The Caldwell County Visitor’s Guide
CATERING LARGE & SMALL!
TableWelcome….page of Contents 5 The History of Caldwell County….page 6 Visiting Caldwell County….page 8 Happenin’ in Caldwell County….page 11 Hamilton Butterfly Park….page 12 James Cash Penney….page 14 The Man the Legend….page 15 J.C. Penney’s Cadillac….page 18 Caldwell County Map….page 22 Hamilton History….page 28 Century Farms….page 31 Braymer City Map….page 40 Meet Missouri Star Quilt Company….page 43
Welcome
Welcome to Hamilton and Caldwell County, one of the best places in Northwest Missouri to live, work, raise a family, and of course, to visit. The Hamilton Area Chamber of Commerce understands that in order to have a strong economic environment you must have a strong community. We are truly blessed in our community and county to have leaders, business owners, educators and citizens who realize that we all share in the responsibility of creating economic success and happiness. The Chamber’s goal is to work toward improving the quality of life for all through the support and commitment of its members, volunteers and committees. The Chamber is proud to sponsor events and programs throughout the year to help support the county. As the current Chamber President, I am honored to work alongside our dedicated members who all share the same visions of strong business growth and a healthy community environment. 2020 was a tough year for many of us. The pandemic took its toll. But we are optimistically looking forward to 2021. As we have visitors from around the world, many of our businesses will still be exercising safety measures such as requiring masks and practicing social distancing. The Chamber asks that you honor the safety requirements that our various businesses have in place. Our goal is to maintain a safe and healthy environment for our visitors, our businesses and their employees, and for our residents. We invite you to dine in our local eateries, shop in our numerous and varied shops, visit our local attractions, and participate in our many community events. We hope you enjoy your visit to Hamilton and maybe even decide to stay. If you are interested in exploring business opportunities or becoming a Hamilton area resident, contact the Hamilton Area Sincerely, Chamber of Commerce! Christa Horne Hamilton Area Chamber of Commerce
Places to Visit in Town Accommodations:
Hawley Farms Glamping Home Inn Hamilton Hotel Hamilton Little House of Hamilton Mari’s B & B Morning Star Inn & Cottage A Country Charm RV Park
816-589-9448 435-849-2564 435-849-2564 816-632-8184 660-973-3951 816-256-6792 816-866-0675
Eateries:
Busy Bee Café Braymer Casey’s (Braymer, Hamilton, Polo) Country Cabin Bake Shop Hamilton Hamilton Bowl Hamilton Hamilton Quick Shop (Gulf) Hamilton Hank & Tanks (seasonal) Hamilton Hy-Klas Deli Hamilton Kathy’s Kitchen (seasonal) Hamilton Levi Garrison’s & Sons Brewery Hamilton Main Street Nutrition Hamilton Miss Malin’s Hamilton Molly’s Sweet Shoppe Hamilton Mom’s Place Bar & Grill Polo Panther Drive In (seasonal) Polo Quick Shop Braymer Red Rooster Polo Senor Barrigas Hamilton Subway Hamilton The Sandwich Shop Braymer
Quilt Shops: MSQC Main Shop 114 N. Davis Penney’s Quilt Shop 215 N. Davis Sew Seasonal 214 N. Davis The Mercantile 104 N. Davis Batik Boutique 209 N. Davis Florals 102 N. Davis Licensed to Sew 214 N. Davis Man’s Land & Machine Shed 211 N. Davis Kids & Babies 214 N. Davis (Upstairs) Modern 214 N. Davis (Upstairs) Backing & Trims 214 N. Davis (Upstairs) Primitives & Wool 207 N. Davis
Recreation/Entertainment:
Bonanza Conservation Area Butterfly Park Hamilton Bowl Hamilton City Lake Hamilton City Pool Lakeview Golf Course Little Otter Creek Recreation AreaShow- Me Escapes Stagecoach Park Tait Park
F Highway Millcreek Drive Hamilton Hamilton Hamilton Hamilton
Culture
Hamilton Library Millstone of Haun’s Mill J.C. Penney Boyhood Home J.C. Penney Museum Missouri’s Quilt Museum Steam & Gas Engine Association. Grounds Penney Park
Historical
Caldwell County Historical Society & Museum Far West Historical Site Historic Jamesport Squirrel Cage Jail Adam, Ondi, Ahman
Shopping
Coming Soon Hamilton Polo Braymer Hamilton Breckenridge Hamilton Hamilton Hamilton
Hamilton Hamilton Kingston Far West Jamesport Gallatin Gallatin
Blue Diamond Jewelers Country Cabin Village Davis Street Salon Farmhouse Collections JB’s Thrift Stop Let’s Make Art Mary Lue’s Flower Shoppe Missouri Quilt Museum Gift Shop Still on the Hill Greenhouse (Seasonal) Tammy’s Flowers Twigs, Rust, & Dust Whispers of Yore
Hamilton Hamilton Hamilton Hamilton Hamilton Hamilton Braymer Hamilton Hamilton Hamilton Hamilton Hamilton
Bear Branch Davis Street Salon Dixie’s Beauty Salon Dr. Ross Chiropractic
Hamilton Hamilton Braymer Hamilton
Health & Beauty
Hair Commander Hair Lodge Innate Way Chiropractic Main Street Hair and Nails McCoy Samples Dental Shear Design Studio 13 Studio Inertia
Kingston Hamilton Hamilton Polo Hamilton Braymer Kingston Hamilton
The History of Caldwell County
