In the early 1700’s Benton County, Missouri was home to a variety of Native Americans including Delaware, Shawnee, Sac, Kickapoo, but primarily Osage. The first recorded white man in the area arrived in 1719; French traders, hunters and trappers along the Osage River basin provided a steady stream of commerce for the area. However, by 1830 the river not only transported supplies but also played a major part in bringing new life to the area. Pioneers were for the most part farmers of Scotch-Irish, German and English descent who migrated mostly from Kentucky, Tennessee and the Carolinas.
Benton County was created 1835 from Pettis and Greene counties; north of the Osage River came from Pettis County and south of the Osage from Greene County. In 1841, a northwest section was returned to Pettis County, and Niangua Township became part of Kinderhook, now called Camden County. The north half of Hickory County was formed from southern Benton County in 1845 and since that time Benton County’s boundaries have remained unchanged. On January 7, 1837 a committee was appointed by the Benton County Court to choose a site for the County Seat “located as near the center of the county and the Osage River as possible”, Warsaw was selected and in April 1843 the city was incorporated. There is no written record of how the name “Warsaw” was chosen, but it is believed that the name was chosen in honor of the Polish Patriot Kosciusko, who fought in the Revolutionary War.
From infancy, Benton County was the crossroads of travel and freighting. As early as 1820 a ferry was operated on the Osage River by Lewis Bledsoe, near where Truman Dam sits today. Stagecoaches and wagon trains passed through every day. The Nicholas Tavern, which was later Newman’s Hotel and is currently the Reser Funeral Home, was used in pre-Civil War days as a daily mail stop by the Overland Mail Company, better known as the Butterfield Stage. In 1837, the first steamboats traveled the Osage River bringing supplies such as groceries, salt, nails and iron and returning with pork, furs, grain, deer skins and meat, chickens, eggs, whiskey and much more. In 1854, Warsaw alone shipped 144 bales of deer skins. In the mid-1850’s as many as seven St. Louis steamboats could be seen at the wharf at Warsaw at one time. As the saying goes, all good things must come to an end, and so it was true for the riverboats….replaced by trains and then automobiles. The first train made the journey between Sedalia and Warsaw on November 20, 1880, running daily trips with supplies and passengers. But as progress marched on the romance with train travel for Benton County ended on August 31, 1946 when the Missouri-Pacific line was discontinued.
Benton County Genealogy Links
The Benton County Historical Society is planning a section in our new museum devoted to genealogy researchers in Benton County, however, until we can reopen the museum the following links should help assist you in your family seaches.
In the early 1700’s Benton County, Missouri was home to a variety of Native Americans including Delaware, Shawnee, Sac, Kickapoo, but primarily Osage. The first recorded white man in the area arrived in 1719; French traders, hunters and trappers along the Osage River basin provided a steady stream of commerce for the area. However, by 1830 the river not only transported supplies but also played a major part in bringing new life to the area. Pioneers were for the most part farmers of Scotch-Irish, German and English descent who migrated mostly from Kentucky, Tennessee and the Carolinas.