HISTORY & HERITAGE Liberty was established in the 1800s during western migration. The settlement became the Clay County seat in 1822 and was incorporated in 1829, making it the second oldest incorporated town west of the Mississippi River. In 1851, Liberty, which encompasses one square mile with the courthouse at the physical center of the city, was granted its first charter. Liberty is now home to multiple historic districts and more than a handful of individual properties on the National Register of Historic Places, a bustling downtown historic Square and surrounding areas full of boutiques and restaurants, three museums and many notable sites of interest. Thousands of documents and hundreds of artifacts detailing the stories of Liberty and Clay County’s history are available through the Clay County Archives and Clay County Museum and Historical Society, both of which are located downtown.
CLAY COUNTY MUSEUM AND HISTORICAL SOCIETY Located on the historic Liberty Square in the heart of the city at 14 N. Main St., the Clay County Museum and Historical Society offers an array of exhibits and activities that explore the history of Liberty and surrounding cities throughout Clay County. Started in 1965, the museum is located in a historic building that had long been the home to drugstores. Activities offered include presentations, family events, open houses and study groups. The museum and historical society also hosts an annual homes tour, trivia nights and picnic. In the past year, the museum added an exhibit on the Battle of Liberty to its offerings. The exhibit includes a film made by Wide Awake Films that premiered at B&B Theatres in Liberty. The documentary examines a battle that took place in September of 1861, when Liberty and Clay County briefly became a focal point for the Civil War in Missouri. The exhibit runs through late 2020. The museum is open 1 to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays. Contact the museum at (816) 792-1849 or visit claycountymuseum.org for more information.
CLAY COUNTY ARCHIVES AND HISTORICAL LIBRARY Preserving the past for the present and future is what the Clay County Archives and Historical Library, located at 210 E. Franklin St., is all about. The facility has been collecting records since 1979. The archives contain hundreds of thousands of maps, photos, family histories, history books and other documents ideal for use in ancestral research. Volunteers and donations of materials of interest to historians are always sought. The archives are open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday; and from 6:30 to 9 p.m. on the first Wednesday of the month. Contact the archives at (816) 781-3611 or fill out a contact form, available online at claycountyarchives.org.
Clay County Archives
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Explore Liberty
JESSE JAMES BANK MUSEUM On a February afternoon in 1866, the Clay County Savings Bank at 103 N. Water St. took its place in the annals of history by becoming the site of the first successful daylight bank robbery during peacetime in the nation’s history. While the perpetrators were never caught, the robbery was attributed to the James Gang headed by the infamous outlaw Jesse James. The bank robbery resulted in the loss of $60,000 and one man’s life. The bank is still standing and open for tours as the Jesse James Bank Museum. While peering into the original vault, visitors can imagine the fear felt by the frightened bank tellers inside. Among the furnishings is a rare Seth Thomas clock, one of only two known to exist. The clock is set for the exact time and date of the robbery, Feb. 13, 1866. The bank museum is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Admission is $6.50 per adult, $6 per senior age 62 and older, $4 per child ages 8 to 15 and free for those younger than 8. To learn more, call the museum at (816) 736-8510. Another Clay County historic site with ties to James is his birthplace, now the Jesse James Farm & Museum east of Kearney. Visitors can view galleries of artifacts and take a guided
