to the Jefferson County Missouri
Heritage & Historical Society ... online!
The
emphasis of our organization is to collect, preserve and print historical materials,
to record
cemeteries, and to make the public aware of the rich heritage in Jefferson
County, Missouri.
All
transcriptions are copyrighted by the Jefferson County Historical Society and
are available for your personal use only.
They are not to be sold or reproduced
for any commercial purpose, or used on any other web site.
President: Bernard
Laiben
Vice
President: Ken Bahr
Secretary: Steve Kalisch
Treasurer: Lisa K.
Gendron
Jefferson County Heritage & Historical Society
meets every other month on the 2nd Sunday at 3:00 p.m.
Meetings are held at our museum, located at 5321 Chouteau
Ave, Victoria MO
Upcoming meeting dates:
August 10, 2025
October 12, 2025
Membership is $20 a year and everyone is welcome to attend!
Our Museum is open every Thursday evening from 6:00 to 7:30
(free)
Please join us on the first Thursday of each month on KJFF - 1400
radio at 9:00 a.m.
as Bernard Laiben and Ken Bahr of the Jefferson County
Heritage & Historical Society
present the Jefferson County Missouri History Show!
Photos from the Grand Opening of the NEW Museum
location in Victoria, MO
Please use this button if you would like to
donate funds to help the Historical Society
If you have historical items with Jefferson County MO significance from schools, churches, scout
groups, organizations, etc...
that you would like to display or donate
to the museum, please contact Historical Society President
Bernard Laiben at
blaiben@outlook.com
DESTROYED JEFFERSON COUNTY CEMETERY!
In 2015, Ameren UE, and their subcontractor, Asplundh,
damaged the historic Smith Speed graveyard in Hematite by driving their heavy
equipment through it,
crushing and breaking most of the stones. Ameren testified in court that they
didn't know the cemetery was there. However, In 1977, a separate lawsuit was
brought against Ameren for damage that they did to the cemetery when installing
their power lines. Documents, surveys, deeds, and evidence from that
case prove without a doubt that they most certainly knew of its existence. The
following aerial photo, taken by Peter Newton, clearly shows the broken
stones, and the machines tire tracks left in the cemetery.
More of the story can be read in
this article from the May 14, 2020 issue of the St. Louis Post Dispatch. Or
here for a .pdf version.
History of Jefferson County Missouri
By Lisa K. Gendron
JCHHS Member Photos
Added:
April 2024 -
Audio/Visual links
February 2024 -
New Museum Grand Opening Photos
in Victoria, MO
Photos from
the 2018 Grand Opening at our previous museum location
February 2024 -
Bicentennial Photos and Events
May 2023 -
First County Court Records
- Herculaneum 1821
April 2022 -
Masonic Fraternity,
Festus-Crystal City
February 2022 -
Hematite Christian Church
Pastors and Evangelists
January 2022 -
Ozark Highlander Store
November 2021 -
Donnell Mercantile Ledger 1869
March 2021 -
Gabriel Boyce Family & Cemetery
(with photos)
January 2021 -
Jefferson County Teacher
1926-27
January 2021 -
1850 Slave Owners
January 2021 -
1860 Slave Owners
October 2020 -
Charlotte's Pearls
Newspaper Transcriptions
April 2019 -
History of the Hematite
Nuclear Facility
August 2018 - History of Jefferson County
Missouri Emergency Services
April 2018 - Archaeology Sites added (more
added Sept. 2018)
December 2017 - 1963 Fox C-6 Teachers Association
Members added to Schools
December 2016
-
Former Circuit Court Judges 1819-1941
added to Court Records
September 2016
-
1859 Murder Case - Smith/Williams
added to Court Records
September 2016
- 1819 Territory of MO Slavery Issue
added to History Articles
April 2016
- I Remember When memories of long time members
Betty & Blaine Olson added with photos!
June 2015
- Alphabetized Last Name Index
to all burials in our database added to Cemetery
Transcriptions & "I Remember When" section added for local memoirs
May 2015
- Missouri State Penitentiary
records, tried in Jefferson County, MO added to the
Court Records.
April 2015
- Biographies
of prominent business men from 1820-1921 added
January 2015
- Caveland Skating Rink
history article added & State Hospital (Fulton)
1850-1910 added to Court Records
February 2014 -
Jefferson County Missouri Marriages from 1839-1850 have been added to the site.
August 2013
- Added Presbyterian Cemetery at Gamel and
the 1900 County Ward Book was added to History Articles.
February 2013
- Baker (aka Hillcrest) School article and photos have
been added to the "Schools" page.
November 2012
- Jefferson Co. Marriages through 1838 have been
added to the site.
June 2011
-
The Heritage News
Our society newsletters, containing interesting articles about Jefferson County, MO have been added to the site. Find the index in the menu on the left under "History Articles."
March 2011
- Passports have been added to the site! These records are from the early 1900's and include photographs of the applicants! Kay Clerc Fakhar has transcribed an index for this outstanding collection. Find them
in the
menu on the left under "Passports."
March 2011
-
1826 Petition to move the county seat from Herculaneum to Hillsboro, complete with signatures! Find it under the "Courts" section.
Sept 2010
-
John Linhorst has created a wonderful tool
by taking the 1876 & 1898 historical atlases of Jefferson County and creating a series of overlays for use within the Google Earth software. It gives the user a good look at
how things have changed (and how some things have not changed!) in Jefferson County.
Check them out under "Land Records, Maps & Place Names" on the menu at left.
July 2010 - The Old Settlers List 1864 - 1950 has been added to the site.
Transcribed by Betty Olson, find it under "History Articles." Also Carole Goggin has supplied us with
a Jefferson County MO Place Names list. Find it under
"Land Records."
Feb 2010
-
More cities have been added to the Historical Postcards and photographs on our site. More towns will be added soon!
Dec 2009 - Funeral Home Records have now been added to our site! These records are from the Mahn, Mothershead, Fink, and Dietrich Funeral Homes, and now include the older Coxwell and Stovesand records!
See the
Jefferson County Leader newspaper article featuring several of our members in their quest to find and replace the gravestone for former county collector John Williams!
The following members can be contacted for information concerning
Jefferson Co. Missouri history.
Bernard Laiben
blaiben@outlook.com (Museum &
Society Business)
Lisa K. Gendron lgendron@swbell.net
(Website & General)
Kay Clerc Fakhar
KayClerc@yahoo.com (Newspapers &
Genealogy lookups)
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