Macon

About Macon, Missouri


The story of Macon begins thousands of years ago with Paleo-Indians, followed much later by the Sauk and Fox tribes, who lived here until the 1830s. By the 1820s, pioneers from Kentucky, Virginia, and North Carolina began settling along ancient Native trade routes that crossed the area.


Macon was founded in the 1850s and quickly became a railroad hub. The Hannibal & St. Joseph line and the Northwest Railroad intersected here, fueling the city’s growth and making it a key Union stronghold during the Civil War. Over 7,000 Union troops were stationed in Macon, and in 1863, the county seat moved from nearby Bloomington to Macon, sealing the town’s importance.


Coal soon transformed the economy. Rich deposits attracted Welsh and Italian immigrants in the 1860s, and Macon became one of Missouri’s leading coal-producing regions. Agriculture remained strong too—especially tobacco, grain, and livestock—cementing Macon’s role as a farming and mining community.


The town earned the nickname “City of Maples” after 10,000 maple trees were planted in 1872, and today more than 275,000 still shade its streets.


Two visionary benefactors shaped Macon in the early 20th century. Colonel Frederick Blees, a Prussian immigrant, invested heavily in civic projects: paved streets, sewer systems, hotels, theaters, and the grand Blees Military Academy—later the Still-Hildreth Sanatorium, now Lakeview Towers. Theodore Gary, a St. Louis businessman who built a fortune in the telephone industry, gave Macon its library, hospital, swimming pool, golf course, and the lake that later became part of Long Branch State Park.


Macon’s history also carries hard truths, including racial violence in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, but the community has continued to grow and evolve.



Today, Macon blends its railroad and coal-mining past with a vibrant small-town character. Visitors can explore its historic downtown, enjoy nearby Long Branch State Park and Thomas Hill Lake, and see why this proud “City of Maples” remains a hub for agriculture, history, and community spirit.

Royal Theatre building with a painted sign:

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