Shortly after the founding of DeKalb County in 1845, officials established Maysville as the county seat. The town is named after either the month of May, or Maysville, Kentucky.
The tract of land that was selected to be Maysville was submitted to the land office in Plattsburg on June 1, 1848.
The courthouse has been the center of activity in Maysville since its founding.
The first courthouse was opened in April 7, 1851. The current courthouse is the fourth courthouse in the county's history, and was opened on October 20 1939, almost a year after the third courthouse was razed.
Maysville's oldest house is just to the west of the courthouse. The home was built by Dr. John Black in 1854, and it was also the site of a Civil War incident. During the war, Union troops vandalized the home because Black was a confederate sympathizer.
Today, Maysville is located near the center of the county at the intersection of Highway 33 and Highway 6. The community offers a
vast array of shopping and entertainment, centered around the County Courthouse Square. The community Chamber of Commerce continues to grow and is a vital part of the economy.
Every September, Maysville hosts Country Harvest Days. The DeKalb County Historical Society's main office is located on Highway 6 across from the current courthouse. The society celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2009.
The Maysville area offers a wide variety of outdoor opportunities. In Maysville, you'll find Lakeside Country Club, and nearby Willow Brooks Lake, where there are fishing and boating opportunities.
Just south of Maysville, along Highway 33, is the Pony Express Lake.
Pony Express offers one of the most diverse fishing opportunities of any small lake in Missouri. Anglers can find abundant crappie, tackle-busting catfish and muskie, and excellent largemouth bass fishing.
Every May, the lake is host to the annual Crappie Festival that draws fisherman from all over the region.
To the south of Maysville is Osborn, founded in 1858 along the Hannibal-St. Joseph Railroad.
A monument that still stands today in the Osborn cemetery was erected in 1920 and dedicated on May 31 of that year in honor of Osborn's fallen soldiers during World War I. At the time, 3,000 people attended the unveiling of the 16-foot high statue.
