Kirksville in Adair County, Missouri — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)

Kirksville

Photographed by Delbert Botes, November 9, 2024

1. Kirksville Marker, Side One

Inscription.

Kirksville. . , Kirksville, distinguished as the site of Missouri's first State teachers college and the world's first college of osteopathy, was settled by pioneers mainly from Kentucky and Tennessee about 1828. First known as Long Point, then as Hopkinsville, the town took the name of Kirksville in honor of early settler Jesse Kirk, when it became the seat of Adair County, 1841. , Northeast Missouri State Teachers College was founded as the First District Normal School, 1870, when the legislature provided for normal schools north and south of the Missouri.2 Adair Co. and Kirksville won the north school with a bid including Joseph Baldwin's North Missouri Normal which he had opened, 1867, in the old Cumberland (Presbyterian) Academy, chartered, 1861. , Andrew Taylor Still (1828-1917), founder of osteopathy, opened the American School of Osteopathy, 1892. This school combined with the 1922 Andrew T. Still College of Osteopathy and Surgery, 1926, to form the Kirksville College of Osteopathy and Surgery. On the campus is Still's log cabin birthplace, moved here from Jonesboro, Va. , Kirksville, a city of the fertile prairies, founded on land that once belonged to the Sauk, Fox, and Iowa Indians, serves north central Missouri as an educational, hospital, and osteopathic center. This is a financial, wholesale, and manufacturing point for a poultry, livestock, and grain crop area. , Memorial Park here commemorates the Battle of Kirksville, a Civil War action of Aug. 6, 1862. The Federals under Col. John McNeil routed the Confederates under Col. John C. Porter. Also in the park is the site of old Cumberland Academy, antecedent institution of the teachers college. , Memorials on the campus of the teachers college are a statue of Joseph Baldwin and the Kirk Memorial Building honoring John R. Kirk college president (1899-1925), leader in public school organization and teacher training. A memorial student loan fund honors Eugene Fair (president 1925-1937), for his state educational leadership. , In Kirk Memorial is the noted Violette Museum, named for history professor E. M. Violette who began the collection.

Kirksville, distinguished as the site of Missouri's first State teachers college and the world's first college of osteopathy, was settled by pioneers mainly from Kentucky and Tennessee about 1828. First known as Long Point, then as Hopkinsville, the town took the name of Kirksville in honor of early settler Jesse Kirk, when it became the seat of Adair County, 1841.

Northeast Missouri State Teachers College was founded as the First District Normal School, 1870, when the legislature provided for normal schools north and south of the Missouri.2 Adair Co. and Kirksville won the north school with a bid including Joseph Baldwin's North Missouri Normal which he had opened, 1867, in the old Cumberland (Presbyterian) Academy, chartered, 1861.

Andrew Taylor Still (1828-1917), founder of osteopathy, opened the American School of Osteopathy, 1892. This school combined with the 1922 Andrew T. Still College of Osteopathy and Surgery, 1926, to form the Kirksville College of Osteopathy and Surgery. On the campus is Still's log cabin birthplace, moved here from Jonesboro, Va.

Kirksville, a city of the fertile prairies, founded on land that once belonged to the Sauk, Fox, and Iowa Indians, serves north central Missouri as an educational, hospital, and osteopathic center. This is a financial, wholesale, and manufacturing

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point for a poultry, livestock, and grain crop area.

Memorial Park here commemorates the Battle of Kirksville, a Civil War action of Aug. 6, 1862. The Federals under Col. John McNeil routed the Confederates under Col. John C. Porter. Also in the park is the site of old Cumberland Academy, antecedent institution of the teachers college.

Memorials on the campus of the teachers college are a statue of Joseph Baldwin and the Kirk Memorial Building honoring John R. Kirk college president (1899-1925), leader in public school organization and teacher training. A memorial student loan fund honors Eugene Fair (president 1925-1937), for his state educational leadership.

In Kirk Memorial is the noted Violette Museum, named for history professor E. M. Violette who began the collection.

Erected 1953 by State Historical Society of Missouri and State Highway Commission.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Education • Industry & Commerce • Settlements & Settlers • War, US Civil. In addition, it is included in the Missouri, The State Historical Society of series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1828.

Location. 40° 12.246′ N, 92° 34.451′ W. Marker is in Kirksville, Missouri, in Adair County

Kirksville Marker, Side Two image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Delbert Botes, November 9, 2024

2. Kirksville Marker, Side Two

. It is on North Baltimore Street (Business U.S. 63) south of Crown Drive, on the left when traveling north. The marker stands next to the Adair County Veterans Memorial in Rotary Park. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1302 N Baltimore St, Kirksville MO 63501, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in North Missouri. It is also in the American Midwest,

in the Lewis & Clark Corridor,

and in the Corn Belt.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

the Louisiana Purchase,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 5 other markers are within 14 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Early Days of Adair County, Missouri (approx. 0.8 miles away); Battle of Kirksville (approx. 0.8 miles away); Adair County, Missouri Courthouses / Early Days of Adair County, Missouri (approx. 0.8 miles away); The Cyclone (approx. 0.8 miles away); La Plata Square Historic District (approx. 13.3 miles away).

Kirksville Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Delbert Botes, November 9, 2024

3. Kirksville Marker

View of the marker looking east towards North Baltimore Street (Business U.S. 63). A German Howitzer from the first World War is next to the marker and both are located next to the Adair County Veterans Memorial.

Credits. This page was last revised on March 6, 2025. It was originally submitted on March 6, 2025, by Delbert Botes of Columbia, Missouri. This page has been viewed 255 times since then and 54 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on March 6, 2025, by Delbert Botes of Columbia, Missouri. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.