The history of Caldwell County actually begins on a sad note with people looking for a place to escape religious persecution and somewhere they could call home. The Mormon Saints under the direction of their “prophet” leader Joseph Smith Jr. had been exiled from Independence, Missouri. They fled to Clay County for safety and were at first treated with kindness and respect. However, Clay county citizens offered their county only as a temporary refuge for the Latter-Day Saints. They were anxious for them to move on!! When vigilantes began gathering in large numbers and a county war seemed imminent, Clay’s leading citizens met with Mormon leaders and asked them to leave the County. One of the influential residents in Liberty was one Alexander W. Doniphan, a representative elect of Clay County. He saw a need to protect the innocent women and children so he prepared and introduced into the legislature a bill to organize a county designated specifically for the Mormon saints. (It was named after Captain Matthew Caldwell, who was General Doniphan’s father’s respected commander in the Revolution.) Some of the settlers in the area argued that Mormon settlements would “retard the prosperity of the county, check future emigration of any other class except the Mormons and disturb the peace of our community.” As a result of this opposition, the proposed boundaries for Caldwell County were reduced by more than half forming a second county to the north called Daviess. Most of the non-Mormon settlers in Caldwell, about twenty in number, sold their farms and moved out. The Northern part of Ray County was sparsely inhabited.
It was an ideal place for the saints to live in freedom. Even though it was mostly rolling prairie, there were lush grasses, plenty of water and excellent hunting. The land was ideal for the industrious pioneers. They had already been hardened by trials. Their faith in God, and their zeal for the new gospel they found would strengthen them for the work ahead. The land could be purchased for a small amount of money. Most considered it wasteland. Awaiting the approval by the legislature, some saints moved to the sparsely populated area in Ray County along the Crooked River. A sizeable settlement of Mormons developed in the Rock Ford area. Some came ahead and began the work of preparing a place for the new inhabitants. One of them was Jacob Haun, and his family. He began construction on the farm named “Haun’s Mill” (The mill was built in 1843.) On December 26, 1983, Caldwell County was born! A location between Goose Creek and Shoal Creek was selected for the future county seat. They would call it “Far West” as it lay in the western part of the county. In Far West, the saints built some 200 homes, several dry good stores and groceries, half a dozen blacksmith shops, two hotels and a printing office. Residents excavated and laid the foundation for a temple and erected a large school building on the Town Square for use as a courthouse, town hall and temporary church. Cooperation and trust replaced the suspicions of the past as relations between the Mormons and Missourians improved remarkably throughout 1837 and early 1838. The Mormon population in Missouri eventually reached 10,000 and Caldwell County became the largest county in Western Missouri. By the fall of 1838, Far West was the hub of community activity extending throughout Caldwell, encompassing nearly 2,000 farms over approximately 250,000 acres purchased from the Federal Government. The rapid influx of Mormons, however, alarmed the older settlers, especially those who had purchased land or town lots in areas they hoped to develop.
The developing Mormon enterprises also threatened to displace established merchants and businesses, especially in their rade with Fort Leavenworth. As 1838 wore on, relations between church members and Missouri citizens began a downward spiral. A clash of cultural attitudes set the stage for trouble. Distorted reports and rumors circulated by both camps. Unlawful assemblies of citizens formed on both sides to protect perceived local interests. Some Missourians proposed to drive the Mormons from the state. Battles ensued, leaving many Mormons dead and wounded eventually leading to Governor Lilburn Boggs issuing an extermination order “to exterminate the Mormons, not excepting the women and children, and burn their houses and otherwise destroy their property.” The Mormons left peacefully in the bitter cold and winter of 1838 and early 1839, leaving Far West a virtual ghost town. “Beyond the memories, all that physically remains of Far West today are four cornerstones of the envisioned Lord’s house or temple at the heart to the former community.” The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (the Mormons) purchased the site and own it today. Markers and cornerstones have been erected there recording its regrettable history. Caldwell County has had five courthouses, the first being in Far West. In 1843, the county seat was moved Kingston, which was nearer the center of the population. Thanks to the generosity of two men, James Ramsey and William Hill, who donated 160 acres between them for county purposes. Today, Caldwell County boasts a population is estimated to be 9,180 as of July 2020. It remains a small, tight-knit, agricultural community and the rural setting, and peaceful quiet landscape are what keep many generations of families around to call it home. With its rich history and with Hamilton being the birthplace of J.C. Penney, the home of Missouri Star Quilt Company, the Missouri Quilt Museum and the NW Missouri Steam & Gas Engine Association, over 100,000 people from around the world visit Caldwell County every year. Many comes as tourists but leave as friends.
