Jewell Cemetery State Historic Site

Jewell Cemetery State Historic Site. . , Jewell Cemetery, This cemetery is part of the former farmstead of George Jewell (1769-1844). The Jewell family first moved from Virginia to Kentucky, then Franklin, Mo. And finally Columbia, Mo. In 1821., George, his son William, and sons-in-law Charles Hardin, father of 22nd Missouri Governor Charles Henry Hardin and William Hitt were all prominent in the community. All served on road commissions and the county court, and helped shape the early community in various endeavors., The first person buried in the cemetery was Cynthia Jewell, William's second wife, in 1822. The family cemetery was officially set aside in June 1841. By then, there were at least three others buried here., Many of the graves are elaborate and marked with head and foot stones. The above-ground box tombs do not contain human remains, but they mark the locations of graves. The two rows of graves along the west wall of the cemetery are thought to belong to slaves. The surrounding stone walls were built between 1841 and 1852., For more information about Jewell Cemetery visit our website, Two Notable Men, Dr. William Jewell , (1789-1852), Born in Virginia in 1789, Dr. William Jewell studied medicine at Transylvania College in Lexington, Kentucky. He began his medical career in Kentucky and served in the Kentucky state legislature. In 1821, he moved to Columbia, Missouri, where his medical practice flourished. Jewell was an early mayor of Columbia and served in both chambers of the Missouri state legislature. , Jewell is best remembered for his contribution to education. He was a member of the board of trustees of the Columbia Female Academy from 1833 until his death. As a state senator, he supported establishing Columbia College and was chairman of the committee to make Boone County the site of the state university. In 1843, he contributed $10,000 to the Baptist church to form a school for Baptist ministers. The school became William Jewell College in Liberty, Missouri., Charles Henry Hardin , (1820-1892), Charles Henry Hardin was born in Kentucky in 1820. Shortly after his birth his family moved to Columbia, Missouri. He attended the University of Indiana and graduated from Miami University in Ohio. He practiced law in Fulton, Missouri. From 1852 to 1862 he served in both houses of the state legislature. During the Civil War, Hardin was branded a Southern sympathizer and was removed from office., He and his wife moved to a farm north of Mexico, Missouri. Hardin was voted back into the Missouri Senate in 1872 and then governor in 1875., Hardin established the Mexico Southern Bank and was president of the Missouri Baptist Ministerial Aid Society. He was a trustee of William Jewell College and Hardin Female College in Mexico was named after him. Initially buried at his farm, his remains were later moved to Jewell Cemetery. , In 2010, Jewell Cemetery was named one of Columbia's Most Notable Properties by the City of Columbia Historic Preservation Commission.