08/27/2026
This week's America 250 history lesson from local historian Chris Harris features log cabins. Let’s put on our pioneer hats and go exploring!🪵🏠
Liberty is the oldest town this side of the state (settlers as early as 1819.) At that time, Liberty was a part of Ray County. Liberty was founded as a town on July 1, 1822 and incorporated as a city in 1829. One may ask where did these pioneers live? In many cases their first shelter was a tent, followed by a log cabin, and then either a brick or frame house (that is for a later issue).
There are three log cabins/log houses remaining in Liberty:
John Lincoln – 400 Spring Ave.
William Smith – 525 N. Gallatin St.
Robert H. Miller / Rev. Melanchthon Moore - 1917 W. Liberty Dr.
When referring to log cabins and how they were constructed, the term used to refer to the lumber is “first cut.” These trees had not been cut and replanted as you see in cases of wildfires. Their wood is so very hard that it will bend a modern day nail when doing any type of repair work etc. (ref. Dewey C. Hughes, electrician – when working on the wiring at 400 Spring St. in the 1950’).
The cabins were quite small and over time some were added on too. West of Liberty is “Shoal Creek Living History Museum” has a collection of local log cabins that have been moved and setup as a small mid 1800’s village. www.shoalcreeklivinghistorymuseum.com
400 Spring Ave.
Built: 1822 / 1823 by John Lincoln
Known as the Lincoln/Hughes/Wymore Cabin
On June 17, 1825, John’s purchase of 160 acres where the cabin is located was signed at Franklin, Missouri, where the Land Office was. In other records, John’s name appears before then, most likely on the same property which was not unusual.
The cabin has had several additions which has made finding the size of the original portion difficult. When driving on Spring Street there is a portion of the siding that has been removed showing the log portion. John was a blacksmith as was his father and other three brothers, Abraham, George and David (and yes, they were 2nd cousins to the President).
In 1830, Lincoln sold it to James M. Hughes who in turn sold it to William H. Wymore. James M. Hughes served as a Representative from Missouri to the U. S. Congress from 1842 to 1844. James Hughes is listed as an early merchant of Liberty between the years 1822 to 1830. During the Mexican War he helped fund the cost of cavalry horses for those who could not afford them. Hughes also voted for the Platte Purchase which pushed the federal boundary from Platte Purchase Road, some 10 miles west of Liberty to the Missouri River.
William H. Wymore farmed the 149 immediately around the cabin. His son, George Wymore was the William Jewell College student killed during the Jesse James Gang robbery of the Clay County Savings Association in February of 1866.
525 N. Gallatin St.
Built: approx. 1824 by William Smith
In previous article in this series, William Smith was a very busy man. He was the first Post Master, circuit clerk, store owner, contracted to make bricks for the first courthouse among other adventures. Currently undergoing renovations, the plaster has been removed in some locations and the logs and joints can be seen. An interesting feature is the original roof is covered by a second roof, most likely when the rear addition was built. On the south side is a massive chimney and the worker I spoke with said that the firebox is large enough for a person to stand in.
Not much is known about the ownership of the cabin after it was sold to Greenup Bird who owned the property to the east and the cabin was described as when Greenup & Catherine Bird, his wife sell to Edward McSwenney, an Irish Immigrant and stonemason, “A certain piece or parcel of land lying and being in the County of Clay, State of Missouri, situate in City of Liberty county and state aforesaid one acre on the west side of said Bird’s Orchard.”
1917 W. Liberty Dr. – 1840’s
The Robert H. Miller / Rev. Melanchthon Moore Cabin
Built: 1840’s
Notes: Originally located at the corner of Mill & Gallatin St. It is thought that this cabin was constructed for Robert Hugh Miller. He was born at Richmond, Virginia in 1826. His family moved to Barren County, Kentucky in 1832, to Columbia, Missouri in 1838. While living in Columbia he learned the printing trade. In 1846 he had moved to Liberty, Missouri and in April 1846 he founded the Liberty Tribune.
This paper continuously published, except for one time during the Civil War.
He married Miss Enna F. Peters, a daughter of John R. Peters, after her death, Robert married again to Miss Lulu Wilson, daughter of Hon., John Wilson. By the time of the Civil War, he had moved to Forest Hill, the former home of Cyrus Curtis, which was located on Wilson Ave where College Place West now stands.
Rev. Moore was born in 1859 at Belmont County, Ohio and passed away in 1939 at Independence, Jackson County, Missouri. He was the son of Erastus M. Moore & Nancy E. Mechem. The Moore were of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Rev. Moore moved to Liberty, Missouri in February of 1919 to be the pastor of the Missouri City Christian coming from Skidmore, Missouri.
There has been two or three different dates of the relocation of this log cabin from downtown Liberty to Glenaire from the very early 1900’s and another in 1912/1913 time frame. In researching this, I found a reference to the cabin and Rev. Moore from the Skidmore, Missouri newspaper
“Rev. Moore gives as his reason for terminating his work here that he is desirous of building a home on a tract of land he owns near Liberty, this state, and that at this time he has an opportunity to secure pastorate [Missouri City] within a short distance of the place, so that he may be on the ground a greater part of the time his home is being built.” - Skidmore [Missouri] News Thu, Jan 02, 1919 ·Page 1
Evidently his first home was this log cabin. For the 1920 Federal Census, it lists Rev. Moore as living at “Belleview” Liberty Township, Clay County, Missouri. Belleview is the name of the farm across the road. In the December 16, 1920 Liberty Advance Newspaper article, it says that he was living at “Urban Lake.”
He was pastor of the Christian Church in Missouri City for two years, leaving in December 1921. His next pastorate was at Camden Point, Missouri yet he remained living in Liberty. “This is a full-time church and is located half-way between Kansas City and St. Joseph on the interurban. . . He will not change his residence on his work is accessible by the interurban. He and Mrs. Moore will continue to reside at Belleview.” - Liberty Tribune Fri. January 20, 1922, p. 3
A very special thanks to Tony Meyers of the Clay County Archives & Historical Library for his assistance in this research.
The Clay County Archives & Historical Library is a must stop resource for local history. Please visit their website for more information.
https://claycountyarchives.org/index.php/merchandise/our-merchandise
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