In selecting who to list as pioneer settlers the following conditions were considered. The county was settled three times — as part of Ray County in the 1830s; as an extended area to the Iowa line after 1836; and by the Mormons in 1838. In 1845 the settlers in the North were included in a new county.

Included in this listing are those showing on the 1840 census that were also listed on the 1850 census. This results in basically those returning in 1839 and 1840, along with new settlers during those years. This also includes Mormon families that stayed after 1838. I added those, mostly men who had died or left in search of gold, etc., but left a wife in the county.

Other data included was shown on the 1850 records for the head of the family. There were many children who were early settlers but are not listed and this also excludes the helpers, slaves, and employees. The place of birth is listed for the family head in 1850 where known.

— written, researched and presented by David Stark, Gallatin, MO

This 1846 map shows the significant trails used by early settlers to populate and transverse Northwest Missouri. Gallatin connects to Chillicothe in Livingston County going eastward. Three trails led westward from Gallatin, to Savannah in Andrew County, to Plattsburg in Clinton County, and to Buchanan County east of St. Joseph.

Early Settlers Who Stayed to 1850

Note: The occupation of each settler listed here is ‘farmer’, unless otherwise indicated.

      • William and Nancy Allen, 31, from Va.
      • William and Mary Allen, 43, from England
      • John Anderson, 63, from Va., single
      • Elijah Armstrong, 57, N.C., wife Margaret
      • Joseph W. Atkinson, 33, from N.C., single
      • Henry and Margaret Ballinger, 37, from N.C.
      • John and Amanda Baxter, 30, from Ky.
      • John and Recca Byrd, 40, from Tenn.
      • John and Susan Blakely, 45, from Va.
      • Thomas and Patience Blakely, 47, from Va.
      • Jesse and Polly Blakely, 23, from Tenn.
      • Pleasant and Nancy Blakely, 42, from Ky.
      • Green and Miriam Bowers, 75, from N.C.
      • James and Abigail Bowman, from Va.
      • John Breeden, 26, single, from Ind.
      • Joseph and Elizabeth Breeden, 39, from Tenn.
      • William and Mary Breeden, 35, from Tenn.
      • Joseph and Frances Breeden, 69, from Va.
      • Joseph and Margaret Breeden, 30, from Ky.
      • James and Elizabeth Bristow, 57, from Va., blacksmith
      • Ephraim and Catharine Bristow, 30, from Ky., blacksmith
      • James and Eliza Brown, 45, from Va.
      • John and Nancy Brown, 38, Va.
      • John and Hannah Brown, 55, Ky.
      • James Brown, 43, Ky, single
      • John and Polly Brown, 48, Tenn
      • Samuel and Sarah Brown, 41, Va.
      • Joshua and Sarah Brown, 42, N.C.
      • William and Sarah Brown, 73, Pa.
      • Moses and Elizabeth Brown, 31, N.C.
      • Moses and Eliza Brown, 20, Ind.
      • Jacob and Sarah Brown, 41, N.C.
      • Hadley and Ann Brown, 38, N.C.
      • Jeremiah and Saloma Burns, 47, Ky.
      • John Cain, 68, Va., single
      • George and Polly Cain, 39, Ky.
      • Jeremiah and Milly Campbell, 49, Tenn.
      • Joseph and Mary Caraway, 38, Va.
      • David and Mary Chapman, 35, Va.
      • James and Ala Koger, 58, Ga.
      • James Collison, 36, Va., single
      • John and Mary Comer, 64, N.C.
      • John and Ann Comer, 36, Ohio.
      • Wiley and Kisine Cope, 60, N.C.
      • John and Lurena Cope, 43, Ky.
      • Philip and Louisa Covington, 46, N.C.
