Safe 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 hav ...
in southeastern
Maries County, in the
U.S. state
In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...
of
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 ...
. The community is located on
Missouri Route H
A supplemental route is a state secondary road in the U.S. state of Missouri, designated with letters. Supplemental routes were various roads within the state which the Missouri Department of Transportation was given in 1952 to maintain in additio ...
on a hill just west of and above the
Bourbeuse River
The Bourbeuse River (French for 'muddy') is a river located in east-central Missouri, in the Ozarks region, and is one of two major tributaries of the Meramec River, the other being the Big River. The Bourbeuse flows to the northeast from its sou ...
. The community is approximately six miles north-northeast of
St. James.
History
A post office called Safe was established in 1886, and remained in operation until 1958. According to one tradition, the community was named for the generosity of the proprietor of a local
gristmill
A gristmill (also: grist mill, corn mill, flour mill, feed mill or feedmill) grinds cereal grain into flour and middlings. The term can refer to either the grinding mechanism or the building that holds it. Grist is grain that has been separated ...
who allowed safekeeping of customer's grain. Another tradition maintains the name is an acronym of the surnames of four first settlers, namely Shinkle, Aufderheide, Fann, and Essman.
References
Unincorporated communities in Maries County, Missouri
Unincorporated communities in Missouri
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