The area that would become Pettis County was settled several years before the county was formally established in 1833.
A small settlement had grown up around a mill established by Thomas Wasson and James Ramey at a bend in Muddy Creek named St. Helena but informally called Pin Hook. This settlement was named the county seat.
kAm%96 4:C4F:E 4@FCE >6E[ 244@C5:?8 E@ 72>:=J =686?5[ :? E96 5:?:?8 C@@> @7 #2>6J’D 9@>6]k^Am
kAmp44@C5:?8 E@ E96 `gga w:DE@CJ @7 !6EE:D r@F?EJ[ 9@H6G6C[ E96 4@FCE H2D 96=5 :? 2 C@@> 25;@:?:?8 2 =@8 423:? FD65 2D 2 DE@C6 ?62C E96 >:==]k^Am
kAm%96 4@F?EJ 6DE23=:D965 2 4@F?EJ 4@>>:DD:@? AC6D:565 @G6C 3J #2>6J[ t=:;29 %2J=@C 2?5 (:==:2> |:==6C]k^Am
kAmp>@D uC:DE@6[ @?6 @7 E96 62C=J D6EE=6CD :? E96 4@F?EJ[ H2D 3@E9 E96 4=6C< @7 E96 4:G:= 2?5 4C:>:?2= 4@FCE 2?5 @7 E96 4@F?EJ 4@>>:DD:@?[ 2?5 H2D <?@H?[ 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 `gga w:DE@CJ[ 7@C 42CCJ:?8 9:D 5@4F>6?ED :? 2 32D<6E]k^Am
kAmuC:DE@6 H2D 3@C? :? ':C8:?:2 :? `fh` 2?5 42>6 E@ !6EE:D r@F?EJ :? `gba] w6 24BF:C65 g__ 24C6D @7 H92E r=2J4@>3 56D4C:36D 2D “>@DE=J AC@5F4E:G6 AC2:C:6 =2?5 ?@CE9 @7 |F55J rC66<]” %96 `gc_ 46?DFD[ H9:49 :56?E:7:6D 9625D @7 9@FD69@=5D 2?5 :?5:G:5F2=D @?=J 3J 286 2?5 D6I[ 3C:67=J 56D4C:36D uC:DE@6’D 72>:=J]k^Am
kAmuC:DE@6 2?5 9:D H:76 H6C6 E96? 36EH66? E96 286D @7 c_ 2?5 d_] %96:C 49:=5C6? :?4=F565 @?6 D@? 36EH66? a_ 2?5 b_ J62CD @7 286[ @?6 52F89E6C 36EH66? `d 2?5 a_[ EH@ 52F89E6CD 36EH66? `_ 2?5 `d[ EH@ D@?D 36EH66? d 2?5 `_[ @?6 D@? F?56C d 2?5 EH@ 52F89E6CD F?56C d]k^Am
kAm%96 `gd_ 46?DFD :56?E:7:6D :?5:G:5F2=D 3J ?2>6] pE E96 E:>6 @7 E96 `gd_ 46?DFD[ uC:DE@6[ e_[ 2?5 9:D H:76[ $FD2?[ da[ 925 7@FC 49:=5C6? =:G:?8 2E 9@>6] %9@>2D[ 3@C? :? `gb`[ 2?5 r92C=6D[ 3@C? :? `gbb[ 2DD:DE65 E96:C 72E96C @? E96 72>:=J 72C>] s2F89E6C yF=:2 H2D `b 2?5 D@? p>@D H2D `a]k^Am
kAm p44@C5:?8 E@ E96 `ge_ 46?DFD[ p>@D 2?5 $FD2? H6C6 DE:== =:G:?8 @? E96 72>:=J 72C>[ 2D H6C6 49:=5C6? yF=:2[ E96? ad[ 2?5 D@? p>@D[ E96? aa] W%96 5:D4C6A2?4:6D :? yF=:2’D 286 2D C6A@CE65 :? E96 46?DFD D66> E@ 36 E96 C6DF=E @7 E96 E:>6 @7 J62C 6249 46?DFD H2D E2<6? 2?5 A@DD:3=J 2? 6CC@C @? E96 A2CE @7 E96 46?DFD E2<6C]Xk^Am