Caldwell County Fun Facts
Caldwell County was born December 26, 1836. Seven towns make up the county including: Braymer, Breckenridge, Cowgill, Hamilton, Kidder, Kingston, & Polo.
Town
Braymer Breckenridge
Year Founded
Population as of July 2020
1887 1856
863 356
Rank on Missouri’s largest city list
367th 552nd
A replacement was built, but it also burned in 1934 in the middle of the great depression. A third depot was constructed in 1935 and was later torn down in 1980 after the Milwaukee Road went bankrupt The business section of town ran east of Second and Main, but fire destroyed most of those wooden buildings and changed Main Street to run North & South. Braymer became known as the “Biggest Little Town in Missouri”. Today, Braymer is still served by the Soo Railroad line, and they have worked to restore the roadbed to fist class condition. Trains continue to pass through daily. Braymer is a Fourth-Class City, has an AA school, four churches, and many stores serving the daily needs of the community.
Breckenridge
Breckenridge was laid out in the fall of 1856. The town was named after John C. Breckenridge who was a leading Democrat of Cowgill 1887 185 706th th Kentucky at the time and later became the Vice Hamilton 1859 1698 264 President of the United States with President Kidder 1860 320 579th James Buchanan. In 1858 the building of the Kingston 1843 329 573rd Hannibal and St. Joseph Railroad began Polo 1832 531 462nd immigration into this area. Visit Caldwell Caldwel County The northeastern part of the township a little Braymer south of the Town of Breckenridge became Braymer began it’s existence in 1887 as a result known as “New Kentucky” from its fancied or of the construction of the Chicago Milwaukee real resemblance to certain portions of the blue and St. Paul railroad through southern Caldwell grass region of Kentucky. The new Hannibal County. As America was growing with the and St. Joseph railroad at that time was railroads, Daniel Braymer and other realized working from the two terminals. The eastern what a great convenience it would be for the end reached Breckenridge late in 1858 and for railroad to come through this area, giving a direct a few months, due to a delay on the western connection with the larger western cities and end, Breckenridge stood at the end of the with the Hannibal, St. Joseph, and Wabash railroad. This accounted for an influx of industry Railroad at Chillicothe and Breckenridge, and growth. Missouri. Daniel Braymer had large holdings of Today, the railroad heritage is only a memory. land that were donated for the right-of-way for One of the tourist attractions for this city is the the railroads. He also worked very hard to get Haun’s Millstone Monument in honor of the them here so the town was named after him. early Mormon Saints which is found in The first passenger train went through Braymer Breckenridge City Park. on December 19,1887, amid great rejoicing. It Cowgill was an event of such significance that there was “A town with memories of the past, problems of a typical “Braymer Crowd” present and there the present, hopes for the future… In a nutshell were speeches and the firing of anvils. The first this is Cowgill.” The name Cowgill, of Danish railroad depot burned during a 4th of July origin, has been traced beyond the 10th celebration in the park we now know as Tait century. Members of the Cowgill family still live Park.. in the area.
The name Cowgill, of Danish origin, has been traced beyond the 10th century. Members of the Cowgill family still live in the area. The town was named for Judge James Cowgill, once of Hamilton, who later became the Mayor of Kansas City. Cowgill is a Fourth-Class City. They have three churches, a Lions Club, an American Legion and Auxiliary, the Cowgill Community Association, a Public-School K-8, a PTA and Girl Scout Troops. Residents just passed a sewer bond and are looking into annexation. They are part of the “ Big Heart” of Caldwell County and the welcome mat is out.
Kidder
The little town of Kidder, Mo was called the “Athens of Caldwell County” in it early days being considered the most scholarly town in the community. Kidder was laid out August 3, 1860, by George Harris, a representative of the Kidder Land Co. of Boston, Massachusetts. Kidder was located on the Hannibal and St. Joseph Railroad, the only railroad running entirely across the state. On February 14, 1859 the first through passenger train ran over this road. From Kidder’s earliest history, education has stood out as a beacon which has guided the community I its march of progress. From its beginnings a college was a part of its plan. Thayer College was established in 1869. Those who settled in and around Kidder were mostly New Englanders, who had been raised in an educational atmosphere and others from different parts of the country who had been attracted by its good school privileges. It closed twice until 1884 when the community opened the Kidder Insitiute under the direction of G. L. Ramsey, who after five years of untiring efforts resigned. Professor G.W. Shaw of Fostoria, Ohio, succeeded him as head of the school, a place he held for 43 years, until his death in 1932. Kidder Institute and Prof. Shaw were synonymous. The great work and devoted service of Dr. and Mrs. Shaw has won a place of highest esteem in the hearts of all Kidder Institute students and all who knew them.
Polo
Polo came to be in 1871 when J. M. Stone sold to Oliver Farabee an acre of land on which Farabee built the first store. Polo was built as a station for the railroad and as the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway Co. changed their plans for routing, Polo was forced to re-plat their community. Polo was plated six times before it was finally built. When the Hannibal and St. Joseph and Rock Island railroads had been built through this country earlier, they had both asked for financial assistance for their construction. In fact the U.S. Government gave the Hannibal and St. Joseph thousands of acres of land on both sides of their right-of-way. When the local people learned that the St. Paul Road asked nothing, they were overjoyed and anxious for the railroad to be built. Polo was named for a small town in Illinois. Today, Polo is one of the most active communities in the county. They have just constructed a beautiful park into which was helicoptered a 100-year-old bridge, and a new community center is also under construction.
