Historic Military Trail – 1824

     In 1824 a Post and Military Road from Liberty, Missouri to Council Bluffs, Iowa was traveled weekly by
military troops carrying mail along this route on foot. This trail, which went through non-surveyed and
unbroken wilderness is considered the oldest road in DeKalb County.

     Today, 200 years later, research has shown that the trail, starting in Liberty, Missouri, had crossed
present day 36 highway and traveled north along J highway to Amity. There the trail takes a northwesterly route across the county into Gentry County, then on to Council Bluffs, Iowa.

     Through the suggestion of Ken Kessaman, the DeKalb County Historical Society used the research that
their past volunteers had recorded about the Military Trail and created four trail marker signs placing
them on blacktops where the trail had been, or where it crossed the present-day blacktops in the
county.

Two signs are placed on “J” Highway at Windy Wine Company and at the Amity Cemetery.

Another sign is placed at Highway 6 on Barry and Kathy Kagay’s farm.

The last sign is placed on “E”
blacktop between Ogle Road and NW Cogdill Road.

     The DeKalb County Historical Society hopes these signs help to preserve a little history about the first
trail passing through present day DeKalb County over two hundred years go.

     For more information about this trail or other early trails passing through DeKalb County, please feel
free to visit the Dekalb County Historical Society @ 116 West Main in Maysville, Mo.