Kansas City Region
Little Dixie, the Missouri River, and the history of slavery in Lafayette County
Lafayette County lies in Missouri's 'Little Dixie' river country, where Southern-style hemp and tobacco agriculture relied on enslaved labor, a history that shaped settlement, the courthouse-square towns, and the county's Civil War divisions
Lafayette County sits along the Missouri River in a region people often call “Little Dixie.” That nickname points to its strong ties to the South. In the early 1800s, many settlers came here from the Upper South. They brought a plantation style of farming. They grew hemp and tobacco as cash crops. This kind of farming depended on the labor of enslaved people.
This part of history is not a small detail. It shaped where towns grew along the river. It shaped the wealth that gathered around Lexington. It also fed the deep divisions seen in the county during the Civil War years.
To learn this history honestly, use documented records, not lore or nostalgia. Two good places to start are the State Historical Society of Missouri and the Missouri State Archives. Check any specific dates, numbers, or family stories with them. And when you write or talk about slavery, name it plainly.
Where to see it
- SHSMO African American Research Guide
Use SHSMO for source leads on African American history and slavery in Missouri.
- SHSMO Agriculture Research Guide
Use SHSMO for agriculture context tied to hemp, tobacco, and river-county settlement.
- Missouri State Archives
Use the archives for deeper state and county records.
References
More from Lafayette County: browse every local note for the county.
Last checked against the sources above: June 15, 2026.