True Grit

Have you seen the new Coen brothers' new movie, True Grit yet? Our own Frank James and Cole Younger played a small role at the end of the film. The main character, Mattie Ross seeks out Younger and James at a Wild West show. Though Mattie converses with Cole, Frank has no lines. As she leaves, Mattie says something to the effect of “Keep your seat, trash” in reference to his reluctance to stand in the presence of a lady, as Cole did.

Missouri's abolition of slavery

On this day in 1865 Missouri's slaves were granted their freedom. Because Missouri was a Union state, it was not affected by the national Emancipation Proclamation signed by Lincoln two years earlier therefore; the state had to carry out its own emancipation program. Reportedly, when the ordinance passed, spectators in the room went wild with applause, swung their hats, waved their handkerchiefs, stamped, clapped, and cheered.

The James-Samuel family, like many Clay County families, did own slaves and this would have meant changes for them and their farm. They may have owned between 7 and 11 slaves in 1865. We can't be entirely sure because slave schedules (like a census that only includes age, sex and race) were taken only every 10 years, the last being 1860.

Eagle Days 2011

The Army Corps of Engineers, Missouri Department of Conservation and Clay County Parks, Recreation and Historic Sites present Eagle Days 2011.

This is your chance to see live eagles up close and personal. Diane Johnson of Operation Wildlife will present Saturday, Jan. 8 and Sunday, Jan. 9.

Other events include kid's crafts, informational booths and bus trips to eagle viewing stations.
For more information on event dates and times, see below:

Jesse's spurs & riding glove

The case these were in needed some repairs, which gave us an excellent opportunity to take out the artifacts, inspect them for deterioration & update our records & photos.

Leather is a particularly challenging material for museum conservators to repair and maintain. You will notice that the thread used to stitch the glove together (probably cotton) has deteriorated in some places, which occurred before we received this item as a donation from Jesse Deets Smith. The spurs were given to Jesse James by his cousin & namesake, Jesse Edwin Smith, the grandson of Dr. John R. James, brother of Rev. Robert Sallee James (Jesse James' father).