Visitors Guide to Scott County, Missouri

The first European settlers immigrated into what is now Scott County in the late 1790s. These settlers came from states from the southern United States and were attracted by the land grants that Spanish officials were offering in order to colonize the area. These settlers encountered the Osage and Osage related tribes. These people had a sophisticated society and lived in more or less permanent villages made of sturdy earthen and log lodges. Although the hunted wild game like the Northern Plains Indians they also raised crops to supplement their diets. In 1808 the Osage, bowing to the pressure placed on them due to increased European settlement in eastern Missouri ceded to the Federal government 52,480,000 acres of land they claimed in Missouri including Scott County. The Osage would eventually relocate two more times until they ultimately ended up in Oklahoma.

Scott County was sparsely settled when Lewis and Clark passed by on November 22, 1803. The Discovery Expedition pulled ashore just below present day Commerce where there was a settlement of American families in a high, thickly wooded bottom that was known as Tywappity Bottom. Scott County was the second county formed in Missouri’s southeast lowland region when it was created in 1821. The county was named in honor of John Scott, the first U.S. congressman from Missouri. Benton, the county seat, was laid out in 1822 and is named after Thomas Hart Benton, one of Missouri’s first U.S. Senators. Due to repeated guerilla raids during the Civil War the county seat was moved to Commerce, where it remained until returned to the centrally located Benton by popular vote in 1878.

Scott County grew rapidly from the 1870s to the early 1900s as its dense forests were cut down off and numerous railroads were constructed. Sikeston, the largest city in the county and the fourth settlement to be founded, was settled in 1800 and was laid out in 1860 by John Sikes on the Cairo & Fulton Railroad. The Mississippi River and Little River District drainage ditches are one of the oldest drainage systems in the United States and opened up large tracts of land to farming. Cotton, soybeans, melon and grains were all common crops in Scott County. Scott County offers a variety of historical, cultural, and natural highlights. Visit Historic Downtown Sikeston where you'll see century-old structures that house retail shops, restaurants and other businesses. The Historic Depot offers art displays as well as historical and cultural exhibits. In Miner you'll find Lambert's Cafe, known for their "throwed" rolls. Join the residents of Scott County for such annual events such as the Redneck Barbecue and Cotton Carnival in Sikeston and the Floodfest in Commerce. Don't forget the Sikeston Factory Outlet Stores, the only outlet center located between St. Louis and Memphis that features merchandise from leading manufacturers at fantastic prices.

Explore the Meeting the Ohio River Region