This is the twenty-fourth article in our series about Ozarks culture and heritage in the counties of Missouri that are part of the Ozarks region. All or parts of 55 counties in Missouri are considered part of the Ozarks. Washington County is located south of Franklin County and west of Jefferson County. Washington County was officially organized on August 21, 1813, out of Ste. Genevieve County, and was named in honor of George Washington, the first President of the United States. The largest city and county seat is Potosi.
Frenchmen Renault and La Mottle toured the area near present-day Potosi in 1722-23. No permanent settlement was made until 1763 when Francis Breton settled near Potosi and began to operate a mine bearing his name. The Bellview Valley, near Caledonia and Belgrade, was settled in 1802 by Annanias McCoy, Benjamin Crow, and Robert Reed.
Potosi was founded in 1783 by Moses Austin and was named after the Bolivian silver-mining city of Potosi. Austin obtained a grant of 7,153 arpents of land from the Spanish Empire and started large-scale mining operations, building his town to support it. Austin's tomb and the foundation of his home, Durham Hall, can still be seen. Renowned woodcut artist Tom Huck grew up in Potosi, where he has taken inspiration from the region's local legends and folk tales.
Ten sites are listed in the National Register of Historic Places listings in Washington County, Missouri, in Potosi, Caledonia, Fertile, and Shirley. Washington County contains portions of the Mark Twain National Forest.
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