We want to thank St. Joseph Museum Complex for hosting our visit. Rest assured all opinions are our own. 

Early Misunderstandings

Throughout human history, mental illness has been with us. During the Middle Ages, society was dealing with a variety of health issues. With outbreaks of smallpox, bubonic plague, and leprosy wiping out large numbers of the population, the early forms of health care were fighting a losing battle. Mental illness was considered an imbalance issue, which needed the assistance of physicians to correct. At the same time, the church believed the conditions to stem from demon possession or sorcery. Women with mental conditions were often mistaken as consorting with witches and dealt with by various forms of physical abuse or torture. As time moved forward, treatment for mental illness was slow to advance.

Lunatic Asylum No. 2

By the 19th century, treatments had moved to the use of social isolation. Hospitals, often referred to as insane asylums, had become commonplace. In 1874, Missouri opened the State Hospital for the Insane No. 2 in St. Joseph, which was often just called Lunatic Asylum #2. Starting with 25 patients, it didn’t take long to fill its 275 bed capacity. Over the years, more and more beds were added until by the 1950s it was serving 3000 patients.

The Self-sufficient Days

In the earlier days, the hospital was designed to be self-sufficient. The nearby farmland provided food for the facility. Many of the patients worked the fields and assisted with caring for livestock. The staff needed only procure sugar and salt to supplement the food grown on-site. As the number of beds increased, the ability to remain self-sustaining became more difficult. In 1899, the name was changed to the St. Joseph State Hospital and the number of criminally insane were expanded.

Handling the Masses

As the population of the hospital expanded, so did the main form of treatment. By the 1920s, a new phrase was introduced into the world of mental illness treatment. Psychopharmacology involved the usage of drug therapy to assist in controlling patients. Many of the drugs were designed to put patients into a nearly catatonic state. These new medications were effective in reducing aggressive or harmful behavior, so it was well received at a facility designed to house the criminally insane.

Facing the Past

Moving forward in time, health care continued to experiment on ways to cure and control mental illness. Many of the treatments are now considered barbaric, but at the time were cutting edge experimentation. Patients experiencing manic episodes were subjected to hydrotherapy. They would be submerged in cold water for hours. Mechanical constraints were commonplace, as doctors felt they helped keep patients safe. As the population inside of the asylum grew, these restraints became a way to control overcrowding. The next fad to surface was electroconvulsive shock therapy. The use of electricity to change mental activity became popular in the late 1930s.

Life Changing Therapies

By the late 1940s, another treatment would surface, which offered permanent changes for the patient. Lobotomies involved damaging specific portions of the brain in an effort to prohibit the connections that were causing the maladies. While these surgeries did help calm many of the patients, it would bring changes beyond the bad behaviors. Permanent memory loss and personality changes were commonplace. The next major change in mental health care would involve medications.

Behind the Scenes

For many decades, morphine and opium had been prescribed to calm patients. The side effects of these treatments proved the need for better medications. In the 1950s, Thorazine hit the market. Psychiatrists saw it as the miracle drug that they had been waiting years to see. Along with a variety of other antipsychotic drugs, this was a turning point for mental health care. When these drugs were introduced, there were more than 500,000 patients in asylums across America. By the mid-1990s, this number would drop to around 70,000.

Glore Psychiatric Museum

The treatment of mental illness has come a long way since the Middle Ages. In 1967, an employee of the hospital, named George Glore, opened a small museum in one of the wards. By the time he retired, in the 1990s, the museum had expanded its exhibits to cover the long history of mental illness treatment. By this point, most of the patients had returned to society. Without a need for the asylum, a large portion of the facility was converted into a correctional facility. With three floors of exhibits, the Glore Psychiatric Museum offers a glimpse at the difficult history of treating mental illness. One of the key take-aways we got from our visit is that only by facing the past can we learn to do better in the future.

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We want to thank the St. Joseph CVB and Felix Street Gourmet for hosting our visit. rest assured all opinions are our own. 

