Arnold Historical Society and Museum
“A people without knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots.”
Marcus Garvey – entrepreneur, journalist, and orator
Our community has grown up with important historical artifacts since its origin in 1776 as a trading post between St. Louis and Ste. Genevieve that was commissioned by Spanish King Charles III. Nearly 200 years later in 1972 the city of Arnold was incorporated.
The city’s settlers, progress and prosperity have been frozen in time by the Arnold Historical Society and Museum, a not-for-profit entity founded in 2005 by volunteers. Some of those dedicated helpers still collect historic artifacts today for safekeeping by the Museum located at 1723 Jeffco Boulevard.
Many of those artifacts are valuable. They include an 1873 Bible brought across the Atlantic Ocean by a German settler named Max Stengele; a cast iron sewing machine from the 1890s in its original wooden case; a 1906 Victrola that still plays recordings from the era through a listening horn; and many more antique items.
Bernie Wilde, a Society co-founder and current Treasurer, observes, “Artifacts like these helps keep historic Arnold alive with treasured memories by sharing pieces of history with children, senior citizens, educators and researchers, and by showcasing how people lived long ago.”
The new building for the Arnold Historical Society officially opened on July 11, 2012, at its new location at 1723 Jeffco Boulevard.
Society & Museum Origins
The Museum’s website is a cornucopia of key local history, including this description of the group’s beginnings:
“On June 17, 2005, a group of 30 interested citizens met in the Arnold Library to organize the Arnold, Missouri, Historical Society. Jack Underwood agreed to serve as President for one year. He signed the Charter as did Jim West and Bonita Owen. Allen Flamm was elected Vice President, Bonita Owen, Secretary, and Bernie Wilde was elected Treasurer. By August 2005, a Constitution and Bylaws were adopted.
“Jack discussed the need for a museum with Arnold City Officials. The City offered free use of a small trailer in Ferd Lang Park at 1838 Old Lemay Ferry Road. Jack worked tirelessly to get 501(c)3 tax exempt status. Several members donated money to begin the setup with necessary items. Artifacts came primarily from local people who had saved treasures from the past.”
Bernie Wilde and her husband Roy, who is retired from Ameren Electric Co. and served for 37 years on the City’s Planning & Zoning Commission, have been involved with the group in various roles since its origin.
“In the early days Roy and I would go out almost every weekend to search for artifacts and contact every older person we could think of to ask if they had antiques, or photographs, or historic items they didn’t need any more to help build the museum’s inventory,” she says. “We also contacted businesses for commercial artifacts.
“Many women gave us, or loaned us, collections of beautiful antique dishes, and men often gave us antique farm implements – Arnold started, you know, as quite a large farming community.
“We are a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, and we receive no funding from the city, the county, or the state. Donations are tax-deductible. Our current membership is about 75 people.
“We have received a wide variety of different donations – for example, an antique bed with corn shucks as mattress stuffing, a World War Two bayonet, an ancient tomahawk, and dozens of arrowheads from local native American Indian tribes,” says Wilde. She adds, “Roy’s family owned a farm and every time they plowed the fields Indian arrowheads would turn up.”
Indeed, before the Federal Government’s Indian Removal Act (1830) which relocated many native tribes to outside Missouri, there were eight known Native American tribes living in Missouri, including:
The oldest trailway in Missouri was often used by Missouri’s Native American tribes in the late 1700s. It was called “El Camino Real” by the Spanish or “Rue Royale” by the French, both meaning “ Royal Road” or “The Kings Highway.” The trail ran from New Madrid and Sainte Genevieve over the region that become Arnold, and then to St. Louis. The trailway road and a ferry across the Meramec River were built by a French entrepreneur named Jean Baptiste Gamache, who was commissioned by Spanish King Charles III and paid handsomely. Gamache is believed to have been this region’s first settler.
