Missouri Revised Statutes Title VII. Cities, Towns and Villages § 80.020. Towns and villages--how incorporated

Whenever two-thirds of the taxable inhabitants of any town or village within this state shall present a petition to the county commission of the county, setting forth the metes and bounds of their village and commons, and praying that they may be incorporated under a police established for their local government, and for the preservation and regulation of any commons appertaining to such town and village, and the county commission shall be satisfied that two-thirds of the taxable inhabitants of such town or village have signed such petition, and that the prayer of such petition is reasonable, the county commission may declare such town or village incorporated, designating in such order the metes and bounds thereof, and thenceforth the inhabitants within such bounds shall be a body politic and corporate, by the name and style of “The town of ․․․․․” naming it and by that name they and their successors shall be known in law;  have perpetual succession, unless disincorporated;  sue and be sued;  plead and be impleaded;  defend and be defended in all courts and in all actions, pleas and matters whatsoever;  may grant, purchase, hold and receive property, real and personal, within such town and no other, burial grounds and cemeteries excepted;  and may lease, sell and dispose of the same for the benefit of the town, and may have a common seal, and alter the same at pleasure.