County of city: Chariton County
Loction of city: Along US 24 @ the Chariton River
Elevation: 709'
Population: 458 (2013)
"Founded, 1832, by Englishman James Keyte, Keytesville is the judicial seat of Chariton County. First seat of the county, organized in 1820, was "Old" Chariton laid out, 1817, near the mouth of the Chariton River by Duff Green, editor, politician. Before floods led to town abandonment, it grew so rapidly that one settler exchanged lots in St. Louis for an equal number in "Old" Chariton, 1819.
"The county name probably derived from Joseph Chariton, a fur trader who drowned in what is now Chariton River, 1795. When the 1804 Lewis and Clark Expedition noted the river, it had two outlets. Since 1904 the 300 miles of curving channel through the county has been straightened to 33 miles.
"Keytesville became county seat, 1833, James Keyte donating 50 acres for the site. Union troops stationed here surrendered to Confederates under John Thrailkill, Sept. 20, 1864, who burned the courthouse.
"Sterling Price (1809-67), Missouri governor, 1853-57, and Confederate general, lived near Keytesville. The state statue to him by A.G. Newman is here in Price Park.
"Keytesville serves as seat of justice for a rich grain farming county of the Boon's Lick Region. Southern pioneers who settled following the War of 1812 introduced tobacco and the county was a leader in production into the 1900's. The county lies in territory ceded by Iowa, Sac, and Fox Indians in 1824. Brief hostilities broke out between settlers and a band of Iowas led by Big Neck, 1827. The Indian Trail, later called Field's Trace, followed the Missouri through the county.
"In Keytesville lived Lisbon Applegate, a member 1845 Mo. Const. Conv.; W.W. Rucker, a congressman, 1899-1923; and Gen. Maxwell D. Taylor, appointed Chief of Staff, 1955, was born here." ~ State Historical Society of Missouri, 1957
"In 1833, preacher and entrepreneur James Keyte donated land to allow a small community to escape repeated flooding. Keytesville, as the town became known, underwent a boom in population and became the county seat. Over the years the town has been the home of Confederate General Sterling Price and birthplace of General Maxwell Taylor and sports star Cal Hubbard.
"Each September Keytesville hosts Sterling Price Days, a weekend event featuring a parade, crafts, food and more. The Maxwell Taylor Park provides RV hook-ups, a fishing lake, and picnic areas. Sterling Price Park, the Log Cabin, and the Sterling Price Museum highlight Keytesville's history." ~ City of Keytesville
"At one time Keytesville boasted two banks, two newspapers, hotels, restaurants, water-powered grist mill on Mussel Fork Creek and numerous stores and businesses. Today it offers the visitor echoes of that past embodied in several of these tour sites. The Hill Homestead (from 1832) and the Presbyterian Church (1853) are listed on The National Register of Historic Places. Besides the sites shown, other buildings and residences exist that may be of interest. Several homes lie outside the city limits and are not accessible on foot. These and other notable facts, pictures and locations can be found in Keytesville, Missouri 1883-1983, a 150 year history book produced for the Sesquicentennial celebration, available at the museum." ~ Chariton County Historical Society