Lake of the Ozarks / Osage Region
Before Iberia, the map said Rocktown
Miller County's place-name record traces Iberia through Rocktown, Oakhurst, and Big Richwoods, with rocks, timber, and old maps carrying the story.
Iberia carried at least three other names in the old Miller County record. Rocktown came from the large rocks around the settlement. Oakhurst appeared for a time, and Big Richwoods described land known for good soil and timber larger than much of the nearby growth.
The State Historical Society of Missouri’s place-name file says a store was there about 1838 and a post office by 1851. Iberia also appears on Missouri maps from 1844 and 1845. Those dates matter because they undercut a later story that Civil War veterans named the town after New Iberia, Louisiana.
The file does not settle exactly how “Iberia” won out. It notes that Iberia is an old name for Spain and leaves open more than one path by which the name could have reached Miller County. The rocks, though, left a much clearer trail.
Where to see it
- SHSMO Miller County place names
Use SHSMO for the Iberia/Rocktown place-name record.
References
More from Miller County: browse every local note for the county.
Last checked against the sources above: July 16, 2026.