ST. CLAIR COUNTY HISTORY
By Judith Gutherie & Richard F. Sunderwirth
In 1831, an early pioneer, *Jacob Coonce erected the first cabin in St. Clair County, about a mile and a half west of the Sac River in Roscoe township. Here he drove his first stake and shortly after that the first planted crops began to surface and the county was well on it's way. (*Original picture of Mr. Coonce can be seen in the County Clerk's Office).
In the General Assembly of the State of Missouri in 1834, the county of Lillard was divided, and Rives, which is now Henry and St. Clair were established. In 1835, since St. Clair County was not populous enough to warrant organization as a distinct municipality, it was attached to the county of Rives for civil and military purposes. At that time the county was divided into two townships, Monegaw and Weaubleau. Then in 1841, St. Clair County became its own independent municipality and by order of the circuit court it was determined that Osceola was to be the county seat.
In 1845, at the general session of the State Legislature, the present boundaries of the county were set and the county court divided it into six townships, Monegaw, Speedwell, Washington, Polk, Osceola, and Jackson. Later on, as other villages came into existence, other townships were established. Some villages and communities, through the years, have come and gone.
Appleton City and Osceola have always been the largest towns in the county with Monegaw Springs, at one time, not far behind. Monegaw came into prominence before the Civil War, when a board of medical experts declared the water of the springs to have medical value. It's greatest growth, however, came after 1870, when with railroad and river boat travel, the town became a popular spa area.
Roscoe dates back to 1839, when David Huffman established a ferry across the Osage River. Although one of the oldest towns, it was not incorporated until 1868.
Many of our early settlements did not become towns until the railroads were built. Appleton City, platted in 1870, with the arrival of the Tebo and Neosho Railroad, Lowry City, platted in 1871 and served by two railroads, the Kansas City, Clinton, & Springfield and the St. Louis-San Francisco.
Vista, Collins and Gerster also dated from this time when they were also served by the railroads. The village of Taberville was laid out in 1859 and has always been a village. At one time it was considered to be at the head of navigation on the Osage River.
St. Clair County has always been an agricultural county, with very little manufacturing, especially after the Civil War. Several towns had grist and roller mills, but the county's prinicipal products were agricultural.
At one time our county had 108 rural schools in operation.
Very few of the present generation of St. Clair Countians know of the struggles and hardships of earlier years. Our county got off to a great start, with many prosperous business establishments, along with the steam boats, etc., but were disrupted by the horrible effects of the Civil War. Many folks left, never to return. A new influx of settlers, many from the northern states, came into the county and began again, to establish a viable economy, only to have the county saddled with the debt of railroad bonds, for the railroad that was never built. Not until 1939 was the taxpayer free of county debt, due to the swindle of subscription stock to the Tebo & Neosho Railroad.
The small towns and villages of our county flourished until after WW II, when transportation by auto and truck, over improved roads, spelled doom to the small town merchant and the railroads, however St. Clair County is still unsurpassed in the glory of its landscape and the equability of its climate, in the abundance and purity of its waters and the wealth of its soil, and native grasses. Here, the famous hunting ground of the Osages, we still have the woodlands and the prairies, and yes, many wonderful people and opportunities abound.
St. Clair County is blessed with great hunting and fishing. In 1926 a power dam was built in Osceola and this helped with the spawning of spoonbill fish, for which we were well known. The dam was destroyed making way for Truman Lake which created new recreational areas. Today our county has many fine businesses, one of the largest Boy Scout Camps in the world, two hospitals, two senior care facilities, a housing authority, excellant schools and many fine churches.