Warren County’s History Museum, genealogy resource, and Research Library
We’re on a mission to preserve and understand history vital to Warren County, Missouri
Beautifully maintained and now a designated National Historic Place.
Genealogy and Research Library
Understand the present by learning your family’s past.
Hundreds of collections, photos, items, exhibits, and more to see and do.
Membership comes with benefits for you and Warren County, including discounts.
Recent stories, updates, and news
How the โnoble experimentโ of Prohibition failed the Missouri Rhineland
Missourians, especially in the Rhineland, strongly opposed Prohibition, resisting both the law and the cultural pressures it brought. Amid widespread defiance, the region also endured harsh anti-German sentiments, as local traditions and livelihoods were targeted during a time of national upheaval.
Warrenton prepares for Taft Day, spectacle may โnever be seen here againโ
In October 1908, presidential nominee William Howard Taft made a campaign stop in Warrenton, drawing a large crowd from the town and nearby communities. He spoke briefly from his train, leaving a lasting impression on the local residents that affected the election outcome.
Hello? Number please? Warren Countyโs first telephones arrive
The arrival of telegraph and telephone technology in the late 19th and early 20th centuries transformed communication across the country, including in Warrenton. These advances connected communities like never before and laid the groundwork for modern networks.
Inside the kitchen of German immigrants and the seeds of the Midwestern diet
The little provisions the settlers set out with on their journey west was soon gone. โThe flour entirely. Very few had laid in any salted meat of any description, the season for venison was gone by. Turkeys scarce, beef and cattle there was none,โ remembered Ichabod Nye. He, along with…
Top tips to get started with genealogy and family trees this year
Want to trace your family history but donโt know where to start? This guide will help you get started with genealogy research. Weโll cover how to: Begin your genealogy journey and family tree Start your genealogy research by concentrating on what you know your own life. This foundational information will…
See the winners of the 2024 Tablescapes
The people voted and the top three winners of the 2024 Tablescapes contest are below.
Curated collections spanning 200 years of Warren County history
Thousands of artifacts, beautiful gardens, one-of-a-kind photos, research materials, family histories, and more.
Thousands of artifacts to explore
The history of Warren County, Missouri runs as rich and deep as the soil that graces much of our county.
Our local history includes amazing stories like Daniel Boone’s family settlement on the Missouri River in the Southern part of our county to the establishment of historic German Central Wesleyan College and related orphanage for the children of the Civil in Warrenton in the late 1860’s.
We are blessed with some of the most interesting and inspiring stories America has to tell.
Here because of the gracious support of donors like you
We’re also blessed with one of the very best history Museums, libraries and archives offered by communities of our size and larger. Formed in 1970, the Warren County Historical Society’s corps of dedicated volunteers have made preserving our history a priority through the collection and housing of artifacts, documents and family stories housed in a state-of-the-art Museum built through the generation donations of hometown people.
Some went on to achieve great things on a world stage; others lived and worked their whole lives here and generously donated funds from their estates so that the history of our area could continue to be told for generations to come. These contributions and the facility built largely from them are a testament to the specialness of our beloved community and its history.
Take a tour beyond the Museum to the Schowengerdt House
In addition to the Museum and its collections, another jewel is the historic Schowengerdt House, which is on the Department of the Interior’s National Register of Historic Places. The Schowengerdt family bequeathed the Victorian home and gardens to the historical society, and we enjoy sharing it with our community whenever possible.
The home was built along the historical Boone’s Lick Trail that took many through our area during the Westward Expansion until it met up with the Santa Fe Trail farther west.
A visit well worth your time
If you live here, have lived here before, or have or have had relatives from our community, a visit here is well worth your time. Our community is honored to have a best-in-class physical facility and expanding library.
While you’re here, make time for all the beautiful trails, state parks, national forests, and more natural wonders in southeast Missouri.