Little is known about how Republic got its name. Situated on the Frisco Railroad, it became a well-known shipping and traveling point.
Before the war, Little York, a small community in the area, had been the center of trade. After the war, the Frisco Railroad was built through this section and the citizens of Republic asked the Frisco Company to build a depot or a switch station at this site. The company refused. A local citizen, Mr. Noe, raised subscriptions of $1,000 for the purpose of the depot. The railroad came; Republic grew. The first post office was located 1/2 mile south of the depot; no one seems to know why such a distance from the community.
Aside from farming, few industries were found in or near the settlement. Eli Britain owned and operated a brick yard near his home just west of town. Two grain elevators were built and there was a tomato processing factory and a cheese factory. Employment could be found at the lime kiln just south of town and at the iron mine.
A flour mill was built in 1890 with a running capacity of 2,000 barrels a day when running day and night. At that time it was the largest flour mill in the midwest with the slogan "The World is Our Field."
Initially, trade was by barter, or exchange, in a time of little money or little need for it. However, that changed when early industries replaced dairying, poultry, stock raising, and orchards.
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