Little Otter Creek
The initial idea for the Little Otter Creek Lake Project began in the 1980’s when, during a severe drought, the need was found to provide a dependable source of water for the citizens of Caldwell County. The first formal report on this proposed water supply was written in 1989 and on June 22, 1990, county officials met with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Watershed Planning Staff to discuss the possibility of building a rural water supply system that would also assist in flood prevention during years with more rain. In late 1991, the Caldwell County Commission requested assistance through the Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act and on August 3, 1992 they filed an application for federal assistance for a lake project with the NRCS. Within the following year a steering committee was formed and the NRCS began to meet with the committee and landowners that would potentially be affected by the project. Following a lull in the project, on July 7, in the
year 2000, the Caldwell County Commission and the Caldwell County Soil and Water Conservation District again requested assistance from the NRCS to renew planning on the lake project and active planning began. By late summer a public meeting had been held to discuss possible sites for a reservoir, needs for a dependable water supply, and the potential for added recreational activities for the county. The Caldwell County Lake Project Steering Committee recommended that the Caldwell County Commission serve as the primary sponsor of the project. On January 7, 2002, the Caldwell County Commission asked the NRCS to design a multipurpose reservoir in the Little Otter Creek Watershed, about 3 miles east of Hamilton on the South side of 36 Highway.
They estimated that the reservoir would provide a minimum of 1,200,000 gallons of water supply per day to the county and surrounding areas. Later that year, the citizens of Caldwell County voted in favor of a 0.5% sales tax to assist in the funding of the Little Otter Creek Project. The Caldwell County Commission has spent the subsequent years working with project engineers, the USDA, NRCS, landowners, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and many environmental and wildlife organizations to create the plan and acquire the property needed for this project. The Caldwell County Commission was notified in November of 2020 that the final permits for the Little Otter Creek Lake project have all been approved. In addition to being the primary source of drinking water for Caldwell County, the lake will also provide flood control and numerous recreational opportunities such as fishing & hunting, camping. hiking, biking and various nature attractions. Further information on the Little Otter Creek project can be found on the Caldwell County website.
Custom Quilting -Quilt Repair- Quilts for Sale Janet Yamamoto grannyjanny24@gmail.com 801-350-1604 Facebook: Whispers of Yore 202 E. McGaughy St., Hamilton, Mo
Happenin’ in Caldwell County February
TBD 27
Ratucky Derby Mouse Races Hamilton Chili Cook
April
8-10
Hamilton Grand Re-Opening
May
1-31 TBD TBD
Hamilton Alumni Month Braymer Street Fair Braymer Smoke in the Valley Truck & Tractor Pull
June
TBD 5 10-15 24-27
Braymer Tractor Pull Butterfly Festival Missouri Star Academy Kidder Festival
July
TBD 3 9-10 24
Braymer-Pig Out in the Park BBQ Contest with Live Band Hamilton Celebrates 4th of July Hamilton Mud Run Hamilton Tractor Pull
August
20-22
NW MO Steam & Gas Engine Show
September
23-25 24-25 25
Missouri Star Birthday Bash J.C. Penney Day’s Fall Free for ALL Car Show
October
15-16
Steam & Gas Engine Fall Festival
November
27
Small Business Saturday
December
4
Christmas Expo Craft Show & Christmas Tree Lighting Nativity Celebration-Event Center
20-26
QUILT SHOWS AT THE MISSOURI QUILT MUSEUM March 15- May 15 May 16- June 30 July 1- July 31 August 1- August 31 TBD
“Show Me Your Hamilton” Quilt Show & Contest “Butterfly Trail” Quilt Show “Land That I love” Quilt Show “Women’s Suffrage” Quilt Show Bob Ross Cherrywood Challenge
HAMILTON BUTTERFLY PARK The Hamilton Butterfly Park is ten acres of flowers and plants that attract butterflies and other pollinators. Visitors are welcome to relax and observe over 20 species of butterflies that migrate through Western Missouri. Upon completion, Hamilton Butterfly Park will become a part of the Highway 13 Butterfly Trail that will follow Missouri Highway 13 from Hamilton in the north to Springfield in southern Missouri.
