1860...
Vision of Prosperity
Welcome to Sedalia, Pettis County seat and home of the Missouri State Fair. Sedalia, originally named Sedville, began as a vision in the mind and on the farm of George R. Smith. "Sed" was the nickname of Smith's daughter, Sarah. A friend suggested that ending the town's name with "alia" was more pleasing to the ear. Smith's vision was to build a rail hub community. He successfully lobbied the Pacific Railroad to construct a line west from Jefferson City to Kansas City on the more direct, overland route versus the more populated one along the Missouri River. He hoped the tracks would be surveyed through Georgetown, Pettis County's seat of government at the time. Failing this, he purchased land here, platted the town in October 1860, and waited for the first train to arrive, Jan. 17, 1861. Sedalia claimed 300 residents by the following December.

Railroad Hub Established
Construction of the Pacific Railroad was halted at Sedalia during the first few years of the Civil War, but resumed in earnest in 1864. That same year, Sedalia published its first newspaper. The town not only survived the war, but prospered. It took over as county seat in 1865 and boasted 1,000 residents. A brickyard was established in 1866, and two years later, some of the more substantially constructed homes and businesses were lighted by gas.

George R. Smith's vision of a rail hub was further realized when the Missouri, Kansas & Texas Railway (MKT or Katy) began construction from Sedalia to Fort Scott, Kan., in 1870. A decade earlier, Smith's Tebo & Neosho Railroad had been chartered to accomplish the same task, but was interrupted by the Civil War. By 1873, Sedalia was connected by rail to Kansas, the Indian Territory and Denison, Texas, to the southwest, and to the eastern United States.

The 1882 History of Pettis County summarizes the impact railroads had on Sedalia's economy during the first two decades of operation.

"Sedalia has been greatly assisted in her growth and prosperity by her railroads. She does not depend on them altogether, for there is enough in the country itself to make the place proserous, still it is now a great railroad center. The enormous machine shops, which employ such a large force and consume so much material, are the largest institutions in the city."

[Photo captions read]
Sarah "Sed" E. Cotton, after whom her father named the city, was an active citizen who donated several tracts of land to Sedalia.
Photo courtesy of Pettis County Historical Society.

George R. Smith platted Sedalia in 1860 and helped bring railroads to the city.
Photo courtesy of Charles Wise.

By 1871, Sedalia and Pettis County were crisscrossed by railroads. A 1910 view of Ohio Street, looking north, shows a busy downtown just before the automobile era.
Photo courtesy of Pettis County Historical Society. Map used by permission, State Historical Society of Missouri, Columbia.

1896...
Railroads, Ragtime and State Fair
The Missouri Pacific and Katy railroads continued to drive the economy of Sedalia well into the 20th century. The MKT general headquarters (later division headquarters) was located here, along with its hospital and shops. With such an investment in the town, it was natural that the railroad would wish to build a grand depot. A prominent architect, Bradford Lee Gilbert of New York, designed the two-story Romanesque building, which opened for business on May 10, 1896, at a cost of more than $40,000.

In about the same year, a traveling piano player named Scott Joplin enrolled in the George R. Smith College for Negroes, once located a mile north of here. He wrote music and played in local clubs, including the Maple Leaf and Black 400 clubs. In 1897, Joplin composed one of his most famous pieces, the Maple Leaf Rag, which helped spawn the new genre of ragtime. In 1901, Joplin moved to St. Louis where he taught, performed and composed many other ragtime pieces including The Entertainer. The flat in which Joplin and his wife lived during their time in St. Louis has been preserved by Missouri State Parks as the Scott Joplin House State Historic Site.

The Missouri State Fair, created by the state legislature in 1899, moved to Sedalia in 1901. Held every year since except for two years during World War II, the fair has always offered exhibits, activities and entertainment. In addition to competitive judging of livestock, sewing and canned and baked goods, the offerings grew to include concerts, automobile races, vaudeville acts, hot-air balloon rides and political speeches. The State Fair introduced many Missourians to the tractor, automobile and airplane.

[Photo captions read]
A passenger train takes on water for its steam engine at Sedalia's Katy depot in 1913. Diesel engines replaced steam in the late 1940s.
Photo courtesy of M. Fred Lyon Collection, 1870-1991, Western Historical Manuscript Collection-Columbia, Mo.