Rocking the Downtown

Our standard approach to exploring a new destination is to look for walkable areas downtown. While we had been to St. Joseph previously, this was our first time to concentrate on this particular section. We explored a few of their boutiques, while our primary focus was their art walk. Most of the public art comes in the form of sculptures, but there are some amazing murals thrown into the mix. Just up the street from Felix Street Gourmet, we spotted this music-themed mural. It features a grouping of famous musicians, but the one that drew my attention was Steve Walsh, a former lead singer of the band Kansas.

Humble Beginnings

Once our hunger had grown, we set aside our shopping adventure and moved into meal mode. Stepping into Felix Street Gourmet, we were greeted by a cheese shop. I’ll admit that it caught us off guard, but we pressed on into the next section. Here we found a bar area with a vast assortment of wines and spirits. A staff member spotted us and asked if we were shopping or dining. It was obvious that those looking to create a gourmet dinner would have no problem finding many of the ingredients at this shop. We told him that this was a meal event and he showed us to a table in the well-lit dining room.

Fantastic Finger Foods

The menu at Felix Street Gourmet abounds with an assortment of fantastic finger foods. As we reviewed the menu, we struggled to make it past their selection of charcuterie boards. They also offer flatbread pizzas, an assortment of dips and dippers, and a wide variety of handheld sammies. Even with all of those temptations, it was the idea of a romantic meal of wine and charcuterie that drew us in. This is a meal choice that we have found to be a fun diversion from the standard separate plates we often find. We have seen this option becoming more available, like the ones we discovered at Brew Bank in Topeka, Kansas. Paired with some delectable red wine, our meal was a combination of flavor and conversation.

Moving Ahead

Knowing the reason for our visit, our server introduced us to the owner, Pat Modlin. He asked us if we would like a tour of the space, which we gladly accepted. After passing back through the areas we had already discovered, Pat led us to a second-story space designed for larger parties. He expanded into this area as his business grew. There was a complete remodel to add to make this space his own. Next, he led us to an outdoor patio that is used for special occasions, weekends, and some evenings. From this vantage point, I was able to spot the musician mural we had found earlier. What a great place to kick back and wind down after a long work week.

Excuse Us While We Tear This Up

Now that we had all of the makings of a delicious lunch at our disposal, it was time to tear into it. It was interesting to sample how the various flavors could be combined to create bursts that tickled our taste buds. We discussed how each combination differed from the last. After quenching our hunger, we decided it was time to move on. While our time at Felix Street Gourmet had come to an end, the memory of this experience was sure to linger.

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We want to thank the Pony Express Museum for hosting our visit. Rest assured all opinions are our own. 

Calling Young Riders

The California Gold Rush and Mormon Exodus had created a need for fast, dependable mail service beyond the Rocky Mountains. By 1857, the Butterfield Overland Mail Service was traversing the 2000-miles in about 25 days. With the Civil War looming on the horizon, the need for shorter delivery times was imperative. William Russell, Alexander Majors, and William Waddell were the three prominent business owners who proposed a solution. By using a shorter route and mounted riders, they believed they could cut the deliveries to 10 days. Many thought this was impossible, but plans moved forward to create the Pony Express.

Swearing-In

What would entice young men to risk life and limb to deliver the mail? In 1860, the average pay for unskilled labor was $15 to $30 per month. The Pony Express was offering riders a chance to earn $125 per month. With the promise of such vast rewards, the supply of willing participants was plentiful. Some strict guidelines came tied to the purse strings, and an oath was sworn by each rider. A revolver and water sack accompanied the slightly built riders, who had to maintain weight under 125 lbs. This left capacity for up to 20 lbs. of mail to be handled in every run. Riders were expected to cover 75 to 100 miles, in a cycle, with pony changes every 10 miles.

Exploring the Pony Express Museum

St. Joseph, Missouri was the eastern terminus, for the route, so it is all fitting that the Pony Express Museum would call it home. As we explored their exhibits, we found many incorporate interactive displays. In the stables, we imagined Johnny Fry preparing to depart on the inaugural run, in 1860. We felt like kids, as we pumped water for the cattle and raced across the prairie on our imaginary ponies. Nearby, we discovered a makeshift structure that replicates one of the 190 express stations.

