Macon Sesquicentennial - Macon, MO - Community Commemoration on Waymarking.com

Capsule placed by the City of Macon
County of Capsule: Macon County
Location of Capsule: 106 W. Bourke St., city hall lawn, Macon

Capsule Text:

"A Long and Storied Heritage
"The earliest evidence of human habitation in Macon County dates back to the Paleo-Indian Culture, about 12,000 years ago. The last Native Americans to occupy the area were the Sauk and Fox tribes in the 1830s.

"Pioneers began arriving in the early 1820s. They followed an ancient Indian trade route along the great divide between the Missouri and Mississippi watersheds. Rapid growth in the area resulted from the development of two railroad lines — the Northwest Railroad (1859) and the Hannibal and St. Joseph Line (1857) — which intersected in Macon County.

"By June 1861, over 7,000 Union troops populated Macon County, garrisoned here to chase off Bushwhackers and to protect the railroads. Only one battle occurred in Macon County: On August 8, 1862, the six-hour Painter Creek Battle left 60 wounded after a gunfire barrage. The present Macon County Courthouse, built in 1864–1865, is one of the few public buildings constructed in the region during the Civil War.

"James T. Haley established Macon in 1852. The Bee Trace, a popular route to search for honey, brought travelers to the region. The county seat was moved to Macon from Bloomington in 1863 (this was both economically and politically motivated; Bloomington was a center of Rebel activity in the area). The town and county of Macon were named for Nathaniel Macon, a veteran of the Revolutionary War, U.S. congressman, and friend of Missouri Senator Thomas Hart Benton.

"Macon’s economy exploded in 1860 with the discovery of coal. Englishman Thomas Wardell brought commercial coal mining to the area. Macon thrived in the first half of the 20th century. Two benefactors, Col. Frederick Wilhelm Victor Blees and Theodore Gary, made contributions that are still felt today.

"The St. James Academy opened in 1875; Blees became its headmaster in 1892. Upon the death of his parents, Blees came into a substantial inheritance, which he invested in the construction of Blees Military Academy. The school survived only until 1912. In 1914, it became the Still-Hildreth Sanatorium, which closed in the 1960s. The building was fully renovated in the 1980s, and it is now known as Lakeview Towers, a senior residential facility.

"Theodore Gary, a prominent St. Louis businessman, made his fortune promoting the telephone in the 1920s. He became fond of the Macon area and helped develop Macon’s lake, building his summer home here and opening a savings and loan business. Gary’s support led to the funding of Macon’s golf course, swimming pool, library, and hospital.

"Macon is known as the “City of Maples.” In 1872, John Beaumont donated 10,000 young maple trees to the city as payment for back taxes totaling $116. Today, the town has more than 275,000 maples.

"Macon serves as an agricultural center and the home of Missouri’s first “New Generation Co-op,” a farmer-owned, modern ethanol plant. Macon is a popular vacation destination for hunters and campers, as the development continues at Thomas Hill Lake and the Long Branch State Park." ~ Macon Area Chamber of Commerce

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