Sandy Hook, named because of a sand bar, once was a bustling river community

SANDY HOOK, Mo. - According to a history book, the small Moniteau County town of Sandy Hook was named because of a sand bar in the Missouri River that caused difficulty for boat captains trying to stay in the waterway's main channel.

The area was growing and local historians and long-time residents agree it was once a “happenin' little town” with several flourishing businesses.

Most of the businesses were greatly served by the Big Muddy and the use of river barges for hauling and delivering cargo.

In the early 1900s, the addition of the railroad brought even more opportunities and increased transportation abilities to the residents of Sandy Hook.

At that time, local historians said the area was booming and things looked promising.

The Bank of Sandy Hook, the addition of a post office, a hotel, a couple of mercantile stores, a barber shop and a blacksmith shop were just a few of the businesses that served the area.

Harold Gentzsch, 77, has lived in Sandy Hook his entire life and remembers when the area was still a booming town.

He recalls that his grandfather, Frank F. Gentzsch, homesteaded several acres of land in the northern part of town and named the area for his father Harry.

“He called that part of town Harry Town. He had bought the land for something like $1.25 an acre back then,” he said. “Things really were big around here at one time, but there's just not many people around here anymore. There's really just nothing.”

Gentzsch said fishing was also a big thing in Sandy Hook.

“Some people made their living fishing and some just did it for the fun of it,” he said. “You don't see a lot of trout lines anymore and you never see anyone pole fishing anymore. There's just not that many fish there.”

Former resident Laverne Shull has done a lot of research on Sandy Hook and lived in the area for about 20 years.

She recalls even then, the area as a booming town with several businesses and families who were thriving.

It wasn't until the late 1960s and early 1970s that the town started to dwindle.

Having written a small piece about the town, Shull said she had heard stories of a traveling showboat that would stop in the area and perform periodically.

“I don't remember that myself, but I had heard it said many times,” she said. “Sandy Hook used to be the ‘place to be' back then.”

A history book written by Charles Herfurth traces the time period in which he grew up in Sandy Hook. The story outlines what the town was like and what it was like growing up during that era.

According to Herfurth, the land in which Sandy Hook was formed was originally part of the Louisiana Purchase in 1803.

In his memoir, he recalls the first car that came to Sandy Hook.

“It was on a summer Sunday afternoon that the car was driven over, on dusty roads, by some wealthy people who lived in California, Missouri. This must have been about the year 1906 or 1907. A number of people were looking at this motor-driven, rubber-tired spectacle,” Herfurth wrote.

Because of the distance between Sandy Hook and the Missouri River, flooding was a way of life. And, while it didn't happen a lot, several floods left messes for residents to clean up.

Gentzsch said during the flood of 1993, the water rose several feet and covered the road.

“A big rain will put it over the road there two or three feet for about 30 minutes to an hour,” he said.

Just on the edge of Moniteau and Cole County, Sandy Hook is only about 20 miles from both California (the county seat) and Jefferson City.

Sandy Hook, in Moniteau County, is on Missouri 179, which runs parallel to the Missouri River. More than 150 years ago, the river served the area as a transportation source. (Ra'Vae Edwards/News Tribune photo)