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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.

FIRST PERMANENT SETTLERS The name of the first white man who set foot on the territory that is now the State of Missouri is not known, nor is it known at what period the first settlements were made. It is thought that the first settlements were made in the autumn of 1735 by the French at Saint Genevieve. Daniel Boone was 65 years old when he walked to Missouri from Kentucky in 1799. He settled in the Femme Osage country near St. Charles and spent his last 21 years in Missouri. However, Boone never lived in the area that is known today as Cooper County. On one of his hunting expeditions, Boone came into Howard County and discovered a salt spring about eight miles northwest of New Franklin. Daniel Boone’s sons established a salt works at this location. The area soon came to be known as “Boone’s Lick” and from that the whole region took its name. Hannah Cole Monument at Laura Speed Elliott School Hannah Cole s tatue and the b usts of influential Boonville citizens in the background. Morgan Street Park - Located at the corner of Main and Morgan Streets. November 6, 2005 by Wayne Lammers Wayne Lammers holding one of Hannah Cole's sons flintlock rifle, standing beside the Hannah Cole statue at Main and Morgan Streets DANIEL BOONE It has been written that Daniel Boone visited his first cousin, Stephen Cole, and Hannah Cole, widow of Stephen’s brother, William T. Cole, at the Cole's’ fort. The fort was located where the present Boonville is today. Boone died in 1820 at his home in what is now Marthasville, at the age of 86. References: In 1805 Daniel Boone, who then lived near St. Charles, discovered the Boone’s Lick Salt Springs, in Howard County, thirteen miles from Boonville, where Nathan and David Boone, his sons, settled and made salt from 1806 to 1810. This seems to have been the earliest settlement in Central Missouri, and from it an indefinite region, from St. Charles westward, on both sides of the river, was called the ‘Boone’s Lick Country.’ Other settlers followed, and as early as 1810 a small community had built and occupied Kincaid’s Fort, a few hundred yards up the river from the present site of Old Franklin (directly opposite Boonville) www.mogenweb.org/cooper , while another was established in Cooper’s Fort. Boone died in 1820 at his home in what is now Marthasville, at the age of 86. A direct descendant of Boone gave her opinions on these books on Boone, along with her critiques of them. Most can probably be found in state libraries or on Amazon, but some may only the available from a "used" book seller. Biographical Memoir of Daniel Boone by Timothy Flint. (This was written during Boone's life time --1833 and was sold as non-fiction when in fact is almost all fiction, and Daniel was very unhappy with the way it was written. Daniel Boone (The life and legend of an American Pioneer) by John Mack Faragher. This is fairly accurate book but not an easy read. My Father Daniel Boone--This is from the Draper Interviews with Nathan Boone (Daniel's youngest son) and edited by Neal O. Hammon. The Draper Interviews are believed to be very accurate and this is after all from the memory of Daniel's youngest son. Because the Draper Interviews are difficult reading and written in an "old time" style, Mr. Hammon has tried to clarify some of the language. Boone A Biography by Robert Morgan. I really like this book. It is over 450 pages but I found it to be an easy read. “The writer has obviously done a lot of research and I felt I had a better understanding of Daniel after I read this book.” Norma Johnson. EARLY LAND OWNERS Joseph Marie settled upon land in Franklin township, Howard County in 1800 . The land was sold on April 13, 1816 , to Asa Morgan in the first deed recorded in Howard County. Morgan, an early resident of Howard County, and Charles Lucas, a St. Louis resident, laid out the town of Boonville on August 1, 1817. Ira P. Nash was granted land in Howard County in 1800 . He came to the site in February, 1804, remained a month and went home. In July of the same year, Nash and four others returned and surveyed, but did not stay. THE COLE FAMILY - FIRST PERMANENT SETTLERS IN COOPER COUNTY Stephen Cole and William Temple Cole were born in New River, Virginia. They married sisters with the last name of Allison, and moved to Cumberland, Kentucky. In 1807, they came to Upper Louisiana Territory, and settled on Loutre Island, across the river from the present-day town in Hermann, Missouri, about the same time that the Coopers settled on that island. In 1810, a band of Indians stole seven horses from the Loutre Island settlers. The Cole brothers were among the volunteers that pursued the Indians. Two days into the pursuit the volunteers, while sleeping, were ambushed by Indians. William Cole and others were killed. It is written that Stephen Cole killed four Indians, wounded a fifth, and sustained 26 wounds before he escaped and found his way back to Loutre Island. A month later, Hannah Cole, widowed and almost 50, and her nine children, plus Stephen Cole, his wife Phoebe, and their five children, accompanied a group of men, led by Benjamin Cooper, on an overland Journey into the wilderness. The group arrived at a point just upriver from the present town of Boonville on the north side of the Missouri River. The Coopers decided to settle there; however, the two Cole families decided to cross the Missouri River to the south side and build their cabins on the east edge of what would later become Boonville. The families of Hannah Cole and Stephen and Phoebe Cole settled in what is now Cooper County in 1810 . At that time there were no other white Americans living in Missouri west of Franklin and south of the Missouri River. The families that settled north of the Missouri, were the Cole's nearest white neighbors, but most of these were two or three miles distant. The seventeen members of the Hannah Cole and Stephen Cole families made the first settlement in what is now Cooper County. The Coles lived for nearly two years with their closest neighbors across the Missouri River. Some of their activities included raising corn crops and tending them with a cow hitched up to a plow. In the fall and winter of 1812 other families settled nearby on the south side of the river. The first shelter they built was a cabin built of round logs notched together at the corners, ribbed with poles, and covered with boards split from trees. The one room cabin had a fireplace, puncheon