Scott Joplin, Sedalia resident and Ragtime King, composed the Maple Leaf Rag and other rags here in the 1890s. Joplin played in local clubs and attended the George R. Smith College for Negroes.
Portrait and music cover sheet courtesy of John Stark Printing Company.

The Missouri State Fair was first held in Sedalia in 1901. After Clifford Turpin flew a Wright brothers biplane over the fair in 1910, the image was added to other fair postcards. The 1910 postcard on the left features a race between a horse and automobile.
Postcard images courtesy of Doug Cline.

Missouri State Fair premium book covers from 1906 and 1918 illustrate a fair based mainly on agriculture. The 1921 fair celebrated Missouri's 100 years of statehood.
Courtesy of Missouri State Fair

1950...
From Rail to Trail
The railroads continued to play an important role in Sedalia through both world wars. In fact, together the Katy and Missouri Pacific shops employed 2,500 men during World War I. The Katy's importance declined after World War II. The shops were closed in 1957, and the buildings demolished in 1962. That same year, the depot was rented to the Boeing Company, which contracted to build the Minuteman missile complexes (since deactivated) around nearby Whiteman Air Force Base. Boeing left in 1966, and the Katy abandoned the aging building in 1983. The depot sat empty for the next 18 years, though in 1979 it won recognition on the National Register of Historic Places, the first such building recognized in Sedalia.

In 1987, Missouri State Parks entered into an agreement to acquire the MKT rail corridor between Sedalia and Machens (across the Missouri River from St. Louis), as well as three depots. Renovation of the Sedalia depot began in 1998 and was completed in 2001. Today, the depot is a monument to the importance railroads played in the history of Sedalia. The Sedalia Heritage Foundation manages the building, which includes a gift shop, interpretive exhibits and offices.

Missouri State Parks developed the rail corridor from St. Charles to Griessen Road (northeast of Sedalia) in 1996. Through a donation from the Union Pacific Railroad, Katy Trail State Park was then extended to Clinton. Visitors can retrace a route once filled with the sounds of giant engines, train whistles and clanging wheels. Although the route is silent now, the stories are still in the buildings, bridges and place names that remain.

[Photo captions read]
The Katy brought agricultural products and fairgoers to the state fair until the 1950s, when railroads nationwide began a steep decline.
Postcard image courtesy of Doug Cline.

Once located between the rail line and 20th St., near present-day Katy Park, the Katy shops built, repaired and painted railroad cars.
Photo courtesy of M. Fred Lyon Collection, 1870-1991, Western Historical Manuscript Collection-Columbia, Mo.

After the aging Katy depot was abandoned in 1983, this "boxcar station" took over until the railroad discontinued service in 1986.
Photo courtesy of M. Fred Lyon Collection, 1870-1991, Western Historical Manuscript Collection-Columbia, Mo.

(Agriculture • Entertainment • Railroads & Streetcars • Settlements & Settlers) Includes location, directions, 2 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

The Sedalia Depot visitor center is the place to begin a Sedalia sightseeing tour. Building hours are posted on the door, and visitors are welcome to tour the historic building, discover the history of Sedalia's railroad culture and learn about other local points of interest.

Bothwell Lodge State Historic Site features Stonyridge, a massive stone structure built in sections between 1897 and 1928 by Sedalia's greatest benefactor, John Homer Bothwell. Among Bothwell's many contributions to Sedalia are the Bothwell Hospital and Bothwell Hotel, and securing the permanency of the Missouri State Fair in Sedalia. The Missouri Department of Natural Resources manages the site, located six miles north next to U.S. Highway 65. For hours of operation, call (660) 827-0510 or 800-334-6946.

The Missouri State Fair is one of the largest state fairs in the country, and its 396 acres make it the third-largest fairgrounds. Now a tradition for more than a century, the Missouri State Fair begins the first or second Thursday in August. A number of events such as the Missouri State Pow Wow are held at other times throughout the year. Camping is available.

The Daum Museum of Contemporary Art is located on the campus of State Fair Community College. The nine galleries of the museum house a permanent collection of modern and contemporary art, as well as changing exhibitions. For hours of operation, call (660) 530-5888.

