Nodaway County, Missouri

Nodaway County is a located in the  of. The county was organized in 1845 and named for the.

As of 2000, the population was 21,912. Its is. It is the largest area wise of the counties added to Missouri in the 1836 and the fourth largest county in the state of Missouri.

It has a rich agricultural history including the home of trainers Ben Jones and Jimmy Jones whose horses won six Kentucky Derbies and two Triple Crowns.

The grounds of make up the official Missouri State Arboretum and were a recreation of the landscape of the. has carried appearances of the university in four national championship football games (which it won two).

Supreme Court Justice gave up his quest to become a priest while attending  (which also includes a ). The convent in neighboring  has 550 relics of saints -- the largest collection in the U.S.

Located in, there have been numerous tornados to hit the county including an F4 tornado on , , that obliterated the town of just across the county line. Tornados have struck two of the county's biggest buildings -- the Administration Building at the Northwest University and. The is believed to have been one of the first recorded s.

Some sensational murders have drawn attention to the county including a profile by CBS as well as movies.

Life in the county was chronicalled by native in a series books, article, movies and Broadway shows in the 1920s and 1930s.

Etymology
Main article: 

The origin of the name "Nodaway" has been attrbiuted to a Pottawatomie name for "placid", a Dakota Souix name for "crossed without canoe" and various tribes names for "snake."

Famous politicians

 *  (1874-1964) - The President was never a true county resident but he owned a farm south of Graham.
 *  (1873-1950) - Mayor of, who arrived in Hopkins aboard an
 *  (1835-1891) - resident who succeeded to governor from 1887 to 1889.
 *  (1884-1980) - Native of who was a Republican governor from 1941-1945 and U.S. Senator from 1945-1951.

Famous farms and farmers
Among the famous farms of Nodaway County:


 * Herbert Hoover Farm - had a farm south of .  Hoover never actively farmed the land he owned but he did visit in the 1930s after leaving office.
 * Jones Horse Racing Dynasty - Horse racing trainers and his son  had a farm near  and retired there.  During their tenure at  they trained six  and two  winners.  Extensive memorabilia from the racing days are in the Nodaway County Hisorical Society Museum.
 * Bilby Ranch - The founded near  had holdings throughout the West in the late 1800s and early 1900s and claimed to be second only to the  in size and a dispute over its cattle reached the.
 * Faustiana Farm - Isaac N. Prather was one of the first settlers in Nodaway County settling there from Kentucky in 1839 shortly after the established a farm just west of .  Prather imported the famous English thoroughbred Faustus and named his farm Faustiana after this horse.  The Townsend family, who had made their fortune from the  department store, used the name for their ,  and  horses when they owned.  Many national champion horses come from the line.  The farm is a now Maryville housing subdivision.
 * Rancho del Rayo - William Robbins, who made his fortune with the Robbins Lighting Rod company in Maryville, established a ranch near that claimed to be the biggest ranch in Missouri after the Bilby Ranch dissolution in the 1919.  Robbins, who was active in Republican politics, hosted numerous political picnics attended by all levels of U.S. senators and Missouri governors.
 * R.T. Wright University Farm - owns a 750 acre (3 km²) farm north of the campus (called locally the "North Farm").  Among the research evolving from the farm is the use of  for farming and a  project which garnered  for transforming manure into fuel pellets that burn with no odor and does not release dangerous gases.  The farm is conducts experiments in genetic combinations for plants.  In 2006 Northwest drew the ire of  when it proposed a partnership with  to develop genetically altered rice.

Other famous natives
For famous students and teachers at the Maryville college see: 


 * - Boston opera diva
 * - How to win friends and influence people
 * - Author and screenwriter who wrote about life in Maryville
 * - Medal of Honor winner for capture of during
 * - U.S. Senator in Oklahoma
 * - professional wrestler
 * - cytogeneticist
 * - Writer of the occult
 * - pop-country singer and actor

Crime in the County
Despite the name allegedly meaning "placid," Nodaway County is anything but.

