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RECORDS AT RECORDER OF DEEDS OFFICE For more recent Cooper County documents please contact: Cooper County Recorder of Deeds - Georgia Esser 200 Main Street - Rm 26, Boonville, MO 65233 660-882-2161 or recorder@coopercountymo.gov General recorded information and other resources available Genealogy research is welcome at Recorder of Deeds Office under the following guidelines: Appointments are preferred, especially for lengthy research. COVID precautions limit our office customers to three in main office, and two genealogy researchers in the vault area. Staff assistance to researchers may be limited due to recording workload at the time of visit. Temperature checks may be given upon arrival. No food or drink is allowed in the vault. Masks are required to enter search areas and vault. Title searchers and marriage license applicants take priority in line. Office staff does not perform genealogy research or title searching. General recorded information and other resources available Recorded and indexed Plats and Surveys (both paper and digital copies on site) Recorded marriage licenses issued in Cooper County (1819 - present) Marriage applications are not public record, only the completed licenses. Original and reproductions of Cooper County plat books and Atlas books Historical maps of the county, towns, and some cemeteries Cooper County publications, compiled & written by local historians Recorded and indexed land transfer deeds, mortgages, assignments, modifications, subordinations, foreclosures, state and federal tax liens/releases, mechanics liens, power of attorneys, brands, etc. We do not have any bound “Abstracts” on property. Other miscellaneous documentation including but not limited to agreements, easements, leases, contracts, wills, UCCs, subdivision covenants and restrictions may also be found in the records. OLD wills and estates are in the records of the Circuit Clerk (660-882-2232) Death certificates (if recorded for land transfer purposes, 2010 - present) No birth certificates Military discharge papers (1918 - present, if recorded by service member) This documentation is not public record and can only be accessed by the member, funeral director, or immediate family member, being validated by a signed, notarized, and approved request document. Naturalization records (limited access due to age of documentation)

THE INDIAN REMOVAL ACT The Indian Removal Act of 1830 forced the indigenous nations to leave Missouri and resettle in Indian Territory. (Courtesy of Missouri Bicentennial Timeline) “The Indian Removal Act of 1830 forced the indigenous people who once inhabited land in Missouri to leave and resettle in Indian Territory (present day Oklahoma, Nebraska and Kansas). The removal process, however, began long before U.S. President Andrew Jackson signed the 1830 removal act. It was a policy introduced by President Thomas Jefferson and was largely carried out by treaties in Missouri supervised by William Clark as superintendent of Indian affairs. About 30 years before the last removal, the Indigenous Nations in the Missouri Territory at the time of the Louisiana Purchase included Sac and Fox, Ioway, Little Osage and Great Osage, Kickapoo, Shawnee, Delaware and Quapaw. Skirmishes and fighting ensued as the U.S. government expanded westward and other nations would be pushed from the East to Missouri. The military imprisoned the famous War Chief Black Hawk in St. Louis at the end of the Black Hawk War in 1832 . The Trail of Tears, as a result of the 1930 act, forced Eastern indigenous nations to relocate to Indian Territory (now Oklahoma). One of the routes traversed the southern part of Missouri, where many lives were lost crossing the Mississippi River in Cape Girardeau County during the harsh winters of 1838 and 1839 . An estimated 4,000 Cherokees lost their lives on the Trail of Tears from Tennessee to Oklahoma.”

POST OFFICES IN COOPER COUNTY U.S. Mail This is a picture of the small building that housed the Pleasant Green Post Office from 1869-1871 and 1873-1954 It also served as a telephone office for a few years. The presence, lack of, or loss of a post office, is a major indication of the size, success and duration of a town. Some post offices were closed during the Civil War, but later reopened. When trains stopped running through a town, populations declined, and the number of post offices did too. Some towns never had a post office, some had them for a very short time, and some still have them today. The earliest mail delivery was by horseback, from town to town, to a specific building in a town, usually the general store. Boonville had the earliest post office, in 1825. Short-lived Post Offices and Towns There were many very small settlements in Cooper County that never had a Post Office: Bluff City, Browntown, Buzzards Roost, Crossroads, Dublin, Lone Elm, Martinsville, Merna, Mt. Moriah, Petersburg, Prairie Lick, Rankins Mill, Salt Springs, Sardine, Stoney Point, Sweeny, Hostonville (under water), all of these towns are gone. Only Lone Elm is still an incorporated village and get’s it’s mail from Bunceton. Windsor Place – has always received its mail from Boonville. Adapted from: MOGENWEB, Post Offices, Jim Thoma. Many things we take for granted today used to be luxuries - telephones, automobiles, and even free mail service. While many city dwellers have been receiving free mail delivery service since the 1860s, the same can’t be said for those in rural areas. RURAL MAIL DELIVERY It wasn’t until October 1, 1890, that Congress authorized $10,000 to test the practicability of delivering mail to small towns of 300 to 5,000 people. Even so, Rural Free Delivery (RFD) became a political football as politicians began making promises for votes. And then, not everyone liked the idea. Some worried about the cost of the service. Private express carriers feared inexpensive rural mail delivery would put them out of business. Local merchants worried it would reduce farmers’ weekly trips to town for supplies and mail order houses like Sears would take all their business. The first experiment consisted of twelve communities where the postmaster hired a man for an hour or two a day to deliver the mail. Meeting with success, the Post Office Department, on October 1, 1891, began five routes covering ten miles in Jefferson County, West Virginia. With continued success, RFD became an official service in 1896. Between October 1 and December 21 of that year, 24 states began RFD. Missouri was one of them, and Cairo was the first on October 15. Soon farmers were helping the post office by putting out containers for the mail. Lard pails, syrup cans, and even old apple, soap, and cigar boxes were used. By 1901, it was obvious that service would be much improved with standardized boxes. Specifications to manufacturers were: box must be made of metal, 6x8x18 inches, and weather-proof, boxes should be constructed so they can be fastened to a post at a height convenient to the carrier without alighting, and keys for customers’ boxes should be easy to use by a carrier with “one-gloved hand in the severest weather.” By 1902, having a box was required for mail delivery. Source: : "Historically Yours" by Elizabeth Davis Otterville Post Office There was no post office in Otterville until March 24, 1848. The mail for this neighborhood was supplied from Arator post office located near Smithton. When the post office started in Otterville, W.G. Wear was the first postmaster appointed. He held the office until 1851, when Thomas Starke was appointed, holding the office for almost 10 years. The mail was carried by horseback. Then the Missouri Pacific railway came through and that allowed the mail to be brought to town by train. The post office quit dispatching the mail to the trains in about 1965. At this time the mail was sent and received from Sedalia by truck. The trucks delivered mail twice a day to the Otterville post office till about 1970. At this time it was only delivered in the early morning and went out near the end of the day. Source: Carolyn Aggeler