floors, a clapboard door, a window, sometimes covered with greased paper, and furniture made from trees. Artist's Conception of Hannah Cole's Fort This is not the Cole Fort, as that fort was constructed in 1812-1813. This a later building built on the solid rock bluff and was also easy to defend. Barn with windlass Bluff reduced for two sets of rails in late 1870's Here is believed to be a very early photo of the stone outcropping where Hannah Cole’s Fort was located in the early 1800's in east Boonville. This image was taken by early photographer James McCurdie in the 1870's. Years later, the Boonville rock quarry would be located in that area, when the Missouri Pacific RR constructed the rails on the River Route down to Jefferson City. This railroad company had to blast away and remove much of this outcropping for the rails to continue down river. Note: The windlass to the left of the barn on top of the outcropping reaching down to the water's edge, was to supply water for the people and animals up on top. The early settlers had a similar windlass to supply water for those inside the fort that allowed them to be able to withstand the attacks of the Indians during the War of 1812. When these pictures were taken, Hannah Cole no longer lived in the old fort, as she moved farther into central Cooper County in the early 1840s and died in 1843. It is unknown at this time, who lived in the old fort after the Coles left. There does not seem to be a lot of information available about Hannah Cole. The same facts seem to be repeated over and over on various documents. However, Hannah must have been an excellent and generous leader. She opened her fort to her neighbors who were seeking safety during the buildup to and during the War of 1812. She made provisions for the children in her fort to receive an education and arranged for religious services to be conducted at the fort as early as 1811. She was evidently interested in politics and her fort was the location of the first County Seat of Howard County. The first circuit, county, and probate sessions were held there in 1816 and it was a polling place in the election of 1819. Her fort also served, at one time, as a community center, post office, hospital and a place for hunters to cast bullets for their flintlocks. In 1817 her fort became the first school house, although it is known that children in the fort were also taught during the war. She also was a business woman who was granted a license for a ferry on the Missouri River, which was operated by her sons. Reference: 1998 Wm. D. Lay In 1843, Hannah moved 13 miles south of Boonville from her fort on the bluff overlooking the Missouri River to a cabin where she lived with Lucy, her beloved slave. She died in 1843 at the age of 79, and is buried in Briscoe Cemetery near Bunceton. Sadly, very little information is available about Hannah’s sister Phoebe, and brother-in-law Stephen Cole and their family. We know that the two families traveled together to Missouri and were the first white Americans to settle on the south side of the Missouri River. Stephen supervised the building of Hannah’s and his own fort. Stephen died near Santa Fe, New Mexico when attacked by Indians. He and Hannah Cole's son (his nephew), were journeying down the Santa Fe Trail in about 1822. We do not know if there is a marked grave. Phoebe died in 1825 in Cole County, but no more information is available on her passing or her grave. We do know that some of the Cole family went to Southern Missouri. These three early settlers and their children must also have been very courageous and strong of character to venture into the unknown and make their home here. We are grateful that they did! - Barbara Dahl, Editor References: Bicentennial Boonslick History p 12-13 Cole Family Records Discover Cooper County by Ann Betteridge Talk by Bob Priddy for Cole Reunion August 9, 2020 Cole Family Association Facebook Cole Family Mysteries Cole Family Reunion, August 9, 2020 Talk given by Bob Pritty Cooper County was named after Sarshell Cooper, a relative of Steven Cole, (Hannah’s husband) and a well-known and greatly admired frontiersman, Indian fighter and War of 1812 hero. He was a friend of the Cole family and is the one who originally showed the Coles the best place to cross the Missouri River. We may wonder why Cooper County was not named Cole County, honoring the first white family to set foot on the South side of the Missouri River. Possibly, a reason may have been that Hannah Cole, the leader of the group, was a woman, and in the 1800’s, women were not credited as leaders or founders of anything. But, honoring Sarshell Cooper was a wonderful way to recognize a true American hero who was well known in the area. There is a Cole County in Missouri, which was established November 16, 1820, and named after Stephen Cole, Hannah’s brother-in-law. He was a lawyer, originally from Virginia. He was also a Justice of the Peace in Missouri, and laid out the original Howard County seat in Franklin, and a member of the Legislature. He was highly regarded in Missouri. He was an early trader on the Santa Fe trail and he and his nephew, also named Stephen Cole, were killed by Navajo Indians near Albuquerque, New Mexico. Cole County is the site of the State Capitol of Missouri. Source: Bob Priddy Mike Dickey wrote the following after reading Mr. Priddy's talk: I would advocate that Bob’s Priddy's article be posted in total if possible on the section of the Cole family/Cole Fort. It is about the best detective work regarding the Cole dilemma that I have seen. Something Bob Priddy said is key to interpreting the whole Territorial – War of 1812 period: “oral history, while valuable, can be flawed.” It is extremely difficult to tie down many events and family histories during this period. Governor Lewis ordered the Coopers out of the Boonslick in 1808 because it was still un-ceded Indian territory. From the federal governments point of view, the Boonslick would now be open for settlement regardless of claims to the region by the Sac & Fox and Ioway. I have not checked the Missouri Gazette for an announcement of the ratification, but it is quite possible that it was several weeks before the news made it to St. Louis and then Loutre Island. Thus, a move by the Cole family from the Loutre settlement to the Boonslick in July or later of 1810 would make far more sense than February 1810 (not to mention the weather). The Osage signed the land cession treaty on November 10, 1808. Congress ratified the treaty April 28, 1810.

