Central Missouri / Missouri River Corridor
Boonville anchors Cooper County's Boonslick history
The 'Boonslick' name and Boonville's location explain why this stretch of the Missouri River became an early gateway for westward settlement, which shapes the county's historic towns and road names today
Cooper County’s county seat is Boonville. Both sit in the heart of the Boonslick country. “Boonslick” is the name for a settlement region in central Missouri in the early 1800s. The name came from a salt-making operation linked to the Boone family near the Missouri River. (“Salt-making” means boiling salty spring water down to get salt.) Boonville grew on the south bank of the river. It started as a river landing and a place to load supplies. The wider Boonslick became one of the first heavily settled parts of Missouri west of the Mississippi River. This history helps explain a few things you may notice today: the old courthouse-square layout, towns that began as river landings, and the many local places named for the Boonslick and the trails. For exact Boone-family details and dates, check with an expert. The State Historical Society of Missouri and the Missouri State Archives are the best places to ask, rather than local stories.
Where to see it
- Boone's Lick State Historic Site
Use NPS for a public-site entry point into the Boonslick story.
- Boone's Lick State Historic Site General Information
Use Missouri State Parks for current historic-site information.
References
More from Cooper County: browse every local note for the county.
Last checked against the sources above: June 15, 2026.