Smithton Company facts for kids
The Smithton Land Company was a group of early American settlers called American pioneers. In 1818, they started a new village named Smithton, Missouri. This village was in a part of Missouri called the Boonslick region. At that time, Missouri was known as the Missouri Territory.
In 1821, the village of Smithton changed its name to Columbia, Missouri. It also moved a little bit east from its first spot. Smithton was important because it was the very first main town, or county seat, for Boone County. The company and the town were named after Thomas Adams Smith. He was in charge of the land office in Franklin, Missouri.
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How Smithton Started
Smithton's story began with settlers from Kentucky and Virginia. They moved to the Boonslick region in the early 1800s. Before 1815, people mostly lived in small log forts. This was because of the danger of attacks from Native American groups during the War of 1812.
After the war ended, many more settlers arrived. They traveled on foot, on horseback, or in wagons. Often, they moved their whole families along the Boone's Lick Road. Sometimes, they also brought people who were enslaved. By 1818, there were so many people that a new county was needed. This new county would be made from Howard County. Two natural borders, the Mouniteau Creek to the west and Cedar Creek to the east, seemed like good boundaries.
Building a New Town
The Smithton Land Company believed a county seat would soon be chosen. So, they bought over 2,000 acres (8.1 km2) of land. Their goal was to build the village of Smithton. It was located near where Walnut and Garth streets are today.
In 1819, Smithton was just a few log cabins. These cabins were in a very old forest of oak and hickory trees. One important cabin belonged to Richard Gentry. He was a leader in the Smithton Company. Later, he became the first mayor of Columbia.
Smithton Becomes Columbia
In 1820, Boone County was officially created. It was named after the famous explorer Daniel Boone, who had recently passed away. The Missouri government chose five people to pick a permanent county seat.
Smithton never had more than twenty people living there. People soon found it was hard to dig wells for water because of the hard rock underground. But, they found fresh springs across the Flat Branch Creek. So, in the spring of 1821, the new town of Columbia was planned out. The people living in Smithton moved their cabins to this new spot.
The very first house in Columbia was built by Thomas Duly in 1820. It was located where Fifth and Broadway are now. The settlers renamed their new home Columbia. This name was a historic way to refer to the United States. Columbia became a lasting town when it was chosen as the county seat in 1821. The main road, Boone's Lick Road, was also changed to go through Broadway in Columbia.
Important Smithton Company Members
Here are some of the people who were part of the Smithton Company:
- Lilburn Boggs: He later became the sixth Governor of Missouri.
- Richard Gentry: He was a politician and a military officer.
- William Jewell: He was a politician, a doctor, a teacher, and a minister.
Remembering Smithton Today
Smithton is remembered in several ways today.
- A large painting in the Missouri State Capitol shows the first court meeting in Boone County, held in Smithton.
- There are also paintings in the Boone County Courthouse and the Columbia Municipal Building.
- A special historical marker was placed at the original site of Smithton in 2018.
- The Daughters of the American Revolution also placed a marker. It shows Smithton's place on the Boone's Lick Road.
- Smithton Middle School in Columbia is named after the old village.
