History of Richmond

Richmond was founded in 1827 as the county seat of Ray County, Missouri, on land donated by John Wollard, W.B. Martin, and Isaac and William Thornton. The county, organized in 1820, had its first seat at Bluffton, where Camden, an early Missouri River port, was laid out.

Richmond and Ray County suffered from troop movements, skirmishes, and guerrilla raids during 1861-65, but the postwar years brought coal mining and railroad growth. The St. Louis & St. Joseph (Santa Fe) came to Richmond in 1870. The North Mo. (Wabash) reached nearby Henrietta in 1869 and Chicago, Santa Fe, & Calif. (Santa Fe) in 1887. Early schools were Richmond Academy, opened in 1836, and Woodson (Methodist) Institute, 1893.

At the courthouse is the State statue, by F.C. Hibbard, to Alexander W. Doniphan (1808-87), who lived here 19 years. Colonel in the Mexican War, he led the 1st Reg. Mo. Mounted Volunteers on the famed 1846-47 self-sustaining expedition to Mexico.

Richmond is located just 25 miles east of Kansas City, MO. Home to 6,013 residents, Richmond has a rich history and provides cultural events throughout the year with festivals, sports and arts that promote civic pride and encourage tourism. The town, by formal proclamation of the Richmond City Council and Missouri House of Representatives, is known as the Mushroom Capital of the World for its abundance of wild morels in the area.

Our assets include a historic downtown, shopping districts, convenient access to both Highway 10 and Highway 13, area hospital, great schools, an 18-hole golf course, and approximately 60 acres of parkland including a public swimming pool. We are dedicated to providing high quality of service and quality of life to all looking for a place to live, work or play.

We invite you to Reimagine Rural.