Honey War Monument

1850

The monument on the left commemorates the Honey War, and the marker on the right signals the start of the Sullivan Line. Together, these structures represent Missouri’s Honey War. The war was a bloodless territorial dispute between Iowa and Missouri over a 9.5-mile strip running the length of their border. This conflict erupted in 1839 after confusion over Native American treaties, the Louisiana Purchase, and the Missouri Constitution on Boundaries. A physical battle never occurred, but the two states fought it out in the Supreme Court Case, State of Missouri v. State of Iowa (1849). The Supreme Court ruled in Iowa’s favor that the Sullivan Line would remain as Missouri’s northern border. Commissioners appointed by the U.S. government designated the border with the iron marker in 1850. Years later, the Virginia Daughters of the American Revolution, Chapter NSDAR, added the stone monument to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Honey War. This monument and marker stand as a reminder of Missouri’s bloodless fight for its most northern territory.

Object Details

Categories: Politics & Government, War & Conflict

Date: 1850

Subject: Boundaries, State

Contributing Institution: KBIA Public Broadcasting

Rights: Image courtesy of KBIA Broadcasting - Columbia, Missouri

County: Worth

Region: Northwest

Type: Object

Language: English

Latitude: 40.571082

Longitude: -94.603385