History of New Madrid County History of New Madrid County

QUICK FACTS

• Organized . . . Oct. 1, 1812
• Namesake . . . Madrid, Spain
• County Seat . . . New Madrid, Missouri
• Largest City, Fully Encapsulated . . . Portageville, Missouri
• Largest City, Adjacent Scott County . . . Sikeston, Missouri
• Total Area . . . 697 sq mi

• State Senate District . . . 25th
• State House of Representatives District . . . 149th
• State Judicial District . . . Circuit 34
• State Appellate District . . . Southern District
• U.S. Congressional District . . . MO-8th
• U.S. Supreme Court Circuit . . . 8th

• Population by Census:
• 2025 . . . 15,086*
• 2020 . . . 16,434
• 2000 . . . 19,760
• 1980 . . . 22,945
• 1960 . . . 31,350
• 1940 . . . 39,787**
• 1920 . . . 25,180
• 1900 . . . 11,280
• 1880 . . . 7,694
• 1860 . . . 5,654
• 1840 . . . 4,554
• 1820 . . . 2,296

Current Estimate* & Peak**

SWAMPY SETTLEMENT

Originally inhabited by Native American tribes including the Mississippian, Osage, and Chickasaw peoples*, over 160 Indian Mounds exist across the county. The area later came under Spanish and French influence during the 1700s and was referred to as the New Madrid District.

This early settlement and trading post within the district was established by Joseph & Francis LeSieur (~1780-1786) at L’Anse a la Graise, translated to “Cove of Grease” or “Greasy Cove.” The town of "Nuevo Madrid" or "La Nouvella Madrid" was founded on Apr. 14, 1789 under the auspices of Spanish Louisiana Governor Bernardo Vicente de Gálvez y Madrid and Spanish Lt. Governor of Upper Louisiana Manuel Pérez under the appointed Empresario and Revolutionary War veteran, Col. George Morgan.

New Madrid may be the third oldest city and first American settlement west of the river. One person declared that the people who followed Col. Morgan were "Mad-rid indeed." This saying might account for the local pronunciation of the city's name as "Mad'rid" instead of "Mad-drid," as it was intended.

New Madrid was the southern extent of El Camino Real or "King's Highway", which was used to hasten orders of the Spanish Crown from New Orleans (by boat) and then to St. Louis by land. The first church established in the settlement was Catholic in 1789 and named St. Isidore.

*This may not include all known former Native American tribes native to the region.

EARLY DAYS

On Oct. 1, 1800, the Spanish quietly ceded Spanish Louisiana to the French Republic via the Third Treaty of San Ildefonso in Paris. Announced on Independence Day in 1803, French Republic Consul Napoleon Bonaparte sold the Louisiana territory to the United States, under the direction of President Thomas Jefferson and Secretary of State James Madison, for ~$15,000,000.00 ($.03/acre) and collectively $23,313,567.73, after the price of interest was paid on the remaining bonds twenty-years later. The formal transfer was not completed until Dec. 20, 1803.

A ceremony occurred in New Madrid on Mar. 18, 1804, as command was formally transferred from the Spanish Empire to the French Republic, and then to the United States. The Territory of Orleans and District of Louisiana was organized on Oct. 1, 1804. Courts of the Common Pleas and Quarter-Sessions of the Peace were established in New Madrid in Mar. 1805. The Methodist Church is the oldest Protestant church in New Madrid, founded in Mar. 1810.

EARTHQUAKES STRIKE

The county is best known for the powerful New Madrid earthquakes between Dec. 16, 1811 - Feb. 7, 1812, which are among the strongest in North American history. The earthquakes dramatically altered the landscape, damaged settlements, and temporarily changed the flow of the Mississippi River, creating the still-active New Madrid Seismic Zone and established Reelfoot Lake in nearby Lake & Obion Counties, Tennessee. Bells were reported ringing as far away as Boston, Massachusetts.

Further reading.

ORGANIZATION

On Jun. 4, 1812, the Louisiana Territory was renamed to the Missouri Territory due to Louisiana being admitted as a state on Apr. 30, 1812.

Prior to Missouri achieving statehood, New Madrid County was organized, alongside four other original counties (Cape Girardeau, St. Charles, Ste. Genevieve & St. Louis) by then Fourth Missouri Territory Governor William Clark (famously known for his expedition with Meriwether Lewis) on Oct. 1, 1812. New Madrid County at this time extended south to the State of Louisiana. Shortly thereafter on Dec. 31, 1813, the size was reduced by the organization of Arkansas County and this trend would continue for many years.

The court convened in Mar. 1814 in Big Prairie, whereas the seat of justice was chosen in Rossville (due south of Sikeston). The county's size was reduced again on Jan. 15, 1815, with the organization of Lawrence County. By Dec. 1815, the Circuit Court was established. Sometime thereafter, court records indicate that court was held on Apr. 12, 1819 at the courthouse in Winchester. On Independence Day in 1819, the Arkansas Territory was established, absorbing all of Arkansas County and most of Lawrence County. Congress approved the Missouri Enabling Act on Mar. 6, 1820, creating the boundaries of Missouri, including the Missouri Bootheel. Missouri was finally admitted as the 24th State on Aug. 10, 1821, and new county boundaries were drawn. Our county seal commemorates this number by including 24 stars. Again on Dec. 28, 1821, the size was decreased by the organization of Scott County.

The seat of justice officially relocated to the City of New Madrid Feb. 4, 1822, using a courthouse long-believed to be one of the first frame buildings in the county.

The first school established in New Madrid was St. Joseph's Parochial school in 1832 by the Sisters of Loretta of Bethlehem or "Young Ladies Academy."

