The Montgomery County Historical Society (MCHS) is a 501(c)(3) corporation. The Society owns two buildings in Montgomery City that house an extensive genealogical library and a museum of artifacts and antiques. All research requests replies, building staffing/maintenance and website management are donated by volunteers.
If you like what you find here, please become a member and/or make a donation to help us continue our mission. We also welcome contributions of your own research, be it family history or documented historical articles that would interest other visitors.
Pioneer Days, a 96-page illustrated history of the County, has been well-received by both those new to our history as well as long-time residents.
Missouri Conference on History
The Missouri Conference on History brings together teachers of history and other professional historians to share in the presentation of the results of research, to exchange information on teaching and curriculum, to consider ways to promote interest in history and the welfare of the profession, and to discuss other concerns common to all historians. All persons interested or involved in the teaching of history, historical research, historical preservation, or any other professional application of history are welcome. The 68th Annual Conference (sponsored by) will be March 11-13, 2026, at Old Kinderhook at the Lake of the Ozarks. Click here for schedule and registration.
Provost Marshal Papers: 1861 - 1866
The Missouri State Archives is a wonderful resource  with an extraordinay collection, including 484 entries for Montgomery County Provost Marshall records. The database can be searched by name, county, and subject. The collection details how the provost marshal affected the lives of citizens who came into contact with the Union Army. It offers a unique look at a state divided, informing about the role of women, its effect on slavery, and the difficulties experienced by refugees.
The documents include correspondence, court papers, orders, passes, paroles, oaths of, transportation permits, and claims for compensation for property. Citizens could be arrested simply on suspicion; charges could be initiated by anyone, civilian or military. Statements by accusers or witnesses were taken down as evidence. The first entry is a letter stating someone “is a dangerous and low lied dog.”
County Poor Farm
Click here for full article. Poor farms were rural institutions that cared for indigent people in the 19th and 20th centuries. Funded by county governments, the farms provided housing, clothing, medical care, and sustenance for the poor. Residents who entered a county farm surrendered personal money/property and their rights as citizens, including forfeiting the right to vote. For more general information, see Over the Hill to the Poor Farm: Rural History Almost Forgotten.
In Montgomery County, the County Poor Farm was located west of New Florence. See map in article. The 1900 census reported 16 inmates, including 11 females, 5 males, 3 blacks, and 13 white persons. Newspaper articles on “Receipts to Pauper’s Fund” illustrate while it was not a profitable operation, neither was it a total fiscal drain. By 1920, the land was shown to be private property. Residents were likely relocated to a Montgomery City house that was likely less costly for the County. to maintain.
Many thanks to a volunteer/member for providing the research for this article. What can you share with website visitors?
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Images of Missouri Supreme Court Judges ???
At the Supreme Court of Missouri, there are portraits of numerous past judges, but missing
are Judge Lovelace and Judge McGirk who both resided in Montgomery County.
Judge Walter L. Lovelace was born in Virginia in 1831 and moved to Montgomery County as a child. In 1853, he opened a school in Danville. He was admitted to the bar and elected as a member of the Missouri House of Representatives. Governor Thomas Fletcher appointed him to the Court and he served until his death on August 5, 1866.
We are also searching for an image of the first President/Chief Justice of the Court, Judge Mathias McGirk (1783-1841). It is said that George Caleb Bingham painted his portrait in 1835 that is either lost or destroyed. We have reached out to multiple descendants (through his siblings) but no one has located an image or the portrait. Various resources found here.
If a reader has information to share with MCHS and the Supreme Court of Missouri please reply to webmaster@mchsmo.org.
AI Helps with Full Text Search
 Check out the new Artificial Intelligence (AI) powered feature in FamilySearch called “Full Text Search.” With handwriting recognition and OCR software, images of text (cursive handwriting) are converted to a machine-readable format. The AI is smarter and faster than the human eye in reading and interpreting records.
There may be little to find in Missouri, but this author “hit the jackpot” with South Carolina court records (and other) around 1800. “New” documents with the family name were identified and yielded great clues. Since many original Montgomery County residents came by way of the east coast, this tool may be useful to visitors researching their English-Irish-Scottish ancestors.
Family Search is free, but does require an account set-up.
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February 28
MCHS Board Meeting
The MCHS Board meets monthly on the fourth Saturday at the MCHS building.
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March 5
Roots Tech - Online is FREE
Discover your family story in 200+ online sessions. Click here to register.
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March 11
Missouri Conference on History
persons interested in teaching history, research, preservation, or any professional application of history are welcome. Click here to register.
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March 21
MoSGA - Back to Basics: Genealogy Skills
Click here to register.
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March 28
MCHS Board Meeting
The MCHS Board meets monthly on the fourth Saturday at the MCHS building.
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