Warren County

Warren County, in the east central part of the State, is bounded north by Montgomery and Lincoln Counties, east by Lincoln and St. Charles, south by the Missouri River, which separates it from Franklin and Gasconade, and west by Montgomery County, and contains 262,474 acres.

Population in 1840, 4,253; in 1850, 5,860; in 1860, 8,839; in 1870,* 9,673; of whom 8,931 were white, and 741 colored; 5,219 male, and 4,454 female; 7,182 native (5,965 born in Missouri; in Kentucky, 199; in Ohio, 121; in Illinois, 59; in Tennessee, 58; in Virginia, 396), and 2,491 foreign (born in British America, 20; in England and Wales, 45; in Ireland, 118; in Scotland, 4; in Germany, 2,157; in France, 10; in Norway and Sweden, 9; in Switzerland, 39; in Austria, 2; in Holland, 16).

History
The first settlements upon the territory now embraced in this county were made in 1801 and 1802 by Flanders Callaway, David Bryan, William and Robert Ramsey, and Thomas Kennedy. The last named settled in the northern part of the county, and the others located near the Missouri River. The original tombs of Col. Daniel Boone and wife are still preserved, near Marthasville, in the southern part of the county, marked by a rough block or slab of limestone, which still bears the rude, but plain inscription, cut upon it by inexperienced but friendly hands. Both Col. Boone and his wife died in St. Charles County, were buried in Warren, and afterward their remains were removed to Frankfort, Kentucky.

The county was organized January 5th, 1833. The first deed was filed for record May 6, 1833. The first sheriff was Absalom Hays. The county was then a part of the 2nd Judicial District, with Priestly H. McBride, Circuit Judge. The first Circuit Court was held in May, 1833, at the house of Mordica Morgan, then the only house on the present site of Warrenton. The first Grand Jury were Thomas Talbott, Foreman; Grief Steward, Samuel Doherty, Benoni McClure, Andrew G. Long, Isaac Kent, Jr., Wm. Camron, Jas. Miller, Edward Pleasant, Turner Roundtree, Jonathan D. Gordon, Benjamin Hutchinson, Woodson A. Burton, Thomas Chambers, George Clay, Jas. B. Graves, John B. Shaw, and Jared Irwin.

The first County Court, consisting of Thos. N. Graves, Talman Cullum, and Morgan Bryan, also met at Mordica Morgan's house, May 20, 1833. On August 10, 1835, Henry Walton and wife donated 50 acres in section 28, for the town of Warrenton, in consideration that it should be the county town, and Harvey Ford was appointed in November, 1836, the commissioner to sell the lots. About the same time Mordica Morgan donated 15 acres in section 29, adjoining the Walton donation, and Wm. Skinner was appointed the commissioner to sell the lots. The first court house was built of brick in 1838, at a cost of $2,600, and in 1869 that was torn down, and an elegant structure, costing over $35,000, was erected during 1870.

Physical Features
This county occupies an important geographical position from being traversed by the main dividing ridge separating the waters flowing into the Mississippi from those flowing into the Missouri. About one-fourth of the county lies north and three-fourths south of the "divide." The northern portion is a little more than one-half prairie, with the balance heavily timbered. Of the southern portion, 18,000 acres are Missouri Bottoms, and the balance creek bottoms and rolling uplands.

The Missouri River and Bear, Lost, Little Lost, Charette, and Tuque Creeks, water and drain the southern slope; Peruque, Indian, Big, and Camp Creeks, the northern slope. There are numerous very fine springs in the county. Broadhead's State Geological Report says "Warren County is as well timbered as any county in the State." The finest qualities of black, white, scarlet, red and post oaks, and shell-bark and pig-nut hickory abound all over the county, and black walnuts and burr oaks grow to an immense size on the bottoms, where it is not uncommon to find a Cottonwood 8 or 10 feet in diameter.

The soil of the Missouri and creek bottoms is a deep alluvium, and produces, with ordinary cultivation, 75 or 80 bushels of corn per acre, year after year on the same ground. The first bluff lands on leaving the Missouri Bottoms are the richest uplands in the county, with the soil often 10 feet deep, and produce an average of 25 to 30 bushels of wheat to the acre. These lands are usually 2 or 3 miles wide, above which there is a rocky slope peculiarly adapted to the growth of the grape, the wine from which rivals the famous brands of Europe. Going north, the county is rolling, and well adapted to the raising of corn, oats, wheat, and the finer qualities of tobacco. This belt of country with its constituent properties of soil, underlaid with magnesian limestone, and the altitude being just what is required for the perfection of tree and fruit, may properly be called the "fruit belt" of the county. Apples and peaches grow to enormous size, and possess all the aroma, fine grain, luscious flavor, and perfect form of the California fruits. Apple trees begin to bear in 3 years, and are loaded the sixth year. Trees receiving no care show more thrift and luxurious growth than the scrubbed, scraped, and carefully attended orchards of the East.

The Agricultural Productions, as above indicated, are corn, wheat, oats, potatoes, tobacco, fruits, wine and stock.