PHASE ONE-OPENING SUMMER OF 2021 LOCATED ON WEST MILL CREEK ROAD ON THE SOUTH EDGE OF HAMILTON
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Cameron (816)632-7000
Hamilton (816)583-2154
Polo (660)354-2111
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James Cash Penney Highway 36, which runs East and West through Northern Missouri, is often referred to as The Way of American Genius. Names such as Twain, Lear, Disney, Pershing, Litton, Still and Bradley have their roots along Highway 36. Hamilton’s contribution to The Way of American Genius is the late retailing magnate, J. C. Penney. James Cash Penney was born in Hamilton on September 16, 1875. As a young man, Penney left Hamilton for health reasons and moved West. After getting his retail start with the Golden Rule Company, Penney established his own retail business which eventually grew to the largest department store chain in America – J. C. Penney’s. Penney incorporated the small town, old fashioned values that he learned in Hamilton into his business. His philosophy was that stores should be run with honesty and with a deep respect for their customers. “Men are not great or small because of their
The Penney Farm was known for its cattle, hogs and mules, which were occasionally displayed in the local J. C. Penney’s Store. Penney donated to the town’s first Library, the shoe factory, the high school, Highland Cemetery and the American Legion Park. A modest man, Penney refused to have any memorials in his name during his lifetime.
material possessions. They are great or small because of what they are.” James Cash Penney
The Town of Hamilton has benefitted greatly from Penney’s successful career. Penney opened his 500th store here in Hamilton in 1924. He kept a room in the house that he rented for his store managers and visited the town often. He purchased a farm East of town and made it into an agricultural showpiece.
Today, however, Hamilton is the home of the J. C. Penney Museum which also houses the Penney Library.
The Penney Boyhood Home can be found in Penney Park, located in downtown Hamilton. The Penney Farm still stands East of town on Old Highway 36. The Hamilton Chamber of Commerce annually celebrates the memory of James Cash Penney the 4th weekend of September with J. C. Penney Days. We invite you to join us in September as we celebrate Hamilton’s contribution to The Way of
American Genius.
The Man
The Legend J. C. Penney
In a J.C. Penney publicity photo, Penney fits shoes to young customers. Many of the company’s children’s shoes were made in Hamilton. J. C. Penney with his prize-winning Guernsey at UM Foremost Dairy 1963.
The Penney store As it is today in downtown Hamilton.
Photo courtesy of the JCPenney Company records
A life-like figure of James Cash Penney is on display at the Hamilton J.C. Penney Library and Museum.
J.C. Penney's 1947 Cadillac
HAMILTON, Mo. — Cruising the streets of this small town in J.C. Penney’s 1947 Cadillac convertible was a bit like stepping into a time machine. Hamilton, located 15 miles east of Cameron, Mo., on Route 36, is the home town of J.C. Penney. My guide was Dean Hales, owner of Penney’s Cadillac. We couldn’t drive half a block without someone waving at us. Hales seems to know everyone because he’s lived in Hamilton since 1938 when his dad, Leo, opened a grocery store. It’s interesting to think that J.C. Penney may have driven this same car over these same roads decades ago. After his father, Leo, died in 1960, Hales and his brother-in-law, Jim Mogg, took over the family store. They later owned the Hy-Klas market, which is owned today by Mogg’s daughter, Vicki, and her husband, Mark Ward. The beloved Dean Hales passed in 2019. Dean retired from the grocery store business and was always a car enthusiast. I can recall when Dean recounted the tales of racing on the roads around Hamilton as a youngster. The twinkle in his eye told the whole story. One of his more memorable races occurred when he challenged his dad and his 1950 Buick Roadmaster with a 1950 Oldsmobile. Hales beat him back to town. Another time, they raced the 25 miles to Chillicothe. “He never did get around me,” Hales said, “and my hands were shaking when we drove into town.”
About 50 years, ago Hales heard that Penney wanted to sell a 1947 Cadillac convertible that was stored on a farm near Hamilton. After searching diligently, Hales found the car in a barn near Gilman City. He brought the car back to Hamilton. Eventually the upholstery fell apart and he had to replace it, along with the carpet. Otherwise, the car is completely unrestored. The engine has never been overhauled, yet it starts and runs like a gem. The odometer reads 53,932 miles. One front tire is original.
After Penney died in 1971, Hales was instrumental in raising money for the construction of the J.C. Penney Museum and Memorial Library in Hamilton. The museum was dedicated in 1975. At that time, Hales owned a gas station on Interstate 36 on the edge of Hamilton, and because so many people wanted to see Penney’s Cadillac, he built a garage with large glass windows next to his station. He parked Penney’s Cadillac inside as a tourist attraction, and the car has been on display for the better part of the last 25 years. Today, the car is kept on display in Cameron, MO. Dean always said that he would never sell the car or leave it to anyone other than his children because J.C. Penney’s Cadillac is part of Hamilton’s history, and it will always be a treasured family heirloom. The family hopes to bring the car back to it’s home in Hamilton to be put on display in the proposed Visitor’s Center.
Special Thanks to Author and Photographer Tom Strongman for letting us use this article and photos.