Bare Necessities

Stepping into the station, we found it to consist of the bare essentials. The express stations came in many shapes and forms. Each station would have sat about 10 miles from the next and offered the rider a two-minute break. The Pony Express route led west out of St. Joseph on the way to Fort Kearney. On a previous trip, we had a chance to visit the Pony Express Barn Museum, in Marysville, Kansas. This is one of the last remaining original structures and gives visitors a chance to better picture their simplicity. We tried to imagine what it would have been like to be charged with maintaining a station. It must have included many hours of solitary existence.

Ride Like the Wind

While the Pony Express riders gained all of the glory, they would have failed without the help of the station keepers. Left alone to tend the stock and keep up the station, they experienced a tough life. Often, they would be the object of attack, as they made easy targets. During the Paiute Indian War, many stations were attacked and burned to the ground. It even required the suspension of deliveries between Carson City and Salt Lake, for about a month.

Rider #1

While every rider was key to the success of the Pony Express, it all had to start with one. There is some argument about it, but the majority of accounts credit Johnny Fry with being the first westbound rider. Born in Kentucky, Fry was an accomplished horseman. It was after a horse race that Alexander major first approached Johnny about a job. Fry accepted the position and became the first leg to launch from the stables in St. Joseph, Missouri. On the inaugural ride, Johnny carried 50 pieces of mail including a congratulatory letter from President Buchanan.

Notable Figures

As we examined the displays at the Pony Express Museum, we read the bios of various riders who traveled across the wild frontier. Some were hired for their knowledge of the territory, while others for their daring attitudes. It was interesting learning how each made their way into this business and what transpired in their lives afterward. The dangers of the route were always present, so it took steady nerves to match up to the challenge. All needed to embrace the code of the business and dedicate themselves to putting mail delivery above everything else.

Riding into History

The days of the Pony Express were limited by the changing technology of the time. After only 19 months, the enterprise was replaced by the telegraph. Even though it was short-lived, the Pony Express has left its mark in the history books. Even today, you will hear references to this long ago business. The daring of the riders encompassed the spirit of the American pioneer. Facing unknown dangers was an everyday occurrence, but they knew that the mail must go through. It’s their resolve that has captured the heart of visitors to the Pony Express Museum. In a way, each of us can be modern-day explorers seeking out new experiences. It all starts by stepping out the door.

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No trip to St. Joseph would be complete without a visit to the Pony Express Museum, which commemorates the legendary mail service that connected the eastern United States to California in the mid-1800s. Housed in the original stables where the first Pony Express riders set off, the museum is filled with fascinating artifacts, including saddles, letters, and personal items from the riders. Life-sized dioramas and interactive exhibits bring the experience to life, allowing visitors to step into the boots of the brave young men who risked life and limb to deliver mail across 2,000 miles of treacherous terrain.

For those interested in the unique and unusual, the Glore Psychiatric Museum offers a look into the history of mental health treatment. Originally part of the state’s psychiatric hospital, this museum presents a chilling but eye-opening collection of artifacts and exhibits on past psychiatric practices. From early treatment devices to artwork created by former patients, the museum sheds light on the evolution of mental health care and the human stories behind it. It’s a thought-provoking experience that leaves visitors reflecting on how far medical science has come and the lives of those who lived within its walls.

A separate wing on the second floor showcases a variety of smaller displays. Here you will find a doll museum, black archives, and the St. Joseph Historical displays. While not nearly as robust, they do hold lots of informative exhibits. There is an extensive section on the Civil War, with more displays being added.

St. Joseph’s culinary scene has a surprise in store with Boudreaux’s Louisiana Seafood & Steakhouse, a beloved local spot that brings a taste of the South to Missouri. This charming restaurant is known for its authentic Cajun and Creole dishes, such as jambalaya, gumbo, and fried alligator, as well as perfectly cooked steaks and fresh seafood. The atmosphere is lively and inviting, making diners feel like they’ve stepped into a Louisiana bayou bistro. Each meal is prepared with attention to detail, providing a delicious and memorable experience that brings southern flavors to the heart of St. Joseph.

