Editing Washington, Missouri (section)

== History ==
[[File:Washmocityhall.jpg|thumb|left|City hall]]
Named after [[George Washington]]<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=1916 | pages=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_RfAuAAAAYAAJ/page/n65 168]}}</ref> after it came under American control, the town was first settled during the rule of the [[Spanish Empire]].  It was originally called St. John Meyer's Settlement and was the site of the Spanish log fort San Juan del Misuri (1796–1803).

Family and followers of [[Daniel Boone]] settled the area across the river from Washington, Missouri starting in 1799.  In 1814 a ferry boat was licensed for crossing the [[Missouri River]] to the north, and the settlement became known as Washington Landing.  In 1827 a town was laid out, with sale of lots starting in 1829.  The cost of land was waived if the buyer could build a substantial house within two years. This encouraged many new settlers.

Substantial numbers of anti-slavery German families started moving to the town in 1833, and they soon overwhelmed the existing population of slaveowners. However, many of the original slaveowners' homes still remain throughout the town. Washington became a strong supporter of the [[Union (American Civil War)|Union]] during the [[American Civil War]].  The town was ransacked by Confederate General [[Sterling Price]]'s soldiers, but they were unable to keep control of the area.

After the war, Washington became a railroad and steamboat transportation center. Its manufacturing industry, while strong, is not as vibrant as it was decades ago.

The town of Washington has 445 buildings on the [[National Register of Historic Places]].  Due to its historic charm, Washington has a growing heritage tourism industry, with visitors also attracted to the nearby [[Missouri Rhineland]].

The [[Washington Bridge (Washington, Missouri)|Washington Bridge]] was constructed in 1934 and was the only bridge spanning the Missouri River in Franklin County. It was replaced with a new, wider bridge that was opened to traffic on December 3, 2018. The original bridge was demolished on April 13, 2019.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Adams|first=Jasmine|title=Missouri River Bridge demolished in Washington, MO|url=https://www.kfvs12.com/2019/04/11/public-can-view-demolition-old-rte-missouri-river-bridge/|access-date=2020-06-10|website=www.kfvs12.com|language=en-US}}</ref>

In 1988, the nation’s first [[Walmart#Walmart Supercenter|Walmart Supercenter]] opened in Washington.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Our History. Corporate - US.|url=https://corporate.walmart.com/our-story/our-history|access-date=2020-12-30|archive-date=February 4, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150204210648/http://corporate.walmart.com/our-story/history/the-walmart-museum|url-status=dead}}</ref>