EARLY EXPLORERS (1658) was the date given by local historian, Charles van Ravenswaay, for the first visit by white men to this area. He believed this honor belonged to Pierre Radisson, a French Canadian, and his brother-in-law, Medard Chouart, Sieur des Grosselliers. Radisson wrote in his journal that he had been where the great river (the Mississippi) divided itself. The river was called the “Forked,” because it had two branches: one towards the west, the other towards the north. They went up the Missouri, or the west fork as they knew it. (1673) Father Pierre Marquette and Louis Joliet became the first Europeans to record seeing the Missouri River. “As we were gently sailing down the still, clear water, we heard a noise of a rapid into which we were about to fall. I have seen nothing more frightful, a mass of large trees entire with branches, real floating islands came from Pekitanoui [Missouri River], so impetuous that we could not without great danger expose ourselves to pass across. The agitation was so great that the water was all muddy, and could not get clear. The Pekitanoui is a considerable river coming from the northwest and empties into the Mississippi. Many towns are located on this river and I hope to make the discovery of the Vermilion or California Sea [Pacific Ocean].” Pekitanoui in the language of Marquette’s Peoria Indian guides meant “Great Muddy.” However the two explorers did not venture up its turbid waters. The next European to record the Missouri was Robert Sieur de la Salle. He claimed the drainage of the Mississippi River for France. He passed the mouth of the Missouri River on September 1, 1682 . He did not ascend the river but wrote that its “water is always thick and to which our Indians did not forget to offer sacrifice.” The “sacrifice” would have been a gift of tobacco placed in the water to placate a water spirit, the Underwater Panther. It was plea for the Underwater Panther to allow them to pass peacefully and not pull them into the river to drown. In 1683 , LaSalle wrote that two Frenchmen had been captured by the Missouria tribe and had been living in their villages since 1680 or 1681. In May or June of 1683, two unnamed French traders accompanied by Kaskaskia (Iliniwek) Indians visited the Missouria and Osage, with the goal of establishing peace and trade. It seems likely that these men or the ones recorded by LaSalle were the origin of the Osage tradition about meeting white men for the first time. The last mention of the Missouri River in the 17th century was by Father Jerome St. Cosme in 1698. He sought native converts to Catholicism but said little about the river itself. In 1700 an unidentified writer told Governor Iberville in the capital of Biloxi that the land west of the Mississippi beyond three or four leagues (10-15 miles) was unknown. Pierre-Charles Le Sueur reported that on the Missouri River there were tin and lead mines. He also described the Missouria tribe as the first people to be encountered when going upriver. Father Marest of the Kaskaskia mission in the Illinois Country also described in 1700 the Kaw, Pawnee, Otoe and Ioway tribes along the Missouri and said that they all had Spanish horses. However neither man had been on the Missouri River. Rather they got these reports from Indians visiting trade centers in Illinois. In 1702 Father Marc Bergier in Illinois asked for permission to establish a mission among the Pawnee and Kaw on the Missouri River. He wanted to go to them because the “Osage were too numerous and the Missouria were reduced to nothing.” It is possible he was referring to one the first of many smallpox epidemics that began reducing the Missouria who were described as “once the most powerful nation on the Missouri River.” The Osage said that the Missouria were too friendly with the French and as a result the weluschka, Little Mystery Men, living inside the white men caused many Missouria to sicken and die. In 1703 Governor Iberville reported that a party of 20 Canadians departed Cahokia intent on reaching New Mexico via the Missouri River. The commonly held belief was that the headwaters of the Missouri formed near the silver mines north of Santa Fe, New Mexico. On September 6, 1704 Governor Bienville reported that parties of French-Canadian traders were traveling on the Mississippi and Missouria in bands of seven or eight. Undoubtedly, courier des bois (woods runners) had been on the Missouri for years to hunt or trade with Indians. However, these people were illiterate and their activities were often unknown to the territorial government. The first definite and detailed exploration of the Missouri was by Etienne Veniard de Bourgmont in 1714 . Bourgmont married into the Missouria tribe and also lived for a period with the Osage. A map produced in 1717 from Bourgmont’s notes presented a reasonably accurate map of the Missouri from its mouth to the mouth of the Platte River in Nebraska. Groups of French-Canadian hunters and traders continued pressing further upriver each year. By the time the French secretly surrendered Louisiana to Spain in 1762 , the Missouri River as far as the Niobrara River in Nebraska, was well known to traders from St. Louis. Spain on the other hand was slow to press any further exploration of the Missouri River. In the meantime British traders from Hudson Bay and the Northwest Company began trading with the Mandan and Hidatsa in North Dakota. Spanish officials formed the “Missouri Company” to counter British activities on the Missouri River. Jean Baptiste Truteau was commissioned to explore the river and establish a trading post for the Mandan. He got underway in the spring of 1794, but was robbed of his trade goods by the Teton Lakota (Sioux) and did not return to St. Louis until 1796 . In 1795 another expedition departed St. Louis under the leadership of a man named Lecuyer, to support Truteau. Lecuyer stopped at a Ponca village near the mouth of the Niobrara River where he took up residence and at least two wives. It was reported that he “wasted a great deal of the goods of the Company." James Mackay, a Scotsman had traded with the Mandan as early as 1787. He became disaffected with the British and became a citizen of Spanish Louisiana in 1793 . He and John T. Evans were commissioned to proceed up the Missouri, make allies with Indian nations, expel the British and find a route to the Pacific Ocean. They departed in August of 1795 with thirty men and four pirogues with trade goods for the Arikara, Sioux, and Mandan. The built a small fort at the Otoe village and made an alliance with the Omaha, where they built Fort Charles. After spending the winter with the Omaha, Evans proceeded to the Mandan in June of 1796 but was delayed by the Arikara. He took possession of a British fort in June and raised the Spanish flag in the Mandan village. However his trade goods were low and the British traders undermined his efforts with a large supply of superior trade goods. Mackay and Evans returned to St. Louis in the summer of 1797 . Although their mission failed to establish a strong Spanish presence on the upper Missouri River, their journals, tables of physical features and maps from their expedition would be of great benefit to the Lewis and Clark Expedition seven years later. Meriwether Lewis and William Clark are noted for their exploration from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean. President Jefferson requested funding to explore Louisiana in January of 1803 , before Napoleon even offered to sell the territory. After the U.S. acquired the territory on April 3, 1803, impetus was added to the need for an expedition to explore the new land. Jefferson’s appointed his secretary, Meriwether Lewis, and Lewis’s friend William Clark, to lead the expedition. Their mission was to meet and inform Indian nations along the way, of America’s ownership of the territory and also search for a water route to the Pacific Coast, the fabled “Northwest