Portrait of a Shawnee Native American Indian Chief in Missouri, circa 1825
L to R: Allen Flamm, Vice Chairman; Bernie Wilde, Treasurer; Jackie Howell, Vice President and Secretary; Warren Pflantz, President
Covid-19 Impact
Due to Covid-19, Society board members early last year elected to close the Museum and cancel or postpone many events and fundraising activities until the pandemic was no longer a threat. Until then, the Society and Museum participated in 15 or more fundraising events per year. Many local nonprofit groups have experienced financial pain due to the pandemic and, like those organizations, the Society’s operating budget has been severely impacted.
Wilde admits, “Many original members of the Society still volunteer to help sustain the Museum’s mission, and we occasionally get some assistance from a few Girl Scouts and citizens, but that doesn’t mean we’re not dealing with new challenges these days.” She adds. “Some of our long-time members passed away since Covid began. Our efforts to recruit new members has slowed down quite a bit.”
Allen Flamm until recently served as Society Secretary and, also, Vice-Chairman of the City’s Historic Preservation Commission. His ancestors settled in the Arnold area in 1836 and began planting apple orchards. Well known in the area, Flamm has been a Society volunteer since 2005. He cannot deny that the Society is now experiencing its share of tough times.
“I got involved with the Society because my family were pioneers here and I believe it is extremely important to preserve and promote the history of our entire community. I believe that understanding the past is essential for helping to build a meaningful future. In my opinion, any type of history is important when it sheds light on who we are, where we came from and where we might be going,” Flamm asserts. Wilde adds, “Right now we are working to increase donations to help pay monthly bills, and we are looking for new ways to attract younger members.”
Museum Reopening on Saturday, May 1, 2021
The good news is that the Society Museum will reopen on Saturday, May 1 to celebrate the birthday of Louisa Frederici Cody and the grand reopening of the Museum after being closed since last year. Relatives and friends will gather at the Museum at 1 pm to display a banner celebrating Arnold native Louisa Frederici (1844–1921), who married William F. “Buffalo Bill” Cody on March 6, 1866, on her family’s farm in Arnold.
The couple met when Cody served at Jefferson Barracks in St. Louis as a U.S. Army private during the Civil War, years before he gained fame as a buffalo hunter, frontier scout and Wild West showman. Cody often referred to his wife Louisa as “Lulu.” The couple sustained a rocky romantic relationship for 51 years until Bill Cody’s death in 1917. Louisa died in 1921 and is buried next to her husband on Colorado’s Lookout Mountain.
Louisa Frederici of Arnold as a young woman before she married William F. Cody
Local Resident Bob Flamm as Buffalo Bill Cody
Admission to attend the birthday celebration and grand reopening of the Museum is $5.00; masks and social distancing are requested. Call 636-282-2828. After May 1, new Museum hours will be Friday and Saturday, 12-4 pm. For special appointments, call 636-464-9256. During May there will be a display of all items collected by a Buffalo Bill Cody look-alike, Bob Flamm.
At the museum, many historic documents and books feature contributions by Arnold men and women who played major roles in the area’s early progress and expansion. The hardbound book “Historic Arnold,” features many interesting essays and photos donated by dozens of residents published in a handsome volume covering 1876 thru 1986.
It is available with other books including a new, 220-page edition of the history of Richardson Cemetery that dates to 1867; a history of St. John’s Lutheran Church dating to 1848; and a history of Immaculate Conception Catholic Church dating to 1840. All books sell for about $20 each; a portion of the price supports the Museum. A 50-year anniversary book about Arnold is reportedly in the works.
Mayor Ron Counts observes, “The Arnold Historical Society and Museum is a valuable cultural asset. It celebrates Arnold’s hard-working pioneer spirit by showcasing artifacts and lifestyles of settlers who built our community and whom we respect with enduring pride. It should be enjoyed by everyone.”
For more information, visit Arnold Historical Society and their Facebook page.
Story by Jeff Dunlap for the City of Arnold