58 COUMTIZS OF: MPSS: COURT, 
and springs afford water power. The first court was held in this 
county January 1, 1819. The county seat was formerly at New 
Port, and was moved to Union about the year 1830. The area of 
the county is 874 square miles, or 559,360 acres. 
Gasconade County—Is located in the eastern central portion of 
the State, on the south bank of the Missouri River, by which and 
the Gasconade River and numerous small streams it is drained. 
HERMANN, the county seat, population in 1870, 1,335, has a fine 
location on the south bank of the Missouri River, and is a station 
on the Pacific Railroad, 44 miles east of Jefferson City, and 81 
miles west from St. Louis. Hermann was first settled in 1837 by 
the ‘‘ Germania Settlement Society ’’ of Philadelphia. 
The surface of the country is generally hilly and broken. The 
valleys and prairies are fertile, the latter small and dry. The 
water power is excellent. Grape culture is the principal industry, 
and is very extensively pursued, especially in the vicinity of Her- 
mann. Stock and cereals are profitably raised. Along the Gas- 
conade River there are a number of large and interesting caves 
that contain saltpeter deposits in profitable quantities. Some of 
these caves originally contained a few Indian relics, and in their 
neighborhood are the ruins of an Aboriginal village, which was 
laid out with uncommon regularity. This county was first settled 
by Isaac Perkins and others, and was formed from Franklin 
County in 1820. Its area is 540 square miles, or 345,600 acres. 
Gentry County—lIs situated in the northwestern part of the State, 
and is separated from the Iowa State line on the north by the new 
county of Worth. It is drained by the Grand River and its trib- 
utaries: 
ALBANY, formerly Athens, the county seat, population in 1870, 
607, is located about a mile from Grand River, and is 45 miles 
northeast air line from St. Joseph, and 17 miles northwest from 
Pattonsburg, Daviess County, which is a station on the St. Louis, 
Council Bluffs & Omaha Branch of the St. Louis, Kansas City & 
Northern Railway, 265 miles northwest from St. Louis. | 
Gentryville, population in 1870, 255, is finely located on the 
Grand River, in good farming country. It is 9 miles south of the 
county seat, and 14 miles from Pattonsburg. 
The surface of the country is undulating, diversified with prairie 
and good timber. The soil is very fertile and well adapted to agri- 
cultural purposes, including the raising of fruit and vegetables. 
There are deposits of building stone and coal. The county was 
first settled in 1840, by persons from Clay and Ray Counties. 
Greene County—lIs situated in the southwestern part of the State, 
and is drained in its southern portion by White River and its afflu- 
ents, and in the northern portion by the tributaries of the Osage 
River. 
SPRINGFIELD, the county seat, population in 1870, 5,555, 
was incorporated as a city, December 13, 1855, is pleasantly 
located in a fine farming country, and contains a number of 
neat and substantial public buildings. It is a station on the 
Atlantic & Pacific Railway, 241 miles southwest from St. Louis, 
and 115 miles air line southwest from Jefferson City. The United 
States Government land office that was formerly located at Spring- 
field is now at Booneville, Cooper County. At the beginning of 
the late Rebellion, Springfield was the scene of several important 
military movements. 
The surface of the country is undulating, and in some portions 
very hilly and broken. The Ozark Hills extend through the 
county. The prairies are large and quite fertile, and timber suffi- 
cient for common uses. Fruits, including the grape, do well. The 
chief exports are wheat, live stock and apples. This county was. 
first settled by Joun P. CAMPBELL and others. The first newspaper 
was issued in 1839, and called the Ozark Standard. 
Grundy County—Is located in the northern part of the State, 
and is well watered by the tributaries of the Grand River. 
TRENTON, the county seat, population in 1870, 920, was incor- 
porated February 27th, 1857, and is pleasantly located on Grand 
River. It isa station on the Southwestern Division of the Chicago, 
Rock Island & Pacific Railway 102 miles northeast of Leavenworth 
City, Kansas, 82 miles northeast from St. Joseph, 100 miles north- 
east from Kansas City, and 275 miles northwest from St. Louis 
via Gallatin, Daviess County. 
The surface of the country is undulating, and chiefly prairie 
land interspersed with timber along the streams. The soil is 
fertile and adapted to agricultural purposes. 
Harrison County—Is situated in the northwestern part of the 
State on the southern border of Iowa, and is drained by Thomp- 
son’s Fork, Big and Sampson’s Creeks, and others tributaries of 
Grand River. 
BETHANY, the county seat, population in 1870, including town- 
ship, 2,460, is located in a fertile country, and is 15 miles north- 
east from Pattonsburg, Daviess County, which is a station on the 
St. Louis, Council Bluffs & Omaha Branch of the St. Louis, Kansas 
City & Northern Railway 265 miles northwest from St. Louis, 72 
miles by rail, east of St. Joseph, and gr miles, by rail, northeast 
from Kansas City. Bethany was first settled by Tennesseans in 
1845. 
The surface of the country is chiefly prairie, but in some portions 
broken, with much timber along the streams, which afford good 
water power. The soil is generally fertile, and adapted to agricul- 
tural purposes including stock growing. Climate healthy. 
The county contains 754 square miles or 482,560 acres. 
Henry County—Is situated in the western part of the State, and 
is drained by Big Creek, Crooked Fork, and numerous other afflu- 
ents of the Osage River. 
Ciinton, the county seat, population in 1870, 640, is near 
Grand River, and is a station on the Missouri, Kansas & Texas 
Railway 40 miles southwest from Sedalia, 7o miles northeast of 
Fort Scott, and 228 miles by rail from St. Louis, and 103 miles 
from Jefferson City. 
Windsor, population in 1870, (unofficial, ) 500, is a station on the 
same railroad, 19 miles northeast of the county seat, and 209 miles 
from St. Louis. 
The surface of the country is undulating and two-thirds prairie, 
with the remainder mainly heavy timber land. The soil is very 
fertile and adapted to all the purposes of agriculture. The chief 
products are corn and wheat. The county possesses good water 
power, and large quantities of coal and considerable building and 
