At Osage Village State Historic Site, you can encounter the history of a village that was inhabited between 1700 and 1775. At the time, an estimated 2,000 to 3,000 people lived here in about 200 lodges. A hiking trail, interpretive stations and outdoor exhibits bring the history of the former village and its surroundings to life. In Vernon County, historic sites like these sit alongside landscapes with a very different character.
History at Notable Sites
The present-day Vernon County Courthouse was completed in 1908. The three-story building, made of Carthage limestone, is designed in the Romanesque Revival style. Its footprint measures 80 by 100 feet, and the building is 126 feet tall to the top of the dome. Its dimensions and dome shape the impression made by this government building, which is also a striking example of the county’s architectural history.
The Bushwhacker Museum offers another perspective on regional history. Its collection covers more than 150 years of Vernon County history and is housed in a renovated building that served as a garage and Ford dealership in the 1920s. At the museum, visitors can also learn why Union troops called Nevada “The Bushwhacker Capital” during the Civil War.
The Bushwhacker Jail also connects a visit with a specific historic site: visitors can walk through the cell block and the adjoining sheriff’s home. The jail was housed in a single stone building for more than 100 years, during the Civil War and the subsequent outlaw era. The last inmates left in December 1960. If you plan to take this tour, check in advance whether it is available.
Discover Prairie and Wetlands
Osage Prairie Conservation Area is a remnant of the prairie ecosystem that once covered more than a quarter of Missouri. More than 300 plant species, mostly native, are found there. The area provides nesting and rearing habitat for prairie chickens, bobwhite quail, Henslow’s sparrows and upland sandpipers; 32 amphibian and reptile species have also been observed there. The diversity of habitats and species gives the conservation area a different focus from the county’s historic sites. From Nevada, you can get there via I-49/Highway 71, Tally Bend Road and 1725 Road.
The August A. Busch Jr. Memorial Wetlands at Four Rivers Conservation Area covers 13,929 acres. It consists mostly of wetlands, along with several large areas of bottomland forest and more than 21 miles of stream and river frontage. The area is located in Bates and Vernon counties, about 15 miles north of Nevada and 5 miles south of Rich Hill. Managed hunting areas and open hunting areas offer several thousand hunters opportunities for waterfowl hunting each year. To reach the headquarters, take Route TT and 1600 Road from I-49/71.
At Horton Bottoms, open wet prairies with switchgrass, sedges and knotweeds give way to marshes and dense shrub swamps in oxbow lakes. The surrounding bottomland forests include pecan, hackberry, green and shagbark hickory trees, along with scattered pin and bur oaks. The wetlands provide habitat for numerous amphibian and bird species, including wood ducks, red-shouldered hawks, Mississippi kites, barred owls, sedge wrens, prothonotary warblers and yellow-throated warblers.
Other natural areas offer their own highlights: Bushwhacker Lake Conservation Area extends along the border between Vernon and Barton counties and covers 4,790 acres. Balltown Access covers 194 acres, consists mostly of bottomland forest and provides access to the Little Osage River. From Nevada, follow I-49/Highway 71, the Horton exit, Earp Road, Vernon County Road 1325, Dove Road and Road 1300.
Visitor Information
For maps, vacation information and online assistance with Nevada and Vernon County, the Nevada Missouri Tourism Center is a helpful resource. Exhibits by the Vernon County Arts Council are also displayed there, and an information kiosk is available outside. This lets you combine your interests in history, culture and landscapes with practical guidance for planning the rest of your trip.
Explore more destinations: Nevada, St Louis, Jasper, Clay, Audrain, Bates County, Callaway, Barry.
Return to the overview of destinations: Missouri.
