In the hustle and bustle of modern times, it’s easy to forget about what came before. Before phones. Before cars. Before the days of multi-tasking while juggling a laptop and coffee. These days, we could walk past a historical landmark without a glance upward, our attention too focused on the latest Tik Tok trend or cute puppy reel on Instagram. The truth is, history surrounds us in the Northland. You just need to know where to look.
St. Joseph
The Glore Psychiatric Museum might be a bit dark, but much of history is. If you have an interest in mental health treatment or simple curiosity about how far we’ve come, don’t underestimate the value of an afternoon strolling the hallways of a museum identified as one of the 50 Most Unusual Museums in the United States.
We’ve come a long way in our understanding, sensitivity and compassion surrounding mental health, but back in 1874, a building called the Lunatic Asylum No. 2 was built just east of St. Joseph. Although the hospital itself relocated and changed names, a former employee pulled together artifacts and created an impressive collection that gives a snapshot into life for patients years ago, including a look at treatments, patient artwork (the framed collection of over 1,000 items removed from a patient’s stomach is a visitor favorite) and more.
Glore Psychiatric Museum: 3406 Frederick Ave., St. Joseph (stjosephmuseum.org)
Other Mentions: The Pony Express Museum, Jesse James Home Museum and Wyeth-Tootle Mansion
Liberty
Imagine this. It’s a sunny day in 1866 and horses leisurely make their way down the streets of Liberty, a town settled over forty years prior. A small bank is open with only the clerk and his son present when a group of men on horses ride up and swiftly enter, demanding money in what would go down as the first daytime bank robbery during peaceful times. Leaving with their loot, a shot was fired, hitting an innocent college student and killing him in the street.
Swing by the Jesse James Bank Museum and take a step back in time, the clock on the wall forever frozen in the time of the robbery. Who were the culprits? Well, they were never caught, but many believe it was the James gang, including Jesse’s brother, Frank. Some dispute it was the James gang at all. We’ll never really know.
Jesse James Bank Museum: 103 N. Water St., Liberty (jessejamesmuseum.org)
Other Mentions: Belvoir Winery, Liberty Jail
Weston
Founded in 1837, Weston was originally close to the since-shifted river that served as a port for steamboats and a marketplace for Fort Leavenworth. Although O’Malley’s pub doesn’t exactly qualify as a hidden gem given its popularity, the history behind the pub and Weston in general earns it a spot on this hidden gem list.
Located over 50 feet underground, O’Malley’s is in a space originally used to store and chill beer from the Weston Brewery Company. With a tunnel that reportedly runs underground connecting the pub, original owner’s home (now a bed and breakfast) and the old brewery company (now the Inn at Weston Landing) to spare the owner having to walk outside in the cold, there’s more than meets the eye here.
And, who can talk about a quiet little town from the 1830s without acknowledging the, um, longstanding residents. Weston ghost tours during the fall introduce you to the spookier side of the town’s history, a ghost apparently taking up residence at the St. George hotel and a soul still lingering from a man shot and left dead on the street. Fact or fiction? That’s up to you to decide.
O’Malley Pub: 540 Welt Street, Weston (westonirish.com)
Other Mentions: St. George Hotel, Weston Historical Museum
Parkville
Close your eyes and you can almost hear the train slowing down for the station in Parkville, passengers getting off at the Parkville stop in the 1800s. That station, just down the hill from Park University, is now an art gallery where teller windows remain like windows into the past. Next to it is a fountain, the former location of the Missouri Valley Hotel, which served as a fort for the Federal government and Union forces. Paw Paw men (a local militia) were there in 1864 when Confederate and guerrilla soldiers entered Parkville. After forcing their way into the fort, the local soldiers surrendered. The next time you’re tossing the frisbee at English Landing Park, take a look at the fountain and train station on the north end and think for a moment about the feet that walked there before you.
Cathy Kline Art Gallery: 8701 NW River Park Dr., Parkville (cathyklineartgallery.com)
Other Mentions: Park University; Steamboat Arabia marker in English Landing Park
Leavenworth
We’re all intrigued by shows and movies that highlight the trials and tribulations of westward expansion in the 1800s. Tumbleweeds, the trenches left by wagon wheel tracks and towns with general stores and saloons with swinging doors have a certain mystique about them, but reality during this time was incredibly rough. Buffalo Soldiers was the name given to the 10th Calvary Regiment at Fort Leavenworth, African American soldiers who were instrumental in facilitating expansion west by protecting settlers, accompanying stagecoaches and building roads and forts along the way. A monument to the Buffalo Soldiers was dedicated in 1992 and resides in Fort Leavenworth today.
Buffalo Soldier Monument: 290 Stimson Ave., Fort Leavenworth (visitleavenworthks.com)
Other Mentions: Oregon and Sante Fe Trail markers, Chapel of the Veterans