Passage.” They were also to record the plant, animal and geologic features they encountered. They traded and explored along the Missouri River. This area was becoming fairly familiar to whites by 1800. The voyages of exploration were about to come to an end. (1804) The Corps of Discovery, led by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, leaves St. Louis up the Missouri River to find a trading route to the Pacific (Courtesy of Missouri Bicentennial Timeline) “The Corps of Discovery, led by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, leaves St. Louis in a 55-foot keelboat to begin an epic two-year journey westward up the Missouri River to reach the Pacific Ocean near present-day Astoria, Oregon. Among the crew members was Shoshone Indian and translator Sacagawea joined the corps at the Hidatsa villages during the winter of 1804-1805 while she was six months pregnant and gave birth along the way. She was familiar with the terrain having grown up in the region of the Rocky Mountains. Sacagawea was one of the wives to a French-Canadian fur trader, who was a member of the crew. U.S. President Thomas Jefferson commissioned the expedition to explore the Missouri River, make diplomatic contact with Indians, expand the American fur trade, and locate the Northwest Passage - a then hypothetical northwestern water route to the Pacific Ocean.” LEWIS and CLARK’s expedition was commissioned by the U.S. Government in 1804 to explore the upper Missouri and search for its source. Additionally, the U.S. had just acquired the Huge Louisiana Territory, and didn’t know what they had. While the official reason for the expedition was to explore the upper Missouri River, President Jefferson secretly hoped they would find a river route to the Pacific. On June 6, 1804 they arrived near the mouth of Moniteau Creek. Nearby they observed the bluff was covered with pictographs (paintings) done by American Indians. This place was infested with rattlesnakes, making a closer look dangerous. They camped for the night of June 7, near the mouth of the Bonne Femme River. They crossed the Lamine River on June 8th and Clark wrote that the river was navigable for 80 to 90 miles. They camped for the night on “Island of Mills” later known as Arrow Rock Island. On the 9th, they passed the Arrow Rock bluff. The expedition returned in 1806, camping on September 18th on the north side of the river opposite the mouth of the Lamine. On their expedition, they camped for the night of June 7, 1804 , near where the Bonne Femme flows into the Missouri River on the north side. When they arrived at the mouth of Moniteau Creek, they found a point of rocks covered with strange hieroglyphic paintings that deeply aroused their interest. This place was infested with a large number of rattlesnakes, making a closer look dangerous and almost impossible. As they traveled further up the river, they arrived at the mouth of the Lamine on June 8th. On the 9th, they reached what is now Arrow Rock. On their return trip in 1806, they passed the present sites of Boonville and Franklin. This area was becoming fairly familiar to whites by 1800. The voyages of exploration were about to come to an end. References : Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail Arrow Rock State Historic Site Lewis and Clark Expedition - excellent information and maps John James Audubon (1785 – 1851) was a naturalist, ornithologist and painter. He combined his interests and planned to make a complete pictorial record of all bird species in North America. In the course of collecting and illustrating birds, he is credited with discovering 25 new species. In 1804 he became the first person to band birds to study their movements and nesting patterns. Audubon was working in southeast Missouri when the New Madrid earthquake struck in 1811, but his residence survived the general destruction. During his wanderings in Missouri and Arkansas, he fell in with hunting parties of Osage and Shawnee Indians learning about local wildlife from them. In 1843, he journeyed up the Missouri River and arrived in Cooper County on March 29: “We were off at five this rainy morning, and at 9 A.M. reached Boonville distant from St. Louis about 204 miles. We bought at this place an axe, a saw, three files, and some wafers; also some chickens, at one dollar a dozen. We found here some of the Santa Fe traders with whom we had crossed the Alleghenies. They were awaiting the arrival of their goods, and then would immediately start”. Audubon cared about the animals and plants he studied. He published Birds of America between 1827 and 1838 containing prints of 435 species of birds that he painted. Original editions of his prints are collector’s items and his works are still used for reference. In 1905 , the Audubon Society became the first conservation organization in North America. Today it has about 300 branches and clubs. Adapted from “Discover Cooper County by Looking Back” by Ann Betteridge

COOPER COUNTY BANKS & TRAIN ROBBERIES COOPER COUNTY BANKS & TRAIN ROBBERIES Pleasant Green - Cooper County’s First Bank robbery took place in Pleasant Green in 1926. The Robbers were finally captured by a Cooper County Sheriff with one arm. Jesse James - The James Gang hits Otterville: Jesse James is probably one of the most notorious outlaws of the Wild West. He is credited with the first daylight bank robbery in the US, although it was probably his "gang" that pulled off the $60,000 heist in Liberty, Missouri, and not Jesse himself. However, there is little doubt that Jesse was an active participant of the 1876 train robbery near Otterville. Wanting to rob a bank in Minnesota, the James-Younger Gang set out to arrange financing for their trip up north by robbing a train in Missouri. They chose a dangerous stretch of tracks called Rocky Cut near Otterville, Missouri, to hold up the train. On the evening of July 7, 1876, eight members of the gang captured the night guard at Rocky Cut and used his lantern to flag down the train. Once stopped, the gang boarded the train, robbed both safes, then disappeared into the night. Not far from there, the gang stopped to split up the money before riding off in separate directions. Today, that location is marked by a stone in a roadside park just east of Otterville. Hobbs Kerry, a new member of the gang, was arrested a few days later and gave up the names of the other seven men involved in the robbery. They were Frank and Jesse James, Cole and Bob Younger, Bill Chadwell, Clell Miller, and Charlie Pitts. For some reason, the third Younger brother, Jim, had not been among them. However, by that time, the gang was headed north to Northfield, Minnesota, where their planned bank robbery ended in failure in more ways than one. Bill Chadwell and Clell Miller were killed during the hold up. Charlie Pitts was killed when Bob, Jim, and Cole Younger were captured. Only Frank and Jesse James made it out of Minnesota. Bob Younger died of tuberculosis on September 16, 1889, while still in prison. Jim and Cole Younger were paroled, but Jim committed suicide on October 19, 1902. Jesse James was murdered on April 3, 1882, by gang member Robert Ford for the $5,000 reward on Jesse's head. However, Ford was never able to collect. After giving up their lives of crime, Frank James died February 18, 1915, and Cole Younger died March 21, 1916. Source: Discover Cooper County by Ann Betteridge Zerelda James Samuel & Mary James, daughter of Jesse James at the James Home in Kearney MO. Zerelda lost her right hand when a bomb that the Pinkerton's tossed through one of the windows in the home. Zerelda picked up the bomb trying to get rid of it when it went off. Reuben & Zerelda James Samuel at the James Home. Lady on right unknown, possibly Mary James, daughter of Jesse James. A blackberry cobbler recipe by Zerelda James, Jesse James' mother. Zerelda James Samuel mother of Jesse James standing by his gravestone at the James Home in Kerney, MO.

