Before Columbia got its name, there was Smithton.
The settlement was founded when 34 Smithton Land Co. trustees purchased almost 3,000 acres of land, according to previous Missourian reporting. This was in either 1818 or 1819, depending on what history book you read.
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Bird’s-eye view of downtown Columbia, taken from a building on the University of Missouri campus looking down Seventh Street toward the Boone County Courthouse. kAm%96 D6EE=6>6?E H2D D6=64E65 7@C 2 4@F?EJ D62E @G6C 2 ?62C3J q@@?6 r@F?EJ 4@>>F?:EJ @H? 2D {6I:?8E@?] pE E96 E:>6[ {6I:?8E@? H2D E96 @=56DE D6EE=6>6?E π E96 2C62[ 244@C5:?8 E@ |& AC@76DD@C #@36CE {] #2>D2JβD 3@@< β%96 !=246 }2>6D @7 q@@?6 r@F?EJ[ |:DD@FC:]βk^Am kAm!6CD:2 H2D 2=D@ π E96 CF??:?8 7@C E96 4@F?EJ D62E 2?5 β =:<6 {6I:?8E@? β 462D65 E@ 6I:DE D9@CE=J 27E6C =@D:?8] x? `gaa[ 2 D6A2C2E6 4@>>F?:EJ π {272J6EE6 r@F?EJ ?62C z2?D2D r:EJ E@@< E96 ?2>6 {6I:?8E@? 2?5 4@?E:?F6D E@ FD6 :E E@52J]k^Am kAmpD E96 4@F?EJ D62E[ r@=F>3:2 H2D C6DA@?D:3=6 7@C E96 25>:?:DEC2E:G6 5FE:6D @7 E96 4@F?EJ 2?5 4:C4F:E 4@FCED]k^Am kAm%96 2C62 H2D @C:8:?2==J :?923:E65 3J }2E:G6 p>6C:42? EC:36D[ AC:>2C:=J E96 ~D286]k^Am kAm%96 62C=:6DE @H? D6EE=6CD @7 q@@?6 r@F?EJ[ 2D:56 7C@> }2E:G6 p>6C:42? EC:36D[ H6C6 E96 q@@?6 3C@E96CDi }2E92? 2?5 s2?:6= |] q@@?6 @7 z6?EF4 kAmx? 255:E:@? E@ q@@?6 r@F?EJ[ |:DD@FC:[ 2?@E96C q@@?6 r@F?EJ 6I:DED π z6?EF4 kAmq67@C6 H:??:?8 E96 4@F?EJ D62E[ $>:E9E@? H2D E@@ 72C 7C@> ?66565 H2E6C DFAA=:6D] %96 >:?FE6 A@AF=2E:@? A24<65 FA 2?5 >@G65 D9@A 24C@DD u=2E qC2?49 rC66<[ H96C6 DAC:?8D H6C6 5:D4@G6C65] uC@> E96C6[ E96 DA@E H2D C6?2>65 r@=F>3:2]k^Am kAmxEβD F?@H? H9J $>:E9E@? H2D C6?2>65 π E96 7:CDE A=246[ s@F8 v6?6?D[ 2? @C2= 9:DE@C:2? 2E E96 $E2E6 w:DE@C:42= $@4:6EJ[ D2:5]k^Am kAmβr@=F>3:2[ E96 ?2>6[ 92D 2 =@E @7 H6:89E π p>6C:42? 9:DE@CJ[β v6?6?D D2:5] β(96C62D ]]] E96 $>:E9E@? {2?5 r@>A2?J @C $>:E9E@? ;FDE 5@6D?βE C62==J C:?8 E96 D2>6]βk^Am kAmp7E6C >@G:?8[ 2 8C@FA 2AA@:?E65 3J E96 {68:D=2EFC6 r@>>:DD:@?6CD 49@D6 r@=F>3:2 2D E96 ?6H D62E @7 ;FDE:46 7@C q@@?6 r@F?EJ[ 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 $AC:?87:6=5vC66?6 r@F?EJ {:3C2CJ]k^Am kAm~? pF8FDE e[ `ga`[ $>:E9E@? H2D @77:4:2==J ?@ =@?86C π 6I:DE6?46[ 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 β|:DD@FC: w:DE@C:42= #6G:6H]βk^Am kAmr@=F>3:2βD ?6:893@C:?8 4:EJ[ {6I:?8E@?[ 925 366? ?2>65 27E6C E96 7:CDE 42A:E2= @7 z6?EF4
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