Ray County, Missouri
Historic newspapers, landmarks, and county history layers for genealogists and local historians.
At a glance
SummaryThe National Register of Historic Places includes 6 listed properties in the county, first listed in 1979. Most listings are in or near Richmond.
Summary generated automatically from the source data on this page.
Newspapers
Library of CongressNewspaper directory data for Missouri is not yet loaded on this site. Browse Ray titles at the Library of Congress.
National Register of Historic Places
NPS NRHP5 of 6 listings mapped; some locations are restricted by NPS to protect sensitive sites.
6 listed properties
| Property | City | Listed |
|---|---|---|
| Dougherty Auditorium | Richmond | 1982 |
| Mansur, Isiah, Farmstead Historic District | Richmond | 1998 |
| New Hope Primitive Baptist Church | Richmond | 1980 |
| Ray County Courthouse | Richmond | 1979 |
| Ray County Poor Farm | Richmond | 1979 |
| Watkins House | Richmond | 1983 |
Source: National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Property links open NRHP nomination files at the National Archives.
County formation
Newberry AHCBRay was formed in 1821 (1821-01-01) from Howard.
RAY created from HOWARD; Non-County Area 7 attached to RAY "for all legislative, judicial, and military purposes."
Source: Newberry Library, Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.
Population by decade
CensusRay County population from 1830 to 2020 (Census historical series).
| 1830 | 1840 | 1860 | 1880 | 1900 | 1920 | 1940 | 1950 | 1960 | 1980 | 2000 | 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2,657 | 6,553 | 14,092 | 20,190 | 24,805 | 20,508 | 18,584 | 15,932 | 16,075 | 21,378 | 23,354 | 23,158 |
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau historical county population (Forstall 1790–1990) and public-domain / CC0 county population series through 2020.
Cemeteries & historical places
USGS GNIS48 cemeteries and 1 historical populated places (ghost towns / former settlements) recorded in USGS GNIS for this county.
Cemeteries — 48 of 48 listed
| Name |
|---|
| Allen Cemetery |
| Baker Cemetery |
| Barsher Cemetery |
| Belt Cemetery |
| Clarks Cemetery |
| Clevenger Cemetery |
| Cox Cemetery |
| Cravens Cemetery |
| Crowley Cemetery |
| Dale Cemetery |
| Dillen Cemetery |
| Dockery Cemetery |
| Foster Cemetery |
| Gordan Cemetery |
| Gunnell Cemetery |
| Hamilton Cemetery |
| Hardin Cemetery |
| Hill Cemetery |
| Jacobs Cemetery |
| Johnson Cemetery |
| Kincaid Cemetery |
| Lavelock Cemetery |
| Lewis Cemetery |
| Maddux Cemetery |
| Mayes Cemetery |
| McGaugh Cemetery |
| McVeigh Cemetery |
| Memory Garden Cemetery |
| Mount Pleasant Cemetery |
| Nutter Cemetery |
| Penniston Cemetery |
| Pettus Cemetery |
| Petty Cemetery |
| Riffe Cemetery |
| Rowland Cemetery |
| Sandals Cemetery |
| Sanderson Cemetery |
| Shotwell Cemetery |
| Silar Cemetery |
| Smith - Jackson Cemetery |
| Smith Cemetery |
| South Point Cemetery |
| Sunny Slope Cemetery |
| Turner Cemetery |
| Wall Cemetery |
| Watkins Cemetery |
| Williams Cemetery |
| Woodland Cemetery |
Historical populated places — 1 of 1
| Name |
|---|
| Ovid |
Source: USGS Geographic Names Information System (public domain). Cemeteries from the 2021 NationalFile archive; historical places from GNIS HistoricalFeatures topical extract.
Civil War battlefields nearby
ABPPAmerican Battlefield Protection Program (ABPP) Civil War study areas near this county.
| Battlefield | Study acres | Dist. |
|---|---|---|
| Lexington | 200 | 16.5 km |
| Lexington | 2,827 | 18.5 km |
| Little Blue River | 2,052 | 35.0 km |
Source: NPS American Battlefield Protection Program Civil War Study Areas (public ArcGIS feature service).
Historical markers
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Search HMdb for Ray County, Missouri
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