History History

Originally inhabited by Native Americans including the Mississippian, Shawnee, Delaware and various other tribes, over 160 Indian mounds still exist across the region today.

On Apr. 9, 1682, French explorer René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de la Salle claimed the entire Mississippi Valley on the western mouth of the "Misi zipi" or Great River (present day Venice, LA), naming the area after French King Louis XIV. After the French loss resulting from the Seven Years' War (French & Indian War), France secretly ceded the territory west of the river to the Spanish in the Treaty of Fontainebleau on Nov. 3, 1762. This agreement was formalized later in the Treaty of Paris on Feb. 10, 1763, which included all French claims east of the river to Great Britain under King George III.

This early settlement and trading post within the demarcation of Upper and Lower Louisiana was founded by Joseph & François LeSieur sometime in 1783 at L’Anse a la Graise, translated to “Cove of Grease” or “Greasy Cove.” The town of "Nuevo Madrid" or "La Nouvella Madrid" was formally established on Feb. 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 American Revolutionary War Veteran, Col. George Morgan.

New Madrid may not be the oldest city in the State of Missouri...

• Ste. Genevieve . . . 1735
• St. Louis . . . 1764
• St. Charles . . . 1769
• Florissant . . . 1786

...yet it may very well be the first American settlement west of the Mississippi. Promised to settlers to be rich in "milk and honey," the area was mostly untamed swampland. Local legend suggests that those who followed Col. Morgan's endeavor were "Mad-rid indeed." This could very well explain the locals' pronunciation of the name: "MAD-rid" rather than "mad-DRID," as intended.

Much of the original settlement lies south of present day Water Street. Similarly, New Madrid was the southern terminus of "El Camino Real" or "King's Highway". This route was used to hasten orders of Spanish nobility from New Orleans (by way of boat) to St. Louis (by way of land). St. Isidore, the patron saint of farmers and of Madrid, was the name given to the first Catholic Church established within the settlement in 1789, with construction completed ten years later.

On Oct. 1, 1800, the Spanish quietly ceded Spanish Louisiana to the French Republic via the Third Treaty of San Ildefonso in Paris, France. 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 Louisiana Purchase was not finalized until Dec. 20, 1803.

The immediate month prior, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, preparing for their expedition, met at the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi River near Cairo, IL and Bird's Point (present day Mississippi County), marking their first foot steps into the newly acquired territory.

A rather rare ceremony took place in town on Mar. 18, 1804, as command was formally transferred from the Spanish Empire, to the French Republic, and then to the United States.

On Oct. 1, 1804, then-appointed Indiana Territory Governor William Henry Harrison, assigned to administer affairs within the District of Louisiana, created the five original Districts by proclamation, listed geographically from north to south:

• St. Charles
• St. Louis
• Ste. Genevieve
• Cape Girardeau
• New Madrid

Courts of the Common Pleas and Quarter-Sessions of the Peace were formed in St. Louis on Mar. 3, 1805 as the District of Louisiana was renamed to the Territory of Louisiana. The District of Arkansas was established on Jun. 26, 1806, making it the sixth district within said territory.

The vast majority of the land contained within the District of New Madrid was formally transferred by the Chiefs and Warriors of the Great and Little Osage (now known as the Osage Nation) to the United States via the Treaty with the Osage (also known as the Treaty of Fort Clark), signed on Nov. 10, 1808. Further information may be found here, here and here (courtesy of Oklahoma State University, Jefferson College & the Indigenous Digital Archive Project, respectively).

This region remains infamously known for the powerful earthquakes that erupted between Dec. 16, 1811 and Feb. 7, 1812. Around 2PM on Dec. 16, 1811, Nicholas and Lydia Roosevelt were aboard the steamboat New Orleans, when they were suddenly awoken by the first quakes. These earthquakes, taking place from this date through Feb. 7, 1812, dramatically altered the local landscape. Settlements were destroyed, and it even created two mid-river waterfalls, temporarily changing the flow of the Mississippi River. The still-active New Madrid Seismic Zone was the end-result. Reelfoot Lake in nearby Lake & Obion Counties, Tennessee, did not exist before this series of events. Bells were reported ringing as far away as Boston, Massachusetts. Further reading may be found here and here (courtesy of the City of New Madrid).

