Missouri History

Online Resources

 * All About Missouri History.
 * Missouri History Encyclopedia, 1901 ($)
 * County and Town Histories, includes biographies
 * Missouri Archives
 * Missouri Museum

Timeline
The following important events in the history of Missouri affected political boundaries, record keeping, and family movements.


 * 1735: French lead miners established the first permanent white settlement at Sainte Genevieve.
 * 1763: France ceded the Missouri area to Spain. French fur traders founded St. Louis in 1764.
 * 1800: Spain returned the region to France.
 * 1803: France sold Missouri to the United States as part of the Louisiana Purchase. Missouri was part of the Louisiana Territory after 1805.
 * 1812: (June 4,) Congress created the Missouri Territory. Many families left after earthquakes and other disasters.
 * 1820: (May 6) President James Monroe signed the Missouri Compromise. The Missouri Compromise was an effort to maintain a balance of power in Congress. It allowed Missouri to be admitted as a slave state and Maine as a free state.
 * 1821: (August 10,) Missouri became a state.
 * 1837: The Osage Indians ceded land
 * 1837: The Platte Purchase added six northwestern counties to the state.
 * Oregon Trail and Santa Fe Trail start at Independence, Missouri
 * 23 April 1860 - 24 October 1861: Pony Express
 * 1861-1865: During the Civil War most of the citizens supported the Union, although several counties seceded. Troops from Missouri served in both the Confederate and the Union forces.
 * 1898: Over 300,000 men were involved in the Spanish-American War which was fought mainly in Cuba and the Philippines.
 * 1917–1918: More than 26 million men from the United States ages 18 through 45 registered with the Selective Service. World War I over 4.7 million American men and women served during the war.
 * 1930's: The Great Depression closed many factories and mills. Many small farms were abandoned, and many families moved to cities.
 * 1940–1945: Over 50.6 million men ages 18 to 65 registered with the Selective Service. Over 16.3 million American men and women served in the armed forces during World War II.
 * 1950–1953: Over 5.7 million American men and women served in the Korean War.
 * 1950's–1960's The building of interstate highways made it easier for people to move long distances.
 * 1964–1972: Over 8.7 million American men and women served in the Vietnam War.

Historical Content
Histories are great sources of genealogical information. Many contain biographical information about individuals who lived in the area, including:

Local Histories
Some of the most valuable sources for family history research are local histories. Published histories of towns, counties, and states usually contain accounts of families. They describe the settlement of the area and the founding of churches, schools, and businesses. You can also find lists of pioneers, soldiers, and civil officials. Even if your ancestor is not listed, information on other relatives may be included that will provide important clues for locating your ancestor. A local history may also suggest other records to search. Local histories are extensively collected by the Family History Library, public and university libraries, and state and local historical societies. The United States Research "History" page cites nationwide bibliographies of local histories which include histories of Missouri.


 * Central Missouri Counties, History at Ancestry ($)


 * Paul O. Selby,A Bibliography of Missouri County Histories and Atlases, 2d ed. (Kirksville, Missouri: Northeast Missouri State Teachers College, 1966) ,


 * Filby, P. William. A Bibliography of American County Histories. (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1985.) ,


 * Kaminkow, Marion J. United States Local Histories in the Library of Congress. 5 vols. (Baltimore: Magna Charta Book, 1975-76.) ,

The Springfield-Greene County Library District has local history articles for Greene County as well as other Missouri counties online.

Biographies from numerous Missouri County History volumes are available free online on My Genealogy Hound.

State Histories Useful to Genealogists
Good genealogists strive to understand the life and times of their ancestors. In this sense, any history is useful. But certain kinds of state, county, and local histories, especially older histories published between 1845 and 1945, often include biographical sketches of prominent individuals. The sketches usually tend toward the laudatory, but may include some genealogical details. If these histories are indexed or alphabetical, check for an ancestor's name. Some examples for the State of Missouri:


