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Southeast Missouri had a key role in the road to Missouri statehood in 1817-1821. The events leading to statehood, and some of the events, people, and lifeways in the area may be unfamiliar to many modern-day Missourians. Currently, Missouri is celebrating its Bicentennial, and this program aims to summarize the events leading to statehood, some of the factors affecting Missouri’s entry into the Union, and how people lived and worked during that time 200 years ago.Every Friday morning at 6:42 and 8:42 a.m. and Saturday morning at 8:18 a.m., Bill Eddleman highlights the people, places, ways of life, and local events in Southeast Missouri in 1821.The theme music for the show ("The Missouri Waltz") is provided by Old-Time Missouri Fiddler Charlie Walden, host of the podcast "Possum’s Big Fiddle Show."

MO Bicentennial Minutes: Missouri’s Permanent Seat of Government Selected

The law fixing the site of the capital of Missouri, the present site of Jefferson City. Laws of the state of Missouri; revised and digested by authority of the General Assembly. With an appendix. Published according to an act of the General Assembly, passed 21st February, 1825, Vol 2, page 722, E. Charless, St. Louis, Mo.
https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=hvd.hx2z92&view=1up&seq=8&skin=2021
The law fixing the site of the capital of Missouri, the present site of Jefferson City. Laws of the state of Missouri; revised and digested by authority of the General Assembly. With an appendix. Published according to an act of the General Assembly, passed 21st February, 1825, Vol 2, page 722, E. Charless, St. Louis, Mo.

Governor McNair signed the bill selecting the site of the new state capital on December 31, 1821. Missouri is the only state to have a capital founded solely for that purpose.

In true form for the time, land speculation muddled title to the site. An assistant land surveyor, Angus Langham, purchased devalued land grants in New Madrid speculating on issuance of New Madrid certificates. He and others cashed these in for land where the commissioners sought a capital site. Langham had a certificate issued to representatives of John Baptiste Delisle, deceased, which he located on part of the capital site.

When construction began, title was murky, but Langham failed to file a survey before the commissioners withdrew the site from the public domain. In the end, the state offered Langham either $4000 to clear the title, or the threat of taking by eminent domain. He took the cash.

For years the town was not much more than a trading post. Incorporated in 1825, the legislature held its session there in 1826. Jefferson City had arrived!

So, our journey into the Missouri of 1821 is at an end. I hope you have enjoyed these pieces of Missouri history from 200 years ago, and have learned more about our diverse state. The broad themes of Missouri’s history were set at statehood, and continue to this day. Among these are defining the role of the state and federal governments, full opportunity and equality for all Missourians, and the challenge of keeping taxes low while providing public services. Missouri has had an interesting and eventful history in the last 200 years. Let’s all make its third century even better!

Bill Eddleman was born in Cape Girardeau, and is an 8th-generation Cape Countian. His first Missouri ancestor came to the state in 1802. He attended SEMO for two years before transferring to the University of Missouri to study Fisheries and Wildlife Biology. He stayed at Mizzou to earn a master of science in Fisheries and Wildlife, and continued studies in Wildlife Ecology at Oklahoma State University.
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