HISTORY

Macon County sits in Missouri’s Glacial Plains, once home to the Sac, Fox, and Iowa tribes until 1824. Ancient Indian mounds and the Great Indian Trail—an important trade route—crossed the area near present-day Macon. Early settlers, many from Kentucky, North Carolina, and Tennessee, began arriving in the 1820s, traveling these same routes.

The Missouri legislature officially created Macon County in 1837, naming it after Nathaniel Macon, a statesman. The first county seat was Bloomington, where courts met in a simple two-room log house. Macon County covered 830 square miles and became the state’s 57th organized county.

The arrival of the railroads fueled rapid growth. The Wabash line came through in 1858, the Burlington in 1859, and later the Santa Fe through La Plata in 1887. With the railroads came booming industries—timber, farming, tobacco processing, and especially coal mining in the Bevier-Ardmore region. Welsh and Italian immigrants played a significant role in developing the mines.

During the Civil War, Macon became a Union stronghold. Over 7,000 troops were stationed here by 1861, and in 1863, the county seat moved from pro-Southern Bloomington to the more strategically located Macon, a key railroad hub.

Today, Macon County is shaped by many stories—Native heritage, pioneer grit, the coming of the railroad, immigrant traditions, and the impacts of the Civil War. Today, you’ll find a welcoming place of rolling woods, fertile farmland, and beautiful lakes.

Home to about 16,000 people, our small communities are down-to-earth and full of life. We value honest work, care for our neighbors, and a spirit of service. With a pro-business outlook and a focus on growth that benefits everyone, Macon County is a place where people invest in the land, in each other, and in the future.