Pettis County, Missouri

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

Etymology - Origin of County Name

Named for Spencer Pettis, Missouri congressman.

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History of Pettis County

In the west-central part of the state; bounded on the north by Saline County, and on the west by Henry, Johnson, and Lafayette Counties. It was organized January 26, 1833, by severance effected from Cooper and Saline Counties, and until Benton County was organized January 3, 1835, included all the present territory of Benton and parts of the present Hickory and Camden Counties. On February 26, 1845, it was increased by twenty-five sq. mi. cut off from Benton County in its northwest corner, between Ionia City and Windsor. Since then its boundaries have remained unchanged. The name of Pettis County commemorates a remarkable individual and a sensational event in Missouri history. Spencer Darwin Pettis (1802-1831) was born in Culpeper, Virginia. He came to Missouri as a very young man, and practiced law at Fayette in Howard County. At the age of twenty-four he was appointed Secretary of State for Missouri, serving from 1826 to 1828. In 1829 he was elected as sole representative sent from the State to the lower house, preceded only by John Scott (1820-1826) and Edward Bates (1826-1828). During his first term in Congress, as a Democrat, he made himself extremely popular with his constituents, and was a warm friend of Senator Benton. In a heated campaign in 1830, he was reelected for a second term, but precipitated a quarrel that led to his death. As a supporter of President Andrew Jackson, he had been especially caustic and severe in his opposition to the National Bank, and in consequence was challenged to a duel by Major Thomas Biddle, brother of Nicholas Biddle, then president of the United States Bank. The duel was fought August 27, 1831, on the sand-bar opposite St. Louis, and it is said that the river was lined on both sides to witness it. Both combatants fell mortally wounded, and Pettis died the next day. Intense feeling was aroused throughout the State, and when the new county, which contained many of his ardent supporters, was created two years later, it was named in memory of the eloquent young martyr, as he was considered, to the Democratic cause. (HIST. PETTIS (1882) 208, & (1919) 74, 100; Campbell (1873); Conard (1901) 5, 96; Eaton; Gannett; Biog. Dir. Am. Congress)

Source: Overlay, Fauna R. "Place Names Of Five South Central Counties Of Missouri." M.A. thesis., University of Missouri-Columbia, 1943.

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