Mercer County, Missouri Genealogy Trails

History

MERCER COUNTY, MISSOURI

A county in the northern part of the State, bounded on the north by the State of Iowa, east by Putnam and Sullivan Counties, south by Grundy County, and west by Harrison County. It is not known that any white man settled in the territory now Mercer County until 1837, and up to that time the land was the hunting place of tribes of Fox, Sioux and Pottawottomie Indians.
The first to visit the county were traders, who made no permanent residence, but would spend a few months each year in bartering for the peltries of the Indians.
In 1837 a few families, who had for a time lived in older settled sections of Missouri, moved into the country which was then a part of the newly organized County of Livingston.
In 1841, when Grundy County was organized, what is now Mercer was included within its limits, and remained so until February 14, 1845, when the county was organized and named in honor of General Hugh Mercer, of Revolutionary fame.
In 1847 the county seat was located at Princeton, which was named after the place at which was fought the historic battle in which General Mercer lost his life.
[Encyclopedia of the History of Missouri Edited by Howard L. Conard Vol. IV, 1901 pages 327-328 - C. Horton -2009]