damage path varied from about 30 to 40 yards wide, with most of the path over cultivated farm fields. Most damage was minimal, but the most significant damage occurred at the Humfeldt farm 2.6 miles south of U.S. Route 24 along state Route 213. A corrugated steel equipment building was destroyed when the south and west walls were blown in, and the roof was partially peeled off. There was only minor damage to the equipment inside. The tornado passed to the south of the house and garage, missing them by 25 feet. Only one shutter was blown off of the upper floor of the house with no other damage. Mud was splattered on all four sides of both the house and garage. The tornado was photographed as it was dissipating, in its rope stage between 1901 and 1906 CST. In addition, tree damage occurred in Corder with the gust front ahead of the parent thunderstorm. |
| July 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Bates City | - | Downed wires and several power outages in the Bates City area. |
| September 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Bates City | - | KSHB-TV viewer shares photo of shed roof damage south of Bates City. Stronger storm with subtle downburst divergence signature noted. |
| September 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Bates City | - | Branches and six foot fence downed in Bates City. |
| March 2024 | Hail | Bates City | - | Half dollar sized hail near Bates City. |
| March 2024 | Hail | Bates City | - | Half dollar size hail along Interstate 70 just east of Bates City. |
| May 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Bates City | - | Report of 3 inch tree limbs broken; power poles broken in Bates City. |
| July 2017 | Flash Flood | Bates City | - | A water rescue took place on Golden Belt Road along Horseshoe Creek. 7.11 inches of rain fell at this location. |
| March 2017 | Tornado (EF1) | Bates City | - | This is a continuation of the EF-3 tornado that moved out of Jackson County and into Lafayette County. After the tornado devastated portions of Oak Grove, Missouri it traveled south of Bates City, doing mainly tree damage in rural Lafayette County. it then moved into Odessa, where it produced more EF-1 damage in the west part of Odessa. The bulk of the damage was to permanent residential structures across Odessa. The tornado weakened as it went east of Odessa, and finally dissipated just south of Interstate 70 east of Odessa. |
| August 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Bates City | - | Thunderstorm wind gusts were estimated up to 60 mph. Eight inch in diameter tree branches were blown down. |
| August 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Bates City | - | Trees down blocking local streets and a tree down blocking Z highway. |
| May 1995 | Hail | Bates City | - | A severe thunderstorm dropped up to golfball size hail on Bates City, and then went on to develop 2 weak tornadoes. The first tornado touched down south of Bates City at 1820 CST and was crossing Interstate 70 3 miles west of Odessa at 1831 CST. Only minor tree damage was reported. It then lifted north of Odessa. A second touchdown occurred about 5 miles northwest of Higginsville at 1845 CST. The track took it across State Route 13 5 miles northwest of Higginsville near the Tabo Creek bridge at 1900 CST. At 1905 CST, the tornado crossed Route 213 3 miles southwest of Dover, and then lifted 1 mile southwest of Dover at 1906 CST. A house along state Route 13, 6 miles southeast of the junction with Route E, had shingles removed from the roof as the funnel apparently lifted as it passed overhead. Eyewitnesses reported that the tornado bounced up and down as it continued on a path about 4.5 miles to the east-northeast. The damage path varied from about 30 to 40 yards wide, with most of the path over cultivated farm fields. Most damage was minimal, but the most significant damage occurred at the Humfeldt farm 2.6 miles south of U.S. Route 24 along state Route 213. A corrugated steel equipment building was destroyed when the south and west walls were blown in, and the roof was partially peeled off. There was only minor damage to the equipment inside. The tornado passed to the south of the house and garage, missing them by 25 feet. Only one shutter was blown off of the upper floor of the house with no other damage. Mud was splattered on all four sides of both the house and garage. The tornado was photographed as it was dissipating, in its rope stage between 1901 and 1906 CST. In addition, tree damage occurred in Corder with the gust front ahead of the parent thunderstorm. |
| May 1995 | Hail | Bates City | - | A severe thunderstorm dropped up to golfball size hail on Bates City, and then went on to develop 2 weak tornadoes. The first tornado touched down south of Bates City at 1820 CST and was crossing Interstate 70 3 miles west of Odessa at 1831 CST. Only minor tree damage was reported. It then lifted north of Odessa. A second touchdown occurred about 5 miles northwest of Higginsville at 1845 CST. The track took it across State Route 13 5 miles northwest of Higginsville near the Tabo Creek bridge at 1900 CST. At 1905 CST, the tornado crossed Route 213 3 miles southwest of Dover, and then lifted 1 mile southwest of Dover at 1906 CST. A house along state Route 13, 6 miles southeast of the junction with Route E, had shingles removed from the roof as the funnel apparently lifted as it passed overhead. Eyewitnesses reported that the tornado bounced up and down as it continued on a path about 4.5 miles to the east-northeast. The damage path varied from about 30 to 40 yards wide, with most of the path over cultivated farm fields. Most damage was minimal, but the most significant damage occurred at the Humfeldt farm 2.6 miles south of U.S. Route 24 along state Route 213. A corrugated steel equipment building was destroyed when the south and west walls were blown in, and the roof was partially peeled off. There was only minor damage to the equipment inside. The tornado passed to the south of the house and garage, missing them by 25 feet. Only one shutter was blown off of the upper floor of the house with no other damage. Mud was splattered on all four sides of both the house and garage. The tornado was photographed as it was dissipating, in its rope stage between 1901 and 1906 CST. In addition, tree damage occurred in Corder with the gust front ahead of the parent thunderstorm. |
| June 2016 | Hail | Bates City | - | no account filed |
| June 2011 | Hail | Bates City | - | no account filed |
| May 2011 | Hail | Bates City | - | no account filed |
| September 2010 | Hail | Bates City | - | no account filed |
| June 2009 | Hail | Bates City | - | no account filed |
| June 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | Bates City | - | no account filed |
| May 2002 | Hail | Bates City | - | no account filed |
| March 2000 | Hail | Bates City | - | no account filed |
Nearest settlements
The eight closest, with where each one stands in the county. Distances are straight-line, computed from the Geographic Names Information System coordinates.
| Map | Place | Distance | Sheets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chapel Hill | 6.2 miles | 13 | |
| Odessa | 6.3 miles | 18 | |
| Greenton | 6.4 miles | 17 | |
| Lake Lafayette | 6.8 miles | 18 | |
| Napoleon | 8.6 miles | 21 | |
| Waterloo | 9.0 miles | 21 | |
| Wellington | 10.0 miles | 17 | |
| Oakland (historical) | 12.5 miles | 19 |
Elsewhere
Matched on this settlement's Geographic Names Information System number rather than its name, so it cannot be a different place of the same name in another state.
| Wikipedia article on Bates City | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q962297 | The structured record the population and elevation above come from. Public domain (CC0). |
Provenance
This settlement is recorded in the Geographic Names Information System as feature 713727. The sheet list is computed by point-in-boundary test against the United States Geological Survey's historical topographic inventory. Both are works of the United States government and carry no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.
Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.