County: McDonald County
Location of courthouse: MO Highway W (Main St.) & E. 6th St., Pineville
Location of county: Absolute farthers SW county in state; Crossroads of I-49, US-71, MO-59 & MO-76, MO-90
Organized: March 3, 1849
Named after: Alexander McDonald, Revolutionary soldier and congressman
County seat: Pineville
Elevation:515 meters (1,690 feet)
Population: 22,828 (2017)
"McDonald County, 540 sq. miles of Ozark grandeur in Missouri's extreme southwest, was called Seneca when it was formed in 1847. Fully organized in 1849, it was named for Rev. War soldier Alexander McDonald.
"Pineville, the county seat, was laid out by Nathan Richardson, 1847, and first called Maryville. The judicial seat, first located at Rutledge (Elk Springs), was moved there in 1857 after a bitter dispute. Pineville at the headquarters1 of lovely Elk River, was a lively trading post for reservation Indians from what is now Okla., and settlers in 1860. A Jesse James movie was made there in 19382.
"The country's first settlers were Valentine Miller and family, 1827. Pioneers were from Ky. and Tenn. The 1840's brought the "Pine War" between settlers and U.S. Marshals over cutting trees on public land. In the 1850's, bands of "Slickers" briefly tried to stop land sales. In War Between the States, this pro-Southern county on Ark. and Okla. borders, saw heavy troop movement, sharp skirmishes, guerrilla raids. Over the border, in Ark., is historic Pea Ridge Battlefield, site of decisive Union victory, Mar. 7-8, 1862.
"Resort county in the Ozarks Playgrounds Region, McDonald lies in a dairy, livestock, poultry, fruit, and timber area. Processing plants are at Noel and Anderson, largest town in the county, founded 1887. Near there is site of Splitlog, once a boom town where Mathias Splitlog, wealthy Wyandotte3 Indian, and others went broke mining fool's gold. There Splitlog began the county's first railroad. The Kansas City & Southern was built through the county in the 1890's.
"At Southwest City, settled in 1840's, is the Missouri-Arkansas-Oklahoma tri-state boundary marker bearing the dates of when each state was admitted into the Union: Mo., 1821; Ark., 1836; Okla., 19074.
"Noel, named for Bridge Noel, founded 1891, gives cancellation on Christmas mail.5 Other towns in the county include Rocky Comfort, Tiff City, Goodman, Powell, Jane, and Lanagan.
"In the county are handsome Jacob's, Bluff Dwellers, Shira, and Ozark Wonder caves. Ancient Bluff Dweller sites, Indian mounds and trails are in the area a part of 1825 Osage Indian land cession. Only Confederate Indian General, Stan Watie6, a Cherokee, is buried in Okla., near Southwest City, MO." ~ State Historical Society of Missouri, 1959
Notes and corrections to the marker since 1959. Some information provided by the Historic Society of Missouri.
1. Should read "headwaters"
2. Movie was "Jesse James", released in 1939 and starred Henry Fonda, Randolph Scott, Nancy Kelly, Tyrone Power.
3. The most widely accepted spelling is Wyandot.
4. This is also the western end of the Civil War Mason-Dixon Line.
5. Even though they make money on Christmas mail, Noel is not pronounced like the Christmas song. If you do in town, you will be told they do not like it and it is wrong. Pronounced like a mans name No-wel.
6. The correct spelling is Stand Watie.