Springfield Police Museum

09/04/2026

The museum is open tonight for Art Walk from 6- 9 PM.
"A disgrace to the community", "unfit for prisoners" this was the ruling in 1941 about the condition of the jail.
This News Leader and Press article showed prisoners in the cold, bug filled jail that the Chief and city leaders admitted was bad, but "The police department was doing the best with the building at hand".
AI greatly improves the photos.
The jail now is air-conditioned, cleaned up, and ready for visitors.
Springfield, MO Police Department

09/03/2026

The museum will be open Friday for Art Walk from 6 to 9 PM.
What does an officer need in his 1950s patrol car? This photo shows it all.
Fingerprint kit, gas mask, tear gas gun, thompson machine gun, sh***un, high powered r***e, oxygen tank, and rope are a few of the items.
AI restored photo.

08/24/2026

The museum was asked for photos of Officer Wadie Phillips.
He was a motorcycle officer in the 1930's with Oscar Lowe, the subject of my last post. He only served for a few years and left in 1935.
AI helps restore the grainy photos we have of him. He's the person on the right with the officer in the snow. He was in the band that played for a fundraiser for the Young Brothers Massacre victims' families. He was also a WWI veteran.

08/20/2026

The museum was asked to find information and images of Officer Oscar Lowe. He was a motorcycle officer for a few years, from around 1928 to 1932. He came from the KC, MO, Police Department. He came at just the right time when a number of department photos were taken. He was also part of the musical band formed for a fundraiser for the family of the victims of the Young Brothers Massacre, when 6 law enforcement officers were killed.
He’s one of the only rodeo cowboys I’ve located at the department. There was a local rodeo in town, and he was planning to use a motorcycle in a rodeo bulldogging competition. I don’t know if it ever happened. AI can create an interesting image of what it could have looked like.
AI improved the photos and articles.

08/14/2026

A really good story on The Great Cobra Hunt of 1953.

Drury University’s Natural Science Museum has the only known cobra that still exists, which sits in a jar.

08/08/2026

The museum is open today from 10 to 2 PM for the Birthplace of Route 66 Festival.
I guarantee these officers patrolled Route 66 and walked a beat in the square in the 1950's.
AI improved photos.

08/06/2026

The museum is open this Saturday from 10 to 2 PM for the Birthplace of Route 66 Festival.
If you're at the Fair or the Festival, look out for officers directing traffic.
Officer Rector is seen here in a newspaper article directing traffic in the 1970's doing the Traffic Ballet.
AI restore newspaper article.

08/05/2026

The museum will be open Saturday from 10 to 2 PM for the Route 66 Birthplace of Route 66 Festival.
In 1929 if you have a "booze joint", Raider Chief Pike and his men will pay you a visit. The SPD did many raids during Prohibition for making and selling liquor. Hide your corn mash.
AI improved newspaper articles.

08/04/2026

The museum will be open Saturday from 10 to 2 PM for the Route 66 Birthplace of Route 66 Festival.
Command Staff at the SPD attend a modified FBI academy for law enforcement supervisors. The first one to attend for the SPD was Sam Robards in 1941 when it was ran by FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover. He brought back FBI training in crime scene processing, arrest procedures, and fi****ms training.
Sam Robards became Chief in 1970.