Cameron Depot Museum

Thank You Carole Coleman Plymell for sharing the photos of the Scale House south of Cameron on highway 69, taken in 1950. For those that are unfamiliar, before there was an I-35, US highway 69 was the main north south route from KC to Des Moines. Just south of Cameron at what is now 341st street (1/3 mile south of Beckett Thompson Gas) there was a weigh scales for commercial vehicles travelling the route. I’ve heard about it since I was a child but had never seen an image... of it until Carole shared these with the Depot Museum. Carole’s Father Glenn Coleman is in one of the pictures. He was assigned there until I-35 went through. Carole has fond memories of being there with her father. In a couple of them there is an old barn in the background. After looking at Google Earth, I was pleased to see that the old barn is still there and still in really good shape. When looking the other direction, a part of another old building is visible in the background. Does anyone know what that building was? I think it still exists but it’s not at that location anymore. Thank you again Carole, for sharing these great previously unpublished photos. I’m sure there are still some people who remember driving past the scales. If anyone has memories, we’d love to hear them.

Marceline Millikan Garner was kind enough to donate this photo to the Historical Society and Depot Museum with the understanding it would be shared with the community. She also sent a note with it to describe who and what it was. If you'd like to look at it closer, download it and zoom in. It's a Panoramic photo which looks to the west on the left and the north on the right. The actual size of the photo is 27 inches wide by 8 inches tall. Click on the photo here to open it up to it's full width.

The A.E. & Frances Jarboe story was shared by Jeff Mitchell during the 2020 cemetery tour: The Jarboes Averill Earl Jarboe was born on May 8th, 1889, in Carrollton, MO. His wife Frances, was born on November 3rd 1894, also in Carrollton, MO. They had one daughter, Billie, who married Ray Davis. Together they had 3 kids, two boys, Larry J. and James F., and daughter Debbie Anne Davis. The Jarboes also had 5 great grandkids....Continue reading

Enjoy the Christmas spirit of yesteryear at the Depot Museum during the Christmas in Cameron Tour. Turn off your headlights and cruise down the lane. You will enjoy the historic depot and cabooses, as if time stood still. (enter thru back gate, exit out the front) https://www.facebook.com/ChristmasInCameron https://www.facebook.com/CameronDepotMuseum Tour Map Link: https://tinyurl.com/yxla8wc5

During the 2020 cemetery tour Becky Curtis portrayed Rose Winnifred (Harris) Dildine. Here is her story: Many would say I had a long and interesting life in Cameron. My closest sister and I were born on our family farm just 3-1/2 miles north of Cameron, in DeKalb County. My parents, Thomas and Virginia Harris and their small children, had came to town in 1865 by train from Illinois, when Cameron was still a new town. Their household goods did not arrive for 3 to 4 weeks, so t...Continue reading

Clark's Barbershop (King's Barbershop) by Larry King John Clark opened the first Clark's Barbershop in Cameron, MO, in 1921. Early on it had been in several locations around Cameron. In 1937, the barbershop was located on Third St. in the west end of what is currently His and Hers Sports Gallery. The shop was owned by Dave Clark. His brothers John and Jim Clark, along with Ed Nichols, Clarence Hopper, and Elmer Flanders worked there. When Dave passed away in 1946 and the barb...ershop was closed. Following that time, Guy Beatty built the 2-story building attached to the back of the 3-story hotel and bus station building (which is now owned by Roger McCoy and houses Raymond James | Roger McCoy Financial Services). It was at that time John Clark and his brother Jim reopened Clark's Barbershop in its current location, 308 E. Third St. during Fourth of July week in 1947. A few years passed and on April 23, 1963, I went to work with John and Jim. In 1964 After a time Jim left the shop and moved to St. Joseph to work with Chet Jones. Chet was a brother-in-law to Bob Griffin. This left John Clark and myself at the barbershop. When John Clark passed away in 1986, and I purchased the barbershop from his son Jack, renaming it King's Barbershop. In 1988, I was joined in the business by my son Richard King. Over the years there have been several changes in the nearby businesses. There once was a bus station that had 6-8 buses come through daily; Ailor's Drug Store, a busy gathering place for the morning coffee drinkers, and after school kids coming in for their ice cream cones, malts and milkshakes, and to play a game at the pinball machines; Alma and Asa Defreece had their restaurant in the southwest corner of the building (now the Kavanaugh dentist office). All of the earlier businesses had the convenience of a back entrance people frequently used to access the barbershop, the drug store and restaurant without the need to step outside. The east end of the barbershop building housed several businesses over the years including: Dr. Netherland, followed by Dr. Gilliland, and eventually Ken Baker with State Farm Insurance. Euphora Crane had her beauty shop next to the barbershop for a lot of years. The many changes have been a sign of the growth Cameron has experienced over time. Nostalgia is remembering all of those people who have supported the barbershop over the years and are no longer with us. Enjoyment and appreciation remain for those who continue to support King's Barbershop.

Here are few pictures from the 2020 Cemetery Tour. The tour featured Graceland and Graceland Memorial cemeteries. Interesting stories about the following people were shared: Rose Harris Dildine and her husband J.C. Dildine, Marion Munsell, the Poland and Trenchard families within the Poland mausoleum, H.C. & Addie Kelsey, Gene Hills, Charles McElwain, A.E. & Frances Jarboe, and Col. Gene Pemberton. Thank you to all who braved the cool windy day to participate.

Thank you to Hahn Realtors for supporting the Depot Museum and sponsoring Thursday night free ice cream. It was a cool misty evening, and we still had quite a few drive thru for ice cream. Go Chiefs!

Thank you to the firemen of Cameron Fire Dept for sponsoring free ice cream tonight (Sept 3) at the Depot Museum.

Second Annual Cemetery Tour -- Saturday afternoon, Oct. 3rd, at 4 p.m. Follow the processional from the Depot Museum to a local cemetery where narrators will tell the stories of 10 notable or infamous Cameron people/families. Line up behind the hearse at the Depot prior to 4 pm. Stay in your car and a museum volunteer will take your donation and give you any necessary instructions. Sponsored by the Cameron Historical Society. (Rain date Oct. 17th) Note: This is an outdoor activity, participants are expected to follow all social distancing and masks guidelines to help keep this a safe activity.

Here are a few pics of the visitors at our free ice cream Thursday, Aug. 27th, sponsored by Cameron Ambulance District. If you missed getting ice cream this week, mark your calendar... we will be here again next week.

Thank you 1st Cameron State Bank and Karen Chaney Agency for sponsoring Thursday free ice cream at the Depot Museum this week.

Thank you to our Aug 13 sponsors: DeKalb County Farm Bureau, Manion Quality Homes, and Cameron Accounting. Together we saw a lot of smiling faces get free ice cream.

Thank you to everyone who stopped by the Historical Society’s Thursday ice cream event at Cornerstone Church. We enjoyed visiting with all of you, the music, and our great sponsors. Here are a few photos from the evening.

Vintage Somerville t-shirt available in a variety of colors, men’s, women’s and youth sizes. Free shipping from Amazon. All profits go to the Historical Society. https://www.amazon.com/Vintage-Sunny-Somervill//B08CMLYZ28