Wright County, in the Ozark Highland of Missouri, lies in a region ceded the U.S. by the Osage Indians in 1808. The first white settlers, mainly from Tennessee, came in the 1830's. The county, named for Senator Silas Wright of N.Y., was organized in 1841. Hartville was laid out as county seat the same year. The town name was probably derived from Hartsville, Tenn.
     During the Civil War, Hartville was the scene of a bitter day-long battle, January 11, 1863, in which some 2,500 Confederates, under Gen. John S. Marmaduke, encountered about 1,000 Federals from Gen. Fitz Henry Warren's command. Victory was claimed by both sides, but Confederate loss was heavy. Among colonels on Marmaduke's staff were Joseph O. Shelby (later general) and Joseph C. Porter who was mortally wounded.
     Ozark Divide, in southern Wright County, is an extensive plateau dividing the waters flowing north to the Missouri and south to the White River. North of the divide are the headwaters of the Gasconade River. At Cedar Gap, the plateau reaches 1,685 feet, one of the highest points in Missouri.

     Wright County, an area of fertile valleys and rough hill land, is noted for its fruit, poultry, and dairy farms. To the southeast, at Mountain Grove, are located the state's fruit and poultry experiment stations. The Fruit Experiment Station was