Bates County News

Thursday, August 27, 2026

Papinville History

 This week the timeline will start at 1820 and go to when the town of Papinville was established. Many explorers and fur traders came up the Osage and Marais Des Cygne rivers to the American Fur Company. The fur company is said to have been about where the new bridge is located in Papinville. The explorers that we know of that came to visit and trade with the  Osage Indians were Zebulon Pike, Lewis and Clark.

 

The Osage Indians had been to Washington D.C. to talk to the president to see if he could send some people to the area to help his people learn more about living the civil lifestyle. THe Osage knew that more people were moving west.

 

This is the beginning of the timeline this week with the missionaries coming to settle Harmony Mission.

 

1821 

March 7 Missionaries left New York for Harmony Mission

August 6 Missionaries landed at Halley's Bluff area on the Osage River south of Papinville

August 10 Missouri became a state

August 13 Mission site reached and settlement began

 

1822 School began at Harmony

1823 First school building completed

1832  Melicourt Papin settles in this area at Rapids de Kaw located on the north side of the Osage River

1833 John Chorelle erected a mill on the Marais des Cygnes. This was located south of the Marais des Cygnes river bridge on B highway

1834 Papin and Gerard had settled at Colins Ford. They both worked for the American Fur Company as traders

1836 Harmony Mission and school closes

1837 The children of the missionaries attended a school in a barn located at the George Douglass farm

1838 Captain Waldo brings goods to Harmony by wagon and oxen to open the first store in Harmony. Freeman Barrows was the manager

1841 Bates County was organized at Harmony site and the name changed to Batesville. First post office.

1842 Presbyterian Church was organized

1844 Captain Waldo navigated a steamboat (The Wave) from St Louis to Harmony Mission

1846 Waldo navigated steamboat (Maid of the Osage) to Harmony

 

Next week the timeline will start in 1847 and end at the end of the Civil War 1865. Don't forget the date of the picnic September 26. I will have some information on the activities of the picnic. Until next week.

 

Submitted by Phyllis Stewart




    

 

Papinville History

  This week the timeline will start at 1820 and go to when the town of Papinville was established. Many explorers and fur traders came up th...