Caldwell County is a
countyA county is a land area of local government within a country. A county may have cities and towns within its area. Originally, in continental Europe, a county was the land under the jurisdiction of a count .Counts are called earls in post-Celtic Britain, Ireland and France—the term is from Old...
located in the
U.S. stateA U.S. state is any one of 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government . Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile...
of
MissouriMissouri is a state in the Midwest region of the United States bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. Missouri is the 18th most populous state with a 2008 estimated population of 5,911,605. It comprises 114 counties and one independent city....
. , the population was 8,969. Its
county seatA county seat is a term for an administrative center for a county or civil parish, primarily used in the United States. In the Northeast United States, the statutory term often is shire town, but colloquially county seat is the term in use there...
is
KingstonKingston is a city in Caldwell County, Missouri, United States. The population was 287 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Caldwell County.-Geography:Kingston is located at...
. The county was organized in 1836 as a haven for the Mormons.
Caldwell is part of the
Kansas City Metropolitan AreaThe Kansas City Metropolitan Area is a fifteen-county metropolitan area straddling the border between the states of Missouri and Kansas that is anchored by Kansas City, Missouri. In 2008, it was estimated to have a population numbering just over 2 million...
.
According to the Missouri Secretary of State the County was named by Alexander Doniphan to honor an Indian fighter who his father knew in
KentuckyThe Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. Kentucky is a Southern state situated in the Upland South, although the state is infrequently placed, geographically and culturally, in the Midwest. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a...
. for whom
Caldwell County, KentuckyCaldwell County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It was formed in 1809. As of 2000, the population was 13,060. Its county seat is Princeton, Kentucky. The county is named for John Caldwell, who participated in the George Rogers Clark Indian Campaign of 1786 and was the second...
is named.
Robert L.
Caldwell County is a
countyA county is a land area of local government within a country. A county may have cities and towns within its area. Originally, in continental Europe, a county was the land under the jurisdiction of a count .Counts are called earls in post-Celtic Britain, Ireland and France—the term is from Old...
located in the
U.S. stateA U.S. state is any one of 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government . Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile...
of
MissouriMissouri is a state in the Midwest region of the United States bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. Missouri is the 18th most populous state with a 2008 estimated population of 5,911,605. It comprises 114 counties and one independent city....
. , the population was 8,969. Its
county seatA county seat is a term for an administrative center for a county or civil parish, primarily used in the United States. In the Northeast United States, the statutory term often is shire town, but colloquially county seat is the term in use there...
is
KingstonKingston is a city in Caldwell County, Missouri, United States. The population was 287 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Caldwell County.-Geography:Kingston is located at...
. The county was organized in 1836 as a haven for the Mormons.
Caldwell is part of the
Kansas City Metropolitan AreaThe Kansas City Metropolitan Area is a fifteen-county metropolitan area straddling the border between the states of Missouri and Kansas that is anchored by Kansas City, Missouri. In 2008, it was estimated to have a population numbering just over 2 million...
.
Origin of name
According to the Missouri Secretary of State the County was named by Alexander Doniphan to honor an Indian fighter who his father knew in
KentuckyThe Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. Kentucky is a Southern state situated in the Upland South, although the state is infrequently placed, geographically and culturally, in the Midwest. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a...
. for whom
Caldwell County, KentuckyCaldwell County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It was formed in 1809. As of 2000, the population was 13,060. Its county seat is Princeton, Kentucky. The county is named for John Caldwell, who participated in the George Rogers Clark Indian Campaign of 1786 and was the second...
is named.
Robert L. Ramsay who wrote books about the placenames in Missouri says the county was named for Matthew Caldwell "commander of Indian Scouts in Kentucky" in the
War of 1812The War of 1812, between the United States of America and the British Empire , lasted from 1812 to 1815. It was fought chiefly on the Atlantic Ocean and on the land, coasts and waterways of North America.There were several immediate stated causes for the U.S...
. No further details are given. The prominent Caldwell war name from Kentucky during this period is
William Caldwell (ranger)William Caldwell was probably the son of William and Rebecka Caldwell of County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland...
(famed for his Caldwell's Rangers group). His partner was
Matthew Elliott (loyalist)Matthew Elliott was an Irish-born trader and Indian agent in the Ohio Country in the era of the American Revolution and afterwards. He worked closely with Tecumseh in securing a Native American alliance with the British in the War of 1812.Elliott was born in County Donegal and came to North...