Map Resources:

• North America (1804), courtsey of David Rumsey Map Collection.
• Indian Land Cessions (1972), courtesy of Louisiana State University & Southern Illinois University Cartographic Laboratory via David Rumsey Map Collection.
• New Madrid Compendium Maps, courtesy of the University of Memphis.

Historical Marker References:

• El Camino Real (New Madrid)
• El Camino Real (Sikeston)
• Reelfoot - An Earthquake Lake
• The King's Road
• The Lewis and Clark Expedition Across Missouri
• The New Madrid Earthquake & The Steamship New Orleans

The Territory of Orleans was admitted to the Union on Apr. 30, 1812 and became the State of Louisiana (18th). The Territory of Louisiana was officially renamed to the Territory of Missouri on Jun. 4, 1812. Mere days later on Jun. 18, 1812, the United States declared war on Great Britain (War of 1812).

On Oct. 1, 1812, the first session of the Missouri Territory's General Assembly convened in St. Louis. On this same day, the Third Missouri Territory Governor Benjamin Howard issued a proclamation hereby organizing the five original districts into counties. On New Years Eve, 1813, the aforementioned five original counties, as well as Arkansas and Washington counties, were legally organized within the Missouri Territory. New Madrid County was reduced considerably in size through this action, and this trend of contraction would continue for years to come.

From "An Act establishing counties and county lines", the original boundary lines were as follows:

"All that portion of the territory bounded north by the south line of the county of Cape Girardeau, east by the main channel of the Mississippi river; south by a line commencing in said river opposite the lower end of the island laid down in the navigator as number nineteen; thence a direct line to strike White River at the mouth of little Red river, thence up Red river to the western boundary of the Osage purchase; thence northwardly on said line to the south line of the county of Cape Girardeau, shall compose a county, and be called and known by the name of the county of New Madrid."

Furthermore, delineating Arkansas County, Missouri Territory:

"All that portion of the territory bounded north by the south line of the county of New Madrid; east by the main channel of the Mississippi river; south by the thirty-third degree of north latitude or northern boundary line of the state of Louisiana, westwardly by the western boundary line of the Osage purchase, and by a line to commence upon the river Arkansas, where the boundary line of the Osage purchase intersects the same; thence in a direct line to the main source of the Wachita; thence south to the northern boundary line of the state of Louisiana, or thirty-third degree of north latitude, shall compose a county, and be called and known by the name of the county of Arkansas."

The court convened in Mar. 1814 in Big Prairie, whereas the seat of justice was chosen in Rossville (south of present day Sikeston). The county lines were drawn again on Jan. 15, 1815, with the organization of Lawrence County, Missouri Territory.

In response to the earthquakes, the United States' first Congressional disaster relief legislation, "An act for the relief of the inhabitants of the late county of New Madrid, in Missouri Territory, who suffered by earthquakes" was signed into law on Feb. 17, 1815, allowing displaced settlers to relocate elsewhere within the territory.

By Dec. 1815, the Circuit Court was established. Beginning in Jan. 1818, Congress began to receive petitions for Missouri statehood, and planned to omit the Bootheel entirely south of the 36°30′ north parallel. Thanks to the efforts of a local cattle farmer from Little Prairie (present day Caruthersville), known as the "Czar of the Valley," John Hardeman Walker plead with the General Assembly and Congress to include this portion, favoring Missouri over Arkansas.

On Mar. 2, 1819, the Territory of Arkansas was created from the District of Arkansas, absorbing all of Arkansas County and most of Lawrence County. Records indicate that court was held on Apr. 12, 1819 at the courthouse in Winchester. Further reading about Winchester, being the only other known county seat, may be found here, courtesy of Southeast Missouri State University's KRCU News.

