Editing Fredericktown, Missouri (section)

===Early settlement===
The earliest European settlement in the area near what is now Fredericktown was [[Mine La Motte, Missouri|Mine La Motte]], a small community about {{convert|6|mi|0}} to the north. Mine La Motte was first settled by Europeans to mine a large vein of [[galena]] (lead ore) distributed in [[Dolomite (rock)|dolomite]] that reached the surface there. The need for a local source of lead for ammunition made Mine La Motte one of the earliest European settlements in the interior of the North American continent. Another earlier settlement was the French Catholic community of [[Saint Michel, Missouri|Saint Michel]], which is located just north of the current Fredericktown site on the other side of [[Saline Creek (Mississippi River tributary)|Saline Creek]].

After the [[Louisiana Purchase]] in 1803, the Americanization of the area began in earnest with an influx of second and third generation [[German Reformed Church]] settlers from [[Bollinger County]], the next county eastward. Other American settlers were drawn to the area as well, including [[Moses Austin]], founder of the American settlement in [[Texas]], who mined for lead between 1800 and 1820 before going on to Texas.<ref name="dnr.mo.gov"/> In 1818, the area was organized to form Madison County. The name was chosen to honor [[James Madison]], who had been the two-term president of the United States up until two years earlier (from 1809 to 1817), and who had handled the [[Louisiana Purchase]] as Secretary of State for [[Thomas Jefferson]].<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 | page=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_RfAuAAAAYAAJ/page/n89 192]}}</ref> At the time that Madison County was organized, the land south of Saline Creek was owned by [[Col. Nathaniel Cook]]. A new town was laid out on Col. Cook's higher, less flood-prone land, and named "Fredericktown" in honor of Col. Cook's close friend from Bollinger County, Col. [[George Frederick Bollinger]].<ref>{{cite book | url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9V1IAAAAMAAJ | title=The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States | publisher=Govt. Print. Off. | author=Gannett, Henry | year=1905 | pages=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9V1IAAAAMAAJ/page/n120 131]}}</ref>