COOPER COUNTY IS FORMED Howard County Has Been Named “The Mother of Counties” Two years after Howard County was organized, there was so much immigration into the southern part of the county that there was a great demand for the division of Howard County and for the formation of another county south of the Missouri River. Because of this demand, the territorial Legislature, on December 17, 1816 , formed the new county of Cooper, which included all of Howard County south of the Missouri River. In 1803, the United States had more than doubled its size with the Louisiana Purchase. The following year, what would one day become the State of Missouri was divided into four districts. On October 1, 1812 , the area was reorganized into five counties and named the Missouri Territory. Although a few changes took place in the Territory between 1813 and 1815 , the biggest change occurred on January 23, 1816 , with the organization of Howard County. Named after Benjamin Howard, the first Governor of the Missouri Territory, Howard County covered more than one-third of the state. It reached all the way to what would become Kansas and Iowa. Howard County would eventually form all or parts of 39 additional counties. Boonville, which was south of the Missouri River across from Franklin, was the county seat. As the population increased south of the river, people began requesting Howard be made into two counties, one on each side of the Missouri River. Finally, after less than three years, Howard was divided. On December 17, 1818 , everything north of the river remained Howard County, and everything south of the river became Cooper County, which was named after Sarshel Cooper and his brother Benjamin, early settlers of the area. The one drawback to the division was the county seat. Boonville was Howard County’s seat of government, but it was on the wrong side of the river. Laid out in 1823 , Fayette became Howard County’s county seat. This territory included what now forms 11 counties and parts of five others. Cooper County was gradually decreased in size by the formation of new counties. By 1845 , the boundaries of Cooper County were as they are today. HISTORICALLY YOURS, by Elizabeth Davis HOW COOPER COUNTY CAME TO BE By Dr. Maryellen H. McVicker The area that is now known as Missouri, was originally divided into 5 counties in 1812 by Territorial Governor William Clark, of the Lewis and Clark Expedition: St. Louis, St. Charles, New Madrid, St. Genevieve, and Cape Girardeau. These 5 counties had their origins in French settlements mostly along the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers. On January 13, 1816 , Howard County was created out of portions of St. Louis and St. Charles counties, and eventually encompassed enough land that 39 counties, or approximately 1/3 of the entire state of Missouri, would be formed from the original Howard County territory. Cooper County was one of those counties. It was organized as a separate county on December 17, 1818 . By 1821, Missouri had 25 counties. Eventually there would be 114 counties, and the City of St. Louis. The central Missouri region experienced rapid growth during the first 2 decades of the 19th century. By 1820 , what is now Howard and Cooper Counties, had a population of over 20,000 people, which was about 1/3 of the entire population of the Territory of Missouri. The population of the entire United States was between 9 and 10 million. Now, two hundred years later, over 300 million call the United States their home and approximately 38,000 people live in the two-county region. Cooper County will soon be 200 years old. Cooper County predates statehood. The 1876 Levens and Drake History of Cooper County tells a story about an early county employee: “Sometime during the year 1817 , William Gibson, …was appointed by the Territorial Court constable. …Soon after his appointment, there being some trouble down on the Osage, he was sent there with a warrant for the arrest of a man who had caused the trouble. …As he was on his journey back, and also having an execution against a Man who lived on the road, he stopped at the man’s house and proceeded to levy a tax on the feather beds, as nothing in those days was exempt from levy (taxation—ed.) But, as soon as he made his purpose known, four women, who were the only persons at home, threatened to give him a thrashing, so he was forced to retire as fast as he could, and return with the execution unsatisfied. To add to this, the court only allowed him, for his journey of one hundred and forty miles, which occupied four days, the magnificent sum of twenty-five cents. Mr. Gibson thinking the office not quite lucrative enough to justify him devoting his whole time to its duties, and not wishing to risk his life at the hands of angry women, quietly sent in his resignation…” Some things never change! Notice the size of Howard County compared to Cooper County COUNTIES THAT WERE FORMED FROM COOPER COUNTY Not only were 14 counties formed from Cooper County, many of these counties, in turn, were the parent county to new counties. Cooper County as originally formed comprised the present day counties of Bates (Formed 1841 from Cass County), Benton (Formed 1835 from Pettis County), Camden (Formed 1841 from Benton County), Cass (Formed 1835 from Jackson County), Cole (Formed 1820 from Cooper County), Henry (Formed 1834 from LaFayette County), Jackson (Formed 1826 from LaFayette County), Johnson (Formed 1834 from LaFayette County), LaFayette (Formed 1820 from Cooper County), Miller (Formed 1837 from Cole County), Moniteau (Formed 1845 from Cole and Morgan Counties), Morgan (Formed 1833 from Cooper County), Pettis (Formed 1833 from Cooper and Saline Counties), St. Clair (Formed 1841 from Henry County), and Saline (Formed 1820 from Cooper and Howard Counties). References : Ann Betteridge

COOPER COUNTY ROADS Immigration into the County had been halted by the War of 1812, but by 1815, there was a steady flow of people coming to the County. Settlers brought with them wagons and horses. Mules were brought in from Santa Fe after the opening of the Santa Fe trail in 1821. Settlers began to mark out roads and to cut their way through the forests. Oxen were often used for wagon transportation and continued to be used for many more years. The prairie presented few obstacles to travel, but to go through a forest was an entirely different matter. A wise selection of a route was needed or there would be lots of labor in cutting trees and fording streams. No public roads were laid out (except on paper) until 1819. But no construction work was done upon the roads, nor were they thought necessary for a many more years. The first petition for a public road in Cooper County was presented by B.W. Levens. It asked for the location of a road leading from Boonville to the mouth of the Moniteau Creek. The second petition for the location of a public road was by Anderson Reavis, presented on the same day. The road that was petitioned for a road running from the mouth of the Grand Moniteau to the Boonville and Potosi Road. When Cooper County was officially organized as a county in 1819, the stream of immigration to the south side of the river was increasing and roads were needed. Early roads were often cattle trails, and later, covered with gravel or made from planks of wood laid down. Some towns had roads called “The Old Plank” road. (1921)The Centennial Road Law was signed into law to improve road conditions in the state. (Source: Courtesy of Missouri Bicentennial Timeline) “Improvements to road conditions became a popular topic