. They were pro
BritishThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
in the fights.
There was a Matthew Caldwell who was born in Kentucky in 1781 and was a member of the
Missouri House of RepresentativesThe Missouri House of Representatives is the lower chamber of the Missouri General Assembly. It has 163 members, representing districts with an average size of 31,000 residents.-Composition:...
in 1834 from
Washington, MissouriWashington is a city on the Missouri River in Franklin County, Missouri, United States. The population was 13,243 at the 2000 census. It is the corncob pipe capital of the world, with Missouri Meerschaum located in Washington.-Geography:...
in
Franklin County, MissouriFranklin County is a county located in the U.S. state of Missouri on the south side of the Missouri River. Franklin County is part of the St. Louis Metro Area. As of 2006, the population was 100,067. Its county seat is Union. The county was organized in 1818 and is named for Founding Father...
The name of Matthew Caldwell was mentioned in a history of the country written the 1890s but no details were given on who Caldwell was.
Mormon Settlement
Caldwell County was originally part of
Ray County, MissouriRay County is a county located in the U.S. state of Missouri. As of 2000, the population was 23,354. Its county seat is Richmond. Ray County is part of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area....
. The first white settler was Jesse Mann, Sr. who settled one half mile northeast of the public square of Kingston on Shoal Creek in 1831. The early settlers moved back south in 1832 for better protection during the
Black Hawk WarThe Black Hawk War was fought in 1832 in the Midwestern United States. The war was named for Black Hawk, a war chief of the Sauk, Fox, and Kickapoo Native Americans, whose British Band fought against the United States Army and militia from Illinois and the Michigan Territory for possession of...
uprising.
In 1832 a few Mormon settlers who had been evicted from
Jackson County, MissouriJackson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Missouri. As of 2000, the population was 654,880. The 2005 Census estimates put the population of Jackson County at 662,959. It is the second most populous county in Missouri after St. Louis County, owing mostly to the presence of Kansas...
moved into the county including Jacob Haun whose mill on Shoal Creek would become the scene of the bloodiest battle in the Mormon War.
The settlers established the first town in the county -- Salem -- two miles southeast of Kingston.
In the fall of 1836 a larger number of Mormons moved to the county.
In December 1836 the Missouri General Assembly created Caldwell County with the understanding it would be dedicated to Mormon settlers. Its county seat was
Far West, MissouriFar West, Missouri, was a Latter Day Saint settlement in Caldwell County, Missouri.-Foundation and early history:The town was founded by Missouri Mormon leaders, W. W. Phelps and John Whitmer in August 1836 shortly before the county's creation. The town was platted originally as a 1 mile square...
.
By 1838 Far West reported a population of 4,000.
Included in the immigration were all the major figures of early Mormon history including
Joseph Smith, Jr.Joseph Smith, Jr. was the founder of the Latter Day Saint movement, also known as Mormonism, and an important religious and political figure during the 1830s and 1840s...
,
Hyrum SmithHyrum Smith was the older brother of Joseph Smith, Jr. and a leader in the early Latter Day Saint movement. Hyrum was born in Tunbridge, Vermont, the second son of Joseph Smith, Sr. and Lucy Mack Smith. Hyrum received a limited education, and established himself as a farmer...
,
Brigham YoungBrigham Young was an American leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and a settler of the western United States. He was the president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1847 until his death and was the founder of Salt Lake City and the first governor of Utah Territory,...
, John Taylor (Mormon),
Edward PartridgeEdward Partridge was the grandson of Massachusetts Congressman Oliver Partridge, Esq., and a member of a family noted for commercial, social, political, and military leadership in Western Massachusetts. An early convert to the Latter Day Saint movement, he was the first person to hold the...
,
Sidney RigdonSidney Rigdon was an important figure in the early history of the Latter Day Saint movement. Rigdon's influence over the early years of the movement is considered by many historians to have been nearly as strong as that of church founder Joseph Smith Jr.-Baptist background:Sidney Rigdon was born...
