Rome was a thriving riverport in the 19th century founded in 1835 by William Stout. Elisha Stout, William's son, was born and raised here and became one of the founding fathers of Omaha, Nebraska, and Denver, Colorado. The site was formerly Adamsville, which served as the county seat of Adams County from Dec. 1797 to Dec. 1798, where a log courthouse and jail were erected to serve the public.