Maple Leaf Park commemorates the site of the Maple Leaf Club. Scott Joplin, the King of Ragtime, named one of his most popular pieces after this club. The park is located on the corner of Main and Lamine streets, approximately six blocks from here. The park is also the featured site in Sedalia's annual Scott Joplin Ragtime Festival, held every year in June.

[Photo captions read]
A 1910 postcard shows the Katy depot at its peak. The renovated depot exhibits Sedalia's railroad history.
Postcard image courtesy of Doug Cline

Bothwell Lodge was the home of John Homer Bothwell, a leading citizen and benefactor of Sedalia. Now a state historic site open to visitors, it is six miles north of the city.
Missouri State Parks photos

Attended by 350,000 people annually, the 11-day Missouri State Fair is one of the state's most popular events.
Missouri State Parks photo

The Daum Museum of Contemporary Art is a premier art museum on the State Fair Community College campus, three-quarters of a mile from the trail.
Photos by Kevin Sisemore for Daum Museum of Contemporary Art.

Maple Leaf Park commemorates the site of the Maple Leaf Club, where Scott Joplin performed. Sedalia's annual Ragtime Festival in June draws musicians and visitors from arund the world.
Illustration by Myrna Ragar. Missouri State Parks photo

Background: Agriculture has been the dominant theme of early state fairs, as in this 1950s view.
Used by permission, State Historical Society of Missouri, Columbia.

(Arts, Letters, Music • Entertainment • Man-Made Features • Railroads & Streetcars) Includes location, directions, 3 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

Clifton City, the next trail head east, is 11.7 miles by way of the old rail corridor. Due to an undeveloped section of trail immediately east of here, some travel over city streets is required, adding slightly to that distance. The grade is steadily downhill to Shaver Creek at milepost 218.6, the lowest point on this stretch at an elevation of 710 feet.

The designated route rejoins the historic MKT corridor at Boonville Street (milepost 225.8). This site was near the western terminus of Katy Trail State Park prior to 1999, when trail construction to Clinton was completed. Three-quarters of a mile beyond Griessen Road, the trail enters the Shaver Creek valley and continues alongside the permanent stream for the next five miles.

The rail community of Beaman and State Highway O are reached at milepost 221. The community was named after J.W. Beeman, appointed Pettis County Judge in 1865, and who once lived half a mile west of town. The community rarely consisted of more than a post office, depot and Christian church, all of which are gone.

As you near Clifton City, notice a change from the more open landscape of the Osage Plains to the rolling and occasionally rugged terrain of the Ozark Border. Pastures, crop lands and woods intermingle.

[Historical inset photo captions read]
Milepost 218 The MKT Railroad blased through rock to maintain a level grade.
DNR file photo.
Milepost 221 Beaman was an agricultural shipping point on the Katy. A stockyard was located next to the depot.
Map used by permission, State Historical Society of Missouri, Columbia. DNR file photo.

(Entertainment • Railroads & Streetcars • Roads & Vehicles) Includes location, directions, 4 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

Structures on this square included, besides the Courthouse, a jail, clerks' offices, markethouse, and from time to time, lawyers' offices. A well, sidewalks, and fence also were constructed. Locust and maple trees gave shade.

The square was surveyed and established in 1836, at the founding of Warrensburg, which took its name from a resident Revolutionary War veteran, Martin Warren.

(Man-Made Features • Politics • Settlements & Settlers • War, US Revolutionary) Includes location, directions, 2 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

Gentlemen of the jury, the best friend a man has in this world may turn against him and become his enemy. His son or daughter that he has reared with loving care may prove ungrateful. Those who are nearest and dearest to us -- those whom we trust with our happiness and good name may become traitors to their faith. The money that a man has he may lose. It flies away from him, perhaps when he needs it most. A man's reputation may be sacrificed in a moment of ill-considered action.

The people who are prone to fall on their knees to do us honor when success is with us, may be the first to throw the stone of malice when failure settles its cloud upon our heads.

The one absolute, unselfish friend that man can have in this selfish world the one that never proves ungrateful or treacherous -- is his dog.

