William White Chapter NSDAR
Fairfax, Missouri

William White Chapter History

The William White Chapter serves the two extreme northwestern counties of Missouri -- Atchison and Holt.

This part of our nation was acquired in the Louisiana Purchase. Missouri became a state in 1821, except the six counties in the extreme northwest, which were held out for the Iowa, Sac, Fox, and other Indian tribes. With the Platte Purchase of 1837 these counties also became a part of the State of Missouri.

Due to the rich fertile land for farming, plus the attraction of the Nodaway and Platte Rivers feeding into the Missouri River for transportation, the area was quickly settled.

"Indian legends referred to the area as 'the beginning of the road to Paradise.' (The Heritage of Missouri by Duane Meyer, pg. 180)"

To travel I-29 from the north edge of Atchison County, which borders the state of Iowa, to the south edge of Holt County, you have motored 62 miles. This is all rural farm area. You are traveling through the "bottom lands" of the Missouri River to the west of you. On the western horizon through Atchison County you are seeing the state of Nebraska. Soon after entering Holt County your western horizon is the state of Kansas. Across this fertile river farm land you see continual fields of corn, soybeans and other row crops. As you make this journey, on the east side of this section of I-29 are the rolling Loess Hills. Cornelia F. Mutel in her History of the Loess Hills refers to them as "Fragile Giants." The Native Americans refer to this chain of Loess Hills as "Sacred Hills." There are only five chains of Loess Hills in the world. A person must study and walk these hills to appreciate their formation and beauty. Mutel in "Fragile Giants" includes auto tours which you might consider including in your travels of the Lewis and Clark trail.

While traveling you might want to view the wildlife at the Squaw Creek National Wildlife Refuge. Take time camping and boating at Big Lake State Park.

Within the two counties intermingled with the row crops you will find livestock farmers. Residents of these two counties are proud to be Americans living in the heart of this great nation and to be the food producers for people of this country as well as people around the world.