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Pettis County, Missouri
Genealogy
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Organized January 26, 1833, from Cooper and Saline Counties, and named for Spencer Pettis, a Missouri congressman. Sedalia is the county seat and also home of the annual Missouri State Fair. Pettis is a strong rural county, but Sedalia was closely tied to the railroad lines passing through it. Those times are almost forgotten, except for the annual Ragtime Festival held to commemorate the partnership in Sedalia of music publisher John Stark and ragtime composer Scott Joplin.
Pettis County Courts first met at St. Helena (Pin Hook), circa 1833-37, at the home of James Ramey, and then moved to Georgetown in 1837. A small courthouse was built there and served until the county seat moved to Sedalia in 1865. (The Georgetown courthouse structure was destroyed by fire June 22, 1920.) Temporary structures were used in Sedalia until 1884 when a contract was allowed for bid. The winning dimensions were 100 by 145 feet, with a 22-foot tower. Carthage stone was used for the base; the upper portion had stone veneering. Crossing halls and public offices were tiled; two courtrooms occupied the second floor. Walls of the courtrooms were frescoed, and the ceilings were painted with allegorical scenes by Italian artists. The oak furniture was hand carved. The courthouse was heavily damaged by fire on June 16, 1920. Restoration and renovation took 4 years and were completed in 1925. But all of the above indicates an obvious records chase in Pettis County for researchers.
DEDICATED TO
Mrs. Genevieve L. Carter & Mark A. McGruder
With Our Thanks and Appreciation.
SURNAME QUERY: View or Post
GenForum Board
Pettis County Rootsweb/Ancestry Board
Pettis County Rootsweb/Ancestry Board
Pettis County Surname Researchers
CEMETERIES
Pettis County Cemetery Records List
Missouri law on private cemetery visitation and vandalism.
Contributed Older OBITUARIES
Thru-1899, &
1900-1999.
Current Pettis County OBITUARIES
Heckart Funeral Home
McLaughlin Funeral Chapel
Sedalia Democrat
Pettis County Pages & Links of Interest
PETTIS COUNTY CURRENT INFORMATION LINKS
USGENWEB & MOGENWEB Links:
TO FIND GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATIONS:
PETTIS COUNTY LISTS
MOPETTIS List: The Pettis County List for researchers and discussion of the people and the history of Pettis County, Missouri. To subscribe to this List, click on "MOPETTIS List" above and place the word "subscribe" as your subject. Be sure to turn your signature file off. To post messages to the Pettis-List, follow the instructions that will be sent to you. Should you have any questions or problems subscribing to the Pettis County List contact Cathy Warbritton, the list owner.
Neighboring Counties
| SalineCounty | Cooper County | Morgan County |
| Benton County | Henry County | Johnson County |