Cameron, MO

A party of settlers led by Samuel McCorkle platted a four-block town called Somerville in 1854, astride the proposed route of the Hannibal-to-St. Joseph railroad near what is now I-35 and the DeKalb-Clinton county line. The grade at Somerville proved too steep for trains to stop, so the town was physically moved southwest by teams of oxen. source

The name. Renamed Cameron in 1855 in honor of Samuel McCorkle's wife, Malinda Cameron - her maiden name. source

First organized government under a Board of Trustees in 1867; adopted a mayor and city council structure in 1882; became a Missouri third-class city in 1919. source

1. 1859The Hannibal and St. Joseph Railroad was completed through the town, which had been platted the year before to sit on its route. source
2. 1867The Cameron-to-Kansas City cut-off opened, making the town a junction; population rose from roughly 100 in 1859 to about 3,000 by 1881. source
3. 1901William Jennings Bryan delivered a speech at McCorkle Park. source
4. 1994Crossroads Corporate Center, a 130-acre commercial development, opened anchored by a Wal-Mart Supercenter; twelve further businesses had located there by 2008. source
5. 2024Western Missouri Correctional Center ceased operating as a prison in 2022 and was refurbished as the Missouri Department of Corrections' statewide Academy for Excellence in Corrections, which opened in 2024 with capacity for 144 trainees. source

The median home sold here was built in 1968. Most of what sells was built between 1903 and 2025. That closely matches the Census figure of 1975 for all housing, so sales are broadly representative of the stock. 31% of sales included finished basement space beyond the above-grade footprint - which matters here, because square footage quoted above grade can understate a house considerably.

A genuine railroad junction town. Cameron owes its existence to the Hannibal and St. Joseph Railroad, and its growth to the 55-mile cut-off built in 1867 from Cameron to Kansas City, which connected the line to the Hannibal Bridge - the first railroad bridge across the Missouri River. source

In the early twentieth century Cameron supported three train stations serving an average of forty trains a day. source

McCorkle Park

Established 1855, the city's oldest park; holds the Firemen's Memorial with a 1928 Studebaker fire truck. source

Recreation Park

Established 1892. source

Memorial Park

Established 1946, 150 acres, dedicated to veterans. source

Historic Cameron Depot

The surviving depot, now the Cameron Historical Society and Depot Museum. source

Schools

Cameron R-I School District. boundaries do not follow city limits Confirm the assigned school for any specific address before you rely on it. source

Getting around

Interstate 35 runs through the city, crossed by US 36 (with a US 36 business route) and US 69. The town was built on the Hannibal and St. Joseph line and its Kansas City cut-off. source 1 source 2

Employers located here

Missouri Department of Corrections - Crossroads Correctional Center, Missouri Department of Corrections - Academy for Excellence in Corrections, Cameron Regional Medical Center, Wal-Mart Supercenter. Listed as present in the city, which is not a statement about hiring.