At one time, Ralls County stretched to the Iowa border.
The figurative boundaries will cover a lot wider area this summer.
Thousands of people from around the nation are expected for the 150th anniversary of the historic Ralls County Courthouse July 22-27.
Formal plans will be announced at a news conference Tuesday.
The Ralls County Historical Society, which has almost 170 members, is sponsoring a wide range of activities.
“History is not dusty old books,” said Ron Leake, the society’s president. “History is a learning tool, and we need to share it.”
Entertainers Helen Cornelius, a Hannibal native, and Leroy Van Dyke will perform. Many activities are aimed at kids.
“We want to establish some kind of memory for them,” Leake said. “If they have good memories of their home, they’re going to come back.”
One unique part of the event will be the queen contest. The winner will reign for 50 years - until the courthouse’s 200th anniversary.
“She’ll be in her late 60s or early 70s by then, and she can come back to turn over her crown,” Leake said.
Ralls County and the courthouse have an intriguing history.
The fur and salt trades brought settlers to the area in the late 1700s. The first permanent community, Little Prairie, was founded south of Saverton.
Daniel Boone’s youngest son, Nathan, supervised construction of Fort Mason during the War of 1812. John Colter, who had been with Lewis and Clark’s Corps of Discovery, served there.
When the county was formed in 1820 and named for an early settler, the Iowa state line was its northern border.
The courthouse was completed in 1858, and its walls have many stories to tell. Union soldiers occupied it during the Civil War.
A change of venue brought the infamous Alex Jester murder trial to town in 1900. Jester, who was 80 at the time, was tried and acquitted for a murder that had happened 30 years earlier.
The courthouse is on the National Register of Historic Planes and is “a point of pride for not only Ralls County, but for all of Northeast Missouri,” Leake said.
Leake, a Ralls County native and retired sales manager for a bread company, said many descendants of area residents are inquiring about the festivities.
“It’ll give us some national attention,” he said. “Some of them have never been here before.”
The Historical Society is financing the $30,000 cost of the celebration strictly from private donations. Leake said contributions are needed and volunteers are welcome.
For a complete schedule of events, more information or to donate, go to www.rallscounty150.com.
