Top 10 True Western Towns of 2008
Categories: Featured Travel Stories
By: TW Editors 01/02/2008
#1 True Western Town of 2008
St. Joseph, MO
The date: April 3, 1882.
The setting:A house on a hill in St. Joseph, Missouri.
A legendary outlaw stands on a chair, straightening or dusting a picture. Behind him, two of his cohorts pull pistols. One fires, the bullet hitting the badman in the back of the head, killing him instantly.
It’s the assassination of Jesse James by the coward Robert Ford (and his equally gutless brother Charles), to steal a title.
After the killing, Jesse’s body is taken to the Heaton funeral home for autopsy and preparation; funeral services are also held. Meanwhile, widow Zee James and her two children move into the Patee House hotel. Jesse’s mother Zerelda will soon join them.
Two weeks after the shooting, Bob and Charley Ford are brought to trial at the Buchanan County Courthouse in St. Joe. They plead guilty and are sentenced to hang on the local gallows. But per a previous agreement, Missouri Gov. Thomas Crittenden pardons them.
That’s the history (yeah, we know some folks in Texas don’t buy it—just go with us on this). But those buildings are not.
Thanks to the wisdom of the good folks of St. Joe, you can still visit the courthouse. You can see a museum at the funeral home, featuring a logbook and other documents related to the James case. You can enjoy the magnificent architecture, furnishings and historic exhibits of the Patee House. And you can walk through the house on the hill—okay, it’s been moved a couple of blocks, but it’s still around, looking more or less the way it did back in 1882. And those gallows, from which the Ford boys would have done a little swinging? You’ll find them in the Patee House too.
Jesse James is just one reason St. Joseph is this year’s Top True Western Town.
Another is the Pony Express, the Old West’s legendary mail service (although it only operated for 18 months). Prior to its arrival in early 1860, delivery from Missouri to California took about 25 days. But the Express used a relay of riders on fast horses to cut that time down to about 10 days. The Eastern terminus? St. Joseph. And the modern city has many reminders of the operation.
Take the Patee House. The 1858 hotel also served as the Pony Express headquarters, and a number of exhibits showcase its history and legacy. Not far away is the Pony Express National Museum, located in the original Pikes Peak Stables, which is believed to be the starting point of the first express run in 1860. The museum features a number of artifacts from the period, as well as hands-on exhibits and demonstrations.
St. Joe’s heritage goes back further than that. Lewis and Clark came through the area in 1804, and a number of sites related to their expedition are marked. Same goes for the Oregon, California and Mormon Trails—St. Joseph was the starting point for thousands of pioneers who headed west on those routes. Joseph Robidoux founded the town in 1826 (it wasn’t incorporated until 1843)—and several of the buildings he constructed in the 1840s are still around.
You know, we could go on and on. About how more than 50 structures are on the National Register of Historic Places. Renovation and preservation projects—both public and private—are ongoing and constant. Some 15 museums populate this area, including one for exotic dancer Sally Rand (which conjures the image of Jesse James doing a fan dance ... nah, let’s not go there). Events like April 3rd Days (which commemorates the start of the Pony Express and the killing of Jesse) and Trails West (art and music from around the region) keep things hopping. And citizen involvement is remarkable, in organizations like the Heritage Action Campaign, St. Joseph Preservation, Inc. and the Pony Express Historical Association.
Not everything is Happy Trails. Last year, some preservationists were at loggerheads with local officials over the composition of a new roof for one historic building. Emotions ran high. But that kind of passion indicates a remarkable dedication and commitment to historic preservation. Other towns and cities should have such problems.
Sure, Jesse James found St. Joe to be a killer (so to speak). You’ll find it something else—a great example of what the true West can and should be. It is the Top True Western Town.
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Trinidad Colorado! Great choice! Thank you TW editors for choosing Trinidad ... now everyone knows what we've known for a long time. And thanks to all the Trinidad folks who helped you gather the information you needed.