kAm%96 `gga w:DE@CJ C6A@CED E92E @?6 52F89E6C[ |2CJ[ 925 366? >2CC:65 :? `gbe E@ p2C@? y6?<:?D 2?5 D@ H2D ?@E =:DE65 :? E96 `gc_ 46?DFD 2D uC:DE@6’D 49:=5] {@42= 9:DE@C:2? q6EEJ $:?86C 4:E6D ?6HDA2A6C C676C6?46D E@ }]'] uC:DE@6[ A@DD:3=J 2?@E96C @7 uC:DE@6’D D@?D] r=2J4@>3 ?@E6D E92E p>@D 2?5 $FD2? 925 `b 49:=5C6?]k^Am
kAmuC:DE@6 H2D 2 AC@>:?6?E >6>36C @7 E96 s:D4:A=6D @7 r9C:DE Wr9C:DE:2?X r9FC49 :? !6EE:D r@F?EJ] q:C5 $>:E9[ H9@ HC@E6 2 9:DE@CJ @7 E96 r9C:DE:2? r9FC49[ :56?E:7:6D uC:DE@6 2>@?8 E96 “>@DE :?7=F6?E:2=[ :?E6==:86?E 4:E:K6?D @7 E92E A2CE @7 E96 4@F?EJ]” uC:DE@6 H2D 2? 6=56C :? E96 49FC49]k^Am
kAmuC:DE@6’D 42C66C :? A@=:E:4D >@G65 36J@?5 9:D D6CG:46 2D 4@FCE 4=6C<] w6 4@?E:?F65 E@ 36 4@FCE 4=6C< F?E:= `gcf] x? `gcg[ 96 3682? 2 EH@\J62C E6C> 2D 2 C6AC6D6?E2E:G6 :? E96 |:DD@FC: v6?6C2= pDD6>3=J] w6 H2D 6=64E65 282:? :? `gda 7@C 2 EH@\J62C E6C>]k^Am
kAm%96 `gga w:DE@CJ =2C86=J :8?@C6D E96 :DDF6 @7 D=2G6CJ 2?5 5@6D ?@E >6?E:@? uC:DE@6’D A@D:E:@? 2D 2 D=2G69@=56C] r=2J4@>3 :56?E:7:6D uC:DE@6 2D 2 $@FE96C? DJ>A2E9:K6C]k^Am
kAm%96 46?DFD AC@G:56D E96 >@DE 4@>A=6E6 :?7@C>2E:@? 23@FE uC:DE@6’D D=2G6D] p44@C5:?8 E@ E96 `gc_ 46?DFD[ uC:DE@6 @H?65 D6G6? D=2G6D]k^Am
kAmqJ E96 E:>6 @7 E96 `gd_ 46?DFD[ uC:DE@6 @H?65 `_ D=2G6D[ :56?E:7:65 3J E96 46?DFD 3J 286[ D6I 2?5 C24:2= 324<8C@F?5] u:G6 @7 E96 D=2G6D H6C6 25F=EDj 7:G6 H6C6 49:=5C6?]k^Am
kAm%96 `ge_ 46?DFD D9@HD uC:DE@6 @H?:?8 ?:?6 D=2G6Di 7@FC 25F=ED 2?5 7:G6 49:=5C6?]k^Am
kAmp7E6C E96 r:G:= (2C 2?5 A2DD286 @7 E96 `bE9 p>6?5>6?E[ uC:DE@6’D D=2G6D H6C6 7C66] r=2J4@>3 ?@E6D E92E :? `gf_[ 6:89E p7C:42? p>6C:42?D H9@ 925 E2<6? E96 DFC?2>6 uC:DE@6 =:G65 H:E9 E96:C 7@C>6C >2DE6C p>@D uC:DE@6]k^Am
kAm%96 7:G6 @=56C D=2G6D H6C6 :56?E:7:65 2D :==:E6C2E6[ 2 C6>:?56C E92E 367@C6 E96 r:G:= (2C[ 3=24<D H6C6 7@C3:556? 7C@> =62C?:?8 E@ C625 2?5 HC:E6] ~?6 @7 E96D6 J@F?8 >6? >FDE 92G6 366? A2CE:4F=2C=J 4=@D6 E@ uC:DE@6[ 7@C 96 =67E E96 J@F?8 >2? 7:G6 24C6D :? 9:D H:== H96? 96 5:65 :? `gfa]k^Am
