Looking at Pershing today, most people would find it hard to believe that the little town rarely labeled on maps was once a bustling center of trade for local farmers. Not a lot of records were kept, and therefore people don’t know what Pershing was once like. So what was it like? This website will show you, and give some insight to this fascinating, charming, hardworking town called Pershing.​
 

When Missouri gained statehood in 1821, Gasconade County was one of the original counties. A little town was nestled into the hills along the Gasconade River, named Potsdam; now called Pershing. Pershing got its original name, Potsdam, when the Post Office opened in 1804. Rep. James “Champ” Clark was given the privilege of naming the town and named it Potsdam in honor of the German city south of Berlin. He was not only honoring the area’s German heritage, but following the lead of the nearby village Fredricksburg, named in honor of Frederick the Great, whose imperial palace was located in Potsdam, Germany.​
 

A newspaper article by David F. Barrett tells the story of why Potsdam became Pershing. Local stories fill in the gaps and tell us more about how, and how the people felt about the big change. During World War One, each town was supposed to hold a war savings meeting. However, Potsdam had the “unwholesome distinction” of being the only community in the United States to fail to hold a war meeting on June 28, 1917. To make up for its misstep and prove its Americanism, Potsdam held its meeting on August 18, 1917 voted to use thrift stamps, and went over the top by pledging to take at least its quota for the Fourth Liberty Loan and all the subsequent war issues. However, there was still the issue of the name. When Potsdam was founded, the name Potsdam was perfectly acceptable to the predominately Republican population, but it was “too German” for the Democrats. Lottie Workman and a Mrs. Held petitioned to Frank Kicker, the postmaster, to change the name of the Post Office to Pershing to honor General John J. Pershing, a Missouri-born. Kicker said no because changing the name of the Post Office was like changing the name of the whole town. So, Workman campaigned, collecting names in favor of the name change. The name was changed in 1918. In the 1970s, Rev. Reinwald suggested restoring the original name but community members felt that it was best not to disturb the matter.