Jefferson City, Missouri's Historic Riverfront
Capital City and Steamboat Landing Along the Missouri River
Nov 11, 2009
The territory of Missouri was acquired as part of the 1803 Louisiana Purchase, and became a state in 1821 as part of the Missouri Compromise. Jefferson City was named in honor of President Thomas Jefferson, who envisioned an expanding America. By 1826, the capital was a growing commercial and transportation hub, serving as a transfer point for goodsand passengers. The city was incorporated as a city in 1839.
1839 was a significant year in the history of the capital for another reason besides being the date of incorporation. That same year, a three-story, stone structure was built on the riverfront by James A. Crump, which would serve as a tavern, hotel, telegraph office, grocery store, and warehouse.
Crump sold the center and east sections to three men and kept the west basement section to use as the grocery store. The double doors on the ground level faced the river, making it convenient for freight to be loaded on and off steamboats. Crump then leased the upper floors from all the co-owners and opened the Missouri House hotel. This hotel was known as being the largest and most comfortable for members of the legislature and for social events.
The Pacific Railroad Boom
Business was booming by the 1850s with the coming of the Pacific Railroad. The capital city continued to be a transfer point for goods from the east, only now, items arrived from the east by rail and were transferred to steamboat to continue west. “The Landing,” as the riverfront loading dock and hotel had become known, was undergoing changes in response to the increased business.
In 1852, Charles Maus, and his brother-in-law, Charles Lohman, bought the east section of Crump’s building and used it for a general store. The upper floors could no longer accommodate the hotel traffic so, in 1855, Charles Maus built another hotel across from the Missouri House hotel. He changed the name of his new hotel several times until, upon his return home from the Civil War, renamed it the Union Hotel to match his political sentiments.
Maus and Lohman ended their business partnership in 1859 with Lohman buying the two remaining sections of Crump’s building, thus the name change to the Lohman Building. Charles Lohman then developed one of the area’s largest warehouse and trade businesses at the site.
Missouri River Landing Site Preserved
The Lohman Building and the Union Hotel are part of the original Jefferson Landing buildings. They are examples of the architecture of the day as well as museums of a bygone era. The Lohman Building has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1969.
Source:
Printed information from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources
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