The Mineral Resources are varied, superior brick clay and fine limestone are found in inexhaustible quantities all over the county. Drab, blue, purple, buff and red clays are found in large beds in several localities. There are also a number of good quarries of excellent marble, and some of it fine grained and quite beautiful. The principal beds thus far discovered are on Lake Creek, in sections 23 and 24, township 45, range 1 w. The saccharoidal sandstone so well developed on the streams running into the Missouri River, affords a superior article for the manufacture of glass. Its beds are often pure white, mostly free from earthy impurities, and it is often so soft that it can easily be shoveled up. The sand is often hauled 20 miles, to be used in plastering, it being much valued on account of its beautiful white color, for when mixed with lime and plastered on walls no additional whitewash is needed. Warren County could supply the world for ages to come with excellent sand for glass.

No systematic effort has been made to develop the iron or lead deposits, but hematites of fine quality have been found extensively distributed over the southern half of the county. Fine specimen's of Galena have been found on Tuque and Lake Creeks. Coal of a good quality is found in pockets (as all coal in this county occurs) about 3 miles north of Warrenton, also 12 miles north of Warrenton, on the farm of F. H. Drunert, Esq., and in both localities considerable quantities are being mined. There are evidences of coal in many other localities.

The Manufacturing Interests of the county are 8 saw mills and 8 grist mills, 2 manufactories of cabinet wares, 1 of cheese and butter and 3 of tobacco, one at Warrentown and two at Wright City. Out of an annual production of over 300,000 lbs. of tobacco in this county some 25,000 lbs. are manufactured at home.

Wealth
Valuation of the county per census of 1870, $8,650,000.**

Railroads
The St. Louis, Kansas City & Northern Railway passes through the county from east to west-18 miles.

The Exports are principally tobacco, hogs, fat cattle, wheat, oats, corn and wine.

Educational
There are 49 sub-districts, 50 public school houses, 57 teachers and 2,474 pupils attending school in this county.

Warren County Places in 1875

Bridgeport, is a post office 12 miles south west of Warrenton.

Dutzow, 24 miles south east of Warrenton has 1 church, Catholic, 1 store, 1 blacksmith and wagon maker's shop and a public school. Population (in 1870) 72, with a thickly settled country about it.

Holman's Store, 7 miles north of Warrenton, has 1 store and a blacksmith shop.

Holstein, 13 miles south of Warrenton, has a public school, 2 churches, German Evangelist and German Lutheran, 2 stores and about 60 inhabitants.

Hopewell, 10 miles south south east of Warrenton, on the Marthasville road, has 1 church,German Methodist Episcopal, 2 stores, 1 public school, etc.

Marthasville, 20 miles south east of Warrenton. Population in 1870, 178, has 3 churches, German Methodist, German Evangelist, and M. E. Church South. It has 2 stores, 1 fine grist and saw mill, 2 blacksmith and 1 wagon maker's shop. It is 5 miles from Washington on the Missouri Pacific Rail Road.

Pendleton, 5 miles west of Warrenton has 1 store, 1 grocery, 1 church, Methodist Episcopal, 1 public school, and is a shipping point for stock, grain, railroad ties, fence posts, hoop poles and cord wood.

Pinkney, is a post office 12 miles south south west of Warrenton.

Pin Oak, is a post office 13 miles north of Warrenton.

Pitts, is a post office 3 miles south of Wright City.

Tuque, is a post office 13 miles south east of Warrenton.

WARRENTON, the county seat and principal town of the county, on St. Louis, Kansas City & Northern Rail Way, 58 miles from St. Louis, is the highest point between St. Louis and St. Joseph. It is proverbially healthy. Population about 1,000. It was incorporated February 15, 1864. The first board elected were Henry Parker, John H. Falconer, C. A. Kuhl, C. A. Smith and Dr. H. H. Middlekamp. There are 13 dry goods and grocery stores, 1 drug, 1 stove, hardware and agricultural implement store, 3 boot and shoe makers, 3 blacksmiths, 2 wagon makers, 1 harness maker, 3 tailors, 2 flour and 2 saw mills, 4 hotels, 1 bank, capital $60,000, 1 public school building worth $2,000, one watch maker and silversmith, 2 milliners, 3 dress makers, 1 broom factory, 2 cabinet manufactories, 2 tobacco dealers, 2 pork packers and 2 doctors. There are 2 newspaper and job printing offices, The Warrenton Chronicle, A. and Ed. S. Ackerman editors and publishers, and The Missouri Banner, R. B. Speed, publisher. Warrenton has a fine court house, above alluded to, and 4 churches, Christian, M. E. Church South, Methodist Episcopal German, and Catholic. The Presbyterians and German Lutherans have congregations but no houses of worship. The city supports a good Union school, and the Central Wesleyan College, H. Koch, D. D., President, under the direction of the German Methodist Episcopal Conference. A new college, 60 by 90 feet, of brick, to cost some $25,ooo, is now in course of erection.

Wright City, on the St. Louis & Kansas City & Northern Rail Way, 6 miles east of Warrenton, has 2 churches, Methodist and Baptist, a public school incorporated under the village school law, two hotels, 2 large tobacco factories, several stores, and 1 furniture dealer. Population about 300.


**Assessed valuation for 1873, $2,161,706. Taxation, $1.35 per $100. Bonded debt, $16,427. Floating debt about $1,000.
* The census taker publishes over his own name that these figures are wrong, and that the population is over 13,000.


Source: Campbell's Gazetteer of Missouri, Revised Edition, by R. A. Campbell, Published by R. A. Campbell,
St. Louis, Missouri, 1875