I too, like my good friend Patrick H, live in Boonville, Missouri- The "gem" of the Boonslick or better known as "The Vine Clad City". But unlike my friend, I am not a native- but a transplant from the south shore of Long Island. A number of years back, 35+ years in fact, I was commissioned to conduct a Historic Survey of Boonville and Cooper County. This was indeed a labor of love- I had found a benefactor to pay me to do my hobby. As Director and Historian, my office Nominated 450 properties to the National Register of Historical Places in Boonville, and two out in the county (with more time at least 50 more could have been nominated. At that time, most of the local denizens were not cognizant of the area's rich history and architecture and as is often the case, it took an "outsider" and a Yankee even, to show them the rich cultural history that surrounded them. Out of this rich endeavor I gained a deep appreciation of Boonville and the Boonslick.
I left Missouri in 1981 for the far reaches of Northern New Hampshire- down the road from the 'Old Man'. It was a beautiful place to live but within a month or two, I realized that I missed my lay-back Boonville life with its rolling hills, great architecture and history, the Missouri River and most of all my friends. Needless to say, I had to get back...and I did after 6 months...never to leave again.
Generally speaking this area, the Boonslick Country, is a fantastic historical area! More specifically though here is what Boonville history a has to offer.
- - Pre-historic Indian mounds.
- - Early settlement which began in 1810- There were 2 War of 1812 fort sites Hannah Cole's fort and her brother-in-law Stephen Cole's fort. Numerous skirmishes and indian attacks in Boonville and across the Mo River in Howard County. Early settlers arrived from Kentucky, Tennessee and North Carolina bringing with them a Southern culture, slavery and architecture.
- - It was an early important river town. At one time Boonville was the second largest City in Missouri. It was the beginning point of the Santa Fe Trail and became a major transportation hub for points west .
- - It became a Central Missouri educational center with numerous schools and academies from it's earliest days up until the early 1900's. The most well known was the Kemper Family School/ Kemper Military School (1844-2002).
- - Beginning in the 1840's and extending up until the new century there was a wave of German settlement. They too brought a rich culture of architecture (known as Missouri German), farming, wine and beer making, marketing and saloon keeping. A few Germans even owned slaves but this was not common.
- - It was the site of one of the first CW engagements- The Battle of Boonville, June 17, 1861. This battle secured the Missouri River into Union hands. There was also a Second Battle of Boonville, September 17, 1861. Furthermore, as Patrick H stated earlier, the town changed hands a number of times. It was here during Price's 1864 raid that he became disgusted with Bloody Bill Anderson and his men with their Centralia scalps hanging from their bridles. The town and it's close surroundings experienced guerilla activity nearly the entire CW era.
- Frank James was incarcerated in our slave built county jail which still stands remaining as a museum. The James gang Rocky Cut train robbery took place about 25 miles south of town in the area of CW trenches at Otterville.
- Following the CW, with the slow dissolution of the steamboat trade, Boonville continued as a transportation hub by being an intersection point of two major railroads. Commerce again thrived in the 1920's with the trans-continental Highway 40 traversing the Missouri River over the new "Old Trails Bridge"and running straight down Main ST.. This bridge was most memorable to anyone who had ever driven over it because of its narrow striated steel road bed.
All in all it's a pretty neat place to live. Small town life at almost it's best. The climate is agreeable and the winters here are relatively easy (especially this one). Quail hunting isn't as good as it was a while back but you can catch lots of keeper bass in small lakes and ponds within 5 minutes of town. If you want huge catfish or spoonbill try the Missouri River. The population of Boonville is slightly over 8,000 people-about what it was around the time of the Civil War.
If you are interested in reading about the Boonslick (Little Dixie Area), I would recommend these 2 sources:
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