Building the Bootheel
At Hunter-Dawson State Historic Site in New Madrid, visitors can explore a grand Southern mansion while learning about the families who shaped the development of Missouri's southeastern lowlands for a century and a half.
The New Madrid Earthquakes of 1811-1812
Based on eyewitness accounts and geological evidence, seismologists estimate the New Madrid earthquake to have been 8.0 on today’s Richter scale. The shock waves were felt from the East Coast to the Rocky Mountains, and from southern Canada to northern Mexico.
October 1, 1812
The first meeting of the general assembly of the Missouri Territory took place, which named the five original counties: St. Louis, St. Charles, Sainte Genevieve, Cape Girardeau, and New Madrid.
December 16, 1811
The first shocks occurred in the largest earthquake ever to shake North America. It was centered on the New Madrid Fault in Missouri. Read More about this in Tales From Missouri and the Heartland.
February 14, 1789
Colonel George Morgan and seventy colonists established the city of New Madrid on this date.