Gentlemen of the jury a man's dog stands by him in prosperity and poverty, in health and sickness. He will sleep on the cold ground, where the wintry winds blow, and the snow drives fiercely, if only he may be near his master's side. He will kiss the hand that has no food to offer, he will lick the wounds and sores that come from encounters with the roughness of the world. He guards the sleep of his pauper master as if he were a prince. When all other friends desert, he remains. When riches take wings and reputation falls to pieces, he is as constant in his love as the sun in its journey through the heavens.

If fortune drives the master forth an outcast in the world, friendless and homeless, the faithful dog asks no higher privilege than that of accompanying him to guard him against danger, to fight against his enemies.

And when the last scene of all comes, and death takes his master in its embrace and his body is laid away in the cold ground, no matter if all other friends pursue their way, there by the graveside will the noble dog be found, his head between his paws, his eyes sad but open in alert watchfulness, faithful and true even in death.

From the Trial of Old Drum, Burden v. Hornsby 1870

(Animals • Arts, Letters, Music) Includes location, directions, 3 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

Within these walls on Sept. 23, 1870
Senator George Graham Vest
delivered his famous Eulogy on the Dog.
He died Aug. 14, 1904 and was buried in
Bellefontaine Cemetery, St. Louis

(Animals • Arts, Letters, Music • Man-Made Features • Politics) Includes location, directions, 6 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

Brigadier General of the Missouri Brigade
Confederate States Army
Johnson Co. Attorney
U.S. Senator 1874-1905

(Fraternal or Sororal Organizations • Patriots & Patriotism • War, US Civil) Includes location, directions, 2 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

In this Old Courthouse
on Sept. 27, 1870
Senator George Graham Vest
delivered his
"Eulogy to a Dog"

(Animals • Arts, Letters, Music) Includes location, directions, 3 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

Here in 1870, George Graham Vest delivered his Eulogy to the Dog in the Old Drum Case. The building served as a seat of justice, a meetinghouse, and vital record keeper in the county's formative years. It was the scene of a murder, Civil War troop occupation, and a daring raid that removed and hid the records for three years.

It is one of the rare examples of Federal style architecture this far West.

(Man-Made Features • Politics • Settlements & Settlers) Includes location, directions, 3 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

When memory keeps me company and moves to smile or tears,
A weather-beaten object looms through the mist of years,
Behind the house and barn it stood, a half a mile or more—
And hurrying feet a path had made, straight to its swinging door.

Its architecture was a type of simple classic art.
But in the tragedy of life it played a leading part.
And oft the passing traveler drove slow and heaved a sigh,
To see the modest hired girl slip out with glances shy.

We had our posey-garden that the women loved so well.
I loved it too, but better still I loved the stronger smell
That filled the evening breezes so full of homely cheer,
And told the night-o'ertaken tramp that human life was near.

On lazy August afternoons it made a little bower
Delightful, where my grandsire sat and whiled away an hour.
For there the summer mornings, its very cares entwined,
And berry bushes reddened in the streaming soil behind.

All day fat spiders spun their webs to catch the buzzing flies
That flitted to and from the house, where Ma was baking pies.
And once a swarm of hornets bold had built a palace there
And stung my unsuspecting aunt—I must not tell you where.

My father took a flaming pole—that was a happy day—
He nearly burned the building up, but the hornets left to stay.
When summer bloom began to fade and winter to carouse
We banked the little building with a heap of hemlock boughs.

But when the crust is on the snow and sullen skies were gray,
Inside the building was no place where one could wish to stay.
We did our duties promptly, there one purpose swayed the mind.
We tarried not, nor lingered long, on what we left behind.

The torture of the icy seat would make a Spartan sob,
For needs must scrape the flesh with a lacerating cob
That from a frost-encrusted nail suspended from a string—
My father was a frugal man and wasted not a thing.

When grandpa had to 'go out back' and make his morning call,
We'd bundle up the dear old man with a muffler and a shawl.
I knew the hole on which he sat—'twas padded all around,
And once I tried to sit there—'twas all too wide I found.

My loins were all too little, and I jack-knifed there to stay,
They had to come and get me out, or I'd have passed away.
My father said ambition was a thing that boys should shun,
And I just used the children's hole 'til childhood days were done.

And still I marvel at the craft that cut those holes so true:
The baby's hole, and the slender hole that fitted Sister Sue.
That dear old country landmark: I tramped around a bit,
And in the lap of luxury my lot has been to sit.