of state politics with the rise of automobile purchases in 1917. Before 1907, highway improvements were left entirely to counties, many of which did not have trained engineers. The Centennial Road Law shifted highway building efforts in Missouri from the local level, to the state level, by granting the State Highway Commission the authority to supervise highways and bridges. In the 1920s and 30s, the commission undertook massive road building projects that improved the highway system to “Get Missouri out of the mud.” MAP OF COOPER COUNTY HIGHWAYS Source: MoDOT INTERSTATE INSPIRATION We have President Dwight D. Eisenhower to thank for the cross-country I-system that runs through the County. It’s a story that took many years of World Wars I and II experiences by then General Eisenhower, to bring into reality. President Dwight D. Eisenhower Source: HISTORYNET It was not until the Allies broke through the Western Wall and tapped into Germany’s sprawling autobahn network that General Eisenhower saw for himself what a modern army could do with an infrastructure capable of accommodating it. The enhanced mobility that the autobahn provided the Allies was something to behold, and years later was still cause for reminiscing. ‘The old convoy,’ Eisenhower wrote, referring to his experience with the FTMC, ‘had started me thinking about good, two-lane highways, but Germany had made me see the wisdom of broader ribbons across the land.’ Not surprisingly, therefore, when Eisenhower became the 34th U.S. president in 1953, he pushed for the building of an interstate highway system. Although Congress had first authorized a national highway system in 1944, it had always been woefully underfunded.Throwing the full weight of his presidency behind the project, Eisenhower declared to Congress on February 22, 1955: ‘Our unity as a nation is sustained by free communication of thought and by easy transportation of people and goods. The ceaseless flow of information throughout the Republic is matched by individual and commercial movement over a vast system of interconnected highways crisscrossing the country and joining at our national borders with friendly neighbors to the north and south. ‘Together, the uniting forces of our communication and transportation systems are dynamic elements in the very name we bear — United States. Without them, we would be a mere alliance of many separate parts.’ Source: HISTORYNET HIGHWAY I-70 BECOMES A REALITY Interstate 70 (I-70) is over 2,150 miles of highway from Cove Fort, Utah to Baltimore, Maryland. Two hundred miles of the highway and two hundred fifty miles of this super highway runs right through the center of Missouri. It appears that both Missouri and Kansas can each lay claim to I-70 beginnings. The first three contracts for the highway were signed in Missouri on August 2, 1956. The first section to be paved were in Kansas on September 26 the same year. But I-70 is just a small piece of the 48,000+ miles of highway system that crisscrosses the US. As farm folks look on, a worker smooths concrete on I-70 near Boonville, Mo. Source: National Archives Interstate 70 (I-70) is just over 2,150 miles of highway from Cove Fort, Utah, to Baltimore, Maryland. Two hundred fifty miles of this super highway runs through Missouri and 30 of those miles run through the middle of Cooper County between Boone and Saline Counties. But I-70 is just a piece of the highway system that was conceived by President Dwight D. Eisenhower during the 1950s. This brain child was the result of a two-month trip between DC and San Francisco in 1919 and Eisenhower’s final months of World War II in Europe. The first Transcontinental Motor Convoy across the US took place in 1919. Eisenhower had been assigned as an observer and he remembered well the difficulties encountered as the convoy traveled from the White House to Gettysburg, and then on to San Francisco. The trip took two months. During the final months of World War II, Eisenhower was in Germany and saw the autobahn Hitler had designed. It was a far cry from the historic Lincoln Highway used in America for traveling coast to coast. Eisenhower took office in 1953, and by 1954 had announced his idea of an interstate highway system similar to the German autobahn. It took a couple of years for Congress to work through the financing, but H.R. 10660 was introduced in the House of Representatives by Maryland Democrat George Fallon on April 19, 1956. This time the bill worked its way through Congress quickly and was signed into law by President Eisenhower on June 29. The Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956 provided $25B for 41,000 miles of highway to be completed in 10 years and was hailed as the Greatest Public Works Project in American History. Some of the first construction began in Missouri and Kansas before the end of the year. While federal and state governments worked together to iron out the details and actually build the new highway system, cities and towns across America were dealing with the impact these new highways would have on them. Boonville, just north of I-70, would need a business loop. On August 18, 1959, the citizens of Boonville voted on a $150,000 General Obligation Bond for acquiring rights-of-way for streets and avenues for Business Loop 70. The ballots were counted and, on August 20, it was announced that the bond had passed. Creating the business loop required the tearing down and/or relocating of at least 11 houses. Most of this was accomplished during the spring of 1960. Another issue came up during that summer. The Historical Society wanted to change the names of all streets that connected with I-70. On September 6, 1960, Councilman Coley reported their suggestions to the City Council. Elm St. to Main St. would be renamed Ashley Road; Rt. 87 business loop to Main St. would become Bingham Road; and Boonslick Blvd. would be the new name for Main St. connecting to Rt. B. Motion was made and seconded to make the changes and the motion passed unanimously. However, these changes did not meet with the approval of the community. At the October 3rd City Council meeting, Mayor Bell read a letter from the Board of Directors of the Chamber of Commerce requesting that Main Street’s name not be changed. Councilman Callis moved that the original motion be sustained and the motion was seconded by Councilman Althauser. The motion carried unanimously. Mr. Brownsberger attended the October 28th Council meeting and, representing the Chamber of Commerce, presented a petition with 245 signatures requesting that Boonslick Blvd be changed back to Main St. The Council agreed and voted to restore Main Street’s name. Thanks to I-70, Boonville has Ashley and Bingham Roads, but thanks to the citizens, we still have Main Street. Source: " Historically Yours" by Elizabeth Davis Dedication of the I-70 bridge October 8, 1960 Dedication of the I-70 bridge October 8, 1960 from on top of cliff. From the Wayne Lammers collection Looking east from the Cooper County side of the I-70 Dedication. From the Wayne Lammers collection A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR’S CRYSTAL BALL Today it seems that some Cooper County towns are slowly starting to gain in population. Could it be that some city folks are getting just a bit disenchanted with the big cities? True, Cooper County doesn’t have much big-name entertainment or many exciting things to do or see, but there is a lot of local talent, several excellent community yearly events and a variety of groups to join. And reasonably priced homes and low taxes! Could it be that they see that Cooper County has: good roads, free, accessible parking, excellent schools, adequate shopping, but not too far from Columbia; low crime and theft, no gangs, good health care, excellent sheriff and fire departments, lovely parks and friendly people?

