The town boomed in the spring of 1941 when construction of Fort Leonard Wood, 20 miles away, began in earnest due to the war effort.
The original trustees of the town when it was incorporated were Lou Hargis, Mr. Durham (principal of the Newburg High School), Bob Crain (an employee of the Missouri Bureau of Mines, resident of Rolla), and Ike Towell (operator of a local filling station and grocery store).