Weston In Transition
Slavery to Freedom
End of the River Trade
Agricultural Adaptation
Slavery to Freedom
With the end of the Civil War, Missouri was finally a free state. The journey of free African American citizens took most of the former slaves from Weston, where the economy was changing without their forced labor, to greater opportunities throughout the United States.
Mary Scott (photo to the left) and her husband Benjamin (photo above) were born into slavery and raised a large family in Weston.
Fire Drill on lower Main where the Missouri River bed was prior to 1881
End of the River Trade
Weston’s early prominence in steamboat trade and as an outfitter for wagon trains heading west depended on what was a capricious Missouri river, the longest river in North America. A flood in 1881 shifted the river west and Weston lost its port and its important river economy.
The population of 5,000 inhabitants in 1855 soon dwindled to fewer than 1,000 after the Civil War.
Agricultural Adaptations
The hemp industry declined after the Civil War because it was not as profitable once enslaved people were free. Hemp was produced and shipped from the Weston area until 1881 when the river changed course.
Tobacco production on a large scale began in 1894. It was a major economic factor in Weston’s recovery from losing the river trade. Tobacco remained a force in the local economy for over 100 years. Weston was home to the only tobacco auction west of the Mississippi River until the last auction in 2004.
Weston’s agricultural markets changed through the years to more row crops, orchards, and livestock.
Visit the Weston Historical Museum to see the agricultural displays that explain in detail- or just browse the exhibits for an overview- the history of farming in Weston.