Congress approved both the Missouri Enabling Act and Missouri Compromise on Mar. 3, 1820, which were signed into law by President James Monroe three days later. The Territory of Missouri was admitted to the Union as the State of Missouri (24th) on Aug. 10, 1821. The County's Seal commemorates this occasion by including twenty-four stars above the eagle.

These new boundary lines, which secured an additional 980 square miles and were colloquially known as the Bootheel, were described as follows:

"Beginning in the middle of the Mississippi river, on the parallel of thirty-six degrees of north latitude; thence west, along that parallel of latitude, to the St. Francois river; thence up, and following the course of that river, in the middle of the main channel thereof, to the parallel of latitude of thirty-six degrees and thirty minutes; thence west, along the same, to a point where the said parallel is intersected by a meridian line passing through the middle of the mouth of the Kansas river."

On Dec. 28, 1821, the size was reduced again by the organization of Scott County. The seat of justice officially relocated to New Madrid on Feb. 4, 1822, using a courthouse long-believed to be one of the first frame buildings in the county. During Marquis de Lafayette's farewell U.S. tour (Jul. 1824 - Sep. 1825), famous French volunteer in the Continental Army and the last surviving Maj. Gen. from the American Revolution, he would have been aboard the Natchez steamboat as it passed by New Madrid sometime between Apr. 18 - 28, 1825.

The first school established in New Madrid was St. Mary's, a parochial school established by the Sisters of Loretto of Bethlehem or "Young Ladies Academy" in Nov. 1832. The Hart-Stepp House was constructed by Abraham Augustine that same year. St. Mary's closed in the late 1830s after the Sisters were recalled to Perry County.

On Jan. 2, 1835, the county lost more land with the organization of Stoddard County, which included territory of the soon-to-be Dunklin County. The Territory of Arkansas was admitted to the Union on Jun. 15, 1836, and became the State of Arkansas (25th).

Beginning in 1838, many Cherokees taking the water route within the Trail of Tears passed by the New Madrid Bend, having traveled up the Tennessee River; down the Ohio River's convergence at Cairo, IL; and down the Mississippi River towards the mouth of the Arkansas River.

When Mississippi County was organized on Feb. 14, 1845, the county lost additional land rights. Finally, on Feb. 19, 1851, with the organization of Pemiscot County, the existing boundary lines were finalized.

During the mid-nineteenth century, New Madrid County grew into a major agricultural and transportation center. The fertile river-bottoms still support crops such as corn, cotton, soybeans, wheat, and rice, while river trade and steamboat traffic played a vital role in boosting 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 Hunter-Dawson Home, constructed by W. W. Hunter, and the Hatcher Home, constructed by Thomas Dawson, were both built in 1858. The Hatcher Home burned sometime in the late 1980s.

Samuel Clemens, or more famously known as Mark Twain, regularly stopped in New Madrid around this period as he traversed between New Orleans, LA and St. Louis, MO as a cub pilot between 1857-1861.

*Conflicting sources exist.

Map Resources:

• Collection of maps showing the boundary line changes ca. 1804-1860, courtesy of MOGenWeb.
• Fredonia or the United States of North America (1833), courtesy of David Rumsey Map Collection.

Historical Marker References:

• 1854 Courthouse
• A Growing State...A Shrinking County
• Mark Twain
• They Passed This Way
• Water Route to Indian Territory

During the Civil War (Apr. 12, 1861 - Apr. 9, 1865), this location along the Mississippi River proved to be a strategic target for regulating transport and other wartime 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  Confederates. During the Siege of New Madrid in Mar. 1862, Confederate forces built an artillery observation platform on the roof of the aforementioned 1854 courthouse.

The City of New Madrid maintains a Civil War page dedicated to this conflict, and an exhibit is available for tourists at the New Madrid Historical Museum. Island No. 10, named for being the tenth island south of the Ohio River confluence, no longer exists.

The first public schools were opened after the war around 1870. On Mar. 17, 1875, five commissioners were appointed to select a new courthouse site due to repeated flooding encroachments. In 1880, the Kochtitsky Home was constructed by Otto Von Kochtitsky. 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."

