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COUNTIES. OF MISSOURI: 
RICHMOND, the county seat, population in 1870, 1,218, is pleas- 
antly located, 7 miles from the Missouri River, on high, undulating 
land, in an excellent district, and is a station on the Lexington 
& St. Joseph Branch of the St. Louis, Kansas City & Northern Rail- 
way, 68 miles southeast from St. Joseph, 45 miles northeast from 
Kansas City, 126 miles from Jefferson City, and 251 miles from 
St. Louis. 
Camden, population in 1870, 357, is a shipping point on the 
Missouri River, 7 miles south of the county seat, and 388 miles by 
river above, and 239 miles by rail, from St. Louis. It is a station 
on the St. Louis, Kansas City & Northern Railway, 36 miles east 
of Kansas City. It was first settled in 1833. 
This county has a desirable division of prairie and timber land. 
The soil, especially of the bottom lands along the Missouri, is very 
fertile and well adapted to agriculture, including stock-growing. 
The chief exports are wheat, hemp and tobacco. Saline and fresh 
water springs are numerous, and coal and excellent limestone are 
abundant. The county was first settled in 1816, and was named in 
honor of Joun Ray, a member of the State Constitutional Conven- 
tion. The county seat was originally Old Bluffton, and removed 
to Richmond in 1828. 
Reynolds County—Is situated in the southeastern part of the 
State, and is drained by the Big Black River and its tributaries, 
which furnish excellent w-ter power. 
CENTERVILLE, the county seat, population in 1870, 32, was first 
settled in 1847, and is 16 miles west from Annapolis, Iron County, 
which is a station on the St. Louis & Iron Mountain Railroad, 1o9 
miles from St. Louis. 
The surface of the county is rough and broken and heavily tim- 
bered, and in some portions the scenery is very fine. The soil in 
detached portions of the county is fertile, but not much attention is 
yet paid to farming. Iron in large quantities and considerable lead, 
limestone, clay and granite, are found in the county. This county 
was named in honor of THomMas REYNOLDs, former Governor of 
the State. 
Ripley County—Is located in the southeastern part of the State, 
on the northern border of Arkansas, and is drained by the Current 
River and its tributaries, and those of the Big Black River, some of 
which afford excellent mill sites. ‘ 
DonIPHAN, the county seat, population in 1870, 146, is located 
on Current River, 25 miles southwest from Poplar Bluffs, which is 
a station on the St. Louis and Iron Mountain Railway, 153 miles 
south from St. Louis. 
The surface of the country is undulating, and in some portions 
broken. The uplands are timbered with pine and cedar of great 
size. The bluffs on the Current River are adapted to grape and 
fruit culture. The soil in the valleys is quite fertile. Corn, wheat 
and oats are the chief products, and stock is the principal export. 
There is an abundance of iron and lead, and indications of copper, 
—rich mineral deposits awaiting development. The county was 
first settled in 1819 by LEMUEL KITTRELL. 
St. Charles County—Is situated in the eastern part ef the State, 
occupying a narrow neck of land between the Mississippi and Mis- 
souri Rivers, and opposite the mouth of the Illinois River. Its 
interior fs drained by the Peruque, Dardenne, and Femme Osage 
Creeks, which afford good water power. 
St. CHARLEs, the county seat, population in 1870, 5,570, has an 
elevated and commanding site on the left bank of the Missouri 
River, 25 miles from its mouth. It is a station on the St. Louis, 
Kansas City & Northern Railway, 22 miles northwest by rail, and 
45 miles by river, from St. Louis. The fine bridge at this point 
was the first one built across the Missouri River, and cost nearly 
$2,000,000. The city contains elegant residences, substantial 
business blocks, and an intelligent and enterprising community. 
The seat of government of the State was removed from St. Louis 
to St. Charles in 1821, where it remained until 1826, when it was 
removed farther west to Jefferson City, its present location. The 
first settlements in this county—indeed in Northern Missouri— 
were made at St. Charles, then known as ‘‘ Village des Cétes,”’ 
in 1762, two years before St. Louis was founded by LAcLEDE. 
The surface of the country is alternately rolling, hilly and level,’ 
with some prairie and plenty of timber. The long point or tongue 
ef land for twenty miles above the mouth of the Missouri, varying 
frem two to ten miles in width, is entirely alluvial, and the soil 
exceedingly fertile, while that upon the uplands is of good quality 
and well adapted to agriculture. Wheat, corn and tobacco are the 
chief exports. Large deposits of limestone, sandstone, clay and 
bituminous coal exist here. There is some very fine scenery in the 
county, particularly from the high lands including the ‘‘Mamelles.”’ 
This county originally embraced all the country in the State 
lying between the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers, stretching inde- 
finitely to the north and west. The frequent formation of new 
counties from it has reduced it to its present area. Nearly all the 
events in the early history of this State were connected with this 
county, particularly Indian wars, battles, massacres, etc. Several 
forts were erected in the county, and it was here that Black Hawk 
commenced his first war against the whites. 
St. Clair County—lIs situated in the west-southwest part of the 
State, and is intersected and drained by the Osage River and its 
tributaries, some of which afford excellent water power. 
OscEOLA, the county seat, population in 1870, 331, is located on 
the right bank of the Osage River, a little northeast of the center 
of the county, 22 miles southeast from Appleton City, which is a 
station on the Sedalia Division of the Missouri, Kansas & Texas 
Railway, 59 miles southwest from Sedalia, 153 miles v/a Sedalia 
from Kansas City, and 247 miles from St. Louis. 
The surface of the country is undulating, about one-third timber 
land and the remainder prairie, the former mainly in the southern, 
and the latter in the northern part of the county. The soil is gen- 
erally very fertile, and well adapted to agriculture, including stock- 
growing. Iron and coal have been found, and the latter, it is 
believed, exists in large quantities. 
St. Francois County—Is situated in the east-southeastern part of 
the State, and is drained by Big River, Terre Beau, Flat Creek and 
some small sources of the St. Francois River, several of which 
furnish good water power. 
FARMINGTON, the county seat, population in 1870, 393, is located 
southeast of the center of the county, 3 miles northeast of De 
Lassus, which is a station on the St. Louis & Iron Mountain Rail- 
