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 Washington Missouri History Posted by:  YoSam.
N 38° 33.404 W 091° 00.791
15S E 673118 N 4269459
In thumbnail fashion, the history of the City of Washington
Waymark Code: WMJYCT
Location: Missouri, United States
Date Posted: 01/16/2014
Views: 4
County of marker: Franklin County
location of marker: Jefferson St. & 5th St. Washington Public Library lawn, Washington
Marker text:
Front: Home of Lucinda Owens, Official founder of Washington.
Rear: Early modes of transportation encouraged growth.
The Washington Bridge, spanning the Missouri River since 1936, brought increased traffic and trade
to Washington
Proper Right: Agriculture - A strong foundation for this community
St. John's Mercy Hospital exemplifies Washington's continued progress and growth
Proper Left: Manufacturing of the Zither by Franz Schwarzer made Washington internationally famous.
Industries that supported the town's economy.
Read more: Washington Historical Society, Washington, Mo.
Web link: [Web Link]
History of Mark:
Some of the earliest settlers in the Washington area were literally followers of Daniel Boone, who had blazed a trail from the hills of Kentucky to the wilderness of east-central Missouri. The German populace for which Washington is known began with the arrival of twelve Catholic families in the fall of 1833. This group and other later German immigrants were sometimes called “followers of Gottfried Duden,” who for two years lived at nearby Dutzow and wrote glowing reviews of the area for readers in his homeland. The lush, green, rolling hills and the river valley reminded Duden of the area from which he came.
A natural river landing, at what was to become the Washington site, made this an ideal place to begin a settlement. In the first three decades of the nineteenth century, the small community grew upon the gently sloping hillside on the south bank of the Missouri River. bottles William G. Owens and his wife Lucinda settled in the area in 1818. They eventually purchased most of the land that would become known as “downtown” Washington, which included about fifty acres. Town lots were sold at auction in 1829. However, in 1834, Owens was murdered, and legal entanglements in his estate blocked the establishment of the new town. His widow Lucinda would eventually receive clear title to the town’s core, and on May 29, 1839, she filed a plat at the county courthouse thus establishing the city of Washington. Ferryboats served the community from the early 1800’s until the bridge was completed in 1936. In 1854, John B. Busch, an older brother of the famous Adolphus Busch, established a brewery in Washington, bottling the first Busch Beer. The Pacific Railroad laid lines as far as Washington by 1855. An Austrian immigrant, Franz Schwarzer, began the manufacture of his world-famous zithers in 1866. Henry Tibbe and his son Anton began making corncob pipes in 1869; that business would help put Washington, Missouri, on the map as the “Corncob Pipe Capital of the World.”
Many of Washington’s historic structures remain today, proudly standing as reminders of times past and evidence of the pride and determination of our fore-fathers.
or more history on Washington, Missouri, be sure to visit the Washington Historical Society Museum at Fourth and Market Streets or go to the web site, www.washmohistorical.org.
Additional point: Not Listed
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