      • Andrew and Mary Cowan, 43, Ky.
      • William and Lucy Cox, 47, Ky.
      • John and Hannah Craven, 65, Va.
      • John and Rubama Craven, 53, Va.
      • Elisha and Margaret Creekmore, 47, N.C.
      • Henry and Anne Creekmore, 43, N.C.
      • James and Nancy Creson, 33, Mo.
      • George and Hanna Curl, 33, Ohio
      • Josiah and Mary Davis, 48, Ky.
      • Nathaniel and Jane Davis, 42, Ohio
      • Lewis and Emily Dodd, 62, Va.
      • Milford and Matilda Doneoho, 45, Ky.
      • Peter and Mary Dowell, 61, N.C.
      • Peter and Hester Dowell, 23, N.C.
      • Ahira and Calarina Durgan, 45, Vt., carpenter
      • Daniel Duvall, 59, N.C., single, carpenter
      • John and Rhoda Edwards, 61, N.C.
      • John and Phebe Ellis, 36, Va.
      • Philip and Polly Ellis, 34, Va.
      • Owen and Elizabeth Ellis, 67, Va.
      • Thomas and Sarah Emerson, 58, Md.
      • John and Lydia England, 65, N.C.
      • Hezekiah and Polly Engart, 60, Va.
      • Hugh Farry, 57, Ireland, assessor
      • Ebenezer and Elizabeth Fields, 34, Ky.
      • Elijah and Maryann Foley, 53, Va.
      • Naomah Foster, 35, Ohio, single
      • Solomon and Polly Frazer, 43, Ky.
      • Elijah and Elizabeth Frost, 48, Tenn.
      • John and Abigale Gardner, 52, Va.
      • George and Elizabeth Garrison, 38, N.C.
      • Andrew and Mary Gay, 40, Va.
      • Thomas and Elener Gilreath, 35, N.C.
      • John and Mary Gillilan, 68, Va.
      • Alexander and Agnes Gillilan, 42, Va.
      • John and Nancy Gillilan, 36, Va.
      • James and Susan Githens, 40, Ky., blacksmith
      • John and Nancy Githens, 70, Pa.
      • Merrit and Nancy Givens, 32, Mo.
      • William and Lavenia Grant, 35, Tenn.
      • Richard Grant, 61, Tenn, single
      • Carroll and Jan Grant, 31, Tenn.
      • John and Mary Grant, 42, Tenn.
      • James and Mary Gray, 40, Mo.
      • Merriwether and Abigale Green, 41, Va.
      • Isaac and Elizabeth Groomer, 55, Va.
      • John Hamilton, 90, pensioner from Revolutionary War
      • Thomas and Mary Hamilton, 38, Tenn.
      • Matthew and Catharine Harbard, 34, Ohio
      • Jeremiah and Elizabeth Harman, 41, Tenn.
      • Jacob and Mary Harper, 47, Va.
      • James and Armilda Hart, 41, Pa.
      • Samuel and Barbary Hershbarger, 54, Va.
      • Milton and Polly Higgins, 43, Tenn.
      • Matilda Higgins, 39, Ky., single
      • Richard and Anne Hill, 35, Va.
      • Balser and Lucinda Hines, 41, Tenn.
      • Otho and Margaret Holland, 38, Ohio
      • Thomas and Elizabeth Holliday, 29, N.C.
      • John and Phebe Hopkins, 54, Va.
      • James and Rebecca Hughes, 25, Ohio
      • John and Margaret Jobe, County J.P.
      • Andrew and Sarah Jobe, 31, Ky.
      • John and Mary Johnson, 64, Va.
      • James and Sarah Johnson, 32, Ohio
      • James and Tamsey Johnson, 55, Va.
      • Gabriel and Jane Keene, 30, Ky.
      • Obed and Matilda Keller, 49, Va.
      • Edgar and Nancy Kelso, 42, N.J.
      • Thomas and Anne Kemp, 65, Md.
      • Thomas and Catharine Kemp, 39, Md.
      • John and Elmer Kemp, 40 Md.
      • John and Susan Kerr, 42, Va., physician
      • Hiram and Margaret Leach, 39, Tenn.
      • Henry and Perthena Lee, 54, N.C.
      • Lewis and Nancy Linville, 47, Tenn.
      • Andrew and Elizabeth Lockridge, 37, Va.
      • Hudson and Rodilla Loe, 64, Md.
      • Thomas and Mary Lukehart, 38, Ohio
      • Ezra Mann, 38, Pa., single
      • John and Frances Marshall, 66, Ky.
      • Manuel and Genetta Martin, 45, Ky.
