This year we honor the sesquicentennial or the 150th anniversary of the Civil War, an American war. Many Missourians are unaware of the impactful role Missouri played in the Civil War. In fact, there were over 1,000 battles and conflicts fought on Missouri lands during the Civil War.

The 21st Senatorial District encompasses a large part of what Missourians called “Little Dixie,” an area which represented many southern sympathies and views that influenced political, agricultural, and social conflicts before, during and after the war. Many period and plantation homes still exist in the district today.

One such home would be Oliver Anderson’s house, most famously known for its association with the historical Battle of Lexington. Originally built as a private home in 1853, it became the controversial sight of the bloody three-day battle, due to the fact the house was marked as a hospital with a white flag when the attack began. During the war it operated as field hospital, and changed its allegiance from the North to South three times during the war.

Today, you can visit the Anderson house and still see the bullet holes left by those who fought to build our country into what it is today.

The town of Lexington in West Central Missouri proudly displays its Civil War battle scars.
The historic Lafayette County Courthouse on the town square has a plaque pointing to where a cannonball is buried in a column, a relic of the Battle of Lexington fought in September 1861.

Another historical site effected by the Civil War in the 21st district is the Village of Arrow Rock. It’s flint-bearing, limestone bluffs becoming a significant landmark along the Missouri River for Native Americans, explorers and travelers moving west.

This area, as many around it, carried strong southern characteristics. Enslaved African Americans accounted for one-third of the population. The Village of Arrow Rock suffered economic decline after the Civil War as a result of new railways that passed by the town, and the use of steamboats and river ways were no longer the fastest or most desirable form of transportation.

Arrow Rock is still preserved today to represent the historical significance of the village. You can tour preserved plantations and experience the history of Missouri.

To fully experience the historical Civil War past of our state, the Confederate Memorial Historic Site is saturated with the last voices of what was once the home of Confederate soldiers in Missouri. It was on these grounds more than 1,600 soldiers sought peace and refuge, and has been preserved in memory of the 40,000 Missourians who raised the Confederate flag.

Confederate Memorial State Historic Site, located on West First Street in Higginsville was once home to the Confederate Soldiers Home of Missouri, which provided refuge to about 1,600 Civil War veterans and their families for more than 50 years. The site is now a Missouri State Park where, visitors can tour the chapel and the Confederate cemetery, along with several other historic buildings.

It is so easy in our day-to-day lives to forget the foundations and struggles that built this beautiful nation and state. I would highly recommend exploring our states rich history and visit these historical sites in your quest for knowledge.

As always, please feel free to contact me or my staff with any questions or concerns at any time. We look forward to hearing your comments and suggestions and trying to answer any questions you may have. You can reach us by phone at 866-277-0882 (toll-free) or (573) 751-2272, or by fax at (573) 526-7381.