The Patee House Museum is a time capsule of Missouri’s past, located in a historic building that once served as a hotel and headquarters for the Pony Express. Walking through the museum’s halls, visitors find themselves surrounded by artifacts from St. Joseph’s Wild West days, including vintage vehicles, frontier-era clothing, and even a full-sized vintage carousel. The Patee House is steeped in history, once serving as a temporary headquarters during the Civil War and as the site of Jesse James’ last moments. It stands today as a tribute to the city’s storied past, offering visitors an immersive look at the lives, legends, and lore that shaped St. Joseph. Are you ready to take a new look at St. Joseph?

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The Patee House Museum occupies the bottom two floors of the hotel. On the first floor, you will find an area designed like the streets of St. Joe in the mid-1800s. There are a variety of storefronts where you can wander through the exhibits. These showcase some of the items that would have been sold and used in that era.

Visitors will have an opportunity to see what life was like in the mid-1800s through the early 1900s. Displays include commodities and services that residents would have purchased, as well as the fashions of those days.

The Patee House Museum has a wide variety of vehicles from many eras, including a train. A few automobiles sit together in one section, and in another area, you will also see a selection of antique hearses.

A working saloon gives guests a chance to savor cold sarsaparilla while hearing the history of the building from the barkeep. Heading out of this room will deposit you into the large dining area, which could accommodate 400 diners.

The second floor of the Patee House Museum continues the local history, and also includes an overhead view of the train and depot station located on the first floor. Additional Civil War memorabilia will be found here, as well.

In the rear of the museum is a full-size working carousel. An unusual array of creatures are assembled here, including a dinosaur, and hummingbird. For an additional fee, guests can take a ride on the attraction.

Behind the museum, visitors will find the house where Jesse James was shot by Bob Ford. There is an additional charge to visit this site, but it includes artifacts from the grave of Jesse James. Guests can also see the bullet hole from the assassination, just below the sampler that James was supposedly straightening. The Patee House Museum is chocked full of displays and information covering a wide range of topics. This step back in time will help you understand what life was like in the olden days.

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Upon entering, you see that the décor is a mixture of antebellum architecture meets spring break party. All of this tempered with a French flair.

Boudreaux’s Louisiana Seafood attracts a wide variety of clientele. During our lunch visit we saw business people, construction workers, tourists (obviously we fall in that category), and lots of locals. Even though it was fairly busy, service was not lacking. After a short discussion with our server about their specialties, we placed our orders.

We began our meal with side salads, which are made with a mixture of fresh greens. A few assorted vegetables, like mushrooms, cucumbers, and cherry tomatoes will be found as you work your way down. The entire thing is topped with shredded Colby and blue cheese crumbles.

Crystal chose the Chicken Creole, which is accompanied with steamed rice. The tomato based sauce has a slight kick. The addition of onions and peppers compliment the dish.

Since she had chosen a land based entrée, I decided to sample the seafood. My order of Seafood Sauté included shrimp, crawfish, and catfish filets. All of these are sautéed in a white wine and butter reduction, and served with steamed rice. The sauce was light and allowed the seafood flavors to peek through.

The entrees were large enough to be quite filling, so we only finished them partially. We had seen the dessert specials listed on their easel, and had our hearts, and stomachs, set on trying them. First up was the Bourbon Pecan Pie, which has the texture of a dense cake versus the normal pecan pie filling. Drizzled with caramel sauce it was absolutely delicious.

We were sure nothing could compete with that treat, until we tasted the Caramel Apple Pie. Loaded with slices of apple, and drizzled with the same caramel sauce, this dessert is hard to resist. In no time both slices were devoured, and we were completely satisfied with our visit. Boudreaux’s Louisiana Seafood and Steakhouse is certainly a must try for any Cajun food lovers who are in the St. Joe area.

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