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Located in the extreme northwest corner of Missouri and bordered by Nebraska and Iowa, Atchison County was named for Civil War Maj. Gen. David Rice Atchison, whose biggest claim to fame is that he was president of the United States for one day. Native American tribes such as the Potawatomi, Ioway, Sac, and Fox all passed through this area or called Atchison County home. After the Louisiana Purchase, settlers began their trek west, and Atchison County was a major crossroads as it was bounded on the west by the Missouri River. The county was divided into townships, and three of them, Bluff, Tarkio, and Polk, lost at least half of their land in what was claimed later by the State of Iowa in the Honey War, a bloodless territorial conflict. Agriculture has always been a way of life in Atchison County; in 1877, the county assessor reported over 1,600 mules, 49,000 swine, and 6,700 horses. Today, Atchison County boasts many self-employed farmers and ranchers, as well as a swine-breeding facility that employs 65 people. In addition, it has an 18-bed hospital, three public schools, three newspapers, two wind farms with 100 wind turbines, and many other businesses.

As the Memphis Line was pushing eastward through the virgin Ozark hills, railroad officials realized that watering stations were needed every 8 to 10 miles. One such station was built on the future site of the town of Mansfield. In 1882, F.M. Mansfield and George Nettleton officially established the town. Noted for its rolling hills and abundance of natural water sources, Mansfield became known as the "Gem of the Ozarks." Early settlers that were drawn to the area established local businesses, including orchards, canning factories, and mines. Farming became an essential way of life for most rural residents. Today, the town is famous as the place where author Laura Ingalls Wilder, who lived here from 1894 until her death in 1957, wrote her renowned Little House books. It was also the boyhood home of Major League Baseball player Carl Mays, who at one point was a teammate of Babe Ruth.

The Old South Side has always welcomed ethnic groups. In the late 1800s, the area was developed by immigrant Poles, who became the dominant population for over 100 years. They celebrated their traditions, building churches, businesses, and service organizations and bringing over distinctive features from their homeland. While other Milwaukee ethnic neighborhoods gradually dissipated in the mid-20th century because of assimilation pressures, freeway building, or urban renewal programs, the Old South Side remained solidly Polish. Perhaps for this reason, the area became the destination of the fair housing marches. By the late 1960s, African Americans began demanding legislation that would allow them to live anywhere in the city, including the Old South Side. While African Americans never migrated to the area in great numbers, other populations did. A survey nearly a half century later revealed that people of 110 national backgrounds now lived on the Old South Side, with the three largest groups being Mexicans, Poles, and American Indians. Today, the neighborhood faith communities, businesses, sports, and celebrations strongly reflect the influence of these three communities.