Yet again on Jan. 2, 1835, New Madrid County lost land with the organization of Stoddard County, which included territory of the soon-to-be Dunklin County. As Mississippi County was organized on Feb. 14, 1845, the county lost even more. Finally, on Feb. 19, 1851, with the organization of Pemiscot County, the existing boundary lines were finalized.

During the mid-19th century, New Madrid County grew into a major agricultural and transportation center. Fertile river-bottom land supported crops such as cotton, corn, soybeans, wheat, and rice, while river trade and steamboat traffic played a vital role in the local economy.

On Nov. 17, 1848, and similarly on Jun. 11, 1852, the public square was ordered disposed to help pay for a new courthouse and square, yet the old building was not sold until Oct. 3, 1854. The cost of the newer building was received on Nov. 13, 1854 in the amount of $2,950*. A rendition of the 1854 courthouse by A. R. Waud of Harper's Weekly, sketched in 1871, can be viewed on a historical marker on the east side of the courthouse lawn.

The first Presbyterian Church was built on Sep. 20, 1856. The oldest known homes include the Hunter-Dawson Home, constructed by W. W. Hunter, and the Hatcher home, constructed by Thomas Dawson; both in 1858.

*Conflicting sources exist.

CIVIL WAR IMPACT

During the Civil War, New Madrid County’s location along the Mississippi River made it a key strategic location due to the river’s importance for transportation and military operations. The decisive victory over the Battle of Island No. 10 (Feb. 28, 1862 - Apr. 8, 1862) gave the Union forces, commanded under Maj. Gen. John Pope, Maj. Gen. Henry Halleck & Rear Admiral Andrew H. Foote, the means necessary to start cornering the geographical reach of the opposing Confederate forces. During the Siege of New Madrid in Mar. 1862, Confederate forces built an artillery observation platform on the roof of the courthouse. The City of New Madrid maintains a page dedicated to the historical significance of this conflict, and an exhibit is available for tourists at the New Madrid Historical Museum.

LATE 1800s

The first public schools were opened in New Madrid around 1870. On Mar. 17, 1875, five commissioners were appointed to select a new site for a newer construction due to constant flooding encroachments. The first African American church, Methodist Episcopal Church, was founded in 1882 by L. H. Brown, and the first African American school was constructed in 1899. On Sep. 24, 1905, fire destroyed the courthouse, which was described as a one-story frame building with red cypress containing four offices and a court.

TURN OF THE CENTURY

In 1912, the City of Lilbourn challenged for the County Seat, but by popular choice, remained in New Madrid.

In Mar. 1915, a new site was purchased north of the original town to move the seat to its current location. The court accepted the Interstate Building and Construction Company's bid of ~$80,000 for the shell of a design designed by H. G. Clymer of St. Louis. Clymer's original plan was for a brick building 107' x 75' with stone trim. Citizens donated $20,000 to supplement the $50,000 bond issue. W. W. Taylor of Cape Girardeau superintended the final interior work, being completed in Jan. 1919. Final costs exceeded $100,000. This building remains in use by the county to this day (450 Main Street) and was dedicated that month. This new building included five concrete vaults with double-steel doors and was heated with a coal-fired steam radiator system. During the ensuing years, the offices of the Sheriff, Health Department and Road & Bridge relocated from the building.

Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist Church was constructed in 1924 and the Church of God in Christ was built in 1932.

Harry S. Truman, born in Lamar, Missouri, delivered campaign speeches at the current courthouse during his Senate campaign in 1934 (served 1935-1945), being one of his first stops as he began his campaign in Southeast Missouri. Candidate Truman championed farmers and workers and the "New Deal" policies of then President Franklin D. Roosevelt, positioning him as a leader of the Democratic Party. In 1940, Senator Truman returned, declaring that national defense was one of his top priorities. New Madrid County's Prosecuting Attorney, J. V. Conran, openly supported his second nomination. Senator Truman proclaimed "I am deeply affected that the good people of a part of Missouri most remote from my home town did me such a singular honor." Assuming office as the 33rd President of the United States after FDR's passing on Apr. 12, 1945, and the only Missourian to lead the Executive Branch, President Truman served from 1945-1953. The formal surrender of Imperial Japan occurred on Sep. 2, 1945 aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay, concluding World War II.

MODERN ERA*

The site of the "old jail" at #2 Courthouse Square was dedicated in 1979 and ceased jailing operations in the early 2010s. As of 2015, the basement and first two floors of the courthouse were fully occupied with the attic used for records and archive storage. In 2026, renovations are being finalized at the joint facility for the Sheriff Department, Juvenile Department & 911 Dispatch located at 350 US Highway 61. Today, the county remains a rural agricultural community known for its rich history, Mississippi River heritage and ongoing earthquake awareness and preparedness efforts.

*This section is incomplete and remains a work in progress.

Pages dedicated to the individual history of each village, town and city within the county will be added as sources are located, vetted and prepared.

SOURCES

• Morrow, Lynn (1980). "New Madrid and its Hinterland: 1783-1826." Bulletin of the Missouri Historical Society.

• Foley, William E. "Manuel Pérez (1735–1819)". Missouri Encyclopedia.
  

• Savelle, Max (1932). "The Founding of New Madrid, Missouri". The Mississippi Valley Historical Review.

• Ohman, Marian M. (1981). "Encyclopedia of Missouri Courthouses." University of Missouri-Columbia Extension Division.

• Miller, Hunter. (1948, reprint 2010). "Historical New Madrid County Mother of Southeast Missouri: A Project of High School Department New Madrid County Teachers Association." Graphic Arts Department, New Madrid County Area Vocational-Technical School.

• Various historical land markers across the area.

If any historical inaccuracies are noted, please notify the Website Administrator for corrections.