On Show Me Missourah this week, Scott traveled to Missouri’s Bootheel to visit New Madrid County, one of the state’s original six counties. Scott is joined by New Madrid County Sheriff Joey Higgerson, Interim County Clerk Nathan Bock, State Senator Jason Bean, County Commissioner Bobby Aycock as well as local historian and Farm Bureau member Byron McVay
Formed on October 1, 1812, and named after the capital of Spain, New Madrid County spans 619 square miles along the Mississippi River. The area’s early history includes Shawnee, Delaware, Creek, and Cherokee tribes, followed by settlers who established the town of New Madrid around 1783—nicknamed the “Cove of Grease” for its trade in buffalo and bear fats.
The county is best known for the New Madrid Earthquakes of 1811–1812, some of the most powerful ever recorded in North America, which forever reshaped the region.
During the Civil War, New Madrid and nearby Island No. 10 became key battlegrounds along the Mississippi River, with Union forces capturing the site in 1862.
Despite floods, fires, and shifting courthouses, the community rebuilt time and again. The current courthouse, completed in 1919, stands as a lasting symbol of resilience.
Today, New Madrid County is home to proud communities and notable natives, including NFL players Kony Ealy and Desmond Sims, CFL Hall of Famer Willie Burden, and actress Shayla Day.
Learn more about this storied Bootheel county on this week’s episode of Show Me Missourah.
