The Town of Barry

The Town of Barry. . Founded in 1829 during Andrew Jackson's presidency, this frontier town was named for Postmaster General William Taylor Barry. Marking the midpoint of the new Military Road between Liberty and Fort Leavenworth, the town played an important role in westward expansion. It was located about ½ mile south of this marker at the intersection of today's Barry Road, Old Stagecoach Road, and Platte Purchase Drive. , A few structures existed at Barry as early as 1822, including a trading post/tavern built by George Burnett. He located his log building on the Missouri side of the border adjoining Indian Territory. Burnett operated the business until his death in 1838. Judge Thomas Minor Chevis bought the property in 1839 and added several rooms to the tavern. In the early 1960s, the Burnett-Chevis Tavern was moved to Jackson County as part of Missouri Town 1855. , By the time of the Platte Purchase in 1836, Barry included a post office, blacksmith shop, stores, saloons, a grist mill, an inn and several churches. The booming town also welcomed travelers with a public well. Originally dug in 1835 on the south side of today's Barry Road east of Platte Purchase Drive, the well's outer structure was relocated to Clay County's Hodge Park in the 1970s. Its bronze plaque reads “Drink, for you may never return.” , Because of its location on the Military Road, Barry witnessed significant history. Yet as the frontier moved west, so did many of its early settlers. Most notable was Peter Hardeman Burnett, who, after selling his father's tavern to Judge Chevis, helped to lead a 1000-person wagon train from Jackson County to Oregon in 1843. He became the first civilian governor of California in 1849.