Support the ACHS and learn more about Adair County History with this informative media!
Mostly Ghosts
Many years ago, a man named Cyrus Truitt created a treasured collection of 1,000 photos of Novinger, Missouri, and vicinity. He called his collection
"Mostly Ghosts" because most all the places and people photographed had already passed into history ... they were gone ... mostly ghosts! This collection
was donated to theAdair County Historical Society some time ago. We have now placed the collection on a CD. YOU CAN NOW OWN THIS OUTSTANDING COLLECTION
OF 1,000 PHOTOS ON CD. Purchase it for $25 at the museum OR by mail for $28. Payment can also be made by PayPal using adaircohistorical@gmail.com
Make checks payable to ACHS and mail to the museum address.
Films
How Fred Burke was Captured - 1931
NEW DVD now available for pick up at the museum or by mail. The 1931 film, "How Fred Burke Was Captured." In the October 2019 issue of our magazine,
"The Adair Historian," we have the story of the real-life gangster known as Fred "Killer" Burke and his venture into Northeast Missouri.
In the 1920s and early '30s, he was associated with gangster Al Capone in Chicago and was involved in the famous St. Valentine's Day Massacre.
He hid out in rural Green City, Missouri, and married an unsuspecting woman there, yet continued his crime sprees without her knowledge.
He is believed to have robbed a bank in Kirksville during that time. He was discovered by a most unlikely young man in Green City, captured in 1931,
and sent to prison for life. A film company came to Green City and made a film of the re-enactment of the capture on location in 1931,
using the same law enforcement officers, etc. This film was lost for many years but was finally discovered through a series of events.
Through a cooperative agreement between the Adair County Historical Society and the Green City Area Museum, this film is now available at our museum
for a donation of $15 if picked up, or $20 by mail. Request in writing to ACHS, 211 S. Elson, Kirksville, MO 63501.
NOW AVAILABLE - THE CLASSIC FILM OF 1939 KIRKSVILLE, MISSOURI:
This film takes you on a nostalgic journey through Kirksville in 1939, reproduced on DVD! It starts from old Highway 63 south of town, up
Baltimore Street, then downtown to businesses, schools, churches, and sights of 1939. See men drilling for oil close to Kirksville, firemen riding
like Keystone cops on their fire engines and using their fire hoses, children on school playgrounds, and people at churches. There's a surprise
wedding at the end! Available for a donation of $25 at the museum or $30 by mail to ACHS, 211 S. Elson, Kirksville, MO 63501
Booklets Available for Purchase
Send requests to
the Adair County Historical Society at 211 S. Elson, Kirksville MO, 63501, or come in Wed. through Fri. from 1-4 PM to pick up a brochure. For mail
orders, please add $1 for up to 2 pamphlets, $2 for up to 4 pamphlets, and $3 for any more than 4 pamphlets to cover shipping.
Lady Justice
Describes the history of "Lady Justice," the 8' bronze statue which sits on top of the Adair County Courthouse in Kirksville, Missouri, and
lists the symbolism of each part of the statue. $2.00
Cricker
Explains the origin of his derogatory word which is rooted in the history of Pickler Park in Kirksville, Missouri,
and also covers the history of Pickler Park. $3.00
Kirksville Tornado 1899
Photos, stories, and descriptions of the 1899 tornado in Kirksville from different sources.
This pamphlet is 28 pages long. $5.00.
A History of Kirksville:The New Illustrated Version
Written in 1925 by a Kirksville Citizen, James. B. Bowcock, who was known as the "Ice King" $3.00
Adair County's Civil War Nurse
The story of Sitha Jane (Burns) Sholley who served alongside her husband, Jacob Sholley, in the Civil War. Both were from Adair County. $2.00
The Battle of Kirksville
Story of the Civil War Battle of Kirksville which was fought around the town square and courthouse on August 6, 1862. $3.00
Big Neck War
Describes the first military conflict between white settlers and Native Americans living in present-day Adair County. $3.00
Jesse Kirk - Eponym of Kirksville
The life of Jesse Kirk, the man for whom Kirksville was named on May 18, 1842. $3.00
THE LAST ... ROLL CALL
7th Cavalry Missouri Volunteers, with brief comment upon each member, by Sergeant John Shaver 1898.
Originally printed by the Journal Printing Co. of Kirksville in 1898,
the poem has been reprinted with proceeds to be used for preservation of
the ACHS building. The poem describes every comrade in the 1861-64
campaign of Company I, 7th Cavalry Missouri Volunteers.
Donated to the ACHS by Dr. John Biggerstaff of Kirksville. $1.00
The Legendary Gangster House
Located near Kirksville, this houuse has long been called the Gangster House as it was built by a suspected gangster from Chicago. Learn about the
home's special features $3.00
The Magic of New Baden Springs
The story of Adair County's Mineral Springs Health Resort of the 1880s. $3.00
And There Arose A Mighty Wind!
A booklet recalling the cyclone in Kirksville at 6:20 P.M. April 27, 1899. $1.00
Tribute to Fallen Warriors from Adair County Missouri in World War I
2018 republication of a 1920 booklet commemorating the lives of the 35 Adair County residents who died in World War I. $3.00
What Was Happening in 1918
Compiled in 2018, this is a tribute to the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I. It givs accounts of events happening in Adair County
and around the world in 1918. $2.00
790th Radar Squadron U.S. Air Force Radar Base
Information about the aircraft control and warning station which was once at Sublette, Missouri in Adair County. $2.00
Adair County Missouri - A Pocket Book History
by Pat Ellebracht, 2002 $1.00
Genevieve (Curtis) Smith
Outstanding Women of Adair County (Pamphlet Series #1) - Genevieve (Curtis) Smith, founder of the Kirksville Mercantile College. $3.00
Clara Straight
Outstanding Women of Adair County (Pamphlet Series #2) - Clara Straight, Artist. $3.00
Sithia Jane (Burns) Sholley
Outstanding Women of Adair County (Pamphlet Series #5) - Sithia Jane (Burns) Sholley, Civil War Nurse. $2.00
Copies of The Adair Historian
Back issues of our quarterly magazine with local histories, interviews, and happenings around the museum. $5
Keep an eye out for the rest of the Oustanding Women of Adair County pamphlet series coming soon!