LOUISIANA PURCHASE FROM A PROVINCE OF FRANCE TO A STATE IN AMERICA THE LOUISIANA PURCHASE After the new world was discovered, Europeans came to explore the new region. Some came for wealth and others came to satisfy their desire for adventure. In 1513 Juan Ponce de Leon, a Spanish explorer and comrade of Christopher Columbus, came to Florida and explored that area. On his second voyage to Florida, in 1521 , he was killed by Indians. Hernando de Soto was inspired with the same hopes and ambitions, and was not discouraged by Ponce de Leon’s failure. De Soto collected a large band of Spanish and Portuguese men to come to the new world in 1538 . In addition to his men he brought three hundred horses, a herd of swine, and some bloodhounds. On April 25, 1541 , de Soto reached the banks of the great Mississippi, a few miles below Memphis. He explored to the northwest, but no one is certain whether he reached central Missouri. He crossed the Mississippi and pursued his course north along its west bank into the region of our state now known as New Madrid. As far as historians can tell, he was the first European to set foot on Missouri soil. At the same time de Soto was exploring, Francisco Coronado, another Spanish explorer, led an expedition, of three hundred Spanish adventurers, mostly mounted, thoroughly armed, and well-provisioned. It is well authenticated that Coronado entered Missouri in the southern part, but how far north he went, we do not know. Some have claimed that he reached the Missouri River in the central part of the state. PROVINCE TO STATE TIMELINE 1682 Explorer Robert Cavalier and Sieur de La Salle took possession of the Louisiana Province for France, in which it gained control of the Louisiana Territory in the Treaty of Fontainebleau. 1762 Spanish government officials assumed direct control of the Louisiana Territory. 1800 Spain returned the Louisiana Territory to France. 1803 The Louisiana Purchase was signed. 1805 Territory of Louisiana was established; the seat of government was St. Louis. 1812 A portion of the Louisiana Territory was renamed as the Territory of Missouri 1816 Howard County was organized from the Territory of Missouri 1818 Cooper County was organized from part of Howard County 1821 (August 10) Missouri becomes the 24th State 1762 France cedes Province of Louisiana to Spain. (Courtesy of Missouri Bicentennial Timeline) “France ceded the Province of Louisiana to Spain through the Treaty of Fontainebleau in return for assistance in the Seven Years War against England. News of the deal traveled very slowly in the 18th century and the French governor was unaware that his territory had been delivered to another country. The French continued their work in the region by setting up trading posts and trading fur unbeknownst they were living on land now owned by Spain.” Louisiana 1762-1800, showing boundaries of territory delivered by France to Spain under treaty of Nov. 3, 1762. State Historical Society of Missouri Map Collection. 1800 Spain returned the Louisiana Territory to France. (Courtesy of Missouri Bicentennial Timeline) “Ownership of the Louisiana Territory became a burden to Spain as it faced a troubling economy. France, however, was rebuilding its empire in the Caribbean and in the Gulf of Mexico under its military leader Napoleon Bonaparte. France also wanted to keep the Louisiana Territory out of the hands of Great Britain, so it offered to trade territories in Tuscany, Northern Italy, for Louisiana in a secret treaty in 1800 . Rumors of the secret agreement brought anger and concern among Westerners who feared that the French power would control the Mississippi River and the port of New Orleans. Efforts were underway by the U.S. government to quickly find a way to purchase the territory and secure its important trade port and navigation waters that led to the Gulf of Mexico. 1803 Louisiana Purchase is Complete (Courtesy of Missouri Bicentennial Timeline) “The Louisiana Purchase by the United States from France would nearly double the size of the U.S. and became one of the largest land transactions in history. Rich in gold, silver and fertile soil, as well as large tracts of forests, the land brought much wealth to the country. With American independence from Great Britain, France had concerns whether it could maintain and defend a colony on U.S. soil and Napoleon needed money to renew a war against Great Britain. President Jefferson sent James Monroe to Paris to negotiate the treaty for the Louisiana Purchase that was signed April 30, 1803 . In exchange for almost 828,000 square miles, the United States would pay France $11,250,000 and assume $3,750,000 worth of American claims against France. Both France and Spain would be granted access to all ports of Louisiana. The U.S. agreed to incorporate Louisiana into the Union as soon as possible”. The United States purchased a total of 828,000 square miles of land from France for 15 Million dollars, which is approximately eighteen dollars per square mile. This purchase increased the size of the United States from the Mississippi River westward to include what are now the states of Missouri, Arkansas, Iowa, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska, plus large portions of what are now North and South Dakota, Montana, Wyoming and Colorado, east of the Continental Divide. Also included were the portions of Minnesota west of the Mississippi River, the northeastern section of New Mexico, the northern part of Texas, New Orleans and portions of Louisiana west of the Mississippi River. It also included small portions of the present Canadian provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan. Click here for the The Story of the Louisiana Purchase Click here for the Map of size of LOUISIANA PURCHASE and extensive background Louisiana 1803-1819, showing boundaries of the Louisiana Purchase Treaty in 1803. State Historical Society of Missouri Map Collection. 