Village of Tuscumbia, Missouri

Miller County came into being by an act of the State Legislature approved by the Governor, February 6, 1837. The temporary seat was the William Miller log house on the hill at the present C.P. Tellman home near the mouth of Saline Creek. In the same year, however, the present location at Tuscumbia was donated by J.P. and J.B. Harrison and the town was the first in the county to be surveyed. The location had been an Indian trading camp, and in July 1837 it was given the name Tuscumbia. According to pioneer folklore, the word is derived from the Cherokee Indian name, "Tash-Ka-ambi," which translated is "The warrior who kills."