Dedicated to the late
Dean Hales December 24, 1930 - July 16, 2019
Hamilton Quick Shop (Gulf Station)
Open 24 Hours a Day 660-973-3951 200 E. School St. Hamilton, MO Find us on Facebook
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Breakfast Buffet Monday- Saturday 7am-10am Soup and Salad Bar Monday- Saturday 11am- 2pm March-October (816) 799-4838 201 W. Arthur, Hamilton
Judy Evans Manager judithgooding96@gmail.com West Bird Hamilton, MO 64644 www. Littlehouseofhamiltoninn.webs.com (816) 632-8184
Open 1st Thursday of Every Month Every Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. (816)-724-3083
714 W. Berry St. Hamilton
The Map of
Caldwell County
(816) 583-2220 500 S. Davis St. Suite B, Hamilton, MO 64644 Success with the following conditions: -Neck Pain -Back Pain -TMJ -Neuropathies -Sports Injuries -Carpal Tunnel -Pregnancy Pain -Disc Problems -Rotator Cuff -Auto Injuries -Sciatica -Leg/ Arm Pain -Dizziness -Poor Posture Treats all ages including newborns! Safe and gentle Adjustments! Like us on Facebook @innatewayfamily
COVID-19 NOTICE People from around the world visit Hamilton and Caldwell County everyday. Many of our businesses will still be exercising safety measures such as requiring face masks, using hand sanitizers and practicing social distancing. The Chamber asks that you honor the safety requirements that our various businesses have in place. Our goal is to maintain a safe and healthy environment for our visitors, our businesses, their employees, and our residents.
HAMILTON HISTORY Hamilton, Missouri owes its existence largely to the Hannibal & St. Joseph Railroad. Prior to 1854 the area around Hamilton was unsettled prairie land belonging to the U.S. Government. With the coming of the railroad, the Hamilton Town Company was formed in the fall of 1854 to develop a tract of land along the rails. At first the name Prairie City was intended for the new community. However, Albert Gallatin Davis, a key member of the Town Company, chose Hamilton instead, in honor of two early Americans, Founding Father and first Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton, and Joseph Hamilton, an early American lawyer and military leader killed at the Battle of the Thames during the War of 1812. The first house in Hamilton, fittingly, was built by Davis in the summer of 1855, as well as the first business, a general store, in 1857. The store would serve as Hamilton’s first post office and Davis as the first postmaster in 1858. The Hannibal & St. Joseph Railroad was finally completed on February 14, 1859, and the first train arrived that day. A railroad depot was constructed by the fall of 1859, with Albert Gallatin Davis appointed the first railroad and express agent. By the outbreak of the American Civil War, Hamilton consisted of about 25 homes and businesses. The town saw little involvement in the war, despite northwest and north-central Missouri being a hotbed of guerilla warfare. The majority of the town's residents held strong pro-Union sympathies, with the few pro-Confederates among the populace forced to take an oath of allegiance. Being on the rail line made Hamilton a tempting target for Confederate “bushwhackers,” so beginning in the fall of 1861, a company of the 50th Illinois Infantry arrived to help the local Home Guard unit defend the town. Once the war ended Hamilton experienced a period of rapid growth, was incorporated in 1868. At that time, several new sections of land had been annexed into the original town plat and the population grew to several hundred. After a brief slowdown caused by the Panic of 1973, growth resumed. By the mid-1880s, Hamilton had two newspapers, the Hamiltonian and the News-Graphic, as well as two banks, two hotels, flour mills, grain elevators, and other businesses supported by a population of around 1,800. Coal mining became of some importance to the town’s economy in the early 1880s. The Hamilton Coal Company was organized in the spring of 1882 and began mining operations the following year about two miles outside of the town. A railroad spur line was constructed to connect the coal field to the Hannibal & St. Joseph main line. The coal companies employed hundreds of workers and the town continued to grow. The turn of the century saw such enterprises as the Hamilton Electric Company, Hamilton Telephone Company, Hamilton Creamery Company, Hamilton Manufacturing Company (making canvas gloves and mittens), Hamilton Sawmill, a cheese factory, a canning factory, a cigar factory, and a cider mill. Like most small rural communities, Hamilton struggled through the Great Depression and World War II. Following the war, Hamilton prospered along with a surging agricultural economy. The changes in agriculture also brought changes to Hamilton. Businesses closed. Storefronts sat empty. Then, in 2008, Missouri Star Quilt Company opened in Hamilton. From one long arm quilting machine and two bolts of fabric, MQSC has grown to become the largest vendor of precut fabric in the world. Now know as the “Disneyland of Quilting” Hamilton is the home to 12 different quilt shops. Visitors from around the world travel to Hamilton for the quilting experience. Hamilton is also the home of the World’s Tallest Spool of Thread. Small businesses are thriving. The Missouri Quilt Museum opened in the fall of 2019 and the Hamilton Butterfly Park will open in the summer of 2021.
LOOKING TO START OR EXPAND YOUR BUSINESS
Hamilton and Caldwell County, Missouri is an ideal place to start a new business or to expand an existing business. What can we offer? • • • • • • • • • •
• • • •
Ideally located on Highway 36 (four-lanes) and just 11 miles from U.S. Interstate 35. 45 minutes from Kansas City International Airport (MCI). Railroad access in Caldwell County. Home of Missouri Star Quilt Company and 14 different quilt shops. Over 100,000 visitors annually. Over 100 tour buses annually. Excellent educational institutions. Workforce development and job training programs. An assortment of financing programs. New and growing tourist attractions: J. C. Penney Museum, J. C. Penney Boyhood Home, Missouri Quilt Museum, Hamilton Butterfly Park, Highway 13 Butterfly Trail, Country Cabin Village, Caldwell County Historical Society, Northwest Missouri Steam & Gas Engine Association, nearby Historic Jamesport, Far West Historical Site Low Tax Rates (Individual = 6%, Corporate = 6.5%) Job Training Grants Utility Incentives Numerous programs to assist new and expanding businesses
For more information about starting or locating a business in Hamilton or in Caldwell County, contact the Hamilton Area Chamber of Commerce.
