The area around the small town of New Madrid, Missouri is noted as the site of a series of more than 1,000 earthquakes in 1811 and 1812, ranging up to approximately magnitude 8, the most powerful non-subduction zone  earthquake ever recorded in the United States. New Madrid lies far away from any plate boundaries, but it is on the New Madrid Seismic Zone. The major earthquake was felt as far away as the East Coast. We enjoyed visiting the interesting hometown of New Madrid. Other Missouri hometowns that garnered Thompson’s attention are Bloomfield, Caruthersville, Dexter, Hayti, Kennett, and Portageville.