,
Parley P. PrattParley Parker Pratt was a leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and an original member of Quorum of the Twelve Apostles from 1835 until his murder in 1857. He served in the Quorum with his younger brother, Orson Pratt...
and
John D. LeeJohn Doyle Lee was a prominent early Latter-day Saint who was executed for his role in the Mountain Meadows massacre.-Early Mormon leader:...
.
Mormon War
Mormon settlers moved further north into
Daviess County, MissouriThis Page is about the county in Missouri,
for other counties with similar names, see Daviess County.
Daviess County is a county located in the U.S. state of Missouri. As of 2000, the population was 8,016. Its county seat is Gallatin. The county was organized in 1836 and is named...
particularly at
Adam-ondi-AhmanAdam-ondi-Ahman is a historic site along the east bluffs above the Grand River in Daviess County, Missouri...
after Smith proclaimed that it was the Bibilical place where
Adam and EveAdam and Eve were, according to the Book of Genesis of the Bible, the first man and woman created by God...
were banished after leaving the
Garden of EdenThe Garden of Eden is a location described in the Book of Genesis as being the place where the first man, Adam, and his wife, Eve, lived after they were created by God. Literally, the Bible speaks about a garden in Eden...
and that it would be a gathering place on the Judgement Day.
Following a skirmish between original Missouri settlers and Mormon settlers in the Gallatin Election Day Battle the Mormon War erupted in which both sides burned and plundered each other's settlements.
After Missouri militia was routed in the Battle of Crooked Creek, Missouri Governor
Lilburn BoggsLilburn Williams Boggs was the Governor of Missouri from 1836 to 1840. He is now most widely remembered for his interactions with Joseph Smith and Porter Rockwell, and the "Extermination Order" issued in response to the ongoing conflict between members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day...
issued the Extermination Order to evict the Mormons from the state. Three days later a group from
Livingston County, MissouriLivingston County is a county located in the U.S. state of Missouri. As of 2000, the population was 14,558. Its county seat is Chillicothe....
killed 18 Mormons in the
Haun's Mill massacreThe Haun's Mill massacre was an event in the history of the Latter Day Saint movement. It occurred on October 30, 1838 when a militia unit from Livingston County attacked a Mormon settlement in eastern Caldwell County, Missouri, United States, in retaliation for the killing of one Missourian and...
.
Troops then laid siege to Far West. Smith surrendered in October 1838 and the settlers agreed to leave totally abandoning Far West and then regrouping in
Nauvoo, IllinoisNauvoo is a small city in Hancock County, Illinois, United States. Although the current population is just 1,063 , and it is difficult to reach over secondary highways in a remote corner of Illinois, Nauvoo attracts large numbers of visitors for its historic importance and its religious...
.
Following the dissolution of Far West the county seat moved to Kingston.
Notable natives
- James Cash Penney, founder of J. C. Penney
James Cash Penney was a businessman and entrepreneur. In 1902, he founded the J.C. Penney stores.-Early life:...
- Charles J. Hughes, U.S. Senator
- Frank B. Klepper
Frank B. Klepper was a U.S. Representative from Missouri.Born in St. John, Putnam County, Missouri, Klepper moved with his parents to Mirabile, Missouri, where he remained for ten years, and attended the common schools....
, Congressman
- Zack Wheat
Zachariah Davis "Zack" Wheat , nicknamed "Buck", was an American Major League Baseball left fielder. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1959....
, professional baseball player
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,113 km² (430 mi²). 1,112 km² (429 mi²) of it is land and 1 km² (0 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 0.09% water.
Adjacent counties
- Daviess County
This Page is about the county in Missouri,
for other counties with similar names, see Daviess County.
Daviess County is a county located in the U.S. state of Missouri. As of 2000, the population was 8,016. Its county seat is Gallatin. The county was organized in 1836 and is named...
(north)
- Livingston County
Livingston County is a county located in the U.S. state of Missouri. As of 2000, the population was 14,558. Its county seat is Chillicothe....
(east)
- Carroll County
Carroll County is a county located in the U.S. state of Missouri. As of 2000, the population was 10,285. Its county seat is Carrollton. The county was organized in January 2, 1833 from part of Ray County, Missouri and named for Charles Carroll of Carrollton, a signer of the Declaration of...
(southeast)
- Ray County
Ray County is a county located in the U.S. state of Missouri. As of 2000, the population was 23,354. Its county seat is Richmond. Ray County is part of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area....
