Lexington, Missouri is located approximately 35 miles east of Kansas City, Missouri and still considered as part of the greater Kansas City Metropolitan Area.
The town was first settled around William Jack's Ferry in 1819 largly by Kentuckians who named it after Lexington, Kentucky. The town was laid out in 1822 and became the County seat of Lafayette County in 1823. It quickly became the most important and largest rivr town between St Louis, Missour and St. Joseph, Missouri.
During the 1830's and 1840's Trappers, traders and emigrants patronized Lexington as they prepared for the long trips westward on the Santa Fe, Oregan, and California Trails. This attracted a variety of merchants and businees to settle in Lexington. Most notetably William Russell, William Waddell and Alexandere Majors established the headquarters of their trading firm on Main Street during the 1840's. These men become the founders of the Pony Express in 1860.
On route from St. Louis to Council Bluffs, Iowa, the steamboat Saluda stopped in Lexington for supplies in March of 1852. As the journey continued, it encounted the sharp bend in the icy and muddy Missouri River just beyond Lexington. Strong currents combined with high waters made the difficult turn almost impossible for Captain Belt. After two days of unsuccessfully trying to turn the boat, he ordered an increase of pressure during the morning hours of April 9, 1852. The Saluda did push off but its boilers caused an explotion which was heard for miles.
The accident killed moren then 150 people and is considered one of the worst dissasters in Missouri River History.
The citizens of Lexington rushed to help. They provided medical care for the 40 - 50 survivors, raised money to bury the dead in local Macpelah Cementary, and helped with the financial needs of the survivors. Residents also took in the orphant children and raised them as their own.
Unfortunately the steamboat accident was not the only tragedy Lexington experienced. Fourteen years prior, in 1838, 850 Potawatomi Indians, who were being forced to relocate fronm Indiana to Kansas, camped with their escorts across the river. The next day they crossed on ferry boats to Lexington. About forty of the Potawatomi died on their trek now as "The Trail of Death."
Lexington was not spared, as many hoped, from an involvment of the the Civil war when it broke out in May of 1861. In September, General Sterlin Price used almost 20,000 Missouri State Guard troops to besiege a garrison of about 3,000 Federal troops entrenched around the Masonic College building on the northeast side side of town. After three days of fighting, especially over the former home of Col. Oliver Anderson, General Price used a moving breastwork of hemp bales to force the surrender of the Union forces under Col James Mulligan. Price soon retreated south, and the area was occupied by Union forces during most of the war. This battle eventually became known as "The Battle of Hemp Bales."
With the end of the civil war, came the end to slavery. Many former salves left the area, while many others continued to work for their former masters, worked on the railroads or mines. The first public elementary school for black students was started in 1867 and the first high school in 1867.
Education has been on the forefront in Lexington and it prided itself on being an "Athens of the West." In 1850 Lexington saw the Baptists establish the Female Collegiate Institute in the old courthouse. It was joined by the Presbyterian Elizabeth Aull Seminary in 1859 and by the Methodist Central College for Women in 1871. A Masonic College for orphaned sons of Masons had operated from 1847 to 1857. In 1880 local merchant and banker Stephen Wentworth established Wentworth Male (now Military) Academy, the only private school to survive until the present.