Campbell's Gazetteer of Missouri
809 records
Change category or collection
Name
Place
Add details
Keywords
Match all terms exactly
Clear form
Search in Campbell's Gazetteer of Missouri
Name
Place
Add details
Keywords
Clear form
Campbell's Gazetteer of Missouri
809 records
Campbell's Gazetteer of Missouri. R.A. Campbell. (1874) 2007. Although described as a gazetteer, this volume is also a guide to the state detailing its physical, commercial and manufacturing attributes.<br><br> The material is presented in alphabetical order by county.<br>A brief history of the beginning of the settlement in the county (often listing the names of the first settlers) sets the stage. The reader is also provided with population figures taken from the federal censuses, a description of the county's physical features including waterways and land forms, its agricultural production, manufacturing interests, wealth, exports, railroads, and educational facilities. A list of the post offices each with a brief description which usually contains a list of the commercial and manufacturing establishments and number of inhabitants is also included as part of the county description.<br>An index of the current (1874) post offices at the beginning of the text identifies the county in which it lies and notes the name of any railroad which served that town. As with most areas, there is some duplication of names, for example, a Thomasville in both Owen and Randolph counties and a Union City in both Atchison and Jasper counties.<br>Information about the counties was solicited from over 500 contributors. These are listed in the front of the book with their occupation and residence. The list makes fascinating reading-ranging from an ex-governor of Wisconsin to local lawyers and ministers and an occasional farmer. A list of subscribers at the end of the book includes their business or occupation, county of residence and the date of their settlement in Missouri.<br>The last section of the gazetteer includes a general discussion of the topography of the state, its railroads, educational facilities, history, religious denominations, climate, minerals -specifically lead and iron and the physical geography including geology, mines and useful minerals, waters, prairies, timber soils and pottery clays. Surveyors and land entrepreneurs have long been known to gage the quality of the soil by the types of trees found upon it. The geology section gives an extensive discussion of the connection between the two.
Related record categories: