Missouri is nicknamed the “Show Me State” and true to the state’s name St. Joseph’s, MO is showing us the history of westward expansion through the preservation of authentic sites, cultural attractions and oral histories. French explorers and traders are documented as being in the region in the 1700s. Joseph Robidoux III was born 1783 and lived in St. Louis until the mid-1790s when he joined a group of fur traders sailing up the Missouri River to the area now St. Joseph’s. He established several trading posts until 1826 when the American Fur Company issued a non-compete clause and bought him out.
In 1826 he was hired to erect a post in the Blacksnake Hills, now St. Joseph. His business thrived, employing a group of Frenchmen and trading with Indians settled in the vicinity on ground considered sacred and conflict free. Robidoux platted the town in 1843 and began selling plots of land. It quickly became a hub for settlers rest and restock. When gold was discovered in California in 1848 travelers came from everywhere to the port town to cross the river and continue their journey.
Constructed in the 1840s-50s the city’s oldest building and historic apartment building west of the Mississippi was built by Joseph Robidoux. The 1½ story, seven brick apartment building, was originally home to families who were waiting construction of their homes on purchased lots. Later the apartments were rented to individuals waiting to cross the river who were beset by bad weather or other conditions. There were several communal outdoor privies and individual stoves for heating. In 1868 Robidoux passed away in his private apartment.
The restored building functions as a museum and the Saint Joseph Historical Society. Exhibits in the museum depict how the rooms would have been furnished originally. Other galleries display artifacts and memorabilia from Joseph Robidoux, the early history of St. Joseph, the fur trade and westward expansion. Tours are self-guided.
In 1859 Robidoux drove the final spike into the western rail terminus in the city. This combination of rail and river appealed to the founders of the legendary Pony Express and on April 3, 1860 twice weekly service began from St. Joseph to Sacramento, California. The company had 400 horses and 200 riders, the youngest being 11years old. Riders carried 20-pounds of mail and were equipped with lightweight saddles and a mochilla in which to carry the mail over the 10-day route. Relay stations, to exchange horses, were placed every 10-15 miles and home stations every 100-miles. The Pony Express functioned only from April 1860 until October 1861.
The Pony Express Museum is a phenomenal immersion into the world of express riding. Moment in Time is a life-sized diorama that depicts the inaugural ride of the Pony Express on April 4, 1860 at 7:15 pm from the stable that now houses the museum. Exhibits interpret the history of the institution, the riders and the topography over which they rode. Two other featured exhibits are a fully outfitted settlers wagon and a photo gallery of the riders. Tours are self-guided or docent led. Stop in the gift shop for great souvenirs. Annually the National Pony Express Association hosts a commemorative ride on the historic route. More than 750 riders participate.
Patee House opened in 1858 as a 4-story, 140-room luxury hotel. From 1860-61 it was the Pony Express headquarters. In 1865 John Patee was forced to sell by lottery. He purchased 100 tickets and won it back. In 1888 it was renamed the World Hotel and Jesse James’ wife stayed there for 2 days after his murder and the investigation of his death was held there. It is a National Historic Landmark and huge museum. Each thematic gallery is like a time capsule filled with portraits, documents and artifacts. Highlights of a visit are Portraits of the Old West, a vintage carousel, an Overland Stage, a replica street and a piece of rope from a lynching. Dedicate several hours to visit this museum listed as one of the Top Ten Western Museums in the country. ponyexpressjessejames.com
Attached by a short walkway is the Jesse James Home Museum, the site of his death on April 3, 1882. While straightening a picture on the wall he was shot from the rear in the head by Robert Ford. The restored single-story home was relocated here, two blocks from its original site, for greater access. It is decorated with original and period furnishings. The home is 24-ft by 30-ft. and consists of four rooms. On display are photographs, personal items and objects obtained during his exhumation in the 1990s. The showpiece of the museum is the bullet hole in the sitting room wall. An orientation is given as you enter for a self-guided tour.
St. Joseph Museum complex containing Glore Psychiatric Museum, Black Archives Museum, Doll Museum and Native American and History Galleries, is situated inside the 1879 Victorian Wyeth-Toole Mansion. stjosephmuseum.org
In 1968 the estate of Orrel Andrews purchased five dolls and in 2011 the 1,600- piece collection of dolls, dollhouses and toys became part of St. Joseph Museums, Inc. The collection relates cultural, historic, ethnic, gender and leisure time history.
State Lunatic Asylum No. 2 began in 1874 with 250 patients. One hundred-four years after employee George Glore created exhibits about treatment of the mentally ill beginning in the 17th-century the Glore Psychiatric Museum was founded. Currently the museum is recognized as “one of the 50 most unusual museums in the country” and has been featured on several channels including PBS and Discovery. Displays include surgical treatments, patient artwork and unique cases.
Henry George gathered one of the largest and most impressive collections of American Indian objects in the region. It consists of 4,000 items dating from pre-European contact and is heavily focused on basketry.
Established as the Knea-Von Black Archives Jewell Robinson founded the Black Archives Museum in 1991. In 2002 it became a member of the St. Joseph Museums, inc. The museum presents the history of St. Joseph’s African American’s beginning with Joseph Robidoux and the French pioneers. An authenticated letter has been located of correspondence between Robidoux and pirate and slave trader John Lafitte in which Robidoux asks to purchase 5 nursing babies and 20 French-speaking mulatto slaves. Exhibits progress through the Civil War, Civil Rights, Desegregation and Music. A signature exhibit is on the 40-year career of Coleman Hawkins, the Father of the Tenor Sax. An 8-ft. statue of Hawkins stands on a 3-ft. pedestal in Coleman Hawkins Park. Coleman Hawkins Jazz Festival is held annually in June in the park.
Newsman Walter Cronkite was born in 1906 in St. Joseph. Cronkite was America’s premiere journalist and CBS Evening News anchor for 19 years. The Walter Cronkite Memorial is located on the campus of Missouri Western State University in Spratt Hall Atrium. Highlights of the memorial are a timeline of Cronkite’s life, photographs, caricatures and a video monitor with clips of historic broadcasts. Visitors can experience the excitement of being in a CBS newsroom in a replicated studio.
The best surviving extant set of late-nineteenth-century warehouse and commercial structures in the state are a designated historic district known as Wholesale Row. The area once housed 170 factories because of its access to rivers, rails and roads. Located inside one of these rehabilitated red brick High Victorian Italianate structures is Boudreaux’s Louisiana Seafood & Steaks. The 2-ton bar is a showpiece built in Philadelphia circa 1870, disassembled and brought west in 1871. The menu is sizeable and filled with culinary, Cajun, delights. When in St. Joseph this a superior dining option.
boudreauxstjoe.com
On the 80th anniversary of the Pony Express the Pony Express Monument was unveiled. The statue captures the exuberance and hopefulness of the era. Take a photo and experience the vibe. stjomo.com
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