WORTH COUNTYThe last of Missouri's 114 counties to be formed, Worth was organized in Feb. 1861, 6 months and 39 years after Missouri was admitted into the Union, Aug. 1821, with 25 counties. Encompasing 267 sq. miles of glacial prarie, it is the State's smallest county. Texas County in the Ozarks,with 1183 sq. miles is the largest.
Named for New York General William Jenkins Worth, who served in Florida and Mexican wars, the county was first settled by Henry Lott in 1848. Early settlers were laregely from Ky., Tenn., Ind., Ill., La, Ohio, and other parts of Mo. In territory ceded by Iowa, Sac, and Fox tribes 1824, the county was roamed by Indians into the 1850's.
The county seat was first located near the present seat of justice, in Smithton, a villiage named for Eli Snith. In 1864, the county sear was moved to Grant City. Laid out in 1863, on loand donated by Isaac miller and G.W. Froker, it was named for Gen. U.S. Grant. Worth was a strong Union county during the Civil War. Grant City grwe as a shipping point after a brand of the C.B & O. Railroad reached there in 1880. (see other side)
WORTH COUNTY(Continued from other side)
What is now Worth County formed the extreme northwestern corner of Missouri until the annexation of the Platte Indian Purchase Territory in 1837. Worth is now 2 counties removed from the west border. An Iowa border county, Worth lies on the boundary makred in 1851 by order of the United States Supremen Court to settle the 1839 Missouri-Iowa boundary dispute.
Through Worth County, a fertile grain and livestock farming area, flow the Platte and 3 main forks of the Grand River. Mineral springs at the towns of Denver, plotted in 1849, and Allendale, in 1855, were utilized as health spas in the 1880's. Among other communites are Oxford, laid out in 1856; Isadora, 1864; Irena, 1882; and Worth, 1899. Sheridan was founded when the Chicago, Great Western R.R. was build through the western part of Worth County in 1887.
Points of interest include the grave, in Grant City Cemetary, of Leonard J. Farwell (1819-89), Gov. of Wis. 1852-54. The G.A.R. Monument in the cemetary was done by Dell Eighmy who also painted the murals in dome of the 1898 county courthouse.
Erected by State Historical Society of Missouri and State Highway Commission, 1960
|We pulled into a quaint town square (down Main street, of course) and into a spot right in front of the local newspaper office. We entered, hoping to find some family records. The woman was unable to help, but after describing our situation further, lit up and said that Gordon Fletchall's wife, who was her great aunt, was still alive at 93 years old and living in the area. It was hard for us to imagine, but a couple of minutes later we were visiting with her. She showed us the book that Gordon had worked on and also shared with us hundreds of blankets she crocheted for her grandchildren. The only price was a visit.|
At the courthouse, we met another relative of Darci's who helped her find the Fletchall township (it's on the map) and gave us directions to the cemetary.
After the courthouse/town hall visit, we walked across the street to a small, one-room library that sold us a book and allowed us to photocopy another book that had lots of information about Fletchalls. It was a pretty exciting and fun day, and it wasn't over...