County of city: Dade County
location of city: on US 160/MO 39, central to county
Elevation: 1,096'
Population: Population: 1,317 (2013)
"Greenfield, the county seat, laid out 1841, in on a plateau above nearby Turnback Creek. The town site, with rolling prairies on the west and wooded hills on the east, was given by Matthias and Mary Allison. Here was Ozark (Presby.) College, 1881-1903, founded as an academy, 1870. In Ebenezer Presbyterian Church (built in 1854, rebuilt 1884) was organized the Ozark Presbytery, including 25 counties in 1870.
"In Oct., 1863, Union soldiers stationed in Greenfield withdrew at the approach of Confederate General Joseph O. Shelby's troops who burned the courthouse. Rebuilt 1867, the courthouse was replaced in 1934. In 1881, the Kansas City & Memphis R.R. (Frisco) was built through the county.
"near Greenfield is so-called Spanish Fort built by prehistoric Indians" ~ State Historical Society of Missouri
"Greenfield began in 1841 where the town's site was selected as the place for Dade County's first courthouse. A pioneer couple, Matthias and Mary Ann Allison, gave the county fifty-one acres "in consideration of the location of the county seat". A year later the courthouse was finished and Greenfield's first business had opened all on the new town's square.
"Greenfield, called the "Gate City of the Grotto" in early history, grew as the emigrants from Kentucky, Tennessee and the Carolinas, were lured by the wooded hills, fertile valleys and a wonderful abundance of water in the streams and springs.
"Visitors to Greenfield see the square lined with brick buildings built in the 1880's - with bricks made in the Greenfield Brickyard. The Opera House, which opened in 1888, called the "Jewel of the Square" is still used for the summer productions of the Dade County Community Theatre.
"The Greenfield High School, the oldest high school in Southwest Missouri, opened in 1889. Other historic buildings include three churches built in the late 1800s and early 1900s are still used for worship.
"A Mecca for history buffs and seekers of family history is the Dade County Library housed in a historic house. The Library has a large collection of Missouri history plus the Dade County Genealogical Society is also housed in the Library with extensive research materials available" ~ Greenfield Chamber of Commerce