Clay County Archives and Historical Library ~ Liberty, Missouri

Preserving the Past for the Present

Today's Date --  September 15, 2006

For our latest fundraiser the Archives has produced two types of greeting cards. One is a package of Christmas cards that are 8½" by 5½" and sell for $10 for 12 cards. The other is a set of note cards, which measure 5½" by 4¼" and sell for $5 for 10 cards.  Both cards contain views of old Clay County on the front and are blank on the inside.

The Christmas cards say “Holiday Greetings” on the front. The back of each  card describes the scene on the front.  The Christmas cards contain 3 each of “Main Street in Missouri City”, “(James) Watkins House” and two unknown but interesting old Clay County homes.

The note cards contain 10 different scenes, again identified on the back. They are:
1. T. J. Wornall House on Morse Avenue, Liberty Missouri 1877.
2. Arthur House 1855 – 1903. It was located on the SE corner of the square. It was built to be “bigger and better than any hotel in Independence.”
3. Wine Cellar Home or James Moss House, 438 Moss
4. Historic home in Clay County.
5. Multnomah – Home of Major John Dougherty in 1856. Every piece of wood in the house was walnut cut from the trees on the 5,000 acres of farmland. The slaves made the bricks. Multnomah was an Indian word for “running water”.
6. Multnomah (a different view) Home of Major John Dougherty. It was reported to have cost $20,000 to build the house in 1856.
7. Cochrell Home – Rural Clay County – 1910.
8. Blacksmith shop in Liberty located just off the square.
9. Wornall Home 1857 State Road between Excelsior Springs and Liberty built by Col R.M.C. Price.  Destroyed sometime in 1950’s.
10. Home in Clay County in the 1800’s. John Wade was the photographer.

Please stop by the Archives and see these cards for yourself. They are unique to Clay County and a bargain as well.