Long Description:
Warrensburg
One of Missouri's early western prairie towns, Warrensburg
was founded in 1836 as seat of Johnson County, organized in 1834.
The town is named for Martin Warren, a pioneer settler, and the
county for United States Vice President Richard M. Johnson.
Warrensburg was incorporated 1855. In the Civil War, though
largely pro-Southern, it was occupied by Union troops as a post and
supply base. After the Pacific Railroad (now Mo. Pac.) reached
here, 1864, the town centered around the station and the first
townsite became "Old Town." In the 1870's quarries were opened near
town in a huge sandstone deposit. Among buildings of this
Warrensburg Sandstone are thouse on the College Campus and the
courthouse (1896).
Central Missouri State College, here, was founded 1871, as
the State Normal School for the Second Normal District of Missouri.
Warrensburg and Johnson County gave 16 acres and raised $145,000 to
win the school. It was one of the first two state normal schools in
Missouri. The college maintains an Educational Museum and Essig
Musical Instruments Collection.
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Warrensburg, seat of justice and training center for a grain
and livestock farming county, lies in territory ceded by Osage
tribes in 1808. First settlers in the county, largely from the
South, came in the 1820's.
Points of interest here in Warrensburg include the College
Campus and the Old Courthouse where Senator George G. Vest
delivered his famous "Tribute to the Dog" in his plea to the jury
in one of Missouri's most colorful damage suits. South is Pertle
Springs, early resort and convention center. East, near Knob
Noster, are Whitman Air Force Base, and Knob Noster State
Park.
Warrensburg was the home of Francis M. Cockrell (1834-1915) a
native of Johnson Co., Confederate general, U.S. senator, 1875-1905
and Thomas T. Crittenden (1832-1909) Union colonel, governor of
Mo., 1881-85. Here also for a time, lived Wells H. Blodgett
(1839-1929) Union colonel, state legislator; Carry Moore Nation
(1846-1911), Clara Cleghorn Hoffman (1831-1908) leaders in
temperance movement; John W. (Blind) Boone (1864-1927) the Negro
musician; and George MacCurdy (1863-1947) a native of Warrensburg,
anthropologist. ~Marker text