1803-1819 The land that is now known as Missouri, was a section of the area that was once part of the Louisiana Purchase. This 1804 map shows the District of Louisiana. In 1805 the Territory of Louisiana was established; the seat of government was St. Louis. In 1812 a portion of the Territory of Louisiana became the Territory of Missouri. (1805) President Jefferson appoints James Wilkinson to be the first governor of the newly-formed Louisiana Territory at the encouragement of his vice president, Aaron Burr. Once appointed, Wilkinson and Burr plot ways to set up a new country west of the Appalachian Mountains, separate from the United States. Before becoming territorial governor, Wilkinson had been hired a "Spanish Secret Agent 13" by the Spanish governor in New Orleans to promote immigration to Spanish lands in Missouri. Wilkinson was removed from office two years later in 1807 due to corruption, treason and multiple transgressions. Missouri Life “Meet Missouri's First Governors” 1808 Osage nation First Land Treaty (Courtesy of Missouri Bicentennial Timeline) In 1812 , the Missouri Territory was created as a separate territory out of the District of Louisiana land. The entire state was called The Missouri Territory, until it was admitted into the Union, once it was sectioned off from the remaining Louisiana Purchase land. At this time, Howard County was still part of the 5 large counties that made up the Missouri Territory. The 5 Counties were St. Louis, St. Charles, New Madrid, St. Genevieve, and Cape Girardeau. References : The Territorial Papers of the United States , Territory of Louisiana-Missouri, 1806 -1814 The Territorial Papers of the United States , Territory of Louisiana Missouri, 1815-1816. Missouri Historical Maps Missouri Historical Maps District of Louisiana, 1804 Missouri Territory, in 1812 Missouri Territory, in 1816 Missouri Territory in 1819 and State of Missouri 1n 1821 In 1816 the Missouri Territory was divided into 7 counties: Lawrence, Cape Girardeau, Washington, St. Louis, St. Charles, New Madrid, and Howard.

EARLY AUTOMOBILES The coming of the automobile had a big effect on society in the County. In the summer of 1901, Fern Arn brought the first automobile to Boonville. By 1915, the automobile began to affect the lives of all County people. There was finally a real need for road building and expansion. With the popularity of the automobile, people in the county began to develop hard roads to replace the rough and muddy wagon trails. Several road surfaces were used. Gravel roads were made by either scraping off the soil to reveal the underlying gravel, or by bringing gravel in layers and laying it over the smoothed soil. The speed limit on early roads was usually 12 miles per hour. Motorists often had to stop and make repairs, especially to fix tires that punctured easily on the rough roads. The automobile had a revolutionary effect on American travel and society Beginning as a rich man’s plaything in the late 1890’s, with the development of the first gasoline engine, and steam-powered cars, automobiles began to be bought in quantity by the middle class. There were only four registered automobiles in the US in 1895, while in 1915 there were 2.5 million registered automobiles, and by 1930 the annual production had risen to 4.8 million, with six companies doing 90% of the business. The top three were Ford, General Motors and Chrysler. The first car to be owned in Cooper County belonged Ferd Arn. He was a local Boonville sporting goods owner who specialized in guns and bicycles. In June 1901 he purchased a Willis Grant Murry’s “one lungers”, or as the locals called it, a “devil buggy.” It had a top speed of 16 miles per hour, although it could be geared to run as fast as 30 miles per hour. The car sold for the modest price of $750. In 1908 Henry Ford developed the assembly line technique and introduced his Model T, which sold for $825. By 1917, the price had dropped to $350. Farmers on their way to town dreaded meeting Arm and his automobile because it made so much noise it frightened the horses. There was talk of having the city council pass an ordinance prohibiting the use of the car in town. In 1902 Arn became attracted to the Winton Touring car and began selling them in Boonville. Mr. Arn became an expert in tearing a car apart and building a new one. By 1909 Arn had sold a number of his expensive Winton Touring cars to some of the town’s wealthier citizens, including Charles A. Sombart, who was involved in looking for roads to route the New York to Seattle auto endurance race. Whether it was the introduction of the cheap and popular Model T Ford in the period between 1908 and 1910, or the generally depressed financial situation in Boonville at that time, Arn got into some serious financial trouble by the mid-teens, lost his business and left town. Arn had ditched his Murry automobile in 1910 and gave the engine to A.K. Wallace, who lived near Lamine. Wallace added a cooling system to the engine (the early engines had no cooling system and often overheated), installed it in a boat that he operated on the Lamine, and thus developed one of the first gasoline motor-powered boats in the area. Source: Bob Dyer (1921) The Centennial Road Law was signed into law to improve road conditions in the state. C ourtesy of Missouri Bicentennial Timeline “Improvements to road conditions became a popular topic of state politics with the rise of automobile purchases in 1917. Before 1907, highway improvements were left entirely to counties, many of which did not have trained engineers. The Centennial Road Law shifted highway building efforts in Missouri from the local level to the state level by granting the State Highway Commission the authority to supervise highways and bridges. In the 1920s and 30s, the commission undertook massive road building projects that improved the highway system and “Get Missouri out of the mud.” U.S. Highway 40 was the first major highway to be built across Missouri in the 1920s. It came down the main street of Boonville and crossed the Missouri River on a bridge built in 1924. Today, there are major highways going through Cooper County. Interstate 70 is one of the main highways across the United States. U.S. 50 also comes through Cooper County. It followed the Osage Indian Trail. Both of these highways connect to St. Louis and Kansas City. Missouri’s Highway 5 is a much-used north-south route coming through the center of the county, and is also known as the old Warsaw Road. It goes from the Iowa line to the Arkansas line. It carries a lot of traffic to and from the Lake of the Ozarks. Other state roads in Cooper County are Highways 47, 87, 98, 135, and 179. Many of these highways followed old Indian trails. Source: Discover Cooper County by Ann Betteridge The Mitche l l Car Museum Boonville did not manufacture fancy wagons, cars or trucks, but the Mitchell Museum located near the Boonville train depot, has a wonderful showroom of well-preserved Mitchel wagons and automobiles. Henry Mitchell, originally from Scotland, started his business of wagon making in Kenosha, then Racine Wisconsin, in the early 1830’s. He produced a wide variety of farm wagons, and Urban wagons. By 1890 he was manufacturing 100 wagons per day. By 1900, the “horseless carriage” was replacing the horse and carriage. Eventually, they were selling vehicles all over the world. You will want to visit this museum for a once in a lifetime look back in history as you view the beautifully resorted cars of yesteryear. For more information call: 660-882-3767 Source: Historically Yours by Elizabeth Davis

