The articles of incorporation for JHLC were filed February 26, 1969 with the following Board of directors:

R. K. Barton Jr.

Frank Magre

Gretchen Ray

Jean O'Brien

Father Benedict Ellis

Zoe Booth Rutledge

Andrew England

 Other individuals that have served on the board of directors through the years include Jeremiah Nixon, Elizabeth Golterman, Marian Piper, Sue Mueller, Barney Schubel, Catherine Jones, Herbert  Moss, Vivian Martin, Leon Hall, Jeanne Cook, Betty Mueller, Martin Mall, Barry Ellis, Blanche Fallet, Ray Henry, Betty Olson, Jules Porchey, Catherine Crawford, Mary Ann Boyer, John Anderson, Tim Patterson, Martha Dodson, Nancy Hollingsworth, Della Lang, Lisa Thompson-Gendron, Becky Gagnon, Glee Heiligtag-Naes, Kay Clerc-Fakhar, Carole Goggin and Dave Hallemann.

 JHLC began by raising funds to purchase and restore the first home built by the first native born Governor of Missouri, Thomas Clement Fletcher. An option to buy the Hillsboro home was signed April 10, 1969 and final purchase papers were dated February 1972. In December 1973, ownership of the Fletcher House was transferred to the Jefferson County Planning and Recreation Commission, who later transferred it to the State Department of Natural Resources.

 Other projects that appear in the minutes of the corporation include a resolution to the State Highway Commission opposing the sale of 429 acres of land in northern Jefferson County that had previously yielded significant mastodon remains, working to save and restore Sandy Creek Bridge, helping in funding local authors to publish various histories of the county and its cities, and providing substantial grants to the county libraries for the purchase of genealogical materials.

In 1979, Jefferson Heritage and Landmark Corporation began working with Jefferson College in Hillsboro to establish a History Center on their campus as a repository for significant historical documents.  An advisory board was set up to help organize the new center. Fireproof cabinets, a copy machine, files, books, and microfilm were among the items purchased by JHLC, and an agreement was officially made with the county government to use the new center to house records of historical value to the county.

Laborious work began in the early 1980's to locate and document the many cemeteries in the county. That project is extensive and still ongoing.  

In 1984, JHLC conducted a very successful tour of Selma Hall (Kennett's Castle) owned by Union Pacific. The castle had not been open to the public for over 25 years, and there has not been any public access since that time.

In 1985, the name was changed to Jefferson Heritage and Landmarks Society.  In 1997, the name was changed to Jefferson County Historical Society, and we are now know as the Jefferson County Heritage & Historical Society. The county celebrated its 200 year bicentennial in 2018, with the society planning and sponsoring many events and programs. We also opened a new county wide museum in 2018, which is free to the public. The Society's website spotlights countless hours of research and is one of the best sources of free historical and genealogical information in the state.

The following  were listed as charter members in the record books of December 1968

Mr. & Mrs. W.H.S. O'Brien

Mr. & Mrs. W. H. Donnell

Zoe Booth Rutledge

Mr. & Mrs. Norval Seeley

Mr. & Mrs. John Els

John Els (student)

Dennis Els (student)

Mr. Elmer Fisk

Mr. & Mrs. Victor E. Medley

Rev. Mrs. Betty L. Shirley

Mr. A.A. Heinze

Mrs. A. A. Heinze

Shirley Boyer

Mary Joan Boyer

Daisy Pat Stockwell

Mayor & Mrs. Leon Hall (Life member)

C. Dean Burk

Bro. David McKillan

Fra. Benedict Ellis

Judge & Mrs. Herbert K. Moss

Mr. & Mrs. Norvel Kidd

Mr. & Mrs. R.K. Barton Jr. (Founder-Patron)

Jefferson Co. Abstract Co. (Founder-Patron)

Mr. & Mrs. Melvin Carpenter

Mr. & Mrs. Leslie Jones (Founder-Patron)

Leona R. Gasche

Vernon & Mrs. Marion K. Piper (Founder-Patron)

These members were added in the first quarter of 1969

Col. & Mrs. Joseph E. Vollmar Sr. (Founder-Patron)

Mr. & Mrs. Dwight Milfeld (Founder-Patron)

Alice C. Vinyard

Mrs. Amelia C. Weier

Mrs. Bernice M. Freeman

Mrs. Ben F. Lucas

Dr. & Mrs. Charles McClain

Mr. & Mrs. Andrew England (Founder-Patron)

Mrs. Helen Minner

Mrs. J.H. Sutherland (Founder-Patron)

Walter Steinbuck

Norma Martin (student)

Helen Church

Mary Sue Miller

Dr. V.E. Mueller

Mr. & Mrs. Clarence M. Boemler

Mr. & Mrs. Larry Ray

Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce (Donation)

Gertrude Stockstrom (Founder-Patron)

M.C. (Charles) & Mildred Matthes (Founder-Patron)

Isabelle Burn

Ethel Holdinghaus

Roop Printing Company (Founder-Patron)

Mrs. Vivian Martin

Nellie Althauser

Mrs. Harry J. Fitzgibbon

Peter J. Bach III

H. Hearst Kingsland

Gary J. Ellis Jr.

