Among the more remarkable snapshots-in-time sits high on a bluff along the Missouri River on the eastern outskirts of Kansas City in the small town of Sibley. A good portion of the backstory associated with this site is familiar to nearly everyone, while other parts of its history remain obscured.
These "Bad Luck Hills," as they were once known, look out across the Missouri River valley just above the confluence of Beasley Creek and the Missouri River. It is a uniquely defensible, yet accessible position offering opportunities in overland and water-born trade from a secure location.
One of the leading explorers associated with The Corps of Volunteers for Northwestern Discovery, otherwise known as the Lewis & Clark Expedition, landed upon this spot in June of 1804. William Clark and the band of explorers spent the weekend here plagued by gnats, ticks and mosquitos, as well as being mired in mud a good portion of that time. It is surprising he held any inclination to return.
Clark held onto memory of the distinctly favorable location more so than the aggravations encountered there, returned to the site with other government appointees, and set about establishing Fort Osage in 1808. The military garrison and successful government factory served the region for another 20 years before private fur traders finally demanded closure of this competition.
Local settlers salvaged lumber and other parts from the shuttered fort to develop the surrounding community, nearly erasing it from history. Oral tradition, research, and persistent documentation kept the memory alive though, and the 1940's brought it back to life through a massive restoration effort.
The sixties opened the door to a more detailed history of the area that included recognition of those that had come before. Excavations uncovered evidence of human habitation by the Osage tribe, as well as the Hopewell culture that populated the region from around 200 BCE to 500 CE.
As more is learned about the site, it continues to demonstrate an interesting display of relatively consistent land use in one location, though by distinctly different cultures. Thoughtfully arranged specimens and memoirs on display lead one through the time before man into that of the "Sky People," through westward expansion, and into the modern day. It is a undoubtedly a unique National Historic Landmark worthy of an afternoon of exploration.
National Park Service
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