Open House Marks Completion of Renovations at Rotary Jail
These scenes were taken during an open house after rotary jail renovations were completed. The celebration included a ribbon cutting ceremony with Mike Kemna of Western Missouri Correction Center doing the honors. This was the first of many public tours offered at the...
Volunteers, Donations Crucial to Restoring Rotary Jail in Gallatin, MO
When the decision to restore Gallatin’s rotary jail was announced, the public was asked to help locate any items which could be returned to the jail — especially any section of jail cell bars which once encircled the prisoner cells. Several authentic...
Squirrel Cage Jail Prior to Renovations in 1993
By 1992 Daviess County’s unique antique jail had been neglected for many years. Its future was at a crossroads: either repairs must be made or the decay would soon push expenses past practicality. The roof leaked and guttering was gone; the exterior brick of the...
1993: Breadeaux Pisa a Popular Restaurant in Gallatin
1993: Pattonsburg Flood Memories from the Eyes of a Child
The writer of this post, Jessica Hartley Sodeke, grew up in Pattonsburg, MO. After she graduated from high school in 2003, she went to college at Northwest Missouri State University at Maryville, and then relocated to Lincoln, NE. At the time of this writing, she is...
McDougal Connection Leads to Endowment for Rotary Jail in Gallatin, MO
As restoration of the 1889 Squirrel Cage Jail in Gallatin was underway but not yet complete, financing to operate the unique facility as a visitors’ center and community museum got a big boost. Daviess County has been named as a $125,000 beneficiary in the...
1883 Frank James Trial: Witness Testimonies Summarized
The following about the 1883 trial of Frank James is taken from an address given by General John T. Barker for a meeting of The Boone County Bar Association held at Columbia (MO) on August 7, 1952: Witnesses for the State JOHN L. PENN was a passenger on the train....
1993 Map: Grand River Flood Damage in Daviess County, MO
This 1993 map identifying flood damage sites throughout Daviess County was based on reports given to county commissioners. Though comprehensive, the posting on Aug. 4, 1993, may be incomplete. Damage assessments were added as more reports were...
1991: Authentic Pioneer Log Cabin Relocated to Gallatin Roadside Park
An authentic log house was moved from rural Daviess County in 1991 to display the lifestyle of early pioneers. The log cabin was discovered northwest of Gallatin, MO, on Route DD when landowners peeled off wood plank siding while intending to demolish the building....
1991: Noted Historian Milt Perry Debunks Jesse James Myth with Facts
Many people have contributed to keeping the history of Frank & Jesse James accurate and vibrant, including the late Milton Perry. At the time of his death in 1991, Perry was considered one of the world’s top authorities on outlaw Jesse James. He had been...
Missouri State Penitentiary and a List of Most Infamous Inmates
Missouri’s old state penitentiary in Jefferson City officially closed on Sept. 15, 2004 — a day when nearly 1,300 prisoners were moved to a new facility outside of Jefferson City. Gone are many of the state’s original penitentiary buildings of...
Re-enactment: The 1883 Trial of Frank James at Courter Theater
Gallatin paid tribute to perhaps its most historic moment in 1990 when the Gallatin Theater League resurrected aspects of the 1883 Trial of Frank James. The re-enactment, financed in part through the Missouri Arts Council, was the first ever performed here —...
Schools: The Simple Amish Way of Education
When the Amish first moved into the Jamesport, MO, area in 1953, it was at the schools where their old-fashioned clothing and foreign language soon lost its strangeness. Amish youngsters were readily accepted into the public school system, but when enough Amish...
Dr. Harold ‘Doc’ Bailey Served Decades as the ‘Country Doctor’
Dr. H.W. “Doc” Bailey delivered well over 2,000 babies, including one set of triplets and several sets of twins, during decades of service to the people of Daviess County. The longtime Gallatin doctor exemplified the meaning of “country doctor”...
Pharmacist Harfield Davis Continues Business Tradition in Gallatin, MO
H. Harfield Davis epitomized what it means to be a successful small town businessman. He was born in Gallatin and lived most of his life here. He owned and operated D.H. Davis Drug Company from 1920 until he retired. The drugstore was founded in 1855 by his...
1985: Final Piece of I-35 Completed in Daviess County, MO
The final portion of Interstate 35 was completed in Daviess County, MO, in 1985 at the Grand River. A floodwater control project, the “Pattonsburg Dam” proposed by the Army Corps of Engineers play a part in delaying the final link of I-35 construction....
Pettijohn Auto Succeeds the Blackburn Dealership
Pettijohn Auto, with main offices in Bethany, purchased the former Blackburn Motors dealership to sell Pontiacs, Buick and GMC trucks at Gallatin. This building is located at 306 West Grand Street, and later became the home of the Daviess County Library. (date...
Frost Automotive on the South Side of Gallatin Square
Retail Giant J.C. Penney Called Hamilton (MO) His Boyhood Home
One of the most picturesque farms in Daviess County, MO, was owned by J.C. Penney. But Hamilton in Caldwell County, MO, has the distinction of being the birthplace and boyhood home of retail magnate J.C. Penney. The Penney Library and Museum houses memorabilia from...
Visit the 1889 Squirrel Cage Jail, located 2 blocks west of the Daviess County Courthouse in Gallatin, MO. This historic relic is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and serves as a visitors’ center — by appointment,
Trudi Burton, ph: 660.663.7342
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