 * Major research centers have histories of the state and its counties. An especially helpful source for studying the history of Missouri before statehood is: Louis Houck, A History of Missouri from the Earliest Explorations and Settlements until the Admission of the State into the Union, Three Volumes. (Chicago, Illinois: R. R. Donnelley, 1908) ,
 * The early history of St. Louis and Missouri : from its first exploration by white men in 1673 to 1843 at Ancestry ($)
 * Hand-book of Missouri at Ancestry ($)
 * Missouri History Encyclopedia, 1901 at Ancestry ($)
 * Missouri History, 1908 at Ancestry ($)
 * Missouri Pioneer Families History, 1876 at Ancestry ($)
 * A history of Missouri : from the earliest explorations and settlements until the admission of the state into the Union at Ancestry ($)
 * History of Missouri Baptists at Ancestry ($)
 * A History of the Pioneer Families of Missouri.... Online at FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, Google Books, Ancestry ($), additional copy at Ancestry ($).
 * Bates, et al. of Virginia and Missouri at Ancestry ($)
 * Sketches of early life and times in Kentucky, Missouri and Illinois at Ancestry ($)
 * The Book of Missourians : the achievements and personnel of notable living men and women of Missouri in the opening decade of t at Ancestry ($)
 * A history of the Smasheys in Maryland, New Jersey, Missouri, Illinois and Florida, 1770-1972 : including, Sam Clemens in Hannib at Ancestry ($)
 * The family of Rev. John Tanner, Baptist preacher : Virginia, North Carolina, Kentucky, Missouri. at Ancestry ($)
 * Missouri, a guide to the "Show Me" state at Ancestry ($)
 * Year book of the Missouri Historical Society : a consolidation of the Missouri Historical Society and the Louisiana Purchase H at Ancestry ($)
 * The Missouri handbook at Ancestry ($)
 * A compilation of the known descendants of Thomas and Rhoda (Patterson) Lillard, a pioneer family of Missouri, Illinois, and Iow at Ancestry ($)
 * A history of the Missouri Baptist General Association at Ancestry ($)
 * Year book of the Missouri Historical Society : a consolidation of the Missouri Historical Society and the Louisiana Purchase H at Ancestry ($)
 * A history of Missouri at Ancestry ($)
 * The states and territories of the great West : including Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Michigan, Wisconsin, Iowa, Minesota at Ancestry ($)
 * Report of the second reunion of the Tri-State Old Settlers' Association of Illinois, Missouri, and Iowa at Ancestry ($)
 * The Wilkinson family history : of Virginia, Missouri and Oklahoma at Ancestry ($)
 * Tipton family of Maryland, Virginia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri at Ancestry ($)
 * Tipton family of Maryland, Virginia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri at Ancestry ($)
 * The Wilkinson family history : of Virginia, Missouri and Oklahoma at Ancestry ($)
 * Switzler's illustrated history of Missouri : from 1541 to 1877 at Ancestry ($)
 * We're from Missouri at Ancestry ($)
 * A history of the Kentucky and Missouri Stiles at Ancestry ($)
 * The early Cockrells in Missouri at Ancestry ($)
 * Länger als ein Menschenleben in Missouri at Ancestry ($)
 * Comments on the Missouri Historical Records Survey at Ancestry ($)
 * The westward movement of capital and the facilities which Missouri offers for its investment at Ancestry ($)
 * Missouri, a bone of contention at Ancestry ($)
 * Services and accomplishments of the Missouri Historical Records Survey at Ancestry ($)
 * The influence of the environment on the settlement of Missouri at Ancestry ($)
 * The influence of the environment on the settlement of Missouri at Ancestry ($)
 * The Spanish regime in Missouri : a collection of papers and documents relating to upper Louisiana, principally within the prese at Ancestry ($)

United States History
The following are only a few of the many sources that are available:


 * Schlesinger, Jr., Arthur M. The Almanac of American History. (Greenwich, Conn.: Bison Books, 1983.), ( This provides brief historical essays and chronological descriptions of thousands of key events in United States history.


 * Ketz, Louise Bilebof, Dictionary of American History, Revised ed., 8 vols. (New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1976.), This includes historical sketches on various topics in U.S. history, such as wars, people, laws, and organizations.


 * The Pony Express Pony Express riders carried the U.S. Mail on horseback. There were approximately 80 of them. There were support personnel as well that numbered over 400. The Pony Express Route Covered Parts of: California, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Utah and Wyoming. Pony Express Riders Biographies By Name Include Some Photos


 * Webster's Guide to American History: A Chronological, Geographical, and Biographical Survey and Compendium. (Springfield, Mass.: G and C Merriam, 1971.), This includes a history, some maps, tables, and other historical information.


 * American Historical Association, Writings on American History (Washington, D.C.: American Historical Association, 1906-1960), Digital version available at Google Books

Draper Manuscript Collection. Look for Missouri ancestors 1740-1830 in the Draper Manuscript Collection. These manuscripts cover the history of the "trans-Allegheny West," a region including the west Carolinas and Virginia, all the Ohio River Valley, and part of the upper Mississippi Valley. There are 491 volumes of partially-indexed manuscripts, papers, and books.


 * To find more books and articles about Missouri 's history use the Internet Google search for phases like "Missouri history."


 * Many more histories may be accessed by using the Place-names search in The FamilySearch Catalog for:


 * MISSOURI - HISTORY
 * MISSOURI, [COUNTY] - HISTORY
 * MISSOURI, [COUNTY], [TOWN] - HISTORY
 * MISSOURI, BIBLIOGRAPHY