Map Resources:

• "Map of the System of Confederate Fortifications on the Mississippi River at Island Number 10 and New Madrid, Missouri", courtesy of Southeast Missouri State University.

Historical Marker References:

• Battle of Island No. 10
• Bissell's Submergible Saw
• Capture of Island No. 10
• Civil War Cannon Ball
• Confederate Burials
• Confederate Forts & Batteries
• Fort Bankhead
• In Memory of our Confederate Heroes
• Island No. 10
• New Madrid & Island No. Ten
• The Siege of New Madrid

On Oct. 3, 1907, New Madrid Mayor Matt J. Conran, Jr. greeted President Theodore Roosevelt aboard the Steamboat Mississippi No. 1 on the banks of town.

In 1912, the City of Lilbourn challenged for the County Seat, but by popular choice, remained in the City of New Madrid. The Great Flood of 1912 (and 1913!) resulted in major devastation across the region.

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 newer 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 and Highway Departments all relocated from the building.

Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist Church was constructed in 1924 and the Church of God in Christ was built in 1932. During this window, the Great Flood of 1927 occurred. In response, under the Flood Control Act of 1928, the Mississippi River & Tributaries Project was authorized and the construction of the Birds Point-New Madrid Floodway began. The Great Flood of 1937 was the first time the Floodway was activated and it operated as designed.

Historical Marker References:

• President Theodore Roosevelt

Harry S. Truman, born in Lamar, Missouri, delivered campaign speeches at the current courthouse during his Senate campaign in 1934, being one of his first stops as he began his tour in Southeast Missouri. Candidate Truman championed farmers, workers and the "New Deal" policies of 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 later 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 head 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.

Historical Marker References:

• Harry S. Truman Sign
• Harry S. Truman Plaque

The region lies along the Great River Road, a 3,000 mile route extending from northern Minnesota to the Gulf of America (f.k.a. Mexico), passing through ten states and hundreds of river towns alike.

In 1950, a very wet January caused the Corps. of Engineers to position for another activation of the Floodway, but ultimately did not pull the trigger.

On Oct. 24, 1954, the principal address was given by Floyd C. Shoemaker, Secretary for the Missouri Historical Society, in order to formally dedicate the newly erected New Madrid Historical Marker. Further reading here.

The "Old Jail" at #2 Courthouse Square was dedicated in 1979. This building is no longer in use as of Jun. 2026.

In 1983, again the Corps. of Engineers nearly activated the Floodway. The 1986 Water and Resources Development Act authorized that St. Johns-New Madrid Floodway could finally close the frontline levee gap (~1,500') and build two new pumping stations.

Dr. Iben Browning's infamously wrong prediction of a major earthquake did not strike "...within 24 hours of Dec. 3, 1990;" however, it did lead to national news organizations flocking to the area. Both the Missouri and Arkansas National Guards were ordered to drill earthquake scenarios. News of the incident must have reached Jeff Tweedy, a native of Belleville, IL and better known for his involvement with bands Uncle Tupelo, and later, Wilco, leading to the inspiration of the self-titled song released on the album Anodyne (Oct. 1993).

In Sep. 2007, Judge Robertson filed an injunction to cease and reverse any work completed towards the St. Johns-New Madrid Floodway project.

On May 2, 2011, an unusually wet spring led the Corps. of Engineers to activate the Floodway and "blow the levee" for the second time. Considerable damage was recorded east and northeast of town; yet the setback levee held as anticipated.

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 woefully 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.

Historical Marker References:

• New Madrid (Marker)

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

• Maes, Camillus (1880). "The Life of Charles Nerinckx." University of Chicago. https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Gazetteer/People/Charles_Nerinckx/MAELCN/32*.html

• 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.

• Missouri Secretary of State. "How did the state boundary of Missouri come to include the "Bootheel?" https://www.sos.mo.gov/archives/history/bootheel.asp

• Missouri Secretary of State. "Timeline of Historic Missouri: 1673-1820." https://www.sos.mo.gov/archives/history/timeline/1.

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

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

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

• Various historical land markers across the area.

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