Shawneetown, Missouri facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Shawneetown, Missouri
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Location of Cape Girardeau, Missouri
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| Country | United States |
| State | Missouri |
| County | Cape Girardeau |
| Township | Shawnee Township |
| Area | |
| • Total | 0.59 sq mi (1.53 km2) |
| • Land | 0.59 sq mi (1.53 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 518 ft (158 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 132 |
| • Density | 223.73/sq mi (86.36/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code |
63755
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| Area code(s) | 573 |
| FIPS code | 29-67124 |
| GNIS feature ID | 731650 |
Shawneetown is a small, unincorporated community located in northern Cape Girardeau County, Missouri, in the United States. It's about twenty miles north of the city of Cape Girardeau. As of the 2020 Census, 132 people lived there.
How Shawneetown Got Its Name
The name Shawneetown comes from the Shawnee people. This community is built on the land where a Shawnee village once stood.
A Look Back in Time: Shawneetown's History
Shawneetown was once one of six villages belonging to the Shawnee and Delaware Native American tribes. These villages were located along Apple Creek in both Perry and Cape Girardeau counties.
The Shawnee and Delaware people moved to this area in 1787. They came from places like Ohio and Indiana. The Spanish authorities, who controlled the land at the time, asked them to settle here. Their job was to act as a protective barrier. They were positioned between the French settlements to the north and the Osage Native Americans to the south.
The French settlers called the village Village Sauvage, which means "wild village." However, the Shawnee and Delaware were forced to leave the area in 1825. After they left, American settlers moved in and built the community we know today as Shawneetown.
Shawneetown also had its own post office for many years. It operated from 1871 to 1907, and again from 1913 to 1946. Today, the community is home to Trinity Lutheran Church.
Learning and Schools
Most of the children living in Shawneetown attend schools in the Jackson R-2 School District. This district includes Jackson High School. A smaller part of Shawneetown is served by the Oak Ridge R-VI School District.