The first "legal" hanging in Nodaway County occurred in the county seat of Maryville on July 22, 1881. Two brothers, Albert P. and Charles E. Talbott were hung after being convicted of murdering their father, Dr. Perry H. Talbott, a noted local physician, and author, on September 18, 1880 at his home a mile northwest of Arkoe, the town he helped to found. Dr. Talbott was shot at his home, and subsequently died of his injuries later the same evening. His two sons were tried, convicted, and hung for the crime, and interred on their father's land. Their tombstone, a vertical column with two hands clasped in friendship, still stands, bearing the inscription, "We died innocent."

Omaha Charley, whose legal name was Charles F. Stevens, was the next to hang, although without benefit of trial, on December 9, 1884, a Tuesday morning, at one o'clock in the morning. Omaha Charley had shot Hubert Kremey in Hilgert's saloon in Maryville on December 3, 1884. Feelings about the shooting ran high and locals considered the killing unjustified and decided to take matters into their own hands. News accounts of the time say that fifty masked men appeared before the jail and demanded Omaha Charley, at which time he was turned over to them. James Anderson was sheriff of the county at that time. The masked vigilantes took Omaha Charley to the East Fourth Street Bridge and hung him for the killing.

Probably one of the more infamous of Nodaway County was Hezekiah "Hez" Rasco, a local farmer's son who was eventually hung on March 26, 1912 for the murder of Oda Hubbell, his wife Clara, and their two small children, Welton and Jessie nearly two years before.

Hez Rasco was born October 8, 1880 in Freemont County, Iowa to James Henry and Lucinda (Pierson) Rasco. He was the sixth son born to them of eight children during their eighteen years there, and only one of three of their children that would live to adulthood. Hez was 31 years old when he died. Hez's troubles began in 1896 with the first killing for which he would be tried and convicted, that being the murder of thirty-five-year-old Kate (Kirch) Baumli, wife of John Baumli, and mother of three small children, Willie (age 11), Susie (age 7), and a baby of 6 months (name unknown). Hez Rasco was tried three times for the killing of Mrs. Baumli, despite his confession only five days following the crime. The first two trials resulted in a hung jury, both juries being adverse to the hanging of such a young defendant on the charge of first degree murder. The third trial would result in a guilty conviction, however Rasco did not hang but was sentenced to the State Penitentiary at Jefferson City for ten years. The Sessions Act of 1895 had left it that no minor, having been convicted of a crime, could be sentenced to jail or the penitentiary. They could be hung, however, or sent to reform school. The only way, it seemed, to get to the penitentiary was to be convicted, sentenced to death, and then the governor could commute the sentence to one in the penitentiary for less than two years.

Hez did just under eight years in prison for Kate's death and was released early for time served and good behavior. Within seven months Hez Rasco would be returned to the penitentiary, this time for stealing a horse in Buchanan County. He served his time and returned to his father's farm, to which the family had relocated just after the turn of the century. Hez lived and worked on his father's farm for a short time.

Hez Rasco and Oda Hubbell became acquainted and following an all-night poker game in a boxcar parked at the Barnard Depot, Oda Hubbell returned to his wife and children in the morning of Sunday, November 20, 1910. Two days later, Hez Rasco would be arrested and charged with the murder of Oda, age 29; his wife; and their two children Welton, a son aged four, and Jessie, a daughter age 6, at their home. It was Oda Hubbell's murder, however, for which Hez would be tried and subsequently convicted. He was never formally tried for the murders of Mrs. Hubbell or the Hubbell children. Oda Hubbell, it was shown, had been shot with a shotgun outside of the house and his body dragged into the home by his killer. Mrs. Hubbell was bludgeoned to death by the butt of a shotgun. The cause of death of the Hubbell children remains uncertain. After killing the family, the murderer set fire to the Hubbell home, a fire which almost completely incinerated the children's corpses and that of Mrs. Hubbell, and left little more than the torso of Mr. Hubbell before it was put out by a passing neighbor, who was returning from church services, and a family member of Oda's. Hez Rasco maintained his innocence and took any truth regarding his part in the crime, if any, to his grave.

By his death in 1912, Hez Rasco became the third man to be legally hung in Nodaway County, Missouri, but his crimes would not be the last for which death, legally mandated or by way of vigilante justice, would be the ultimate penalty imposed.

