American West: Then & Now
The successes in preserving our American West landmarks.
By: Mark Boardman 06/01/2009
Chances are you’ve never heard of Mrs. Nettie M. Dickson of Arrow Rock, Missouri. You may not have heard about Arrow Rock, for that matter.
It’s high time you did. For Nettie—once described as a “gracious lady of the old school”—was a pioneer in preserving history in the Show Me State. In doing so, she blazed a trail that others have followed, not just in Missouri but also across the West.
The story starts on a bluff above the Missouri River. Lewis and Clark came through the area on their journey. Countless others traveled by in later years on the Santa Fe Trail. Many of them stopped in Arrow Rock, founded in 1829; Joseph Huston built a saloon-restaurant-hotel to meet their needs in 1834. By the 1860s, the town was a vital river port with about 1,000 residents.
Arrow Rock leaders had a big dream for the future, but it wasn’t to come true—the railroads bypassed the town, and so did major bridge projects and national highways. People moved away. The village remained frozen in time—no new development and the old buildings crumbled. The town’s history and legacy were in danger of being lost forever.
Nettie was not going to let that happen. A native of Arrow Rock and an active member of the National Old Trails Association (a local predecessor of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), Nettie led the group in a project in 1912: the association gathered antiques and historic memorabilia and placed them in a storeroom of the Huston Tavern “as a means of teaching Missouri history to the passerby.” A few years later, she bought the building to save it from the wrecking ball.
Her big idea? The Tavern belonged to everyone. Using her DAR clout, Nettie convinced the Missouri legislature to buy it from her for $5,000. It was the first time the state had purchased a structure for historic preservation purposes; it wouldn’t be the last.
Missouri then made the DAR (and Nettie Dickson) custodian and manager of the Tavern. One of its first tasks: restoration of the facility, which was completed in 1928 at a cost of $20,000. The Tavern not only provided food and lodging, but also was a living history museum with DAR members interpreting history to visitors.
By 1926, with a strong push from Nettie and the DAR, Missouri bought more property around the Tavern and designated it a State Historic Site. Encompassing 167 acres, the site includes the 1835 courthouse, the town doctor’s 1845 home and the 1873 stone jail.
This story didn’t end when Nettie died in 1949. A decade later, the Friends of Arrow Rock organized to preserve other historic structures; it now owns and operates fourteen 19th-century buildings, including homes, a gun shop and a Masonic lodge. Partnering with the state, the Friends provide walking tours of the village, as well as educational programs. In 1964, the National Trust designated Arrow Rock a National Historic District.
Today, the village (population 79) is more than a bunch of old, well-maintained buildings. It’s a bustling place of cool shops, restaurants and bed and breakfasts. An old church has been converted into the noted Lyceum Theatre. Tourism is big business, as about 135,000 folks visit each year to experience the heritage of this remarkable place. Appropriately, the Huston Tavern still serves meals to travelers.
Nettie Dickson, Arrow Rock and the Huston Tavern are a striking example of what an average citizen can do to preserve our American West heritage.
Here’s a photo essay of some important sites that dedicated citizens have saved throughout the years. If we were at the Huston Tavern, we’d raise a glass in honor of all the future Nettie Dicksons whose passions and dedications to our heritage will inspire even more preservation wins.
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