Another beautiful Sunday afternoon inspired touring out to St. Joseph to inspect what many have suggested is a treasure trove of historical architecture.
The first encounter downtown showed off a 140-room luxury hotel from 1858 masquerading as a museum. Built around the development of the Hannibal and St. Joseph Railroad station, Pony Express headquarters leveraged some of the space at the Patee House at that time. Life after the Civil War had it hosting war trials in the ballrooms, before turning collegiate for women, then towards a career in the exciting field of manufacturing. These days it simply houses an array of artifacts, including an original 1892 steam locomotive, carriages, stagecoaches, and other forms of high-speed travel, encased within the walls of this museum of U.S. History emphasizing transportation.
Just next door, a unique little "Japanese Tea House" was put together in 1916, by one of the more prominent residents from town history, for one purpose, to host a parties.
Signage indicating a carousel led around the corner from there to find a relocated machine from the amusement park formerly at Lake Contrary. It is very well maintained, hosting an diverse menagerie, each with a peculiar story all to itself.
There is no avoiding the death home of Jesse James on the way to the carousel. This little house sits snug against the Patee Hotel and is the scene of the crime from 1882; well almost. It was moved to the current spot from a couple of blocks away back in 1977.
Seeking out more curiosities found us stumbling across what turned out to be an excellent fake. This Pony School stands as an authentic reproduction of an 1860's schoolhouse, dedicated in 2011. It is fully stocked with all of the latest accouterments for the era, facilitating learning on a different, more personal level.
The Missouri Theater demands attention for anything walking, flying, or driving through. The tile and masonry work are colorful and amazing. The town claims it as a "historic masterpiece" of architecture that first opened in 1927 featuring the silent film "Rough House Rosie" for the cost a quarter.
Looking homeward, a pause to stroll around the block of property that is the Wyeth Tootle Mansion encountered quite a variety of interesting and unique architecture. Assumed to be affiliated with the aforementioned owner the "Japanese Tea House," the mansion itself is undergoing some civic improvements and is inaccessible.
The few encounters and brief walkabouts in town impressed upon our troupe the need for deeper examination of old St. Joseph in the near future. There is a lot more going on here than most are probably aware; at least, more than our group. I suppose it is that way with larger metropolitan areas in the mid-west. So much is going on in one town that nobody thinks much about the other.
. . .
Further Reading
Pony Express Historical Association
St. Joseph Memory Lane
St Joseph, MO
Saint Joseph Museums
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