Clinton County - Plattsburg, Mo.
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iconions
N 39° 33.977 W 094° 26.828
15S E 375692 N 4380620
This Historical Marker is located in front of the Clinton County Courthouse - 207 North Main Street in Plattsburg, Mo.
Waymark Code: WMC8XK
Location: Missouri, United States
Date Posted: 08/09/2011
Views: 18
This is a State of Missouri Marker located near the west entrance of the Clinton County Courthouse. The text reads:
Clinton County
Once forming part of Missouri's western boundary, Clinton County was organized in 1833 and named for N. Y. Governor DeWitt Clinton. It lost boundary status in 1837 when Indian Platte Purchase territory extended the State border to the Missouri.
Plattsburg, the county seat, founded 1833, is on site selected by Commissioners David R. Atchison, Howard Everett, and John Long. First called Concord, then Springfield, it was named for Plattsburg, Clinton County, N. Y., 1835. A U.S. Land Office was located there 1843-59, to handle sales in Platte Purchase. James H. Birch (later Mo. Supreme Court judge) was first register of Public Land. An early school, Plattsburg (Methodist) College opened there in 1855 and closed in 1897 under the private ownership of J. W. Ellis.
Cameron, the county's second town, was laid out, 1855. The Hannibal and St. Joseph (Burlington) reached there, 1859. There was Cameron Institute (Mo. Wesleyan College) 1883 - 1928. Near Cameron is Wallace State park, named for local family, founded 1932. Lathrop, famed horse and mule market in Boer War and World War I, dates from 1867.
(see other side)
One of Missouri's leading cattle counties, Clinton is also a grain, dairy, and poultry producer. In territory ceded by Iowa, Sac and Fox tribes in 1824, the county was settled in the late 1820's. Southerners, New Englanders, Missourians, pioneered the area.
In the war years of 1861-65, guerrilla raiders halted growth. The 1870's brought the Chicago, Rock Is. & Pac. and Santa Fe railroads. The Quincy, Omaha, & K.C. came in 1897. New towns were laid out along the routes. Plattsburg, Cameron, and Lathrop developed as important shipping points.
In Plattsburg is State's statue of David Rice Atchison (1807-1886), U.S. Sen., 1843-55; proslavery leader in the Mo. - Kan. border trouble. He is buried in Plattsburg and his home is in Gower. It is claimed he was "President for a day" since he was pres. pro tem. of the Senate when Zachary Taylor's inauguration was put from Sun. Mar. 4, 1849, to Mon. In Plattsburg is the birthplace of O. O. McIntyre (1884 - 1938), newspaper writer, and home of of novelist J. Breckenridge Ellis (1870 - 1956), Musician Don Gillis was born in Cameron and there lived artist G. E. Burr.
History of Mark:
This plaque was one of the 121 original markers placed by the State of Missouri between 1951 and 1961. One for each county (114) and one for the free city of St. Louis (115) and two in Jasper County & Pike county for two county seats (117), three in Jackson county and three in Howard county (121).
Update since marker was erected: Chartered in 1883, Missouri Wesleyan opened in 1887 as the Cameron Institute. The name was changed to Missouri Wesleyan in 1890. Straitened financial conditions forced the school to merge with Baker University in Baldwin, Kansas, in 1930.
Web link: Not listed
Additional point: Not Listed
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