From Lewis and Clark State Park we drove south on I29, past Council Bluff and into Missouri following the path Lewis and Clark took on the Missouri River. Going past towns of Marysville, Watson and Craig, we reached St. Joseph, MO. We stayed at Beacon RV park, which was right on the shopping strip drag at rush hour. My favorite time to drive in a city!!!! The park was a converted mobile home park, and I managed to back Agatha in with no problem. I"m getting better at that.
Late that night was a big thunder storm, lots of rain...it was still raining pretty hard in the morning so I made an executive decision. we are staying another day. I had no desire to drive in the rain. So we decided to explore St. Joseph. In 1826 Joseph Robindoux founded a trading post here, mostly furs. In 1848, when gold was found in California, thousands of folks came to St Joseph to cross the Missouri River and get supplies. The town grew quickly. Railroads and meat processing were early industries.
THE PONY EXPRESS was started here and this was the eastern terminal. There is a museum. I didn't know
that most of the riders were
young boys 14-17,weighing less than 120 pounds, many riding up to 200
miles. Going from St Joe to
San Francisco, in all weather, with Indian attacks, mosquitoes , and low
wages. It only lasted 19 months
before Western Union put them out of business. Every year 500 riders re-enact the trail.
JESSE JAMES WAS SHOT IN THE BACK
St.Joseph is also the area where Jesse James was born. His dad was a Minister. and he became
the most famous bank/train robber of all time. Many people here still consider him a hero. He
was wounded while surrendering during the civil war. He married his cousin, who was named after
his mother. He and brother Frank escaped the bank holdup in Minnesota, where the Younger
brothers were captured. (we drove past the town in Minn.) He and his wife moved to St Joseph
using an assumed name of Tom Howard, trying to live a normal life. But the Pinkerton
Agency had a $10,000 reward, and so he had hiding places and escape hatches in his house on
top of the ridge, actually a block from whee we camped.
Jesse wanted to buy a small farm and didn't have enough money, so he got 2 brothers,
Bob and Charlie Ford to pull one more heist. But they were greedy, and one night while in the
living room, while Jesse stood on a chair to straighten a picture, Bob shot him in the back of the
head. Mrs Jesse was left penniless with 2 kids, sold everything. People stole the wallpaper,
the wood floor where his blood was, and later even his tombstone. We toured the house,
the hole where the bullet was is still there. Poor Jesse James.
PS His son became a prominent Lawyer and daughter married a wealthy man n Kansas City.
It was a good and interesting day, we also went int a big antique store..
Tomorrow onto Kansas City..Kansas City here I come.....
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