| Ink, Missouri | |
| Settlement Type: | Ghost town |
| Pushpin Map: | USA Missouri |
| Pushpin Label: | Ink |
| Pushpin Label Position: | top |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location within the state of Missouri |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | United States |
| Subdivision Type1: | State |
| Subdivision Name1: | Missouri |
| Subdivision Type2: | County |
| Subdivision Name2: | Shannon |
| Subdivision Type3: | Township |
| Subdivision Name3: | Eminence |
| Unit Pref: | Imperial |
| Population As Of: | 2000 |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Timezone: | Central (CST) |
| Utc Offset: | -6 |
| Timezone Dst: | CDT |
| Utc Offset Dst: | -5 |
| Coordinates: | 37.2581°N -91.4836°W |
| Postal Code: | 65466 |
| Area Code: | 573 |
| Blank Name: | FIPS code |
| Blank1 Name: | GNIS feature ID |
| Blank1 Info: | 740954 |
Ink is a ghost town in Shannon County, Missouri, United States. It is located at the intersection of Missouri Route N and county road 328. It is located on the north side of Spring Valley Creek just south of the Sunklands Conservation Area.[1]
A post office called Ink was established in 1885, and remained in operation until 1954.[2] According to folklorist Margot Ford McMillen, the unusual name of the village came about literally by accident. After several attempts at a name were rejected, a community meeting was held. Wanting a name short and memorable, a children's spelling book with three-letter words such as cat, bat, dog, and the like was consulted. The meeting grew lengthy, and finally, someone accidentally spilled an ink well onto the book and table. Another citizen suggested, "why not call the town Ink?" The U.S. postal authorities found it acceptable, thus the village was officially so named.[3] In spite of the tradition, Ink may have been named simply on account of the name's brevity.[4]