EARLY MEDICINE HOSPITALS St. Joseph Hospital building 1908. From the Wayne Lammers collection The Alex van Ravenswaay Hospital The St. Joseph Hospital in Boonville was dedicated on September 4, 1918, thanks in part to Dr. C. H. van Ravenswaay. But this was not the only van Ravenswaay who chose to call Boonville home. Alexander van Ravenswaay was born at the Hague August 26, 1889. After graduating in medicine and surgery, Alex served as a doctor in the Dutch Army from 1914-18. Then the Allies commissioned him as a surgeon to take charge of the repatriation of French and Russian prisoners of war from Germany to their respective countries. In 1919, Alex made his third trip to the United States and set up his medical practice in Boonville. On April 15, 1926, Dr. Alexander van Ravenswaay made Miss Bernice Brummel his bride and the union was blessed with two sons. Theodore was born on July 29, 1927, and Lyle Alexander was born on July 12, 1930. Like his brother, Dr. Alex (as he was known) became a much loved and vital contributor to the community. He was a member of the American Medical Association, the Southwestern Medical Association, the American Society for the Control of Cancer, the Missouri Medical Association, the Cooper County Medical Society, the Boonville Kiwanis Club, the Knights of Pythias, the Boonville Country Club and the Boonville Chamber of Commerce. He served as president of the Cooper County Medical Society in 1933 and as chief surgeon at St. Joseph’s Hospital in 1934. Dr. Alex moved his clinic into his own building at 510 E. Spring Street on February 18, 1937. Formerly the Gross Hotel, the remodeled and modernized Alex van Ravenswaay Hospital was located in what is now the Post Office parking lot. Source: "Historically Yours" by Elizabeth Davis DOCTORS Dr. John Sappington, 1776-1856 Two births of importance took place in 1776. One was the birth of our nation on July 4. The other took place six weeks earlier on May 15. John Sappington was the third of seven children born to Mark Brown Sappington and his wife Rebecca. Mark Sappington served during the American Revolution and, after the war, returned to the University of Pennsylvania to study medicine under Dr. Benjamin Rush and other notable doctors of the day. He did not, however, agree with the practice of blood-letting. In 1785, the family moved out west to Nashville, Tennessee. Nine-year-old John finished his basic education while learning to do farm chores, but there were no places of higher education available. But that didn't stop him from learning. He read medicine with his father. It appeared that Dr. Mark Sappington had a good medical library and his son John made good use of it. In 1814-15, John rode 700 miles to Philadelphia to attended a five-month medical course at the University of Pennsylvania Medical School. Dr. John Sappington married Jane Breathitt on November 22, 1804, and the family settled in Franklin, Tennessee. The union was blessed with nine children—seven born in Tennessee and the last two in Missouri. (Three of their daughters would all marry Claiborne F. Jackson who would be governor of Missouri during the Civil War.) Malaria was a killer, and Missouri and the Santa Fe Trail were high risk areas. This was one of the reasons Dr. Sappington left Tennessee in 1817. He knew his services would be greatly needed. He first settled in Glasgow, then moved about five miles southwest of the Arrow Rock ferry. Like his father, Dr. John Sappington didn't believe in blood-letting. He used cinchona. (quinine) By the time Missouri achieved statehood, Dr. Sappington was well-known for “doctoring with the bark.” In 1820 a method of isolating quinine from cinchona bark was found and by 1823 quinine was being manufactured in Philadelphia. But even with all the evidence of its effectiveness, many doctors denied its worth and continued treating malaria with blood-letting. The wholesale manufacture of Dr. John Sappington's Anti-Fever Pills began in 1832. While quinine wasn't mentioned, few people were unaware of the pills' main medicine. Even so, it would be decades before the medical world would accept quinine as the first “wonder drug.” Dr. John Sappington died at his home in September, 1856 and is buried in the Sappington Cemetery. Cornelius Herman van Ravenswaay You don't have to be born in Boonville to claim it as home, nor do you need to be born in the United States. Cornelius Herman van Ravenswaay was born in Borneo on September 4 in 1870 or '71. He attended boarding school and high school in Holland then studied medicine at the University of Utrecht. Additional training was obtained at a charity hospital in Berlin and later in Paris. His original plans were to go to India as a surgeon. Instead, he came to America where he partnered with his uncle, Dr. Samuel van Hoefen, in St. Louis, Mo. Then he heard of an opportunity in Boonville. Tall brick houses built close to the sidewalks reminded him of the Old World he'd left behind so he decided to move his practice. Successful and prosperous, he longed to do more community service work. With this in mind, he soon started a little hospital on Third Street at the Jones home but it was small and too expensive to maintain. In May 1905, Dr. van Ravenswaay discovered that one of his patients had greatly benefitted from the nursing care of Sister Mary Boniface Kuhn of Pilot Grove. The doctor then sent one of his assistants to confer with the Benedictine Sisters and the church authorities granted them permission to establish a sanitarium in Boonville. The St. Joseph Sanitarium opened at the southeast corner of Sixth and Locust where the Megquier Seminary had been on June 12, 1905. Dr. van Ravenswaay donated $100, assumed responsibility for the rent, and supplied most of the operating room supplies and furnishings. Other necessities were supplied by the sisters, thanks to many local merchants who sold to them on credit. Land for a larger, permanent hospital was purchased for $2,200 by the sisters in 1911. Unfortunately, funds were not yet available to build a new facility. By 1917, the Sanitarium was filled beyond capacity and fundraising began in earnest by the sisters, doctors, and other community-minded individuals. Dr. C. H. van Ravenswaay, however, was not among them. He had closed his practice and enlisted to serve his newly adopted country during the World War. While he was gone, the new $49,000 St. Joseph's Hospital was built, and the dedication has taken place on September 4, 1918. The hospital's executive board at that time consisted of Roy D. Williams, president; along with A. G. Blakey, Dr. Jacobs, Thomas