Tales from Days Gone By

Richard E. Buehler: Russian Immigrant, Wayne County Public Servant

One of the most influential of Wayne County’s public servants in the late 19th Century was a Russian immigrant who came to the U.S. with his father in 1849.

“Strip Forty Miles Long is Laid Waste”: The Disastrous Tornados of May 30, 1917

The period from May 25 through June 1, 1917, was one of the worst severe weather weeks in the history of southern Missouri. During that time, three low pressure systems in succession formed on the Plains and swept through the southern Midwest and upper South.

The Amazing Career of Dr. Drake McDowell – New Madrid Physician

Perhaps no physician who practiced in southeast Missouri in the 19th century had as varied a career as Dr. Drake McDowell. Drake, or Isaac, McDowell was eldest son of Dr. Joseph Nash McDowell of St. Louis. He was born in Cincinnati in 1831 and came to St. Louis in 1840 with the family.

From Punjaub to Lawrenceton – A Community Changes its Name

The present-day community of Lawrenceton is about 15 miles west of Ste. Genevieve. It is unincorporated, but in its heyday, it had a post office between 1867 and 1941. The initial town, Punjaub, officially changed to Lawrenceton in 1877. So how did an Ozark border community receive the name of a region in India, then later become Lawrenceton?

Through the Slip of a Pen: The Ordeal of Moses Pendergrass

The wheels of justice operate in most cases—but often slowly. A tale from St. Francois County illustrates exactly how slowly.