Fagus, Missouri

Fagus is an unincorporated community in southeastern Butler County, Missouri. It is located on Route 51 about eighteen miles southeast of Poplar Bluff near the Arkansas state line. The community was founded by lumberman William N. Barron after the Latin word for "beech tree". Although he named it for the European beech native to his home country of England, he was surprised to actually find beeches growing here. Before it got its present name, Fagus was known as "Slapout": the proprietor of the place was always "slap out" of meat.