1927 marked the height of a golden age in the city of St Joseph; landmarks, from the Krug Castle to the Missouri Theater to City Hall were newly opening and the river town was bustling with the spirit of the Roaring Twenties.
As the centennial of that year draws near, a local civic group has come together to honor the legacy, educate the public, and preserve the history of that time. To produce its “Centennial Celebration Series,” the group has recruited local historians, city residents, and architects.
Their fall selection of lectures and events kicks off Sept 23rd, when St Joseph native and retired professor Harrison Hartley will discuss significant events from the year 1927 that continue to shape the city today.
“1927 was an interesting year because of some architectural achievements,” he noted, including the completion of the Missouri Theater and the City Hall.
“But we'll be speaking about various things,” he said, noting he will focus on the details and characters of civic life at the time. “History, to me, is long-term gossip. There's nothing more interesting than long-term gossip, he said.
Since that golden age a century ago, St Joseph has been remade again and again.
Different roadways have carved their paths though the city core; strip malls rose up along the Belt and stripped the downtown of its business; urban renewal saw many cherished landmarks bulldozed.
These days, Hartley said “we are doing somewhat better [in terms of] knowledge of the importance of historic preservation, but we continue to lose things foolishly.”
Hartley named the city’s removal of a historic balustrade at the Civic Center Park as a recent example.
With their Celebration Series, the group is "attempting to get people interested in the history and the cultural achievements of [St Joseph],” Hartley said. They hope promote preservation and appreciation.
“The character of a place is in its buildings, its environment. We identify by what we have, and that's very important to maintain,” he said.
Hartley’s talk will kick off the fall series with a lecture at the Albrecht Kemper Museum of Art on Sept. 24th at 5 pm. The museum offers free entry during those hours.
The remaining events will take place at the Rolling Hills Library on the Belt Highway. Lori McAlister will present a talk on Sept. 29th at 6:30 pm, and architect Max Guenther will speak on October 6th also at 6:30 pm. Hartley will present an encore of his September talk on Nov. 13th at 7 pm.