New Madrid

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.

Bicentennial project tells the story of Missouri.

“The earth, river, etc., torn with furious convulsions, opened in huge trenches. There through a thousand vents sulphurous streams gushed from its very bowels leaving vast and almost unfathomable caverns.”

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.

Colonel George Morgan and seventy colonists established the city of New Madrid on this date.