County of city: Lafayette County
Location of city: I-70 (exit 58) & MO-23
Location of city hall: 618 S Main St, Concordia,
Elevation: 791'
Population: 2,413 (2013)
This town was known as "Freedom, MO" back then. Populated by German Protestants who understood persecution from their home land. Re-named Concordia after the Civil War because they believed new hope for concord between North and South existed.
"German immigrants, seeking economic improvement, began settling here in 1838. Their post office was Cook's Store, a coach stop on the Sedalia-Lexington Road, 2½ miles west of here.
Opposed to slavery, they were loyal to the Union in the Civil War.
On May 17, 1865, the Lutheran pastor, Franz Julius Biltz (1825 - 1908), became postmaster and named this town "Concordia" since the war had ended, and there was now hope for concord between North and South. The Rev. Biltz served the community for forty-one years as faithful pastor, courageous leader, and founder of Saint Paul's College (1883)." ~ Lafayette County Historical Society & Donated by Corder Mfg. Co.
MASSACRE SITE
On August 22, 1861, "State Guard" troops under Col. Edwin W. Price plundered this community taking household goods, farm animals and merchandise from Brockie's store.
Sunday, Oct. 5, 1862, sixty drunken "Bushwackers" captured eleven men, and at this spot they murdered Henry Brockhoff, Henry Hartmann, and Christian Oetting and wounded four others.
On July 13, 1863, near here 35 renegades murdered Conrad Bruns, Louis Fiene, Dietrich Karsten and William Scharnhorst.
Four miles east of here on October 10, 1864, local militia lost 26 men fighting guerrillas led by Dave Poole of Quantrill's Band." ~ Corder Mfg. Co. and Lafayette County Historical Society
German immigrants knew the terror of mistreatment of other humans. Both here, in Missouri, and in Texas, they were loyal to the Union and strongly against slavery. Unfortunate for them, they were in both places, in the middle of strong Southern transplants. Here, and also in Texas, Germans were drug into the streets and murdered because they remained loyal to the Union. This is part of the Southern cleansing.
This is the birhplace for Kathryn Kuhlman