Lexington Archives - Our Changing Lives

Bushwhackers Turned Bank Robbers – A Delicious Story

The Civil War is known for pitting brother against brother. Some parts of the country saw the fighting continue long after the surrender of the south. Missouri had chosen to be a neutral state, which neither seceded nor supported the Union. This did not mean it remained in a state of peace. Far from it, as the atrocities of war were metered out on pro-Union and pro-Confederate groups alike. Some people, like Jesse and Frank James, chose to take up arms and ride with William Quantrill's Raiders, who had sacked Lawrence, Kansas. After the war, these bushwhackers turned bank robbers continued on the [...]

Hemp Bales And Bluffs – Battle Of Lexington, Missouri

Smoke hung heavy around the Oliver Anderson home. Bullet holes pockmarked the brick walls of the house. This early battle of the Civil War had been sparked by the seizure of money by Federal troops. Now they found themselves outnumbered and in short supply of a most important resource. The battle was entering its third day and victory was in sight for the Confederate troops. Our visit to the Battle of Lexington State Historic Site would lay out the details of this three-day battle in Lexington, Missouri. Here we would learn how hemp bales and bluffs ended up securing a victory for the [...]