Purdin

    The Purdin Mercantile was established in 1895 as the outgrowth of one small store that merged with several others.  Branch stores were added in several other towns, including Milan, Linneus, Vandalia, and Brookfield.  In 1939, a propane bulk gas plant was added, and in 1941, a locker plant.  The Mercantile still provides hardware, appliance, and propane service to North Central Missouri.

Pass the Popcorn, Please! (Movie Barn)
    Free Saturday night movie shows were a regular event during the late 1940's and 1950's.     At first, the shows were given in a vacant lot north of the Bank of Purdin, but when winter rolled around, the shows moved to the second floor of the Mercantile. (The old theater seats are still there!)  Soon, the crowds at the shows were too large to fit into that small meeting hall, so the Purdin Mercantile Company built a structure to accommodate the crowds.  Area businesses and the proceeds from the concession stand helped pay the fees to rent the movies, but to the audiences, the shows continued to be free.   The movie barn went out of action with the coming of the television.

And-a-1, And-a-2 (Bandstand)
    The bandstand sat in the intersection of Highways 5 and C.  Later, it was moved to a location southeast of the Post Office.   For a short time it was used as a residence.

All A-bo-a-a-a-rd (Depot)
    The railroad came to Purdin in the 1880's.  Many hogs and cattle were shipped from the Purdin stockyards to Chicago and St. Louis.  The largest shipping business in the history of the Purdin railroad was during the 1940's, when as many 15 or 16 cars came on shipping days.  Saturdays were the busiest days.  The depot was moved in 1957, bought by the family of Tully Reed.  The depot was dismantled and built into a cattle shed.  In the 1950's the "Doodlebug" a one-car, self-propelled train car came through twice a day.  The last train ran in the early 1980's.