Hogan, Frank Sauter and Albert H. Myer. Upon his return, Dr. C. H. van Ravenswaay continued serving the people of Boonville as chief of staff at St. Joseph Hospital. He also gave $3,000 to the highway bridge fund, helped organize the Rotary Club, and developed the van Ravenswaay Clinic which occupied 18 rooms in the Victor Building at the northwest corner of Main and Spring streets. Additionally, he served more than once as president of the Cooper County Medical Society and was a member of the Missouri and American medical associations. The doctor was a Mason, a Chamber of Commerce member, and a member of the Evangelical Church. Dr. Henry Clay Gibson Henry Clay Gibson was born on August 25, 1825, on the Gibson homestead which later became the Missouri Training School and is now a Missouri State Minimum Security Prison. He was the son of William Gibson and his first wife Rhoda Cole. William was from North Carolina and Rhoda was a daughter of Stephen Cole who was the first white settler in what is now Cooper County. Gibson received his education at Kemper School in Boonville before going to Transylvania Medical College in Lexington, Kentucky, in 1846-47. Continuing his medical studies, he attended the Medical Department of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. Upon graduation he returned to Boonville to practice medicine. Devoted to science and his practice, and wishing to keep up with the latest advancement in his profession, Gibson returned to the University of Pennsylvania for a post graduate course. He became known far and wide as the most able physician in the county. Gibson married Miss Mittie Nelson, sister of James M. Nelson, on January 11, 1856, but Mittie died in 1857. Fourteen years later he married Mrs. Mary L. (Jones) McCarthy on January 11, 1871. The new Mrs. Gibson was born in November 1840, in Bolivar, Missouri. Her parents were Caleb and Nancy (Chapman) Jones from Old Franklin. Her siblings were Sarah Adlea Jones, who married William D. Muir, and George C. Jones. Mary McCarthy Gibson was the widow of Confederate foreign diplomat Justin McCarthy of San Antonio, Texas. The couple had been married in 1860 and had one son named William. McCarthy had died shortly after the war in 1865. Dr. and Mrs. Gibson were blessed with three children who survived to adulthood: Mary J.; Martha, who married A. K. Mills; and Nancy, who married Joseph O’Meara. The couple’s fourth child, Rhoda Cole Gibson, died in infancy. Dr. Gibson, before his death, had the distinction of been the oldest practicing physician in this part of Missouri. He died December 14, 1887, and is buried in Walnut Grove Cemetery. Mary Gibson died on October 12, 1921, and she, too, was laid to rest in Walnut Grove. Dr. Horace Dasher (H. D.) Quigg Horace Dasher (H. D.) Quigg was born in Hickory County Missouri on March 5, 1863, son of John Wesley “Wes” Quigg and his second wife Lucretia Ann Bradley Quigg. J. W. Quigg was born December 29, 1820, in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and came to Missouri in 1830. He settled in Hickory County where he farmed and served as Sheriff and Collector from 1863-1869. H. D. Quigg was raised in Hickory County and attended the district school before going off to Southwest Baptist College in Poke County. He then went to the Cincinnati Medical College and graduated in 1890. Quigg opened his practice in Hickory County but moved to Blackwater that same year. From 1910-1914, Quigg served by appointment as superintendent of the Missouri Hospital for the Feeble Minded and Epileptics at Marshall. Shortly after that, he went to Chicago where he studied to become a specialist in eye, ear, nose, and throat care. He returned to Boonville and established his office as general practice and a specialist. Also, like his father, Dr. Quigg served the people of Cooper County. For two years he was county coroner. In 1902 he was elected as Cooper County’s representative in the Missouri Legislature, and re-elected in 1904. Quigg served on the Ways and Means Committee and was chairman of the Committee on Health and Scientific Institutes. It was he who introduced a bill empowering the city of Boonville to build High Street. Dr. Horace Dasher Quigg died on April 6, 1941 and is buried in Walnut Grove Cemetery. His wife survived him until 1976. Source: Elizabeth Davis, "Historically Yours" EARLY DENTISTRY Dental medicine was in its infancy in the mid-19th century. There were few formal schools, and new dentist learned by working under practicing dentists. By 1870, St. Louis was the fourth most populous city in the US. In 1866, the Missouri Dental College was only the sixth dental school opened in the US, and the fist dental school established west of the Mississippi. A few of the early graduates of this school established practices in Cooper County. Dr. Milton McCoy, born in 1824, was one of the earliest graduates of Missouri Dental College. He relocated to Boonville in 1867 and practiced for 20 years. Milton's son, John C. McCoy, graduated from Missouri Dental College in 1875. He joined his father's practice in Boonville and practiced well into the 20th century. Other dental trailblazers for Cooper County were Franklin Swap and Roy H. Ellis. Franklin Swap, born August 1830, studied dentistry in Iowa before relocating to Boonville. He opened his clinic in 1866. Roy H. Ellis was born August 1878 in Cooper County. Roy graduated from Missouri Dental College in 1898 and returned to Cooper County. He Practiced in Prairie Home and Boonville for 23 years.

TELEGRAPH Short History of the Invention of the Telegraph and Morse Code Samuel F. B. Morse, (born April 27, 1791, Charlestown, Mass., U.S.—died April 2, 1872, New York, N.Y.), U.S. painter and inventor. The son of a distinguished geographer, he attended Yale University and studied painting in England (1811–15). He returned home to work as an itinerant painter; his portraits still rank among the finest produced in the U.S. Independent of similar efforts in Europe, he developed an electric telegraph (1832–35), believing his to be the first. He developed the system of dots and dashes that became known internationally as Morse code (1838). Though denied support from Congress for a transatlantic telegraph line, he received congressional support for the first U.S. telegraph line, from Baltimore to Washington; on its completion in 1844 he sent the message “What hath God wrought!” His patents brought him fame and wealth. The Western Union Telegraph was completed in Missouri on October 24, 1861. This new method of communication ended the short tenure of the Pony Express. Written by: Carleton Mabee Fact checked by: The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica Last Updated: Feb 12, 2023 • Article History The Western Union Telegraph The Western Union Telegraph was completed on October 24, 1861. This new method of communication ended the short tenure of the Pony Express. The Western Union Telegraph was completed on October 24, 1861. This new method of communication ended the short tenure of the Pony Express. Covering the rapid spread of telegraphic communications starting from 1844 and the completion of the first transcontinental telegraph line in 1861. Sept 1837: Samuel Morse files the first patent for the telegraph system in the United States. 