NCHS Military History Exhibits
Antebellum Era in Nodaway County
Nodaway County’s first pioneers began settling in the area as early as 1840, although Nodaway County itself was not officially organized until 1845. These settlers emigrated from many different places, particularly the Upper South and the Middle North. As the county grew in the 1850s, pioneers from the North and the South were soon required to live and work together in the same territory.
However, Northern and Southern ideologies clashed in Nodaway County, especially over the issue of slavery. Since it was permissible to own slaves in Missouri, some could be found as far north as Nodaway County. In general, though, this region never had a substantial slave population.
Some locals supported the insitution.
Among the pro-slavery residents of the
county was the sheriff, Thomas J.
McQuiddy. McQuiddy, a native
southerner, was an avid defender of slavery.
He even conducted slave sales in Nodaway
County.
Other locals, especially some abolitionist preachers, were particularly outspoken against slavery. These ministers were often in danger of being harrased by pro-slavery guerillas. John Chivington, a circuit preacher for the Methodist-Episcopal Church, was a vocal abolitionist. During a sermon he preached in Pickering, Chivington presented a Colt revolver to the congregation and said,
"I am willing to deliver whichever of these gospels your conduct seems to demand. The gospel according to Jesus Christ is the one I prefer to give. It is good for all of you. But if you want it, I am perfectly willing to deliver the gospel according to Colt. That is good for any six of you."
Sheriff Thomas J. McQuiddy
Reverend John Chivington
Even before the first shots were fired at Fort Sumter, the air was charged for domestic conflict in Nodaway County.
Click on the links below to learn more about Antebellum-Era Nodaway County.