Emily W. Winter (Founder-Patron)

Dennis Emerson (student)

Members added during the rest of 1969:

Mr. & Mrs. Herbert K. Moss (Founder-Patron)

Mr. & Mrs. Fred G. Reinheimer (Founder-Patron)

Harriet S. McMillan

Claude J. & Jeanne Cook

Malcolm K. & Marguerite Miller

Frank Magre

Robert L. O'Brien (student)

Catherine E. Commerford

R.M. Conley

Linda Sue Nolan

Arthur R. Chappue

Alberta B. Dickman (Life)

Mr. & Mrs. W.C. Guse

New members in 1970:

Mr. & Mrs. Elmer Heiligtag (Founder-Patron)

Dr. Harry Yoskit

Dr. & Mrs. Victor Mueller

Mr. & Mrs. William Pagano

Mr. & Mrs. R.M. Conley

Dr. & Mrs. Roger Allbee (Founder-Patron)

Mr. & Mrs. Charles A. Zimmerman (Life)

Mr. & Mrs. Wm. Pannell

__McMahon

__Perkins

Elmer Fiske

Members 1978

Dr. & Mrs. Roger H. Albee
American Bank, DeSoto
Arnold Savings Bank
Mr. & Mrs. Rufus K. Barton Jr.
Mrs. Albert Beyer
Mr. & Mrs. Thos. Coke Brickey
Dean Burk
Mrs. Asa Byrd
Mrs. Hord Byrd
Charles E. Caspari Jr.
Helen Church
Mrs. Fred M. Cole (Dorothy Blackwell)
Commerce Bank of Festus
Mrs. James J. Commerford Sr.
Mr. & Mrs. Claude J. Cook
Mrs. William Coxwell
Rev. & Mrs. Chandler Crawford
Crystal City State Bank
Daughters of the American Revolution
DeSoto Industrial Corp.
Dr. Marion F. Diard
Mrs. Alberta Dickman
Dr. R. H. Donnell
Mr. & Mrs. N. Dorsey
Carl S. Ebert
Lee M. Ebert
Mrs. Erna Rice Eisendrath
Mrs. Elsom Eldridge
Judge Irvin D. Emerson
Mr. & Mrs. Andrew England
Mrs. Blanche E. Fallet
Mrs. Harry J. Fitzgibbon
Mrs. W. E. Fuetterer
Mrs. Becky Gagnon
Miss Elizabeth Golterman
Mrs. Mary Goodwin
Mr. & Mrs. W. C. Guse
Haake Mfs. Co.
Leon Hall
Mr. & Mrs. T. Walter Hardy
Mrs. Bond Hattershire
Mr. & Mrs. J. T. Hausgen
Mrs. Elinor T. Hayward
Mr. & Mrs. Elmer Heiligtag
Mrs. Albert A. (Dorothy) Heinze
Hickey-Mitchell Co. - F. Carl Schumacher, Pres.
Hillsboro Community Civic Club
Home Service Oil Co.
Home Service Propane Gas Co.
Mr. & Mrs. James Jeans
Jefferson County Abstract Co.
Jefferson County Lumber Co.
Joachim Savings & Loan
Mrs. Earl Johnson
Mr. & Mrs. Leslie J. Jones
Mr. & Mrs. E. E. Koeneman
Judge Ralph Krodinger
Lake Timberline Co.
Mr. & Mrs. Raymond J. Lippert (Clarissa Start)
Mrs. Michael McDonough
Mr. & Mrs. James McMillen
Mr. & Mrs. Frank P. Magre
Mr. & Mrs. Martin A Mall
Mr. & Mrs. M. C. Matthes
Richard W. Merkle
Mrs. Dwight J. Milfeld
Mrs. Edward Miller
Mississippi River Transmission Corp.
Missouri Natural Gas Co.
Judge & Mrs. Herbert K. Moss
Mrs. Elizabeth J. Mueller
Dr. & Mrs. Victor E. Mueller
Mr. & Mrs. Jeremiah Nixon
Mrs. W. L. Pannell
Miss Jane E. Piper
Mr. & Mrs. Vernon Piper
Mr. & Mrs. Paul Politte
Purcell Tire Co.
Mr. & Mrs. Jay G. Rice
Miss Judith Riddle
Mrs. Cathy Roop
Roop Printing Co.
Mrs. Lucianna Gladney Ross
Mrs. Cherry M. Roth
Richard L. Roth
Mrs. John Rutledge
Mrs. Jack Schneider
Mr. & Mrs. Norval Seeley
Mrs. Theo. Shell
Mr. & Mrs. Kenneth Smith
Mrs. Margaret F. Smith
R. W. Smith
Judge & Mrs. Walter Steinburk
Miss Adele H. Stine
Mr. & Mrs. Carl Stockstrom
Mrs. Jack Sutherland
Floyd E. Sutherfield
Teamsters Local #688
V. F. W. Post #3777
Mr. & Mrs. Theodore E. Vollmar Sr.
Mr. & Mrs. Theodore M. Vollmar
Waggoner Store Co.
Dr. Wm. Watson
Mrs. W. W. Wieman
Mr. & Mrs. Norman Winter
Mrs. Joseph Withington
Truman F. Young
Mr. & Mrs. Charles A. Zimmerman