Chamber Book 2023 Final

A
s early explorers and pioneers
migrated west the state of Missouri
was formed and divided into a
number of counties. Originally inhabited
by the Osage Indians, settlers soon arrived,
attracted by the wooded
forests and intriguing
landscape of rolling
hills, valleys, and caves.
Pulaski County was
recognized in 1833 by
the State Legislature
in honor of Count
Pulaski, a Polish Patriot.
In 1838, the Cherokee
Indians traveled across
the area on their ‘Trail
of Tears” to Oklahoma.
The area witnessed the
era of the stagecoach,
the Civil War, the rise of the railroad, and the
development of Route 66.
Waynesville is the oldest town in Pulaski
County, established in 1843 primarily
by pioneers arriving from the South.
Waynesville derived its name from the famous
Revolutionary War hero “Mad Anthony”
Wayne. The town originated as a trading post
for fur traders and trappers and eventually
became an agricultural community. Most
local residents were farmers, but many
supplemented their income by cutting trees to
make railroad ties for the local railroad.
As America’s boundaries shifted west.
Waynesville became an important stagecoach
stop for pioneers. The pre Civil War Old
Stagecoach Stop still stands on the east
side of the courthouse square in downtown
Waynesville. It is the oldest building in
Pulaski County and is listed on the National
Register of Historic Places. The Old
Stagecoach Stop served as a hotel, tavern and
a post office for travelers on the St. Louis to
HISTORY
Springfield Road.
The fourth Pulaski County Courthouse was built
in 1903 for $10.200. It is used as a museum today
and stands next to the Pulaski County Courthouse
in Waynesville, MO.
Waynesville was designated as the county
seat. The first sessions of court were in private
homes. The first log courthouse in Pulaski
County was built in 1837 on the south side
of the square. Three
years later in 1840 it
was replaced by a brick
building that was badly
burned in the Civil War.
A third brick building
was built and burned
in 1903. It was replaced
by the Old Courthouse,
which today houses
a museum featuring
Pulaski County artifacts,
including blacksmith
and carpentry tools,
quilts, school materials
and Civil War era items.
The current $4.4 million, 50,000 square
foot Pulaski County Courthouse opened in
January of 1990. It is listed on the National
Register of Historic Places.
The Civil War had a dramatic affect on
Waynesville. The area was predominantly
Southern territory at the start of the war, but
many residents avoided joining the battle.
Its location on the Old Wire Road placed
Waynesville in the middle of the supply route
on which the Union Army moved men and
supplies.
The arrival of the Union Army and its
establishment of a fort on the bluff
overlooking the Roubidoux Spring forced
locals to pick their allegiances. The once
peaceful agricultural community soon found
themselves at odds with neighbors and family
members.
Continued on page 12
10