COOPER COUNTY TIMELINE Grandma Day's Clock This is Grandma Day's Mars Mantel Clock, Model 194, which she purchased from Gmelick & Schmidt in 1898 for $5.63. After her death, the clock went to Geneva Day, then to my mother Edna Widel Lammers and then to me, Wayne Lammers, in November 1983. Photo by Wayne Lammers. This website is based loosely on the Timeline history of the development of Cooper County from Prehistoric times until the mid-20th century. It is quite amazing to see the tremendous progress that has been made in 200 years. Early Historical Missouri Timeline and Tidbits (Adapted from Mogenweb) 1673 – Louis Joliet and Father Jacques Marquette traveled down the Mississippi River and were the first Europeans known to set foot on what would later become Missouri. (June 25) 1682 – Explorer Robert Cavalier - called Sieur de La Salle, claimed all the land that drained into the Mississippi River for France, naming it Louisiana Territory in honor of King Louis XIV. (April 9) 1724 – Fort Orleans was built on the north bank of the Missouri River by Etienne de Bourgmont in today’s Carroll County; the first European outpost west of the Mississippi (November 14). Abandoned in 1728. 1740–1750 – approximate date of the founding of St. Genevieve, the first permanent white settlement in what was to become Missouri. 1762 – Spain acquires the Louisiana Territory in the secret Treaty of Fontainebleau (November 13). 1764 – The Treaty of Fontainebleau is made public. Saint Louis is founded as a fur trading post by Pierre Laclede Liguest and his stepson Auguste Chouteau. Saint-Ange et de Bellerive becomes the first governor of the fledgling community and recruits farmers, artisans and craftsmen from Illinois to settle at the post. 1769 – Spanish officials arrive to administer the government of Louisiana Territory. The region of Missouri becomes known as “Spanish Illinois.” 1780 – British and Indian forces attack St. Louis and nearby settlements because of Spanish support for the American Revolution. (May 26) 1789 – Colonel George Morgan, Revolutionary War veteran, establishes the town of New Madrid in the spring. 1790–1794 – The Osage Nation and Spain are at war. The Chouteau brothers negotiate peace in return for exclusive trade rights with the Osage. 1798 – Lieutenant Governor Zenon Trudeau in St. Louis offered Daniel Boone 1,000 arpents (845 acres) of land to settle in Missouri then known as “Spanish Illinois.” 1799 – Kentucky Frontiersman Daniel Boone comes to Howard County. 1800 – Spain agrees to return the Louisiana Territory to France (October 1) 1803 – The Louisiana Purchase was signed transferring possession to the United States (April 30). 1804 – The Lewis and Clark Expedition embarks from Camp Dubois east of St. Louis. (May 14) 1805 – The Territory of Louisiana was established; the seat of government was St. Louis (July 4) 1805 – First Governor of Louisiana Territory J. Wilkerson 1808 – The Osage cede most of their land in Missouri, opening the way for future white settlement. (September 14). 1809 – The Missouri Fur Company was organized in St. Louis. The abundance of animal pelts in the Missouri and Mississippi Valley region played a key role in the economic development of the Upper Louisiana Territory. 1810 – Earliest settlers arrive in Cooper County in the spring. 1811 – The first shocks of the New Madrid earthquakes , the worst in U.S. History (Dec.16) 1812 – A portion of the Territory of Louisiana becomes the Territory of Missouri (June 12). 1812 – The first general Assembly of the Territory of Missouri met (October 1); the five original counties were organized: Cape Girardeau, New Madrid, St. Charles, St. Louis, and St. Genevieve. 1812 – The War of 1812 , begins June 18. The Sac & Fox, Ioway and Kickapoo, and Pottawatomie allied with Great Britain conduct raids in the Missouri Territory. 1815 – Peace treaties signed with 14 Indian nations at Portage des Sioux end the war in Missouri. (July 18 – September 16). 1816 – Howard County established (January 23). 1816 – Mid-Missouri’s first circuit court opened at Cole's Fort (July 8). 1818 – The speaker of the US House of Representative presented the first petition to Congress for Missouri requesting statehood (January 8). 1818 – Cooper County is established out of Howard County (December 17) 1820 – Missouri statehood became a national controversy over the issue of slavery. The “Missouri Compromise” allowed Missouri to enter the Union as a slave state and Maine as a free state. Territories north of the 36 parallel are designated to be slave-free territory. 1820 – Missouri’s first Constitution was adopted (July 19) The first state officials are elected in August. They elect Alexander McNair the first governor, 43 representatives and 14 state senators. The population of the Missouri Territory is around 67,000. 1820 – Daniel Boone dies at age 85. 1820 – Missouri’s first Constitution was adopted (July 19) 1820 – Saline County is established out of Cooper County (November 25) 1820 – Missouri Packet , steamboat sinks in the Missouri River, 11 miles west of Boonville on May 5, 1820 on a supply voyage to the fort at Council Bluffs. Little was salvaged from this 2 Century old vessel in December 1987, which was one of the first steamboats to ply the Missouri River. You may view these artifacts at the Boonville, River, Rails and Trails Museum at the Katy Depot District here in Boonville. 1821 – Missouri admitted as the 24th state (August 8) 1821 – The first commercially successful trade venture to Santa Fe from Franklin. (September 1). The route becomes the Santa Fe Trail , linking Missouri and New Mexico. Many Cooper County merchants become engaged in the trade and some wagon caravans are outfitted in Boonville in the 1820s. 1828 – Major flood of the Missouri River, washed away the town of Franklin, plus Cooper’s Fort and cemetery. “New” Franklin built on higher ground. 1830 – Indian Removal Act 1835 – 6 Months of Public School became a new state law 1838 – Missouri Governor Lilburn Boggs issues extermination order against the Mormons in the state. 