1911 Encyclopædia Britannica/Rich Hill

RICH HILL, a city of Bates county, Missouri, U.S.A., situated near the Osage (Marais des Cygnes) river, in the west central part of the state, about 75 m. S. by E. of Kansas City. Pop. (1900) 4053, of whom 255 were foreign-born; (1910) 2755. It is served by the Missouri Pacific and the St. Louis & San Francisco railway systems. The city has two public parks, and is a trading centre for the surrounding fertile farming country. Coal is mined in the vicinity. There are lead and zinc smelters, and a large vitrified brick and tile factory. The municipality owns and operates its Waterworks and gas and electric-lighting plants; the city is supplied with natural gas. The original Rich Hill was platted in 1867 somewhat north-west of the site of the present city, which was platted in 1880 by an association that bought out the old settlement. The new settlement was incorporated as a village in 1880, and chartered as a city in 1881.