6 Jan 1838: Samuel Morse sends his first public demonstration message over two miles of wire at Speedwell Ironworks in New Jersey . Originally, Morse decided to lay his wire underground in1843, but the project was stopped after 15 km of wire was laid because the line was failing. Morse learned that Cooke and Wheatstone in England were now using poles for their lines, and he decided to follow that lead. 1 April 1844: Work begins in Washington on laying the line to Baltimore using poles. They used chestnut poles of seven meters in height, and 60 meters apart. Two wires were laid, Number 16 copper wire, covered by cotton thread with shellac, and a covering mixture of "beeswax, resin, linseed oil, and asphalt." There was a charge for sending a telegraph. The first telegraph office – expense of a telegraph 1845: November 14, 1845 report in New York Herald on telegraph lines coming into operation. 1 April 1845: First public telegraph office opens in Washington, D.C., under the control of the Postmaster-General . The public now had to pay for messages, which were no longer free. 15 May 1845: Morse forms the Magnetic Telegraph Company ·October 1845: Samuel Colt partners with William Robinson (a New York book dealer) to form the New York and Offing Electric Telegraph Association. A line is laid from an observation tower built on Coney Island to Manhattan to get news from shipping traffic to the New York Mercantile Exchange more quickly. ·November 1845: In the fall of 1845, the Magnetic Telegraph Company begins service from Philadelphia to Norristown, Pennsylvania , due to great public interest in the work. Map shows extent of operational lines by the end of 1846. At the start of the year, there were only four short lines in operation 5 June 1846: With completion of the line in-between Baltimore and Philadelphia , line from New York City to Washington, D.C.by Magnetic Telegraph Company is now operational. 1846: 27 June 1846: Commercial line between New York City and Boston completed by F.O.J. Smith . On July 4, the next steamer from Europe to Boston (the Britannia) arrives. Does not appear that telegraph was used, and Herald reports how news traveled from Boston to New York in 10 hours. Next steamer (Cambria) arrives in Boston on July 18 and the New York papers use the new telegraph line. 1847: January 1847: The New York Evening Express uses the new Albany-New York telegraph line to beat the pony express of New York Herald to press. 2 October 1847: Toronto-Montreal line opens line to Quebec City . On Southern project, line segment between Charleston, South Carolina and Columbia, South Carolina opens. 20 December 1847: Line operations from east reach East St. Louis, Illinois . 1848: 15 January 1848 Line opens from Chicago, Illinois to Milwaukee, Wisconsin . March 1848: Eastern lines reach Detroit, Michigan . March 1848: Line from East St. Louis, Illinois crosses Mississippi River to St. Louis, Missouri . Storm on 4 May 1848 topples one of the masts used to string wire across the river.` 1849: 15 November 1849: First steamer to arrive in Halifax from Europe has news telegraphed directly to New York. 1850: 1850: About 12,000 miles of line from 20 companies now exist in the United States. 29 March 1850: Line reaches Danville, Virginia . 1851: 1851: The New York and Mississippi Valley Printing Telegraph Company, which later became Western Union , is organized in Rochester, New York . May 1851: Wilmington, North Carolina reached by line. · The telegraph spread to continental and intercontinental service, rather like an all-encompassing spider web. 20 December 1858: Line west to Kansas City, Missouri from Boonville, Missouri is completed. Mid 1859: Western United States line reaches east to Carson City and to Virginia City by latter part of the year. 3 April 1860 The Pony Express starts operations, running from St. Joseph, Missouri (where the rail and telegraph lines from the east ended) to San Francisco (Sacramento to San Francisco leg by steamer, rest by horse). 3 April 1860 Line starts operating from Springfield, Missouri to St. Louis, Missouri via Bolivar and Jefferson City. The line was later extended to Fayetteville, Arkansas and Ft. Smith, Arkansas . The road from St. Louis to Springfield to Ft. Smith was known as Telegraph Road or Wire Road, later Old Wire Road . Mid-October 1860': Western line is extended east to Fort Churchill . This is as far east as line reaches before work to finish transcontinental line start in July 1861. End of telegraph era 27 January 2006: Western Union discontinues telegram services. Indian company BSNL continues telegraphic service into 2013. Source: Wikipedia Additional information can be found at Bellis, Mary. "The History of the Electric Telegraph and Telegraphy ." ThoughtCo, Aug. 28, 2020,

COOPER COUNTY TRAIN DEPOTS The first MKT Depot was built in Boonville around 187, just before the railroad reached Sedalia on its way to Boonville. The railroad continued on to Boonville, crossing the Missouri river on its way to Chicago. The original Depot was on the west side of the tracks and was used mainly for freight. After the second depot was built, the first Depot was used for storage until 1950 when it was removed. Two pictures of the first Depot. Notice that the terrain was much different than it is today. Photos from Wayne Lammers Collection First Boonville Train Depot Notice the steep incline Close Up of First Boonville Train Depot First Depot The second MKT depot, built in 1911 on the West side of the tracks, was a Mission style building which today is the location of the Boonville Area Chamber of Commerce, and it is also the start of the KATY walking and bike trail. The Katy Rail Road built 5 Spanish Mission Style Depots, and the Boonville Depot is the only one surviving. First Boonville Depot Second and Current Boonville Depot Lamine Train Depot Pleasant Green Depot Pleasant Green Depot

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?

