Boonville

History

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, delivering their product 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 historically important residents during the era of westward expansion, including politicians William Ash (a former slave turned Virginia General Assemblyman), David Barton, George Graham Vest (famous for his "man’s best friend" closing argument in an 1869 trial), and self-taught artist George Caleb Bingham. The Cooper County Jail was built in 1848 and remained in place until 1979 with a claim that it was the longest-serving jail in Missouri history. In 1855, Thespian Hall opened, and today claims to be the oldest continuously running theatre west of the Allegheny Mountains. More than 400 buildings (most in 14 separate historical districts) are listed on National Register of Historic Places listings in Cooper County, Missouri. During the American Civil War, the community…

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  1,007
• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  914
• Turkey Vulture

  Cathartes aura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  855
• Red-bellied Woodpecker

  Melanerpes carolinus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  710
• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  642
• Tufted Titmouse

  Baeolophus bicolor (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  642
• Downy Woodpecker

  Dryobates pubescens (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  566
• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  548

Largest nearby schools

• BOONVILLE HIGH
  High · BOONVILLE · 569 students · 15:1 ratio
• HANNAH COLE PRIMARY
  Elementary · BOONVILLE · 370 students · 14.2:1 ratio
• DAVID BARTON ELEM.
  Elementary · BOONVILLE · 329 students · 14.3:1 ratio
• LAURA SPEED ELLIOTT MIDDLE
  Middle · BOONVILLE · 316 students · 12.2:1 ratio
• BOONVILLE TREATMENT CENTER
  High · BOONVILLE
• BOONVILLE CORRECTIONAL CENTER
  High · BOONVILLE
• BOONSLICK TECHNICAL EDUC. CTR.
  High · BOONVILLE

Most recent

• M 2.53 — 2025-07-15
  3 km W of Hale, Missouri
• M 2.59 — 2022-12-05
  4 km SW of Madison, Missouri
• M 3.3 — 2005-07-31
  Missouri
• M 2.9 — 2004-02-08
  6 km SSW of Stoutsville, Missouri