1839 – Boonville was incorporated 1839 – Mormon War 1844 – Fredrick T. Kemper built the family school, later military school 1844 – (Jun 21) 4th worst flood of Mo River – Crest at 32.70 feet 1845 – George Bingham 1846 – Mexican War 1848 – Thomas Benton argued against expanding slavery 1849 – People left Boonville via the Santa Fe Trail in their quest for gold 1851 – A plank road was built from Boonville to Warsaw 1853 – First official Missouri State Fair was held in Boonville 1857 – Thespian Hall was built in Boonville 1861–1864 – Cooper County involved in Civil War Battles 1865 – Slavery was abolished in MO making it the first slave state to emancipate its slaves before the adoption of the 13th Amendment to the US Constitution. 1870 – Ground was broken for the Tebo and Neosho Railroad . (MKT) 1870 – Mules in Missouri 1875 – Missouri Constitution Ratified ## 1898 – Main street in Boonville was paved with bricks 1889 – Nation-wide law Separate Schools for Black Students in US (Segregation) 1917 – Cooper County Citizens served in World War I 1919 – Missouri ratifies the 19th Amendment giving women the right to vote ## 1920 – Highway 40 built across Missouri River, went down Main Street 1920 – Prohibition to 1933 1921 – Centennial Road Law 1924 – Highway bridge opened across the Missouri River 1937 – Constitutional Amendment - Conservation 1929 – Stock Market Crash 1930–1939 – Great Depression 1937–1940 – Civilian Conservation Corps trained young men in Pilot Grove 1941 – Pearl Harbor attack 1941–1945 – Cooper County citizens served in World War II 1945 – 4th Missouri Constitution signed ## 1945 – WWII over, surrender signed on USS Missouri 1950 – Korean War 1960 – Interstate 70 was constructed through the County 1961 – Defense missiles were installed underground in the County ## 1965 – Vietnam War 1970 – Cooper County Hospital was built 1980 – Farm Crisis in the Midwest 1984 – Sales tax for Soil & Water Conversation 1987 – Missouri Packet steamboat salvaged in Cooper County, 11 miles west of Boonville in December of 1987. Some of the 2 Century old artifacts are on display at the Boonville, River, Rails and Trails Museum. 1990 – Cooper County Historical Society was formed 1990 – The first section of the KATY Trail was started at Rocheport 1991 – War in Iraq 1993 – July 29 – Worst flood of Missouri river – Crest at 37.10” 1995 – New Highway 40 Boonslick Bridge was built across the MO River near Boonville 2019 – Second worst Flood in Missouri History - Crest 33.73 feet ## Indicates topic is not covered on this website but information is available at: Missouri Bicentennial Timeline

COOPER COUNTY BANKS DURING THE DEPRESSION The Bank of Speed “Speed” is an unincorporated town in Palestine Township, Cooper County, Missouri. The Bank of Speed was the center of what was once a thriving community. It was incorporated on October 9, 1909. The amount of Capital Stock was $10,000, which in 1909 was a great sum of money. Fast forward to January 1, 1928. Harold E. Mitzel took over the bank operation in 1928 and served in that capacity through the Great Depression until June 30, 1937. According to E. J. Melton, (who wrote “History of Cooper County” in 1938), the Bank of Speed was “the only bank in Missouri that did not have to close its doors during the bank crisis of the early 30’s.”After the Boonville National Bank and the Bunceton State Bank closed, Mr. Mitzel went through the books and then advised the board of directors how many depositors would likely demand their money. They were backed by well-supported loans, but there wasn’t enough cash on hand if there was a run on the bank. The board decided to borrow $20,000 from the Federal Reserve in St. Louis. Mr. Mitzel took the bus to St. Louis and came back with $20,000 cash in his pockets. When he got off the bus in Boonville, he ran into O. J. Schlotzhauer who asked what he had in his pockets. Mitzel told him and let the story spread. When depositors came to the bank and asked how much of their money they could get, they were promptly told, “All of it.” Knowing their money was safe was all they needed to know. From then on, they either withdrew only what they needed or made deposits. The bank was saved. The loan from the Federal Reserve? It was paid back in thirty days. Resource: A Town Called Speed, by Gerhardt, Roy B., c/1984 Citizens Bank of Pilot Grove October 29, 1929, went down in history as Black Tuesday, and America went from the Roaring Twenties to the Great Depression. Banks failed and millions of people lost their jobs, homes, and life savings. Things were still bad in November 1932, but Henry A. Seltsam, cashier and secretary of the Citizens Bank of Pilot Grove, had a plan. It was a daring plan that Seltsam presented to the bank directors on Monday, November 7, 1932. “It is not fair to the faithful to permit steady withdrawals to undermine the bank’s stability, and then be forced to close with subsequent division of the remainder. I favor closing the bank tomorrow. “There is one chance to save it. If all the depositors will sign a moratorium not to draw out for 18 months what they now have on deposit, we can save the bank.” After much discussion and planning, the plan was accepted. All banks were closed the following day for the Presidential election, but the Citizens Bank of Pilot Grove remained closed on Wednesday as well. Working day and night, Seltsam and director Wallace Burger began collecting signatures. The catch: the voluntary impounding of funds would not go into effect until, and unless, 100 per cent of the depositors signed the agreement. Every depositor had an opinion about the plan, but most agreed the bank must be saved. Finally, with the signatures of all depositors, the bank re-opened and deposits grew. Pilot Grove might have been on the road to recovery, but the nation was not. While signatures were being collected in and around Pilot Grove, the people were voting for a new President. Franklin D. Roosevelt was that man. FDR took office on March 4, 1933, and immediately ordered every depository in the nation closed. After each was audited, only the financially sound were allowed to re-open. And thanks to the foresightedness of Seltsam and the directors, the Citizens Bank of Pilot Grove was one of the first to do so. Source: Pilot Grove Bicentennial

