Town file
New Florence, Missouri
New Florence, Missouri (Montgomery County, Missouri) is the town in one episode of Small Town Murder, the comedy true-crime podcast: episode 539, "Human Snakes" (24 October 2024). New Florence, Missouri, sits in Montgomery County in east central Missouri, roughly an hour and fifteen minutes from St Louis and two hours and forty minutes from Kansas City.
- Town
- New Florence
- County
- Montgomery County
- State
- Missouri
- Country
- USA
- Episodes
- 539
- Approximate location
- 38.908, -91.455
Episode 539 / 24 October 2024 / 174 min / full
Human Snakes
"We are going to New Florence, Missouri... this is in Montgomery County." about 0:05:55
The case: Murder of Ben Rennick (June 8th, 2017). Read the case file.
The figures, as told in 2024
- Population
- 859
- Median age
- 41
- Median home value
- $150,900
- Two-bedroom rent
- $810
- Cost of living
- 77
- Property crime
- ▼ slightly below the national average
- Violent crime
- ▼ about one-third
History, in brief
- First named Florence, not after the Italian city but after Florence Lewis, the daughter of the first settler. about 0:06:35
- The New Florence post office has been in operation since 1858. about 0:06:54
- Evidence of human habitation in the area goes back 10,000 years, including an archaeological excavation at Graham Cave. about 0:07:02
- The area is associated with German-founded towns established by immigrants in the mid-19th century, including Rhineland. about 0:07:40
- Many settlers also came from Kentucky and Virginia. about 0:07:40
- The southern part of Montgomery County is associated with German immigrants and the northern part with Missouri's Little Dixie. about 0:08:22
- Montgomery County is nicknamed the Gateway to Little Dixie. about 0:08:36
The reviews read out
4 stars
"Very clean and well stocked; there is no easy way to open the bathroom door in a wheelchair; the dog park is small but sufficient, more than half grass, and will have shade when the tree grows; a bench would be nice."about 0:09:37
5 stars
"These new Love's are outstanding; roomy and clean bathrooms, an open layout, friendly staff and a small fenced dog park; the turn-off from the highway off-ramp is quick."about 0:10:15
1 star
"Every Love's stopped at across Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri does not sell 12, 15 or 18 packs of soda, only 20-ounce sodas."about 0:10:41
1 star
"Residents off Highway 19 have had property damaged because Love's refuses to put up directional signs; truck drivers turn around in private driveways and she was almost run over; the bathrooms are disgusting and the parking lots dirty."about 0:11:22
Nearest Small Town Murder towns
- Fenton, Missouri60 miles
- Quincy, Illinois71 miles
- Columbia, Illinois74 miles
- Festus, Missouri74 miles
- St. Robert, Missouri84 miles
- Bonne Terre, Missouri84 miles
Everything here is as told in the episode, on the date it went out; figures and places may have changed since. Endings are covered: open an episode and use the spoiler switch to read them.