Boonville, Missouri | |
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City | |
MKT Depot and Bridge on the Katy Trail
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Location of Boonville, Missouri |
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U.S. Census Map |
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Coordinates: 38°57′54″N 92°44′30″W / 38.96500°N 92.74167°WCoordinates: 38°57′54″N 92°44′30″W / 38.96500°N 92.74167°W | |
Country | United States |
State | Missouri |
County | Cooper |
Founded | 1817 |
Government | |
• Mayor | Julie Thacher |
Area | |
• Total | 7.21 sq mi (18.67 km2) |
• Land | 6.89 sq mi (17.85 km2) |
• Water | 0.32 sq mi (0.83 km2) |
Elevation | 666 ft (203 m) |
Population (2010) | |
• Total | 8,319 |
• Estimate (2012) | 8,300 |
• Density | 1,207.4/sq mi (466.2/km2) |
Time zone | Central (CST) (UTC−6) |
• Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC−5) |
ZIP code | 65233 |
Area code | 660 |
FIPS code | 29-07318 |
GNIS feature ID | 0714540 |
Website | http://boonvillemo.org/ |
Boonville is a city in Cooper County, Missouri, USA. The population was 8,319 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Cooper County. The city was the site of a skirmish early in the American Civil War on July 17, 1861. Union forces defeated a small and poorly equipped force of the Missouri State Guard in the first Battle of Boonville
The community derives its name from Nathan and Daniel Morgan Boone, who were the sons of Daniel Boone and established their salt business near the community in the early 1800s by delivering the salt from salt licks to St. Louis. The area has been called "Boone's Lick" and the route from the lick to St. Charles/St. Louis, Missouri is called the Boone's Lick Trail. The eastern terminus near Boonville at Franklin, Missouri is considered the original start of the Santa Fe Trail.
The first pioneers were Hannah and Stephen Cole, who settled in 1810. During skirmishes with Native Americans in the War of 1812 they moved to a fort on the north side of the Missouri River (called on markers as "Hannah Cole Fort"). That fort subsequently became the first county seat of Howard County, Missouri.
After the war, the town was formally laid out in 1817 by Asa Morgan and Charles Lucas. Boonville was named the county seat in 1818.
The community's position on the Santa Fe Trail and Missouri River led to many historic residents of the era living there during the westward expansion including George Graham Vest, David Barton, William Ash and George Caleb Bingham.