South Howard County Historical Society

09/01/2026

08/17/2026

Please join the Historical Society this Saturday to view our new display! Donated by Bob Jordan. Don't miss this exquisite display of old Franklin and old New Franklin!

07/12/2026

Chariton County Historical Society & Museum (CCHS) is presenting a Living History Celebration on Sunday, July 19th, at 1:00pm. It will be held at the museum, 115 East Second Street, Salisbury, MO.

This event is celebrating CCHS's 70th birthday and America's 250th birthday.

All are welcome to attend.

07/11/2026

New Franklin car show today!

07/10/2026

GARAGE SALE
At the Museum, 110 E. Broadway, Downtown New Franklin

Friday, July 10th 9am to 4pm
Saturday, July 11th 9am to 2pm

We will be open during the car show tomorrow too!

We are a non-profit and all proceeds benefit the South Howard County Historical Society and Museum.

07/09/2026

By Missouri Untold FB page

Most people credit Independence, Missouri as the starting point of the Santa Fe Trail, but the trail’s true origin was a booming river town that the Missouri River itself would later wash away entirely.
Franklin, Missouri was founded in 1816 and rapidly grew into one of the largest and most prosperous towns on the frontier, serving as the region’s commercial hub. In 1821, trader William Becknell departed from Franklin with a small group of men and pack animals bound for Santa Fe, unknowingly establishing what would become the Santa Fe Trail, one of the most important commercial routes in American westward expansion history. For several years afterward, Franklin served as the trail’s primary starting point, outfitting traders before their long journey southwest.

Franklin’s prosperity proved short-lived. Beginning in the mid-1820s, the Missouri River began eroding the bluff the town was built on, and repeated flooding eventually destroyed much of the original settlement by the end of the decade, forcing residents to relocate and found New Franklin nearby on higher ground. As Franklin declined, Independence rose to take over as the trail’s main departure point, a role it would hold for decades afterward, while the original Franklin faded into a footnote of the very trail it had started.

Had you heard that Independence wasn’t the trail’s original starting point? Tell us in the comments, and follow Missouri Untold for more of the frontier history hiding behind the well-known stories.

07/08/2026

The Boonslick Historical Society And South Howard County Historical Society Present:

Revolutionary War Patriots and Frontiersmen of Chariton, Cooper, & Howard Counties

76 with American Revolution soldier and American flag (Provided by Getty Images) LiquidLibrary (Provided by Getty Images)

Sunday, July 12th, 2 PM

South Howard County Historical Society
110 E Broadway, New Franklin, MO

Free and open to the public.

Refreshments provided