As a Native of Colorado, western slope, I appreciated your choosing Durango and Trinidad! Creede (?) don't know that one, but if it's in Colorado it's got to be OK. However, since Denver is no longer a "cow-town" and the City has become a "little L.A.", we now live in Cody, Wyoming, which IS a cow-town. I am glad to see that others are also seeing the beauty in Cody. Talk about ART, some of the best western art is right here with our galleries and, of course, the Buffalo Bill Historical Center.
Plus, we're only 50 miles from Yellowstone National Park - the recreational opportunities are endless including a number of guest ranches. Come see us; and when you decide you want to stay, come see me at Homestead Realty.
Posting above by stjomo is completely toxic. I have restored one of the oldest homes in St Joseph and can tell you the interest from San Diego, California & Los Angeles is quite stimulating. I have had many guest from the California area visit my home and I have taken most of those guest on a tour of St. Joseph, Missouri and they were awed as if they had seen the glory of God. They wanted to get out of our car and take home tours right there on location. They said St. Joseph is like a fairy tail book with castles upon castles.
I have visited San Diego & Los Angeles and found it to be of no comparison though there are some beautiful architectural structures in Balboa Park in San Diego and a couple of other buildings but in St. Joseph it is spread over the better half of town. One of my friends from the west coast stood in my yard extending each of her arms out, grinning from ear to ear saying, "I had to head east to find the gold."
I had some historians from California asking if they could photograph my yard as their ancestors use to own a Victorian boot company here and they told me my home in Los Angeles would cost 1.2 million as they just looked at one like ours.
Some described the homes in our area as jewels they were interested in investing in. Some were amazed that my home was built in 1848 so I showed them the abstract and the blue print of our Princess Ann. They didn't realize that architecture followed the life of Queen Ann so they were thinking all the houses that have cones on the roofs were the oldest and surprised that many of the homes with mansard roofs were actually older as the Queen Ann's were built in the 1860's.
I had one person from California tell me she was originally from Idaho and I ask her if she was familiar with William Ridenbaugh, "No she replied but she mentioned the Ridenbaugh Canal and I told her you are in the home of the Ridenbaugh's and the Ridenbaugh you have mentioned is the son of William Ridenbaugh whom started the St. Joseph News Press and it was his son that build the Ridenbaugh Canal.
My friends from San Diego were surprised to learn that it was seven nuns from Kirksville Missouri that founded their town. They were amazed to learn that some of the most elite of society has come from Missouri and not surprisingly many from St. Joseph.
You will not be disappointed to visit St. Joseph, Missouri as it is totally exciting here, from a photographers point of view. ;>)
So glad to see that Trinidad is finally getting recognized for the historical architecture and scenic beauty that we have enjoyed for years. www.SouthernColoradoRealty.com is a great way to check out real estate listings in the Trinidad, Colorado area.
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Las Animas County and Trinidad Colorado are great places to live and retire. We came here 9 years ago and found incredible land, lower prices, and taxes so low that they almost don't exist.
The area weather is great with an even four season climate. 82 degree average summer temp and 50 degree average winter temp. It snows and stays around long enough for you to have some hot chocolate and say ahhhh isn't that nice. Then, the snow goes away.
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Todd Gatza
Broker
Trinidad Land Realty
719 680 0690
You also forgot to mention that the hanging site of Horn is on the second floor of the original courthouse. Just outside the door to the D.A.'s office
st. Joseph is nothing like the city described in this article. The two preservation societies mentioned have disbanded in frustration. Downtown is a ghost town( not one you would like) and preservation is at an all time low. Yes, there are lovely historic homes, if you want to wear blinkers while you drive by crumbling ruins of amazing homes which abound en route to the few which are treated with dignity. If you spend your money to come see a piece of the Old West, you will be in for nothing but disappointment. Try the other nine cities, and skip St. Joseph. We are too busy destroying our heritage here to bother with tourists.