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The most notable event in the early history of New Madrid was the string of earthquakes that occurred between December 1811 and February 1812, which bear its name. Though the first quakes had only a limited effect, their epicenter being well to the south, the tremor of February 7 (an estimated 7.5 to 8.0 on the Richter scale) struck much closer to town and practically destroyed it. Though loss of life was minimal, due to the low population and the fact that many had already fled, damage to existing structures was catastrophic, and the town languished until the late 1820s.<ref>https://books.google.com/books?id=G-AlAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA1#v=onepage&q&f=false</ref>
The most notable event in the early history of New Madrid was the string of earthquakes that occurred between December 1811 and February 1812, which bear its name. Though the first quakes had only a limited effect, their epicenter being well to the south, the tremor of February 7 (an estimated 7.5 to 8.0 on the Richter scale) struck much closer to town and practically destroyed it. Though loss of life was minimal, due to the low population and the fact that many had already fled, damage to existing structures was catastrophic, and the town languished until the late 1820s.<ref>https://books.google.com/books?id=G-AlAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA1#v=onepage&q&f=false</ref>
Recovery was aided by New Madrid's selection as the county seat of New Madrid County in 1822, as well as by trade on the river and the clearing of the nearby area for farms and plantations. It was fairly prosperous by 1860, but then suffered severely from the effects of the [[Civil War]]. The region was mostly pro-Southern in sympathy, and early in the war, a [[Confederate]] force of some 7,000 was stationed in and around New Madrid to block [[Union]] movement down the Mississippi. Prior to the [[Battle of Island Number Ten]] (a Union victory), however, the city was taken by a Northern army under Major General John Pope on March 14, 1862, and would remain in Union hands for the rest of the war.<ref>Larry J. Daniel and Lynn N. Bock, ''Island No. 10: Struggle for the Mississippi Valley''. University of Alabama Press, 1996, p. 60-64.</ref>
After the war, New Madrid gradually recovered, owing to continued clearing of the land and the arrival of the railroad. By 1912, it counted some forty businesses, six churches, and (unlike many Southeast Missouri towns at the time) electric utilities. It has declined in size and prosperity in recent decades as a result of the mechanization of agriculture and the consequent reduction in job opportunities, though commerce and industry related to the Mississippi River traffic remains important.
==References==
==References==
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[[Category:Missouri Cities and Towns]]
[[Category:Missouri Cities and Towns]]