Sumner, Missouri

Content sourced from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Sumner is a tiny city in Chariton County, Missouri, United States. It sits near the Grand River and covers about 0.23 square miles of land. The population was 78 in 2020. The town’s nickname is the Goose Capital of the World, and it is named after U.S. Senator Charles Sumner.

Long ago, two of Daniel Boone’s sons and a man named Thomas Stanley explored the area and started a trading post. Growth came when railroads arrived, and Sumner was laid out in 1882. The town later added a hotel and a newspaper called the Sumner Star.

Wildlife and wetlands thrived in the 1800s, but many wetlands were drained. In 1937, Congress created the Swan Lake National Wildlife Refuge just south of Sumner to protect waterfowl. The area became a winter home for many geese, helping Sumner earn the Goose Capital of the World nickname. Since 1955, Sumner has held a Goose Festival every October with music, a parade, and other activities. In 1976, a large statue called the World’s Largest Goose, named Maxie, was built to honor the town.

The ZIP code is 64681 and the area code is 660. The city has no water within its area.