Hoping to tour the Stetson Hat Factory, I made a stop in St. Joseph, Missouri on the way home. St. Joseph is also famous for being the place where the Pony Express began and where Jesse James ended.
St. Joseph played a proud and important role in the development of the West. Lewis and Clark camped in the banks of the Missouri River in what is now St. Joseph. Six commemorative signs mark the spots where the Corps of Discovery stopped along their journey. The city served as the starting point for wagon trains filled with pioneers heading west. St. Joseph outfitted thousands of 49'ers when gold was discovered in California.
April 3, 1860 was the day when the Pony Express sent its first rider to Sacramento, California, carrying mail to the Western frontier. Although the Pony Express lasted only 18 months, its legend lives on with the preservation of the stables and headquarters.
On April 3, 1882 Jesse James was shot by fellow gang member Bob Ford to collect a $10,000 reward. A bullet hole marks the spot in the wall of the small frame home where the notorious bank and train robber lived. He was living with his wife and two children under the assumed name of Tom Howard at the time of his death. He was 34.
The Stetson factory was closed.
