Editing Charleston, Missouri (section)

==History==
Charleston is the largest town on the Missouri side near the confluence of the [[Mississippi River|Mississippi]] and [[Ohio River|Ohio]] rivers. Its history has long been tied to river commerce and the development of the highly productive agricultural lands that surround the community.

Settlement initially occurred on the north side of town, in what in 1805 was called "Matthews Prairie".

After purchasing {{convert|22.5|acre|m2}} for $337, Joseph Moore laid out Charleston in 1837.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.charlestonmo.net/history.asp|title=City of Charleston MO - Home|website=www.charlestonmo.net|access-date=27 April 2018|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180325232558/http://www.charlestonmo.net/history.asp|archive-date=25 March 2018}}</ref> Some say the community derives its name from nearby Charles Prairie,<ref>{{cite web | url =http://shsmo.org/manuscripts/ramsay/ramsay_mississippi.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160624071928/http://shsmo.org/manuscripts/ramsay/ramsay_mississippi.html | archive-date = June 24, 2016 | url-status = live | title=Mississippi County Place Names, 1928–1945 | publisher=The State Historical Society of Missouri| access-date= November 6, 2016}}</ref> while others believe the name is a transfer from [[Charleston, South Carolina]].<ref>{{cite book | url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_RfAuAAAAYAAJ| title=How Missouri Counties, Towns and Streams Were Named | publisher=The State Historical Society of Missouri | author=Eaton, David Wolfe | year=1917 | pages=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_RfAuAAAAYAAJ/page/n19 208]}}</ref> In 1845, it was selected as the county seat. A post office named Charleston has been in operation since 1847.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.postalhistory.com/postoffices.asp?task=display&state=MO&county=Mississippi | title=Post Offices | publisher=Jim Forte Postal History | access-date=6 November 2016 | url-status=live | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161107155811/http://www.postalhistory.com/postoffices.asp?task=display&state=MO&county=Mississippi | archive-date=7 November 2016 }}</ref>

The [[American Civil War|Civil War]] [[Battle of Charleston (1861)|Battle of Charleston]] was fought on August 19, 1861. Killed in the battle were one Union soldier and thirteen Missouri State Guard soldiers.<ref name="MKL"/>

On September 1, 1861, Confederate General [[M. Jeff Thompson]] robbed the Union Bank of Charleston. Thompson, who handed the cashier a note, gave the cashier an hour to get approval from superiors to give him keys to the vault. After receiving the money, he left a receipt for $57,000 and discovered later that only $56,000 was in the bags.<ref>{{cite book|author=Doris Land Mueller|title=M. Jeff Thompson: Missouri's Swamp Fox of the Confederacy|url=https://archive.org/details/mjeffthompsonmis00muel|url-access=registration|year=2007|publisher=University of Missouri Press|isbn=978-0-8262-6590-6|page=[https://archive.org/details/mjeffthompsonmis00muel/page/41 41]}}</ref>

The city was the epicenter of the October 31, 1895, 5.9 {{M|fa|link=y}} [[1895 Charleston earthquake|earthquake]] on the [[New Madrid Seismic Zone]]. The quake damaged virtually every building in Charleston, creating [[sand volcano]]es and cracking a pier on the [[Cairo Rail Bridge]]. Chimneys toppled as far away as [[St. Louis, Missouri]]; [[Memphis, Tennessee]]; [[Gadsden, Alabama]]; and [[Evansville, Indiana]]. The fate of specific buildings may also be traced by [[Sanborn maps]] that were produced of the town during this period.<ref>[http://digital.library.umsystem.edu/image/umcscsanic/title/charleston+missouri Sanborn Maps for Missouri: Charleston], from the [[University of Missouri]] Digital Library. Accessed 2011-03-14.</ref> This was the largest quake since the [[1812 New Madrid earthquake]], which measured at 8.3 and was the biggest recorded quake in the [[contiguous United States]].<ref>[https://earthquake.usgs.gov/regional/states/events/1895_10_31.php Historic Earthquakes: Near Charleston, Mississippi County, Missouri - usgs.gov - Retrieved August 27, 2009] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20120707135000/http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/states/events/1895_10_31.php |date=July 7, 2012 }}</ref> One of the most visible signs of the quake is located south of Charleston at Henson Lake, which was greatly expanded by the quake.

In 1901, the county courthouse was built. It was designed by J.B. Legg, who designed numerous buildings throughout Missouri, including the [[Gasconade County, Missouri|Gasconade]] and [[St. Charles County, Missouri|St. Charles County]] courthouses. On February 10, 1997, the courthouse was damaged by fire and was subsequently torn down.

The [[Southeast Correctional Center]], is a maximum security state prison for men that was opened in 2001. It is located on the southernmost edge of the city, less than one mile south of exit 10 off [[Interstate 57]].

Just south of Charleston is Missouri's largest American Flag mural. It was completed in 2024 by artist Ray Harvey of [[New Haven, Missouri]]. The mural is located on the property of Delta Growers Association and can be easily seen from [[Missouri Route 105|Route 105]]. 

The [[Hearnes Site]], [[Missouri Pacific Depot (Charleston, Missouri)|Missouri Pacific Depot]], [[Moore House (Charleston, Missouri)|Moore House]], [[McCutchen Theatre]], and [[Jacob Swank House]] are listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]].<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|version=2010a}}</ref>