County: Adair County
Location of courthouse: Harrison St. & Franklin St., Kirksville
Location of the county: Eastern fringe of the NE quadrant of the state; crossroads of US-63, MO-3 & MO-6, MO-11
Organized: Jan. 29, 1841
Named after: Gen. John Adair, governor of Kentucky
County seat: Kirksville
Elevation (highest): 246 meters (807 feet)
Population: 25,377 (2017)
The Person:
Find-A-Grave listing for John Adair, as presented by a subscriber
John Adair (January 9, 1757 – May 19, 1840) was an American pioneer, soldier, and statesman. He was the seventh governor of Kentucky and represented the state in both the U.S. House and Senate.
"Born in South Carolina, Adair enlisted in the state militia and served in the American Revolutionary War, where he was held captive by the British for a period of time. Following the war, he was elected as a delegate to South Carolina's convention to ratify the United States Constitution. He then moved to Kentucky, where he acquired a large farm, and participated in frontier wars against the Miami Native Americans.
"Adair became active in Kentucky politics, serving a total of eight years in the state House of Representatives between 1793 and 1803. He served as Speaker of the Kentucky House in 1802 and 1803, and was a delegate to the state's constitutional conventions in 1792 and 1799. He ascended to the United States Senate to fill the seat vacated when John Breckinridge resigned to become Attorney General of the United States. Adair's promising political career was threatened when General James Wilkinson accused him of being involved in the Burr conspiracy. Although Adair was later cleared of any wrongdoing and Wilkinson was ordered to issue an apology, Adair was forced to resign his seat in the Senate, and the negative publicity kept him out of politics for more than a decade.
"Adair's participation in the War of 1812 restored his reputation, and he returned to the state House in 1817. His commanding officer in the war, twice governor Isaac Shelby, appointed him adjutant general of the state militia. In 1820, Adair was elected governor on a platform of financial relief for Kentuckians hit hard by the Panic of 1819. His primary measure toward this end was the creation of the Bank of the Commonwealth. Many of his other financial reforms were deemed unconstitutional by the Kentucky Court of Appeals.
"Following his term as governor, Adair served one term in the United States House of Representatives, but did not run for re-election. He died May 19, 1840, at his farm in Harrodsburg. He is the namesake of several places, including Adair County, Kentucky, Adair County, Missouri, Adair County, Iowa, and the town of Adair, Iowa." ~ New World Encyclopedia
The Place:
"Adair County was organized January 29, 1841 and was named for Adair County, Kentucky, whence some of the early settlers came." The county in Kentucky was named for General John Adair of Mercer County, Kentucky, who served as governor of that state." ~ Record of Chariton County, Part I, p. 11
"Adair County is bounded on the north by Putnam and Schuyler Counties, on the south by Macon County, on the west by Sullivan County, and on the east by Knox County and part of Mount Pleasant Township of Scotland County.
"The north line of the county extends to within eighteen miles of the Iowa border, while the south line is 135 miles north of the Arkansas boundary. The eastern line is about forty-four miles distant from the Mississippi and the western line is 140 miles distant from the Missouri River. The total area is 567 square miles, or 362,880 acres.
"The settlement of the Iowa and Missouri boundary question came up in 1835. The Iowa people established a line, which they believed to be the just south line of their young State. Missouri defined her northern boundary to be the parallel running through the rapids in the Mississippi, above the mouth of the Des Moines River, and insisted on running their line west from a point just below Keasaqua about ten miles north of the true line.
"[Considerable activity developed, each State claiming jurisdiction.] Sheriffs levied on the personal effects of a few. When the tocsin was sounded the Missouri officials were arrested, and 1,200 men of Iowa stood armed to defend their State; Governor Boggs, of Missouri, called out the State Militia, and very little provocation was necessary to precipitate war. Under such circumstances Generals Dodge and Churchman, with Dr. Clark were dispatched to the State House of Missouri with a message of peace. On arriving there they found that Governor Boggs had sent messengers to the Governor of Iowa, and that the commissioners of Macon and Clark Counties had called back their dogs of war and tax collectors. A suit was instituted under authority given by Congress, which resulted in favor of Iowa.
"The first settlement of Adair County was made in 1828 by James Myers, Isaac and Stephen Gross, Nathan Richardson, Reuben Myrtle and a single man named Gupp....
"The first settlement in the county was that known as "The Cabins," in 1828. The location was west of "Long Point," where Kirksville now stands, on the Grand Chariton, and the inhabitants were James Myers, Nathan Richardson, Isac Gross, Stephen Gross, Reuben Myrtle and Jacob Gupp.
"Adair in Macon County, 1837 - 41. In Vol. A, County Court Records of Macon County, there are many references to the early organic history of what is now Adair and Schuyler Counties.
"In 1823 the territory now known as Adair County was unknown to the white settlers of Missouri, and unexplored save by the Indians and trappers. The United States' charts of the territory did not show a stream existing, and for some years the traveler up and down the Mississippi would look west ward and consider it an immense marsh, while the traveler on the Missouri River would look east ward and form a similar opinion. The Indians and trappers did not once venture to refute such erroneous ideas.
"The counties of Ralla, Chariton and Ray, then comprised all Northern Missouri. That portion of the present Adair County in Range 13 was included in Ralls, the other ranges, 14, 15, 16 and 17 in Chariton County. County after county was organized; Howard being the principal rendezvous, and the one from which came the pioneers of Adair County. Macon County was ultimately organized and of it Adair formed a part until 1841.
"The act setting off from Macon County the townships in Ranges 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17 west extending to the Iowa boundary from the south line of Township 61 North, took effect January 26, 1841. Jefferson Collins, L.B. Mitchell and Thomas Farrell were appointed county seat commissioners, and they selected the east half of the northwest quarter of Section 9, Township 62 North, Range 15 West, as the most central portion for the seat of justice.
"The original townships of Adair County were: Benton, Richland, Wilson, Goshen (or Gocean), Wells, and Fabbe (Fabius). Morrow was named in honor of her first constable, Jesse Morrow. Lewis (Conner) Connor, was justice of the peace for Benton Township in 1843. In 1842, John T. Wright, George Tharp, Joseph Stewart and William Roberts were in Goshen Township; Seaman Atteberry was then a resident of Fabbe (Fabius) Township. Pettice (Pettis) Township was in existence in February, 1844. Thomas S. Wright, the first justice of the peace for Morrow Township, resigned in November, 1843. The remaining townships were set off and organized under authority of the county court.
"The second court-house was burned April 12, 1865. The records of the county clerk's office, with the exception of the assessment book of 1859 and a few documents of little use to any one, the circuit clerk's more important record book and documents were saved.
"The post-offices in Adair County in 1887-88 were Adair, Bullion, Danforth, Lindesville, Loeffler, Millard, Nind (a new post-office with Postmaster Hoag in charge), Novinger, Prairie Bird, Shibley's Point, Sperry, Stahl, Sublette, Wilmathsville, Wilson, Zig and Pure Air.
Adair County was a township of Macon County." ~ History of Adair County, 1888, Goodspeed, p. 203, 234-235, 250, 256-257, 292, 338