ABOUT CCHS First CCHS Center Current CCHS Center OUR MISSION The Cooper County Historical Society is a nonprofit 501© (3) organization, founded in 1990, with a focus on collecting and preserving documents, records, historical books and other historical information on Cooper County. We have a free research library, manned by volunteers, to assist the public in finding the information that they are seeking. We also provide four historically related programs to the public each year at no charge. Check out "Events" tab. Visit us on Cooper County Historical Society | Pilot Grove MO | Facebook for upcoming programs or you can click on the EVENTS tab. We are funded by the proceeds of membership dues, garage sales, donations and memorials. Cooper County Historical Society Board of Directors: President Vice President Vicki McCarrell Secretary Marla Stretz Treasurer Jenny Alpers Newsletter Ray Owens Members: Joyce Bryan C arolyn Aggeler Bob Painter Annick Streck Ann Fray Fundraiser chairperson: Pam Shipman Immediate Past President Barbara Dahl Web Developers: Lisa Moody Laci Scott Contact Information: Cooper County Historical Society (CCHS) 111 Roe Street Pilot Grove, MO 660-834-3582 Hours: May through September Friday-- 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. 1:00-3:00 or by email appointment E-mail: cchs2016@iland.net Find us on Facebook Become a Member Yearly Dues One person $15 Family $25 Student $7 HISTORY OF CCHS Article by: Jeanette Heaton In 1990, a few people started talking about the need for a countywide historical society. Winky Friedrichs invited a small group to her home to discuss organizing a society. It was decided to meet on September 10, 1990 in the New Lebanon 1860 church and invite everyone that might be interested. Over 50 people attended the meeting. Mr. Harold Jones served as moderator and Jeanette Heaton welcomed the group and gave a brief history of New Lebanon. Mr. Woody Fleck, from the South Howard County Historical Society, gave advice and suggestions on starting a historical society. Mary Ann Kempf spoke of her interest in recording cemeteries. Ann Betteridge indicated that she was working on a historical workbook for school children to teach them about Cooper County history. Winky Friedriches expressed her hope to see the new society promote tourism in Cooper County and be a part of the county-wide celebration of Cooper County’s 175th anniversary in 1993. All those who attended the meeting were enthusiastic about organizing, so officers were elected and dues set. By the end of that year we had 75 members, and after a few years the membership reached 150. I was honored to be elected President, and needless to say, I had my work cut out for me. Many forms had to be filled out to become a non-profit organization as well as getting the state tax exemption status. We set up bylaws and committees and all the other things that go along with organizing the historical society. One of our wisest decisions was to have the monthly meetings in churches or historical buildings throughout Cooper County. I served as President of CCHS off and on for 12 years and will always be proud of the accomplishments that our society achieved. The Cooper County Historical Society and the New Lebanon Preservation Society sponsored yearly festivals and programs for the general public from 1990 to 2019. Thank you for visiting our website. If you have any comments, suggestions, clarifications, improvements or other "Cooper County Treasures" for us to research and add to our content, please email us at: cchs2016@iland.net

ONLINE GENEALOGY RESOURCES Cooper County Specific Web Sites Cooper County Courthouse - This has Cooper County information but is basic. Genealogy Trails - Genealogy Trails History Group – Cooper County The Library - History of towns, villages, and hamlets in Cooper Co. Cooper County Origins - This is a state/county genweb site and has a lot of excellent information if one really searches, and reads on the site. It was maintained by James Thoma, and he did a wonderful job of listing Cooper County history. There are cemetery lists and burials, churches, schools, marriage, census, wills and probate records, maps, information on Cooper County communities, and much more. Several ways to access the information. General Genealogy FREE Websites Find a Grave ObitTree - N orth American obituaries Missouri State Archives - (Secretary of State) To request an appointment email archives@sos.mo.gov or call (573)751-3280 Library of Congress WikiTree - Free research Genealogy - Free research State of Historical Society of Missouri - Historic Missourians, Newspaper collections, general research Family Search - This is a free Mormon web site of information, and can be very helpful, but one needs to verify information taken from them as they are known to have a lot of errors and inaccuracies on family information Missouri Birth & Death Records Fee-Based Genealogy Sites There are several fee-based sites. Some have a free trial or guest period. Ancestry.com - This is a huge data base of family tree information as well as other historical records. Indicate your interest and they often have ½ price specials for 6 months. My Heritage - Same as with Ancestry.com Genealogy Bank - This is a data base with old newspapers

HOW GOOD WERE THE “GOOD OLD DAYS”? Did YOU miss out on them? Ask an older relative or family member about what they knew about rural life prior to 1935, especially without electricity or a car. How hard was it for people to complete daily chores without the following items that we take for granted today?: Electricity for light, electric stoves, refrigerators, Indoor plumbing Electricity to pump water from a well Central heat Hot showers or baths Washing machines, clothes dryers, irons, Telephones, cellphones, computers Freezers, blenders Air Conditioning, flash lights Hair dryers, curling irons, electric razors Crock pots, Instapots, air fryers, coffee pots Automatic transmissions on cars Dependable tires for cars and trucks Chainsaws, weed whackers, lawn mowers , Who took care of sick animals with no area vets? How would you contact a doctor in an emergency when you have no phone and only have an old wagon and a horse for transportation? It’s 11 P.M. in 1937 and you have a flat tire out in the middle of nowhere, no spare tire and no way of contacting someone. What do you do? Where did you buy your groceries, where did you buy your clothes, and needed household items? How do you get to town?

LIFE WITHOUT ELECTRICITY We have former President Roosevelt to thank for bringing electricity to rural areas in the US. This was accomplished through the passing of the TVA Act (Tennessee Valley Authority) which gave “preference” to “states, counties, municipalities and cooperative organizations of citizens or farmers, not organized businesses for profit, but primarily for the purpose of supplying electricity to its own citizens or members”. At the time the Rural Electrification Act (REA) was passed, on May 11, 1935, some effects of the Depression were easing, but unemployment was still high. By bringing electrification to rural America, people would be put back to work, farm production would be increased, a hungry nation would be fed, and the quality of life improved in rural areas of the US. A new corporation of Cooper, Cole, Moniteau and Morgan counties was formed in May, 1939, thus, the CO-MO name. These four counties had originally been a part of the Central Missouri Electric Cooperative, Inc. (This is a simplification of a very involved project). After several delays due to slow shipment of materials, the project was started. It took 75,000-man hours to build the first 360 mile of lines. This was accomplished during severe winter weather. Bill Tuttle was a sophomore in high school in 1939. Mr Needy, the director of the project, had told Bill’s mother that she could decorate her Christmas tree with electric lights that year. On December 23, a strange sound filled the countryside. The substation east of Boonville hummed all night as it warmed up to provide service. When Tuttle came home on December 24, he found that their tree was lighted up for Christmas. His mother was very excited with her tree. Co-Mo country is very Steeped in Christianity and was prepared to honor the birth of the true light of the world to help illuminate that celebration. The addition of electricity to farms in Co-Mo Country quickly opened eyes and changed lives from young children to long-time residents. Arline Reimund remembers the day the “lights came on”. “One day we came home from school to a great surprise. The electric lights were on in every room. What fun clicking on and off the electric light on the long string in every room. No more straining our eyes to see our homework as we all crowded around the kitchen table. No more walking to town to get that smelly kerosene for the lamps that we cleaned daily with vinegar and water. Why, we could even see the cobwebs in the corner ceiling over the stove. Yes, I have been there, and I for one will take the modern comforts of electricity without hesitation and count my blessings.” Source: Co-Mo Country – “Power for the People – 75 years of Lighting the Way” Prior to electricity in the home, families had many problems that are almost unknown today: Keeping food safely cold. Ice for the ice box was only available during the winter or freezing weather Drinking safe water from rain runoff or a cistern (electric well pumps solved that p roblem) Safely lighting various areas of the house – no more kerosene lamp fires Bringing light to barns early in the morning or after sundown Having a safe/dependable source of heat during the winter