General Sterling Price Museum - Keytesville, MO - History Museums on Waymarking.com

County of museum: Chariton County
Location of museum: 412 W. Bridge St., Keytesville
Phone: Call us at (660) 288-3204
The Museum's Facebook Page

"The museum’s roots are strongly intertwined with a local non-profit organization, the Friends of Keytesville. In the late 1950s many in the community became interested in the creation of a museum dedicated to the town’s history. In 1960, with community support, the museum opened in the Masonic building. Some four years later in August of 1964, Mrs. Wildred Williams, newcomer and wife of the Keytesville Bank’s new owner, organized the first meeting of the Friends of Keytesville. Their mission at the time was to better the town, promoting patriotism, education, and civic duty. Many of the Friends’ members had donated goods to the museum and shortly after organizing the group became the museum’s sponsor. With an influx of artifacts, the museum quickly outgrew the space in the Masonic building and in 1966 the museum moved to its current location.

"Since then, the mission of the Friends has changed to focus more on the history of the community. The Friends of Keytesville retains stewardship of the museum and many of the local historic sites in town, to include an 1853 Presbyterian Church, hewn-log cabin reconstructed from two cabins in the community, and a statue dedicated to General Sterling Price in 1915. In the past the organization has also sponsored Historic Preservation Surveys for both businesses and homes in the community. Each year the Friends holds several fundraisers that have become community traditions, which along with donations and small grants keep the museum in operation and help to maintain the other historic sites" ~ City of Keytesville