County: Caldwell County
Location of courthouse: Main St. & Washington St. (MO 13), Kingston
Location of county: on the SE edge of the NW quadrant of the state; crossroads of MO-13 & US-36
Organized: Dec. 29, 1836
Named after: Capt. Matthew Caldwell, a Kentucky Indian fighter
County seat: Kingston
Elevation (highest): 1050 feet (320 meters)
Population: 9,100 (2017)
The Person:
As stated to the writer by Gen. Doniphan himself, the summer of 1885, the origins of the names of the tow counties was as follows: Gen. Doniphan's father, Joseph Doniphan, was a soldier of the Revolution, and one of the pioneers who accompanied Daniel Boone to Kentucky. In the latter state he belonged to a company of Indian scouts and fighters, commanded by Capt. Matthew (?) Caldwell. Of this Capt. Caldwell Gen Doniphan often heard his father speak as a brave and gallant soldier, and a skillful Indian fighter. ... When Gen Doniphan drew up the bill for the organization of these two new counties, he named one of them for Col. Daviess, and the other Caldwell, in honor of his fathers old captain. Caldwell County, Kentucky, was also named for Capt. Caldwell." ~ History of Caldwell and Livingston Counties as listed on Google Books
Another reference to the same material: History of Northwest Missouri
"Up to December 26, 1836, what is now Caldwell County comprised a portion of Ray. The latter was organized November 16, 1820, out of Howard, and named for Hon. John Ray, one of the delegates from that county to the first constitutional convention of the State. The legislative act establishing Ray County defined its territory to be, "all that part of Howard County west of Grand River to the boundary line of the State," and further declared that, "all that portion of territory lying north of the county of Ray, and west of the range line dividing ranges 21 and 22, to the northern and western boundaries of the State, shall be attached to said county of Ray for all purposes, civil and military and judicial." The western boundary of the State at that time was a line running due north from the mouth of the Kansas River (where Kansas City now stands) to the northern boundary, the Platte Purchase not having been acquired.
"It was provided in the organizing act that, when a division of Ray County should become necessary its northern boundary line should be the line dividing Congressional Townships 55 and 56; and in 1825, it was provided that the said northern line should run between Townships 53 and 54; but in time the line was established as at present--between 54 and 55. In January, 1822, Clay County was formed out of the western part of Ray. The first county seat of Ray was Bluffton, on the Missouri River (now extinct), but in 1828 Richmond became the capital. The first townships into which Ray County was divided, and which included the present area of Caldwell, may be mentioned. At the first session of the Ray County Court, in April, 1821, the county was divided by lines running north and south into 3 municipal townships, viz: Bluffton, which included all the territory between Range 30 and Grand River; Fishing River, including the territory west of the range line between 29 and 30 to the sectional line running a little east of where Liberty, in Clay County stands; and Gallatin, comprising the remainder of the county west of the State boundary line. All townships ran from the Missouri River to the northern line of the State. What is now Caldwell County was first a part of Bluffton Township.
"In 1822, after Clay had been organized, Ray County was composed of but two municipal townships: Missouriton, including all the tract of county east of the main fork of Crooked River, or the Chariton County line; and Bluffton, including the remainder of the county west, to the Clay County line.
"In February, 1823, Bluffton and Missouriton Townships were divided, and Crooked River Township formed. What is now Caldwell County was then embraced in Bluffton Township, Ray County.
"In November, 1826, Fishing River Township was formed out of Bluffton...In 1829, the name of Bluffton Township was changed to Richmond...The territory of Caldwell was bounded then as follows: Range 29 in Fishing River Township, and the remainder of the county in Richmond Township, Ray County.
"In May, 1832, the Ray County Court created a new township out of Richmond and named it Marion...Marion Township, Ray County, comprised among other territory what is now the west four miles of Lincoln and New York, and all of Grant and Kingston Township, Caldwell County.
"In May, 1832, the authorities of Ray created a new municipal township, called Grand River. It included the present township of Davis, Fairview, and Breckenridge, the east two miles of Lincoln, New York and Gomer in Caldwell County, and a considerable portion of Livingston and Daviess.
"In June, 1835, Shoal Creek Township was established...At this time there were no settlements worth mentioning in the county of Caldwell outside of Shoal Creek Township...
"In December, 1836, just prior to the organization of Caldwell, its territory was included in the municipal townships of Shoal Creek and Grand River, in Ray County. Grand River Township, among other territory, in what is now Livingston and Daviess Counties embraced what are now the municipal townships of Davis, Fairview and Breckenridge, or the east six miles (Range 26) of Caldwell County.
"When the Mormon leaders had determined upon the occupation of this portion of Missouri...the statement was made: "Let us fix up a county expressly for the Mormons. Let us send all the Mormons in the State to that county and induce the Gentiles to leave."
"That new county was to be organized out of the first 24 square miles north of Ray and with its southern boundary between the said townships 53 and 54. But this proposal was met with strong objection, and the county was never organized.
"The headquarters of the Mormons were now located in Caldwell County, at a new city called Far West.
"The county seat was removed to Kingston in 1843. A small road passed east and west a little south of the public square leading from Far West to Salem, two miles east of Salem.
"At this time there were but three water mills in the county, all on Shoal Creek--two in the eastern part of the county (Haun's and Whites') and one north of Far West (Fugitt's). There was a good horse mill north of Far West. It was owned by a Mormon named Gardner, who stayed there after the Mormons left.
"In December, 1836, the county of Caldwell was organized, a means of much importance to the Mormons. The county seat was located at Far West, and courts held in the school house. Justices of the Peace were appointed in the different townships and all the political machinery of the county was controlled by the Mormons..." ~ History of Livingston and Caldwell Counties, , St. Louis National Historical Society, pp. 101-104, 116, 120, 163