THE MEXICAN WAR In May, 1846 , a call was made for one company from Cooper County to join troops already in Mexico. Sixty-one men volunteered. The company was organized and assembled in Boonville, where they were trained in military duty by their Captain, John C. Stephens. They departed May 28, 1846 , on the steamer L. F. Linn, for St. Louis, where they were to be armed and equipped. When they arrived in St. Louis, they were ordered to report to Jefferson City. When they got to Jefferson City, they were told to be in readiness and were then allowed to return home. Even though they never saw any battle, the volunteers were welcomed home by large, cheering crowds. The 1865 Missouri Constitution bans the practice of slavery. Missouri was still very much a divided state over the issue of slavery at the end of the Civil War. Many citizens, including Radical Republicans led by Charles Drake, fiercely opposed the institution of slavery and pushed for a new constitution. Among the amendments were the emancipation of slaves and determining voting privileges for loyal citizens to the Union. The ordinance introduced at the constitution convention in St. Louis to abolish slavery in the state passed overwhelmingly with only four delegates voting against it. Missouri’s document that made slavery unlawful came three weeks before the U.S. Congress proposed the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which banned slavery in the country. The loyalty oath, which also was adopted by the 1865 Missouri Constitution would exclude all but pro-Unionists from public life, including the fields of teaching, law and politics, also went into effect until the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Missouri’s loyalty oath two years later. Daniel Boone Camp No 42 "In the Name and by Authority of the United Spanish War Veterans …" These are the first words on a Charter that hangs on the northwest wall of the first floor lobby of the Cooper County Courthouse. Americans have fought in many wars since winning their independence in the Revolutionary War in 1775-1783. The War Between the States (or the American Civil War as many call it), World War I, and World War II are the ones that most often come to mind. But there have been others. The Spanish-American War, the Philippine Insurrection, and the China Relief Expedition are three others. Like veterans of other wars before and since, veterans of the Spanish American War, which officially ended in early 1899, formed organizations to keep in touch with those they fought with, and to remember those who didn't come home. The three largest of these organizations (the Spanish War Veterans, the Spanish-American War Veterans, and the Servicemen of the Spanish War) merged in 1904, becoming the United Spanish War Veterans. By 1906, all the other organizations had merged with them as well. Although the organization existed primarily in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire, there were other "camps" across the country. On May 20, 1928, the Daniel Boone Camp No. 42 in Boonville, Missouri, was chartered by the United Spanish War Veterans. Signed in the organization's national headquarters in Washington, D.C., on June 28, 1928, there were 20 members at the time Camp No. 42 was created and each veteran's name is written on the charter. The United Spanish War Veterans ceased to exist in 1992 with the death of its last surviving member, Nathan E. Cook. Often referred to as a Spanish-American War veteran, Cook, was actually a veteran of the Philippine Insurrection. He had lied about his age and enlisted at the age of 16. Cook died just before his 107th birthday at the Carl T. Hayden VA Medical Center in Phoenix, Arizona.

THE MORMON WAR The Mormon war took place in the year 1838 . When the Mormons came to Missouri in 1831 , they located in Jackson County. The citizens there did not like their customs and became angry at the many crimes they committed because of their religious views. They were soon driven from Jackson County, and they moved to Caldwell County, Missouri. The citizens of Caldwell did not want the Mormons to settle in their town, either. They didn’t have sufficient troops to force them to move, so they asked the governor to send in troops to get rid of the Mormons. Governor Boggs called for 7,000 volunteers. In answer to the call, three companies were formed in Cooper County. One was called the Boonville Guards. The second was a volunteer company raised at Boonville. The third was raised in Palestine township. These companies marched twice towards the Mormon settlement and the place of war. While they were marching, the Mormons surrendered. The companies returned home without having ever met the enemy. Upon their arrival at Boonville, these troops were disbanded. The Mormons, after the end of the war, left the state and went to Nauvoo, Illinois, where they stayed for several years. After having difficulty with the authorities of the state of Illinois, the Mormons left and went to the Great Salt Lake.

Acerca de TABLE OF CONTENTS Genealogy Cooper County Historical Records Family History and Vital Records Church, Cemetery, and School Records Books, Maps, and Resource Materials How to do an Oral History Records at Recorder of Deeds Office Online Research Sites Friends of Historic Boonville Other Area Research Sites Military War Records Early Cooper County E arliest Inhabitants Minerals and Soils Louisiana Purchase Early Explor ers Fur Trade First Permanent Settlers Forts are Built Discovery of Fort McMahan New Madrid Earthquake Cooper County is Formed Cooper County is Formed Politics and Early Elections Early Cooper County Personalities Community/Township Settlement Townships Formed Struggle for Statehood Early Water Tra nspo rtation Missouri River and Transportation Cooper County Rivers and Streams Sunk on the Missouri River Wars 1812 in the Boonslick Area Indian Removal Act 1836 the Alamo 1839 Mormon War 1846 Mexican War Pre-Civil War Civil War Early 20th Century Wars World War I World War II Railroads Cooper County Railroads Towns That Once Had Trains & Depots Towns without Trains Train Depots Orphan Trains Early Buildings & Cemeteries Homes & Buildings Churches Cemeteries Schools Communication Pony Express Post Offices Newspapers Telegraph Radio Telephone The Great Depression The Depression in Cooper County Prohibition Early Land Transportation 1821 The Santa Fe Trail Stage Coaches Early Road s & Bridges Automobiles Roads in Cooper County Bridges in Cooper County Early Cooper County Businesses Early Businesses Cooper County Banks Banks & Train Robberies Banks During The Depression Early Veterinarians Early Medicine Funerals & Funeral Homes Authors, Artists, & Historians Agriculture Early Agriculture Mills Beekeeping Farm Machinery What Did People Do for Fun? What They Did for Fun Harley Park Cooper County Infrastructure City Hall & Elections Fire Departments Were the " Good Old Da ys" Really That Good? 1939 Boonville Movie Life Without Electricity Were the "Good Old Days" Good?