Century Farms In 1976 when Missouri had the American Revolution Bicentennial, Governor Christopher Bond indicated that agriculture should play a prominent role in Missouri's Bicentennial celebration since agriculture was the state's number one industry. Therefore, the Missouri Committee for Agriculture felt that the best way to plan involvement and carry out successful Bicentennial activities was at the local level. Plans were made to form county agricultural emphasis Bicentennial committees. The Centennial Farm project awarded certificates to persons owning farms that had been in the same family for 100 years or more. A total of 2,850 Missouri farm owners in 105 of Missouri's 114 counties were recognized as Centennial Farm owners. Interest in the program continued after 1976. Several Missouri farm owners asked about having their farms recognized, so the University of Missouri College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources and University of Missouri Extension planned a 10-year update in 1986 called the "Century Farm" program. During this update, 1,080 farms were recognized. There are currently 72 registered century farms within Caldwell County, Missouri. Those recognized with this prestigious title are as follows;
•Mrs. L.E. (Ruth) Alden •Fred Ammon •Harold Bruce Arms •Wells M. Bothwell •James W. Carter •Vashti & Norman Cope •Curtis Curnow •David Davies •Alan E. Guffey •Robert Guthrie •Orda & Alma Henry •Robert Hughson •Bill Kelly •Forrest R. Leamer •Fay Fort Malotte •Susan Louise Schneiter Moss •Donald & Marjorie Pfost •Randy and Kandi Railsback •John S. Reigel •John C. Snider •Ned L & Erma Snyder •Weldon Sprouse •J.D. & Donna Mae Stephens •Clifton Swaithes •Ollie J. Watson
•Robert E. Young •Dorothy M. Bremmer •Fern Evelyn Green •Cleo W. and Betty Vaughn •Clifford & Lorene Pollard •Gladys Poulson •Dixie Rose Pollard •Marion F Carter •Robert and Patricia McPheeters •Charles W. Peirce, Jr. •Vivian Karr •Edith Colleen Niehaus •George D. Leeper •Velma Firth •Robert D. Pollard •Andrew V. Robinson •Hiram Calvin Brelsford •Dean Estabrook •Lawrence Potts, Jr. •Arthur M. Holder •Clyde David Taylor •Larry & Karen Dunn •John Lyle
•Robert F Durden •Earl L Finch •Philip & Margaret Cox •Donald E. Sprouse •Burle Samuel Bezet •Ron Hosman •David Pittman •Darren Farmer •Virginia McNary Pautz •Fina Kinne, Jr. •Virginia A. Shipley •Randy Howell •Adena Clayton •James Gary Riegel •Mark W. McBee •Shirley Lynn Adlich •Dixon & Gloria Leamer •Kenneth R Orr •Chance & Logan Kelly •Gary Wright •Eugene & Mona Kay Rennison •Michael Ford •Larry R & Rhonda K Price
Mud Run Mid July Cody (816) 262-1016 Dusty (816) 935-5794
NWMTPA Tractor Pull Car Show Fall Festival & Swap Meet Late July Late September Mid October Steve Heldenbrand Lucas Carter Bob Blades (816) 390-0199 (816) 724-1166 (816) 506-2865 Cathy Youtsey (816) 284-1654
For more information, contact President Kendall Morgan (816) 284-2646; Vice-President Robert Blades (816) 390-0199; or Secretary Lisa Henderson (816) 465-0585. Showgrounds are located 1 mile west of Hamilton, MO on CC HWY to 834 NW Osage Drive.
Annual Show 3rd week of August, Fall Festival & Swap Meet 3rd weekend of October.
Daily Events: Steam & Gas Engine Demonstrations, Threshing, Sawmills, Blacksmithing, Homestead Skills, Market and Vendors
Call Contacts for all other 2021 events.
The Hamilton Lions Club “We Serve” Meets 2nd and 4th Monday’s of each Month!