In the 1930s a mob took accused rapist and murderer to the alleged scene of the crime, a little school house on the outskirts of town. The mob proceeded to tie Mr. Gunn to the roof of the school house and set it on fire with him atop, avenging the rape-murder of a young schoolteacher.

In 1981, the townsfolk of Skidmore rid themselves of a notorious, , in what has become one of the best-kept secrets in the county. He was shot while sitting in is truck on the street in. There were multiple shooters, as was evident by the different caliber bullets found in the truck. When questioned by the Sheriff, everyone claimed that they dove under the pool table at the town bar when the shooting started. Sheriff Estes was later quoted as saying "That must have been the biggest damn pool table in the world." The book and movie is based on these events.

1992 saw the disappearance of an FBI drug informant,. Elkins was beaten to death by cousins and. Elkins' body was thrown into the trunk of her car and driven to the Missouri River. The Emery's used wood to hold the steering column in place, another piece to hold down the gas and then sent the car into the river off a boat ramp. The car was found in 1999 with Elkins' body still in the trunk. Dental records identified the skeleton.

In 1994,, who had been having marital problems with his wife, was found guilty of her murder. According to the court report, Mr. Taylor punched his wife and left her behind the family combine. He then backed over her with the combine, crushing her to death.

In April 11,2001 Branson Kayne Perry, 20 Years old at the time, mysteriously disappeared from near his home in Skidmore, Missouri.

Details of Disappearance Branson was last seen by his friend on April 11, 2001 at approximately 3:00 p.m. They were cleaning house for his father before he came home from the hospital. He told his friend he was putting jumper cables in the shed & would be right back. He has not been seen since. He left behind his van and personal belongings. The jumper cables weren't in the shed, but a few days later, they were placed there by an unknown person. Branson Perry Family Website or Branson Perry's Family Website Article on Crime Library Branson Perry's Exclusive Web Story on America's Most Wanted

The family reward is currently $10,000.00 and also the Castle Reward below.

CASTLE RECORDS MUSIC CITY USA is offering a $25,000.00 Recording contract for any info in regards to Branson Perry's disappearance.

St Joe News Channel Video

June of 2002 saw a deranged man break into the county's monastery at and start shooting monks. The man then shot and killed himself in one of the pews in the church before authorities could enter the church.

December of 2004 saw a return of crime to Skidmore when was murdered in her home and had her unborn baby cut from her womb, launching one of the weirder s in the program's history;  Authorities had no idea what the baby looked like, since the kidnapper was the first one to see the child.

Radio stations
The four licensed broadcast stations originating in the county are Maryville:
 * - 1580 - AM
 * - 97.1 - FM
 * - 90.5 - FM
 * - 106.7 - FM

Demographics
As of the of 2000, there were 21,912 people, 8,138 households, and 4,817 families residing in the county. The was 10/km² (25/sq mi). There were 8,909 housing units at an average density of 4/km² (10/sq mi). The racial makeup of the county was 96.58%, 1.35% or , 0.23% , 0.87% , 0.02% , 0.21% from , and 0.74% from two or more races. 0.71% of the population were or  of any race.

There were 8,138 households out of which 27.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.00% were living together, 6.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.80% were non-families. 30.00% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 2.94.

In the county the population was spread out with 19.40% under the age of 18, 25.10% from 18 to 24, 23.10% from 25 to 44, 18.60% from 45 to 64, and 13.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 99.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.00 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $31,781, and the median income for a family was $42,203. Males had a median income of $28,388 versus $21,267 for females. The for the county was $15,384. About 8.30% of families and 16.50% of the population were below the, including 11.20% of those under age 18 and 13.30% of those age 65 or over.

Transportation
Nodaway County is served by in Maryville which is a general aviation airport with no commercial service.

Maryville also has one cab that can be located in the yellow pages. As well as a nightly bus from Maryville to Kansas City.

Geography
According to the, the county has a total area of 2,273 (878 ). 2,270 km² (877 sq mi) of it is land and 3 km² (1 sq mi) of it (0.13%) is water. {|
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Adjacent counties

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Major highways

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