(south)
- Clinton County
Clinton County is a county located in the U.S. state of Missouri. As of 2000, the population was 18,979. Its county seat is Plattsburg.The county was organized in 1833 and named in honor of the first Governor of New York and the first Vice President of the United States to die in office, George...
(west)
- DeKalb County
DeKalb County is a county located in the U.S. state of Missouri. As of 2000, the population is 11,597. The county was organized in 1845 and is named after the American Revolutionary War general Johann de Kalb. The county along with Buchanan and Andrew counties in Missouri and Doniphan County,...
(northwest)
Major highways
- U.S. Route 36
- Route 13
- Route 116
Cities and towns
- Braymer
Braymer is a city in Caldwell County, Missouri, United States. The population was 910 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Braymer is located at ....
- Breckenridge
Breckenridge is a city in Caldwell County, Missouri, United States. The population was 454 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Breckenridge is located at...
- Cowgill
Cowgill is a city in Caldwell County, Missouri, United States. The population was 247 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Cowgill is located at ....
- Hamilton
Hamilton is a city in Caldwell County, Missouri, United States. The population was 1,813 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Hamilton is located at ....
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Kidder Kidder is a city in Caldwell County, Missouri, United States. The population was 271 at the 2000 census.The city was laid out in 1860 by H.B. Kidder of the Kidder Land Company in Boston, which was seeking to encourage non-slave owning European immigrants to settle along the Hannibal and St...
KingstonKingston is a city in Caldwell County, Missouri, United States. The population was 287 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Caldwell County.-Geography:Kingston is located at...
PoloPolo is a city in Caldwell County, Missouri, United States. The population was 582 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Polo is located at ....
|
- Far West
Far West, Missouri, was a Latter Day Saint settlement in Caldwell County, Missouri.-Foundation and early history:The town was founded by Missouri Mormon leaders, W. W. Phelps and John Whitmer in August 1836 shortly before the county's creation. The town was platted originally as a 1 mile square...
(ghost town / historic site)
Townships
Caldwell County is divided into twelve
townshipsA township in the United States is a small geographic area. Townships range in size from 6 to 54 square miles , with 36 square miles being the norm.The term is used in two ways....
:
- Breckenridge
Breckenridge Township is one of twelve townships in Caldwell County, Missouri, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 627.-Geography:Breckenridge Township covers an area of and contains one incorporated settlement, Breckenridge.-References:...
- Davis
Davis Township is one of twelve townships in Caldwell County, Missouri, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 1,296.-Geography:Davis Township covers an area of and contains one incorporated settlement, Braymer....
- Fairview
Fairview Township is one of twelve townships in Caldwell County, Missouri, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 161.-Geography:Fairview Township covers an area of and contains no incorporated settlements....
- Gomer
Gomer Township is one of twelve townships in Caldwell County, Missouri, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 298.-Geography:Gomer Township covers an area of and contains no incorporated settlements.-References:*...
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Grant Grant Township is one of twelve townships in Caldwell County, Missouri, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 1,224.-Geography:Grant Township covers an area of and contains one incorporated settlement, Polo. It contains five cemeteries: Dixon, Dunkard, Estes, Wiley and...
HamiltonHamilton Township is one of twelve townships in Caldwell County, Missouri, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 2,362.-Geography:...
KidderKidder Township is one of twelve townships in Caldwell County, Missouri, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 891.-Geography:Kidder Township covers an area of and contains one incorporated settlement, Kidder...
KingstonKingston Township is one of twelve townships in Caldwell County, Missouri, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 543.-Geography:Kingston Township covers an area of and contains one incorporated settlement, Kingston...
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Lincoln Lincoln Township is one of twelve townships in Caldwell County, Missouri, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 471.-Geography:Lincoln Township covers an area of and contains one incorporated settlement, Cowgill.-References:*...
MirabileMirabile Township is one of twelve townships in Caldwell County, Missouri, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 362. Mirabile is also the name of the school district.-Geography:...
New YorkNew York Township is one of twelve townships in Caldwell County, Missouri, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 256.-Geography:New York Township covers an area of and contains no incorporated settlements....
RockfordRockford Township is one of twelve townships in Caldwell County, Missouri, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 478.-Geography:Rockford Township covers an area of and contains no incorporated settlements...
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External links