Hamilton Lions Club Projects
• Buy Eyeglasses • Scholarship Dedication for Graduates • Donate to the Local Food Pantry • Sponsor ‘Boys State’ • Sponsor ‘Girls State’ • Toys for Tots • “Adopt a Family at Christmas • Leaders Dogs for the Blind • Mid South Sight and Hearing • WSB (World Services for the Blind) • District 26M4 Basketball Classic • Missouri Lions All State Band • Missouri Lions All Star Football • KidSight (Amblyopia screening) • LBOMB (Lions Business Opportunities for Missouri Blind
• Hamilton Lions 5th / 6th grade Basketball • Tournament • LCIF- Disaster Relief (Lions Clubs International Foundation) • Penney Days • NW Missouri Gas & Steam Engine Association • Missouri Lions Hearing • Recycle Used Eyeglasses and Hearing Aids • Diabetes • Pediatric Cancer • School Projects • Senior Grad Nights • Hamilton Booster Club • After Prom www.be-a-lion.org
For more information call: 816-583-2311
(816) 589-9448 3406 NE Hardy Dr, Kingston, MO 64650 hawleyfarmglamping.com
Jamesport Chamber of Commerce *Food & Lodging
*Amish Businesses
*Art & Antiques
*Equine Businesses *Specialty Stores
1-800-490-6606 Email: info@jamesport-mo.com
General Contractors and Construction Managers Worldwide
902 S. Hughes Hamilton, MO 64644 Office: (816) 583-2123
Fax: (816) 583-2314 AVCO INC. STEVE DAHMS OWNER/PRESIDENT 303 S. DAVIS HAMILTON, MO 64644 Office: (816) 583-7731 Fax: (816) 583-7572 KC Office: (816) 453-6761
Email: avcodahms@hotmail.com INSURED/BONDED
“QUALITY COUNTS”
Matt Grant
Caldwell County Agent (816) 586-3311 25 S. Washington St. Kingston, MO 64650 matt.grant@mofb.com
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Sponsered by The City of Braymer
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Post Office Foley’s Oil & Supply Shoal Creek Fire District City Hall Mallory’s Sales Creason’s Body Works Austin Anderson Outreach Center Mary Lue’s Flower Shoppe Makin’ Sawdust Pappy’s Pawn, Gun & Gold, LLC Jerry’s Automotive & Hardware Consumer’s Oil & Supply Coop Station The Sandwich Shop Shear Design Austin Anderson Safe Haven Braymer Medical Center(NW Health) Busy Bee’s Café LLC M & C Ventures (Keim Trucking) Marty Owen Shelter Insurance/ Dixie’s Beauty Shop Pantry James Jarrett (Attorney) H & R Block Pony Express Bank Lloyd Wallace Charitable Foundation Casey’s General Store Braymer Christian Church Braymer United Methodist Church Lindley Funeral Home Baptist Church Church of Christ TigerCo Rebecca’s Place Braymer C-4 School Braymer Quick Shop Dollar General Tobin Valley School Golden Age Nursing Home Joe Neptune Missouri Farm Bureau Insurance American Legion Braymer’s Lions Club R & K Sales Evergreen Cemetery Oak Tree Square( Braymer Community Housing) The Old Bank Bruce Clevenger Real Estate Tuck Brothers Greenhouse
Meet Missouri Star Quilt Co. When our family moved to Missouri about 20 years ago, we never imagined that someday we’d be running a successful business here! In November 2008, on a shoestring budget, we bought an old brick building in Hamilton and started Missouri Star Quilt Co. At first we offered basic quilting supplies and machine quilting services, but business picked up when we started posting videos teaching simplified quilting techniques online. To our surprise, Missouri Star became the biggest quilting channel on YouTube! Now we offer thousands of bolts of fabric and precuts in our shops in town and on our website. Thanks for coming to see us in Quilt Town, USA! Quilt Town U.S.A. Missouri Star Quilt Co. is proud to call Hamilton home. In the past 11 years we’ve grown from a single brick building with a longarm quilting machine and a few shelves of fabric to 12 uniquely themed quilt shops with nearly 20,000 bolts of fabric and everything you need to make gorgeous handmade quilts. Our Main Shop, located at 114 N. Davis Street, is a great place to start your shopping adventure. In our flagship store, you’ll find vignettes from each of the 11 shops, plus lots of Missouri Star souvenirs. Be sure to grab a helpful town map before you venture out to the rest of the shops! While on this block, you can visit the Mercantile shop, filled with 1930’s and Civil War reproduction fabrics, and Florals Shop, which is blooming with color and fabric, no matter the season.
Across the street, you’ll find nine more stores, including our Penney’s Quilt Shop, the home of all of our solid fabrics, and located in what was once JC Penney’s 500th department store. Also situated on this block are Licensed to Sew, Machine Shed, Man’s Land (our hangout spot for those needing a comfy space to kick their feet up for a bit), Batik Boutique and Primitives. Walk up the stairs at the back of Licensed to Sew (or take a ride on the elevator at the back of the Machine Shed) to explore four more fabric shops on the second level, including Sew Seasonal, (where it’s Christmas no matter what the date on the calendar says), Backing & Trims, Modern, and Kids & Baby. While you’re in town, make plans to take a hands-on sewing or quilting class in our brand new Education Center. Our classes change regularly, so there is always something new! Find our up-to-date class calendar at msqc.co/2019events Looking for an in-depth Missouri Star experience? Plan a week-long stay at one of our dozens of themed quilting retreats! Sewing machines, most meals and lodging are included in the package. Find more information on quilting retreats at visitmsqc.com Learn more about Missouri Star and each of our shops at visitmsqc.com, and shop all of our fabric, notions, and more at missouriquiltco.com!