But ere I die I'll eat the fruits of trees I robbed of yore,
Then seek the shanty where my name is carved upon the door.
I ween that old familiar smell will soothe my jaded soul,
I'm now a man, but none the less I'll try the children's hole.

(Arts, Letters, Music • Man-Made Features) Includes location, directions, 3 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

Originally built in 1954 as a segregated park with only restrooms & two BBQ grills, the park has experienced a rebirth as over 3,000 volunteers and many generous donors contributed to the 2000 - 2005 rebuilding of this 3.28 acre site & its dedication as a community park.

Welcome to the park's multi-use trail. To the right, on the sloped bank, is the 'Flower Hund' Prairie Area featuring indigenous wild grasses & flowers. On the left is the Sensory Garden; please touch the plants & enjoy their textures & fragrances. Next, on the left, behind the barrier, is the 13' Wind Harp designed by artist Ron Konzak & played by a 15 mph wind that produces sound by vibrating the tuned metal harp strings. On the right, is a rope suspended from fence posts, that begins here and ends at the water feature in the lower area. This rope guide is to assist the blind in finding the important features in the park. Audio boxes located on the first post & at the end of the first of two sections tell of the park history & of the various features.

Along the trail, on the right at the textured sidewalk, sitting on locally quarried limestone, is the bronze sculpture of Mr. Boone. Please note the drinking fountain with a watering area for service dogs & pets. The left path from this location leads to the 20' gazebo. Ahead is the path down the hill, past a water feature formed by a natural spring that trickles through limestone formations during wet times of the year. The lower trail is a loop that rejoins the descending sidewalk at the textured location. Horseshoe pits, elevated birdhouses & a shuffleboard court are located in the center of the loop. Various art forms are arranged outside the sidewalk loop as are benches, picnic tables & one of the original BBQ grills, renovated for your use. Behind the readers of this sign is the restroom building. This park is part of the Warrensburg park system. Please contact the Warrensburg Park & Recreation Department for more information.

Please enjoy your stay.

Major financial support for this park was provided by the Federal Land & Water Conservation Grant Program, through the Department of Natural Resources.

(African Americans • Entertainment) Includes location, directions, 5 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

This sculpture, honoring John William "Blind" Boone was commissioned by the Blind Boone Renovation Group & created in honor of Mr. Boone by artist Ai Qiu Hopen. It sits on a piece of locally quarried limestone. Volunteers raised the money for the sculpture, delivered & placed the stone and set the sculpture in place.

Please feel free to touch this sculpture.

John William Boone (1864-1927), African-American concert pianist & composer was a beloved member of the community. He was known for bringing Ragtime music to the concert stage as well as for his work as a classical pianist & composer. His music was revolutionary & inspired many young people to enter music study. The motto of the Blind Boone Concert Company, with Manager John Lange: 'Merit, Not Sympathy Wins'.

The Warrensburg 'Star', in an article dated April 13, 1889 said of Boone, "...Warrensburg has a musical prodigy in the person of Blind Boone, who is already achieving a national reputation... His visits are hailed with delight by citizens, but his musical genius has lifted him out of the poverty in which his childhood was spent. He is 25 or 30 years of age and somewhat heavy set. He is afflicted not only with blindness, but with a nervous derangement which keeps his body constantly swaying backward and forward. This becomes more violent as the interest in the music increases, until it would seem a physical impossibility for him to strike the keys with such delicacy and perfect accuracy. With a machine made performer this would be impossible, but Boone's musical powers are seemingly miraculous." The Chillicothe Constitution, in an article dated Saturday, November 11, 1916 stated, "...Better than Blind Boone's music - and it is good - is his philosophy:
'Life is too short to sulk and please the devil for one moment.'"

A Resolution of Respect was written at the time of his death in Warrensburg: "We need not try to speak to you of his wonderful achievements in life's work as a musician; history will take care of that and your children's children shall read of his great work when we have gone from the earth. Brother Boone, who now lies upon the folding couch of death has fought his way through life, step by step, having reached the pinnacle of fame, wrote his name not in clay but on the hearts of men and women."

(African Americans • Arts, Letters, Music • Entertainment • Man-Made Features) Includes location, directions, 5 photos, GPS coordinates, map.