Caldwell County is available for adoption.
If you have a local connection to Caldwell County
or an interest in Missouri in general,
Please consider joining the MOGenWeb as a County
Coordinator.
Requirements are simple, peruse them here.
https://mogenweb.org/moccguide.htm
MOGenWeb Policies and Procedures
https://www.mogenweb.org/pol-pro.htm
Contact Bob
Jenkins if you are interested.
In addition:, we would appreciate any
contribution that you would like to make to this
site: biographies, obituaries, birth,
marriage, death info, grave info,
photographs....etc
Caldwell County, Missouri
Caldwell County was officially organized on December 29, 1836, carved from Ray County in northwest Missouri. It was named in honor of John Caldwell, a Revolutionary War figure and Kentucky’s second lieutenant governor. The county’s creation was deeply tied to the migration of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) seeking refuge from persecution in Jackson and Clay Counties.
Under the leadership of Joseph Smith Jr., Mormon settlers began arriving in the mid-1830s, establishing communities like Far West, which briefly served as the county seat and spiritual center. By 1838, Far West had a population of around 4,000 and hosted prominent figures such as Brigham Young, Sidney Rigdon, and Parley P. Pratt.
However, tensions escalated between Mormon and non-Mormon residents, culminating in the 1838 Missouri Mormon War. The conflict included the tragic Haun’s Mill Massacre, where 17 Mormon men and boys were killed near Shoal Creek. Following Governor Lilburn Boggs’ “Extermination Order,” all Latter-day Saints were expelled from Missouri, leaving Caldwell County’s early settlements abandoned or repurposed.
After the Mormon exodus, the county seat was moved to Kingston, and Caldwell transitioned into a quiet agricultural region. Early non-Mormon settlers like Jesse Mann Sr. helped reestablish the area.
