9 minute read
History & Heritage
from Explore Liberty 2020
by Marty Novak
Liberty was established in the 1800s during western migration. Th e 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 fi rst 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.
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Th ousands 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 off ers 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 off ered include presentations, family events, open houses and study groups. Th e 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 off erings. Th e exhibit includes a fi lm made by Wide Awake Films that premiered at B&B Th eatres in Liberty. Th e documentary examines a battle that took place in September of 1861, when Liberty and Clay County briefl y became a focal point for the Civil War in Missouri. Th e exhibit runs through late 2020.
Th e 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. Th e facility has been collecting records since 1979. Th e 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.
Th e 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 fi rst Wednesday of the month. Contact the archives at (816) 781-3611 or fi ll out a contact form, available online at claycountyarchives.org.
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 fi rst 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. Th e bank robbery resulted in the loss of $60,000 and one man’s life. Th e 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 Th omas clock, one of only two known to exist. Th e clock is set for the exact time and date of the robbery, Feb. 13, 1866. Th e 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
tour inside the house where Jesse was born. The property is currently undergoing nearly $500,000 in renovations to further preserve the piece of American history. There is an admission fee. To contact the museum, call (816) 736-8500. For more information about these county-run sites, visit claycountymo.gov/ departments/public-services/historic-sites.
Jesse James Bank Museum
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LIBERTY JAIL HISTORIC SITE
While imprisoned along with companions in the late 1830s, Mormon prophet Joseph Smith received three revelations that are included in the faith’s Doctrine and Covenants today.
“While en route to their new venue, Smith and his followers escaped and left Missouri for the new Mormon settlement in Nauvoo, Illinois. From the late 1840s through the 1860s, an exodus of more than 70,000 Mormons passed through on their way to their ‘New Zion’ in Salt Lake City, Utah,” the city of Liberty website states.
The jail site, 216 N. Main St., is now a visitor’s center. The attraction includes a reconstruction of the space where Smith was held. It is open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 7 p.m. Sunday October through April. In May through September, the jail is open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 9 p.m. Sunday. For more information, visit lds.org/ locations/liberty-jail-historic-site or call (816) 781-3188.
Jesse James Bank Museum
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AFRICAN-AMERICAN HISTORY
Started 20 years ago, Clay County African American Legacy is dedicated to educating and informing the community about the history and influence of African Americans in Clay County. CCAAL is housed in the Garrison School building, 502 N. Water St., purchased from the Liberty school district in 2003.
The Garrison School was established in 1877 as Liberty’s only African American school. It became known as the best school for African American students in the state.
Now known as the Garrison School Cultural Center, it was named in honor of William Lloyd Garrison, an abolitionist who served in President Abraham Lincoln’s cabinet. Listed as a historic landmark, Garrison hosts community events, exhibits and educational activities as well as annual Juneteenth and Kwanzaa celebrations. Juneteenth celebrations began in Texas, where it is an official holiday, but it is only one of a number of freedom day celebrations held on various dates commemorating the end of slavery across the country.
Garrison School
Kwanzaa is a celebration that honors African heritage and is observed from Dec. 26 to Jan. 1.
For more information about CCAAL, visit ccaal-garrisonschool.org or search “The Clay County African American Legacy” on Facebook.
COURIER-TRIBUNE
Since 1846, Liberty has had a newspaper operating under the motto, “Willing to praise but not afraid to blame.” It is the oldest continuously published weekly newspaper west of the Mississippi River.
In February of 2017, the Liberty Tribune merged with two of its sister publications,
The Kearney Courier and The Smithville Herald, to form the Courier-Tribune. The CT traces its lineage to Robert Hugh Miller, who was just 19 when his Liberty newspaper’s first edition rolled off the presses. He owned the paper for 39 years. In Smithville, the CT traces its roots to 1888. In Kearney, the paper’s predecessors have a more than 85-year history. The Courier-Tribune’s current owner is St. Joseph-based News-Press & Gazette Co.
The main office is located at 104 N. Main St., but the newspaper also has a satellite office in Kearney at 302 S. Platte-Clay Way.
The CT’s print and e-edition publishes each Thursday, with additional news found
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online daily at MyCourierTribune.com and in the app, Courier-Tribune NOW, available for download in the App Store and Google Play. To contact the newsroom or sales staff, call (816) 781-4941. Email news tips to news@ mycouriertribune.com. Readers can also find the CT on Twitter at @myCTnews, @ myCTsports, and on Facebook by searching “MyCourierTribune.”
CEMETERIES
Mt. Memorial Cemetery was the first cemetery in Clay County other than family burial grounds and has been in use since the early 1820s. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2012.
Fairview Cemetery was established in 1857 and was so named because it overlooked fairgrounds to the south, where Union soldiers camped during the Civil War. In 1901, the old fairgrounds were acquired by the city to extend the cemetery.
A contest was held to name the new cemetery, with “New Hope” chosen as the winner. The cemetery has strong ties to the city’s founders. Col. Alexander Doniphan, one of the most prominent statesmen and military leaders in American history, is buried there.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Historic Liberty JaiL
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Come experience a piece of early history at the Liberty Jail. You’ll see a true-to-life-size reconstruction of the original 1833 jail as you witness an engaging audio-visual presentation and learn about significant happenings that took place in the jail.
