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Warrensburg is a city that
emerged from a frontier gathering place over 150 years ago. In
1833, a blacksmith from Kentucky named Martin Warren chose a
well-traveled spot along an Osage Indian Trail to build a cabin
and set up his blacksmith shop. His blacksmith shop served as an
informal gathering place for the local farmers. Three years
after moving to Missouri, Mr. Warren's shop was named the county
seat of the newly created County of Johnson. The township was
named Warren's Burg, in honor of the local blacksmith. In 1855,
the township was incorporated and became the City of
Warrensburg. Work began in 1838 to build a courthouse for the
newly formed County and was completed in 1842. The original
courthouse was the site of Senator George Graham Vest's famous
Tribute To A Dog, which he used as his closing argument in the
Burden vs. Hornsby trial. New additions to the southeast of the
original township were platted in 1857 as the city shifted to
meet the proposed railroad. The land was dedicated for the
construction of a new courthouse at this time and in 1867, a
frame structure was built to house the county government. The
last court session in the original courthouse was held in 1875.
Many residents were not satisfied with the small frame structure
of the new courthouse. In 1894, according to legend, a group of
young men took the cannon from the courthouse lawn, filled it
with gunpowder, pieces of iron and iron chains and fired it at
the structure. After the blast, the building was almost
completely destroyed. Three years later, in 1897, the current
courthouse was completed. Even though battles were not fought in
Warrensburg during the Civil War, the City was not without its
own militias. In 1861, both the Union and the Confederacy
organized a company. One company drilled on the West Side of
town, the other on the East. It is told that for convenience,
the members of the two would sometimes drill together. When the
Civil War began, the railroad was still 30 miles from
Warrensburg, but in spite of the war, construction continued. By
July 4, 1864, the railroad had reached Warrensburg and would
remain the western terminus for another year. The rail through
Warrensburg continues to play a significant role in the life of
the city today. Warrensburg is the third largest stop, in terms
of volume, in Missouri for Amtrak. Only St. Louis and Kansas
City have more passengers that embark and disembark the trains.
In 1871, State Normal School Number Two opened with an
enrollment of 87 students. By 1881, enrollment had climbed to
over 500 students. In 1919, the School became Central Missouri
State Teachers College and continued to grow. As the college
grew and offered more courses to its students, it became Central
Missouri State College in 1946. In 1972, the school was granted
university status and became Central Missouri State University.
Central is now the third largest State University in Missouri
with an enrollment of over 12,000 students. While the University
played a major role in the growth of the community, the city
that sprang up around a blacksmith's shop continues to thrive
economically. During the 1870's, sandstone deposits were found
to the north of Warrensburg and the quarries |
