From Punjaub to Lawrenceton – A Community Changes its Name

The present-day community of Lawrenceton is about 15 miles west of Ste. Genevieve. It is unincorporated, but in its heyday, it had a post office between 1867 and 1941. The initial town, Punjaub, officially changed to Lawrenceton in 1877. So how did an Ozark border community receive the name of a region in India then later become Lawrenceton?

The settlement originally grew around the area worked by the Punjaub Mining Company. Although mining occurred earlier at the site, the company incorporated May 13, 1865, as a “manufacturing mining and smelting company whose corporate name shall be The Punjaub Mining Company of Sainte Genevieve County.” This suggests the village name came from the mining company, but that does not explain where the company name originated. Shortly after the company incorporated, on October 3, 1865, they applied for a post office under the “Punjaub” name.

One suggestion is that the beauty of the site inspired one traveler to liken it to the region of Punjaub, India, although it might be a stretch to assume such a world traveler would have journeyed to western Ste. Genevieve County to notice it. Another suggestion is that the site received its name for the pond constructed at the water-powered mill. The name “Punjaub” was a corruption of “pond job.” This scenario is unlikely because it relies on a non-standard phrase and unlikely word corruption. So, the mystery remains regarding the Punjaub name.

The name pre-dates the company. The 1860 federal census identifies the location as “Punjaub.” In fall 1864, during the raid by Sterling Price’s Confederate forces, the notorious guerilla Sam Hildebrandt conscripted several young men in the Punjaub neighborhood, including one named Delassus. An 1867 lawsuit identified Delassus as taking a mare belonging to a Mr. McGahan. The court awarded $112.50 to McGahan in compensation.

The town became an important trading center in the late 1860s and early 1870s. J. B. Robbins operated a steam-powered flour mill at Punjaub in the mid-1860s and sold it to brothers Henry and Charles F. Lawrence in March 1867. The Lawrence brothers subsequently established a mercantile and milling business. The Lawrences immigrated from Brunswick, Germany to New Orleans in 1844, then came to Cape Girardeau County. Their parents died in 1845, and the family moved to Mine La Motte. Henry became a salesman for F. C. Rozier & Co., then became a partner. After working there for 16 more years, he and Charles bought the steam flour mill at Punjaub.

In one account from May 1867 after Lawrences purchased Punjaub Mills, a visiting reporter remarked on the beauty of the Fourche a Duclos valley before it emptied into Establishment Creek. Wheat fields were growing well, and apple and pear trees bloomed profusely. The mill business manufactured some of the best brands of flour, although in early May the mills only ran three days a week grinding flour and cornmeal.

Henry Lawrence and his wife Carolina donated land in 1872 for establishment of St. Lawrence Catholic Church, which became the spiritual and social center of the community. A grateful community changed the name of the community to Lawrenceton in recognition for all the family did. Henry Lawrence and his wife Carolina registered a town plat in 1880 on land they donated for lots, streets, and a highway and public school. After 20 years of running the mill and store, Henry and family moved to Doe Run in September 1887, where he worked in merchandising with Jokerst & Lawrence.