County Host: Available for Adoption State Host: Linda Rodriguez

Hello and welcome to the Genealogy Trails website for Lafayette County, Missouri. As we believe all data should be without cost, our goal at Genealogy Trails is to help you track your ancestors through time by transcribing genealogical and historical data and placing it online for the free use of all researchers.

This is a continuation of our original, and highly successful, Genealogy Trails Illinois History and Genealogy Project and we are excited about this opportunity to expand into other states. We welcome your feedback and comments, and of course, your data contributions.

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You are welcome to browse the information on these pages and at the many links provided to garner the data needed to continue your research into your family history. However, Please remember that this information, in many cases, represents years of painstaking research on the part of myself, or the many generous volunteers who have donated their information to this site. You can show your respect for these efforts by not taking things to use on other websites and/or to claim as your own. Thank you in advance for your consideration.

LAFAYETTE COUNTY

Is situated on the right bank of the Missouri river, and separated from the Kansas line by Jackson county. The general character of the land is level or gently undulating-in some portions somewhat broken or rough. By passing over the country between Marshal and Lexington, the traveler sees some as fine country as there is in Missouri. The soil throughout the county is generally very productive, and well adapted to all the purposes of the farmers who have produced to the acres, tobacco 800 pounds; corn 100 bushels; wheat, 25 bushels; timothy, 2 tons; Hungarian grass, 3 tons, and fruit and vegetables in proportion. As high as 2200 pounds of hemp have been produced per acre. On the 18th of February 45 bales of choice hemp were sold in St. Louis, for the handsome price of $190 per ton. The hemp was grown by Mr. Fristow of the county. Farmers will see at a glance that this county is very well adapted to all the purposes of agriculture. The class of people most needed are qualified school teachers, practical farmers and mechanics, who have capital in improve land or establish manufactories; also carpenters, plasterers and masons. They will find here good schools and churches, good society, fertile farming land, healthy climate, wood and stone coal abundant, springs and rapid streams of water, etc. Principal towns, Lexington, Waverly, Middletown, Wellington, Dover, Chapel Hill, etc. Population in 1860, 13763.
(The Source is: P.M. Pinckard, The Missouri handbook, St. Louis, 1865, 162 pgs. Transcribed by Donna Walton)

Established: Nov. 16, 1820
Parent County: Cooper
County Seat: Lexington
Named After: Marquis de La Fayette

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