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Jefferson County, Missouri

Jefferson County History, Geography, Demographics, Cities and Towns, and Education

Etymology - Origin of County Name

Named for Thomas Jefferson, 3rd President of the United States.

Demographics:

County QuickFacts: Census Bureau Quick Facts

History of Jefferson County

The boundaries of Jefferson County are as follows; St. Louis County and the Meramec River on the north, the Mississippi River on the east, Ste. Genevieve, St. Francois, and Washington Counties on the south, and Franklin County on the west. The first settler was John Hilderbrand, of French descent, who founded the Meramec colony on Saline Creek in 1774. Meramec, so named because of its proximity to the Meramec River, is remembered today only as the first settlement in what became Jefferson County. In the days of Spanish ownership and domination, Jefferson County was a part of Ste. Genevieve District. After 1803 when the United States purchased the Louisiana Territory, the districts were called counties and the boundaries were changed so that part of Jefferson County north of Plattin Creek was in St. Louis County and that south of the creek remained in Ste. Genevieve County. The county was organized by an act of the Legislature of the Territory of Missouri on December 8, 1818, and was named for Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826), the third president of the United States, who was responsible for the Louisiana Purchase which added the Territory of Missouri to the Union. When Jefferson County was formed it was divided into three townships: Joachim on the east, Big River on the west, and Plattin on the south. In 1821 Big River Township was divided and the northern part was called Meramec Township; in 1834 Valle Township was formed from the western part of Plattin Township, and Rock Township from the northern part of Joachim Township. Since the records at the county seat and at Jefferson City had all been destroyed by fire, the actual township lines were the subject of dispute. In 1838 the boundaries of the townships were again defined and have remained as defined then, except that Central Township was carved from the center of the county in 1842. (COUNTY ATLAS (1876); Parker (1867); S.W. IMMIGRATION (1881); COUNTY HIST. (1888), 369 ff.; ENCY. MISSOURI (1901); Eaton (1916), 179)

Source: Welty, Ruth. "Place Names of St. Louis And Jefferson County." M.A. thesis., University of Missouri-Columbia, 1939.
 

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