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Crawford County, Missouri
Crawford
County, in the east-central
part of the state, is bordered on the north by Gasconade
and Franklin counties, on the east by Washington County,
on the south by Dent and on the west by Phelps County.
It has a land area of 476,000 acres.
No one knows for certain who the first settlers were to
claim the area now known as Crawford County their home.
The county was organized by a Legislative act on January
23, 1829, out of territory that had previously been
attached to Gasconade County. It was named for Georgia
Sen. William H. Crawford.
The cities in this 744-square-mile county are Bourbon,
Cuba, Leasburg, Saint Cloud, Steelville and Sullivan. A
three-person commission governs the 23,000 residents of
Crawford County. Top employers include Paramount
Headwear Inc. (Bourbon); Olin Corporation and Versa Tags
(Cuba); San Val, Inc. (Steelville); Meramec Industries,
Inc. and Aerofil Technology Inc. (Sullivan); Crawford
County Government; Crawford County Schools; and Missouri
Baptist Hospital.
The county’s most popular attractions aren’t
manmade, but the creation of nature itself: Indian Hills
Lake; Meramec River; Huzzah River, Courtois River, Mark
Twain National Forest, Meramec County Music
Show, Antique & Craft Shops, Onondaga
State Park, W.K. Woods Wildlife Area and the
Huzzah Wildlife Area.
The majestic, 6,896-acre Meramec
State Park offers year-round access to
camping, picnicking and trails. Visitors can take guided
tours Fisher Cave, one of more than 40 caves in the
park. Additional facilities include a park store that
offers raft and canoe rentals, campsites (including
three group sites), rental cabins, motel rooms and a
conference center.
Crawford County also boasts several bed-and-breakfast
inns. The popular Wildflower Inn B&B in Bourbon sits
on 42 acres in the foothills of the Ozarks, surrounded
by natural springs and abundant wildlife.
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