Barry, often referred to as "The Town of Barry" was a city centered at the intersection of Barry Road and Old Stagecoach Road in northern

Kansas City The Kansas City metropolitan area is a bi-state metropolitan area anchored by Kansas City, Missouri. Its 14 counties straddle the border between the U.S. states of Missouri (9 counties) and Kansas (5 counties). With and a population of more ...

Clay County Clay County is the name of 18 counties in the United States. Most are named for Henry Clay, U.S. Senator and statesman: * Clay County, Alabama * Clay County, Arkansas (named for John Clayton, and originally named Clayton County) * Clay County, Flor ...

Missouri Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...

. It was founded in 1829 and named after the Postmaster General

William Taylor Barry William Taylor Barry (February 5, 1784 – August 30, 1835) was an American slave owner, statesman and jurist. He served as Postmaster General for most of the administration of President Andrew Jackson and was the only Cabinet member not to resi ...

History

Being halfway between the larger towns of

Liberty, Missouri Liberty is a city in and the county seat of Clay County, Missouri, United States and is a suburb of Kansas City, located in the Kansas City Metropolitan Area. As of the 2020 United States Census the population was 30,167. Liberty is home to Willi ...

and

Fort Leavenworth, Kansas Fort Leavenworth () is a United States Army installation located in Leavenworth County, Kansas, in the city of Leavenworth. Built in 1827, it is the second oldest active United States Army post west of Washington, D.C., and the oldest perman ...

, it was an important stop along the newly built Military Road, much of which was later renamed Barry Road. By 1822, it was primarily a trading stop and tavern, owned by George Burnett. His building was on the Missouri side of the border with the adjoining Indian Territory (which became part of Missouri after the

Platte Purchase The Platte Purchase was a land acquisition in 1836 by the United States government from American Indian tribes of the region. It comprised lands along the east bank of the Missouri River and added to the northwest corner of the state of Miss ...

). After Burnett's death in 1838, Judge Thomas Minor Chevis purchased the property in 1839 and expanded the tavern. At the time of the Platte Purchase in 1836, Barry was a fully operating township with a post office, blacksmith shop, stores, saloons, a grist mill, an inn, and several churches. A popular feature of the town was the public well that included a plaque that read, "Drink, for you may never return." In 1843,

Peter Hardeman Burnett Peter Hardeman Burnett (November 15, 1807May 17, 1895) was an American politician who served as the first elected Governor of California from December 20, 1849, to January 9, 1851. Burnett was elected Governor almost one year before California's ...

sold his property and led a 1,000 person wagon train to Oregon, essentially leaving the Town of Barry deserted. As a result, Burnett became the first civilian governor of California in 1849. While all buildings from the Town of Barry have been moved or destroyed over time, the history of the town remains in name: Barry Road, Barry Middle School, Barry-Platte Park, Barry Christian Church, and the neighborhoods, Barry Heights and Barry Harbor. In the early 1960s, the Burnett-Chevis tavern building was moved to

Missouri Town 1855 Missouri Town Living History Museum is a outdoor history museum located in Fleming Park east of Lake Jacomo in Jackson County, Missouri. Site description Missouri Town 1855 consists of more than 25 structures, dating from before the Civil War ...

in Jackson County. The well's outer structure was moved to Clay County's Hodge Park in the 1990s. Separately,

Barry County, Missouri Barry County is a county located in the southwest portion of the U.S. state of Missouri. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 34,534. Its county seat is Cassville. The county was organized in 1835 and named after William Taylor Barry, a ...

is also named after the same Postmaster General, but is located in southwest Missouri. In 2018, a historical plaque was placed slightly north of the original center of the town of Barry.

References

{{coord, 39, 14, 47, N, 94, 36, 03, W, type:city_region:US-MO, display=title Neighborhoods in Kansas City, Missouri 1829 establishments in the United States 1843 disestablishments in the United States

External links

Image of the historical plaque