Iron County was organized by an act approved February 17, 1857. The honor of getting the bill in shape, and securing the formation of the county, is due to Hon. James Lindsay, for a number of years a member of the Legislature, and the editor of the "Ironton Furnace."

Industrial Pursuits.-There are in Iron County 3 newspapersthe Ironton Register and Arcadia Prospect, weekly, and Ironton Baptist Journal, semi-monthly-15 merchants, 12 grocers, 4 bakers, 2 confectioneries, 13 liquor saloons, 3 drug stores, 4 physicians, 1 dentist, 6 lawyers, 3 land agencies, 3 tin and stove stores, 4 boot and shoe shops, 2 saddlers, 4 tailors, 1 silversmith, 14 carpenter shops, 2 cabinet shops, 3 painters, 9 plasterers, 6 stone and brick masons, 2 livery stables, 3 blacksmith and wagon shops, 4 butcher shops, 1 High School, 1 brewery, 6 hotels, 1 Masonic Lodge, 1 Odd Fellows' Lodge, 1 Good Templars' Lodge, 7 district schools, and 6 church organizations.

IRONTON, the county-seat, is situated on the southwest half of the southwest quarter of section 32, township 34 north, range 4 east; is 1 mile south from Pilot Knob, 7 miles south from Iron Mountain, 87 by the Iron Mountain Railroad from St. Louis, and 20 miles from Fredericktown, by the turnpike road. It was incorporated as a city February 1, 1859, and has now a population of about 500. This place is delightfully situated on the eastern slope of the Shepherd Mountain, and extends into the valley at its base. The town plat is everywhere shaded by a natural growth of large, thrifty forest trees, and watered by springs of pure cold water, some of which are chalybeate, and others sulphur. Situated in the midst of high hills, and being 550 feet higher than St. Louis, this locality is justly entitled to the wide-spread reputation it bears, of being one of the most healthy locations in the State.

Soon after the formation of the new county, H. N. Tong, Esq., offered to donate to the county every alternate lot on the town plat, if the seat of justice was permanently located in Ironton. By a vote of the citizens of the county, held in August, 1857, Ironton was selected as the county-seat. The lots were transferred, and sold; and the fine, substantial brick Court-house, recently erected at a cost of some $14,000, was built from the sale of these lots. Messrs. Tong & Carson, the present proprietors, have ever manifested great liberality toward those who wished to locate here, and the rapidity with which the town has grown to its present size, and the sober and industrious class of citizens forming the community, prove not only the correctness of their judgment in selecting this as a town site and business

center, but that their efforts have been rewarded. The buildings are generally of wood. The Ironton House, N. Aubuchon, proprietor, built by H. N. Tong, in 1858-9, is a commodious hotel, can accommodate 150 persons, and is generally full, especially in the summer season, when families and individuals from St. Louis and the Southern cities come to Ironton as a summer resort, to escape the heat, dust, and unhealthy atmosphere of cities in warm weather. Attracted by its romantic beauty, (embosomed among the mountains,) and the healthfulness of the locality, as well as its accessibility to St. Louis, many persons have purchased residence sites here, and will soon build upon them. The topography of the country shows this to be the proper location for one of the largest cities between St. Louis and Memphis, and being the commercial center of the richest mineral region in the world, one need not look far into the future to see the hillsides and valleys graced by handsome residences built of the Ozark marbles, and the gold,(?) platina, (?) nickel, lead, and iron, brought here from a thousand mines in the vicinity, to be sent to Memphis or St. Louis by railroad. Then the "gravel ridges" will be productive vineyards, and the "Arcadia valley wine" will become a favorite brand, and the "Ironton ironstone ware" will be sought and used throughout the entire Mississippi valley. Iron County has all the natural elements to cause this result-all that is needed beside is energy and capital, neither of which will be long wanting, when the natural resources and advantages are seen and appreciated.

