August 14, 2012

Smithville was the first county seat of present-day Lawrence County. Incorporated on January 10, 1851, the town was once a thriving trading center near the Strawberry River in the foothills of the extreme eastern Ozarks region. As Smithville headed into the twenty-first century, major highways, super centers, and major retail chains in larger towns and cities proved detrimental. In July 2008, Davis Discount General Store, then the town’s last full-time business, closed its doors.