There's also a history of earthquakes in the Charleston, SC area, which had a devastating earthquake just after the war. This same quake rang church bells in Philadelphia, and caused landslides that permanently exposed several rock "domes" in the southern highlands of NC. I understand that the bedrock is denser (?) causing the effects to be felt further afield.
That is the first I've ever heard of the New Madrid quake causing landsides to create the Domes in WNC. What is the source for that theory?
The Charleston quake damaged water wells as far away as northwest Georgia.
If you visit Charleston, you can see huge iron bolts running through the buildings from one end to the other. They held the buildings together during quakes.
I remember reading about the 1812 quakes this article talks about. For about a year, the people in some states slept outside their homes. They felled trees perpendicular to the chasms that tended to open up, and built platforms on them for beds. There was one account of a steamboat being pushed upstream almost the length of the Mississippi.
I am guessing you mean the Civil War and the earthquake of 1886. Do you know of a significant later one? Currently an Illinois company Exelon is attempting with lots of money to persuade 4 mid Atlantic states to allow them to buy their local electric utilities. They have 23 nuclear plants in middle America, a number aging and approaching their phase out date. If they end up hooking those extra ratepayers, the poor folks better pray that there is no big quake they end up having to pay for. The recent Virginia quake was 5.8. The nearby North Anna nuclear plant is rated for up to a 6.0. Frankly that is too close for anyone with sense and information to want to take on that risk with 23 plants.
Not too long ago I read information that quakes equal to 1811-12 only occur every 400 to 500 years, but that somewhat smaller, but still serious ones can occur every 200 years. I don’t plan to have any investments in St. Louis.