Price Park facts for kids
Price Park is a small city park located in Keytesville, Chariton County, Missouri. It's a special place with history and monuments.
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How Price Park Started
For many years, the land where Price Park now sits was home to the Chariton County jail. Around 1906, a new jail was built nearby. The old jail was taken down, and the county sold the land.
A group of "progressive women" bought this land, which is about 0.6 acres. They then gave it to the local chapter of the United Confederate Veterans. In 1915, this group officially transferred the land to the city of Keytesville. By this time, a bandstand had been built there, but the area still needed a lot of cleaning up.
Statue of Sterling Price
Who Was Sterling Price?
In 1911, a special effort began to honor Sterling Price (1809–1867). He was a hero in the Mexican–American War, a governor of Missouri, and a general for the Confederate side during the American Civil War. Price had owned a hotel and business in Keytesville in the 1830s.
Missouri state representative John D. Taylor helped get $5,000 from the state to build a monument for Price. The local chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy (UDC) and other women also helped a lot. The UDC added $11,000, and the state later gave another $2,000.
Creating the Statue
In 1914, the job of creating the statue went to Allen George Newman (1875–1940). He was a sculptor from New York who was known for making military monuments. He had also created the famous The Hiker statue.
Newman's son shared an interesting story. His father saw a man in New York City who looked like a general. It turned out this man had actually worked for Sterling Price! The man agreed to pose as a model for the statue. The statue and its base were made by McNeel Marble Works in Marietta, Georgia. This company made many Confederate statues.
The park was cleaned up, and the statue was revealed on June 17, 1915. The sculptor's name was not mentioned at the time.
Restoring the Statue
By the late 1980s, the statue of Price was showing its age. The granite base was stained, and the statue itself was wearing down. A group called the Friends of Keytesville started a fundraising effort.
The statue was carefully restored by Washington University Technology Associates. On June 17, 1990, the statue was rededicated. The Friends of Keytesville group continues to take care of the statue today.
Other Important Memorials
Price Park is also home to other memorials that honor different parts of history.
In 1993, a stone and plaque were placed in the park. This memorial remembers the Potawatomi Trail of Death. This sad event happened in 1838, and the trail passed right through Keytesville.
Another monument in the park honors former Keytesville mayor Dred Finnell and his wife, Lula Fultz Finnell. They created a special trust to help with education and community projects in Keytesville.
