Missouri American Jefferson City District

Missouri American Jefferson City District Municipal Water Report Info

Before European settlement, the Jefferson City area was home to ancient Mound People. When French explorers arrived in the 17th century, the Osage tribe inhabited the region. French pioneers Joliet and Marquette explored in 1673, followed by LaSalle claiming the area for France in 1682.

Early development included a lead mine opened in 1715 by Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac, where slaves worked until 1744. Settlements began at Ste. Genevieve and St. Louis, with newcomers arriving from Kentucky and Tennessee via river routes. The Lewis and Clark expedition explored the area in 1804, and Daniel Boone later established the Boone's Lick Trail (now Interstate 70).

Jefferson City was specifically designed to serve as Missouri's capital in 1821. Daniel Morgan Boone, son of the famous frontiersman, laid out the town named after President Thomas Jefferson. In 1825, the city was incorporated with the state assembly relocating there in 1826, when the settlement had just thirty-one families and basic establishments.

To strengthen its position as capital against competing towns, Governor John Miller proposed building a state prison, completed in 1836. A devastating fire destroyed the Capitol and state records in 1837, with a replacement finished at the current Capitol site in 1841.

The Civil War (1860-1865) deeply divided Missouri over slavery. While Governor Claiborne Jackson supported maintaining slavery and southern secession, a state convention voted to remain in the Union. Union troops occupied Jefferson City after Jackson fled to join Confederate forces. In 1864, Confederate General Sterling Price threatened but ultimately withdrew without attacking.

Post-war recovery was slow, but the Missouri constitution of 1875 restored stability, leading to industrial growth in printing and shoe manufacturing. A bridge over the Missouri River connected the formerly divided communities. The current Capitol building was dedicated in 1924.

Through the 20th century, state government dominated Jefferson City's economy, sustaining it through world wars and the Great Depression. The 1960s saw development as a manufacturing center, and despite extensive flood damage in 1993, the city fully recovered by the late 1990s.

Today, Jefferson City continues to thrive with its affordable cost of living and strong per capita income.