Arcadia, situated one mile south from the county-seat, is pleasantly located at the base of a beautiful range of hills to the south of the "Arcadia valley." The town was laid out in 1849, by Josias and Jerome C. Berryman. In 1846 they established the Arcadia High School, which may be considered the nucleus around which the town has grown up. The "Harris House," built and kept by Z. J. Harris, Esq., is thronged with visitors in the summer season. Upon this town plat are two very large springs of pure cold water, each of which has been estimated to discharge twenty-five barrels of water an hour.

Pilot Knob. The first step taken toward developing the iron deposit at this place was in June, 1847, when the "Madison Iron and Mining Company" was incorporated, with a capital of $500,000. The company erected a furnace that same year, which was put in operation in 1848, and in 1849 they erected a steam forge. In 1854 a second furnace was erected. In November, 1855, the name of the company was changed, by an act of the Legislature, to that of the "Pilot Knob Company," and the capital stock increased to $1,000,000. J. B. Bailey, Esq., has the management of the affairs of the company

at the works. This place was settled entirely by persons connected with the iron works, until the completion of the Iron Mountain Railroad, since which time the population has increased to about 800, including persons of various callings.

Middlebrook is on the Iron Mountain Railroad, three miles north of Pilot Knob. It was laid out by Benjamin F. Johnson, in 1857, and has now a population of about 250.

JACKSON COUNTY.

This county is situated in the west-northwest portion of the State, bounded on the north by the Missouri River, which separates it from Clay and Ray, on the east by Lafayette and Johnson, on the south by Cass, and on the west by the Kansas line.

Physical Features.-This county has an undulating surface, with a desirable division of prairie and timber, underlaid with limestone well adapted to building purposes, and is well watered by the Big Blue, Little Blue, and Big Sniabar, with their numerous tributaries.

History. Jackson County was organized in 1827; the territory taken from Lafayette (then Lillard County.) Independence has always been the county-seat, 160 acres having been donated by Congress for the site at the organization. After Major Sibley, the first settlers were Abram McClelland, Joel, John, and Joseph Walker, who settled near Sibley; several families named Hitchcock, and Russell, also Isaac Drake, David Daily, Aaron Overton, and several families named Patton, who settled below Blue. L. W. Boggs (afterward governor) and S. C. Owens were first clerks of the circuit and county courts, and Jos. Walker the first sheriff. Henry Burriss, Abram McClelland, and Richard Tristoe were first judges, and Hon. David Todd the first circuit judge. In 1808, Major G. C. Sibley established a military post and government trading-house where the present town of Sibley stands; and it was occupied as such, under Major Sibley, until 1822, when it was abandoned by government, and the town laid out upon the old site was named in honor of the pioneer patriot who for so many years served the government at the most western post on the Missouri River. There are many thrilling incidents connected with Major Sibley's sojourn

at Fort Osage, some of which are given in Book II. of this volume. See "Incidents in the History of Fort Osage." At the session of 1824-25, the Counties of Jackson and Clay were organized, and boundaries defined. The first settlers were principally from Kentucky; hence the name often applied to this section "New Kentucky." In 1830 this county had a population of 2823; in 1840, 7612; in 1850, 14,001; in 1856, 17,071; and in 1860, 23,191.

The Soil, Productions, etc.-The soil of this county is exceedingly fertile, producing the heaviest yields of all kinds of agricultural products. Although the most western county in the State, south of the Missouri River, and being the shipping point of the five fertile Counties of Cass, Bates, Vernon, Johnson, and Henry, this was in 1859 the third largest tax-paying county in the State, her tax amounting to $19,032; and only St. Louis and Lafayette paying more tax. By reference to the statistical tables of counties, it will be seen that the agricultural, manufacturing, and commercial resources of Jackson County are second to but one or two in the State, and in some respects it has no equal. The following will indicate its growth, business, wealth, and population:

This county is increasing in wealth and population, probably as rapidly as any county in the State. The amount of taxable property in the county for the year 1859 is as follows:

*These estimates apply to Kansas City alone for the year 1857. Some other important statistics will be found under the head of "Kansas City."