      • Fountain and Viney Maupin, 38, Ky.
      • Solomon and Sarah McBrayer, 37, N.C.
      • John and Sarah McClung, 45, Va.
      • Eleazer and Matilda McClue, 44, Ohio
      • Margaret McCrary, 56, Nc., wife of John who died here
      • John and Lucinda McCrary, 34, N.C.
      • Lewis and Mary McGarven, 32, Ind.
      • James and Sarah McGaugh, 36, Tenn.
      • Robert and Elizabeth McGaugh, 73, Va.
      • Charles McGee, 65, N.J., single, cooper
      • Joseph and Malinda McGee, 31, N.J., taylor
      • Andrew and Mary McHaney, 66, Va.
      • Taylor and Polly McCully, 48, Ky.
      • John and Mary McCully, 41, Ky.
      • Tobias and Catharine Miller, 43, Ky.
      • James and Sarah Miller, 40, Ky.
      • David and Mary Miller, 27, Ky.
      • William Miller, 57, Ireland, single, stone mason
      • James and Mary Miller, 27, Ohio
      • Henry and Martha Mills, 45, N.C.
      • John and Mary Mullican, 47, S.C.
      • Edward and Ellen Murphy, 53, Va.
      • John and Frances Nelson, 35, Va.
      • Moses Netherton, 69, Va., single
      • Moses and Sarah Netherton, 32, Tenn.
      • James and Nancy Netherton, 42, Tenn.
      • George and Sarah Noah, 53, Pa.
      • John and Manerva Owens, 43, Va.
      • Jonathan and Elizabeth Oxford, 34, N.C.
      • Henry and Sarah Payne, 55, Va.
      • Matthew and Magdaline Patton, 55, Tenn.
      • William and Mary Peniston, 39, Ky., clerk
      • Robert and Nancy Peniston, 63, Va.
      • Vincent and Mary Piles, 37, Ohio, carpenter
      • James and Nancy Perry, 41, Va., cabinet maker
      • Robert and Anne Peery, 32, Va., mechanic
      • William and Mary Place, 38, Pa.
      • William and Nancy Prewitt, 40, Tenn.
      • Addison and Margaret Price, 38, Va.
      • John Ragland, 45, single
      • William and Elizabeth Ramey, 52, Va.
      • John and Lavesta Roberts, 29, Mo
      • John Roberts, 50, Tenn., single
      • Jacob and Elizabeth Rogers, 36, Ky.
      • William and Polly Roper, 47, N.C.
      • David and Elizabeth Rowland, 36, Ind.
      • John Sheets, 29, Va., single
      • Benjamin and Susana Smith, 44, Tenn.
      • Anderson and Mahala Smith, 37, Tenn.
      • Jeremiah and Nancy Smith, 70, N.C.
      • Obadiah and Martha Smith, 50
      • Isaac and Judah Smith, 35, Tenn.
      • Morgan and Mahala Smith, 34, Tenn.
      • Isaac and Mary Splawn, 71, S.C.
      • Jonathan and Hannah Splawn, 36, Tenn.
      • William and Martha Splawn, 48, N.C.
      • John and Rebecca Splawn, 31, Tenn.
      • Stephen and Sarah Splawn, 60, Tenn.
      • Joseph and Susanna Stapleton, 57, Ky.
      • Jacob and Jency Stollings, 46, Va.
      • Isaac and Ruanna Solmon, 40, Ohio
      • Benjamin and Patience Solmon, 39, Del.
      • Lewis and Martha Tarwater, 37, Tenn.
      • James and Mary Taylor, 34, Ky., saddler
      • William and Mary Taylor, 28, Ky.
      • William Taylor, 36, Ky., single
      • Elijah and Margaret Trosper, 37, Ky.
      • Elijah and Obedience Trosper, 72, N.C.
      • Hugh and Margaret Vallandingham, 61, Va.
      • Henry and Jane Vanover, 40, N.C.
      • Benjamin and Rachel Vesser, 38
      • Benedict and Charity Weldon, 51, Ky.
      • John and Johnane Whit, 37, Ky.
      • James and Adnes Wilkins, 44, Ky.
      • John and Jane Williams, 49, N.C.
      • John and Nancy Williams 45, Ky.
      • John and Ellen Williams, 41, Ky.
      • Robert and Martha Wilson, 44, N.J.
      • Eli and Susan Wilson, 50, Tenn.
      • Philip and Elizabeth Wirt, 36, Ky., merchant
      • Joseph and Susan Woods, 42, Ky.