HERMANN, a post-village, capital of Gasconade CO., Missouri, on the right bank of the Missouri river, 49 miles E. from Jefferson City, was settled by Germans in 1837. Population in 1850, 944. (Baldwin & Thomas, A New and Complete Gazetteer of the United States ... 1854)
HERMANN, The county seat of Gasconade county, Roark township, situated on the Missouri river and on the line of the Pacific Railroad, 81 miles from St. Louis and 44 from Jefferson City. This town was first settled by the German Settlement Society of Philadelphia, Pa., in the year 1837, and the post office was established in 1840. It contains two churches, viz. Catholic and Protestant, a German and district school house, a Gasconade county savings institution, a Masonic lofge, called Hermann No. 123, and Robert Blum Lodge No, 46 I.O.O.F., a German paper, Germanner Volksblatt, is issued every Saturday, and published by Josef Graff, jr.
The chief productions are wheat, barley, corn, and oats. This is also a great fruit country; the grape is cultivated to a great extent. Iron is found here. Improved land is worth from $10 to $25 per acre, and unimproved $5. The town is healthy, the country around well watered and timbered, and the soil productive. For the cultivation of fruit there is no better soil in the State. A good year's growth of the grape will yield from 100,000 to 125,000 gallons of wine, which is worth $1¼ to $2 per gallon. A steam ferry boat is greatly needed here. Population about 1,500. (The Missouri State Gazetteer and Business Directory, 1860)