The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1894-05-26
LAFAYETTE COUNTY.

Latayette county, OF WHICH AcAlhR-
ton is the county seat, derives its name
from the gallant general of France whose
timely succor and aid, during the war of
the revolution, gave America the
opportunity of becoming free from the
tyranny of George the Third. The first
account of white man being within its
present borders was in 1906. History
drops a mantle of doubt regarding its
early settlement, but supposes its first
inhabitants were, in the main, trappers
and fishermen, who depended upon the
muddy Missouri for their living. In
point of population, Lafayette ranks
ninth among the one hundred and fif-
teen counties of the state, having &c, O,lS4
souls, by the last census, within her
limits. The general surface Of the
county is of an undulating nature, with
tendency to be high and rolling land,
three-fourths of the county being
prairie. Lafayette county's area is 822
miles, or 39s,7O2 acres, and for fifty
miles the Missouri washes its shores.
As a garden spot of the state. this
county is noted for Its large crops. and
an entire crop failure is unknown. For
the benefit of the reader abroad, q few
statistics, from so reliable a report as
the last issue of the Agricultural Record,
will not prove uninteresting. The
number of acres planted in barley,
throughout the county. was fourteen,
showing a crop of $40 bushels. or
twenty-three bushels to the acre. In
buckwheat, ten acres, Tor ninety BUSH
els,) with average Of eight bushels.
Corn, 81, ,s39 acres, with crop Of $780,
14S, or forty-two bushels to the acre. In
oats, II ,O53 acres were planted, with q
crop of 293 ,596 bushels, or twenty-seven
bushels to the acre. Rye, forty-fve
acres, with crop Of 759 bushels. or
sixteen to the acre. In wheat, "a, ,o66
acres were planted. giving as result
!, ,493, ,040 bushels, or an average OF
eighteen bushels per acre. These fg-
I9I1gl eQnyin1!es 2! eay ~ Sne ! ffes
@.ft - * = r - +.
-. - H. = . = - y
source few facts Regarding It's I've
stock. We find that in horses the
county has II ,237 head; in mules, 4, ,231;
in jack stock, seventy-one; in neat
cattle, 25,O99; in hogs, 23,5Ol, and in
sheep, 1884. As mining center, this
county has reputation second to none
west of the Mississippi river, the coal
industry being predominant, although
lead and limestone are abundant. At
this writing it is impossible to obtain
the accurate number Of tons of coal
mined in this county, yearly. Lafayette
is the largest as we'll as the oldest coal
producing county in the state, and the
estimate for this year is about 375, ,OOO
tons. The early settlement of this
county dates back to 1917, and was,
until 1884, called Lillard, when the name
was changed. The original county seat
was at Mount Vernon, but on December
8, 1892, was moved to Lexington. Few
localities are as well provided with
educational and religious facilities al
this, there being in the county ninety.
seven school districts, having school
population of s,7ls whites and ! ,4ss
colored pupils. In 1922, there was but
one church in the county, the Baptist
while now spires are pointed Heaven
ward in every locality, and with able
pastors and large congregations the old
old story of the Nazarine is told to ap
preciative audiences. The railroad
facilities of the county embrace thu
Chicago & Alton and Missouri Pacific
both having one hundred miles of tracl
in the county, giving good freight ant
passenger service to all points. Will
good water, superior soil, and lan(
selling at from twenty to sixty-fiv'
dollars per acre, and with an assessed
valuation of So, ,673 1855 for the county
few equally desirable locations presen
themselves to prospective hOme-seekers
AS many of these papers will find thei
way to other sections of this country
we would ask our readers to look int
our advantages, if seeking a change o
base. Communications addressed to tn
Board of Trade, or any Of the gentlemen
whose names are to be found in In