Vernon County Agri-Facts
VERNON COUNTY is in the west central part of the
State. It is bounded north by Bates County; east by St.
Clair and Cedar Counties; south by Barton County; and
west by the State of Kansas. It has a land area of 536,000
acres.
The first permanent settlers were three brothers, Jesse J.,
Moses and Allen Summers. They were Kentuckians, who
had moved to Warren County, Missouri, about 1820.
Later they went into Arkansas, and in 1829 or 1830
located on the Osage River, fifteen miles northwest of the
site of the present city of Nevada. John Son located at
Belvoir in 1837, and established the first ferry across the
Osage River, long known as Son's Ferry.
Just prior to the Civil War sentiment was unanimously
favorable to the South. A few Republicans were known,
but not a single Republican ballot was cast at the
presidential election in 1860. When war began a regiment
of 400 men was organized for the Confederate service,
under Colonel Dewitt C. Hunter.
Early in the summer of 1862 the population had in large
measure disappeared. In 1863 the northern portion of the
county was entirely depopulated under the operations of
General Ewing's Order No. 11. The real development of
Vernon County dates from October 26, 1870, when the
first railway the Tebo & Neosho, reached Nevada. On
February 27, 1855, Vernon County was legally created out
of Bates County and named after Miles Vernon, a State
Senator from Laclede County.
Source: Encyclopedia of the History of Missouri
Missouri Agricultural Statistics Service
Missouri Agri-Facts
Vernon County Agri-Facts