Brief History of Liberty:

In the early 1800s, American settlers began to arrive in the Liberty area.  By 1822 the settlement had grown to become the County seat for Clay County.  Incorporated in 1829, Liberty is the second oldest incorporated town west of the Mississippi River.

The Liberty Landing was located along the Missouri River. During the 1830s, the Liberty Landing was one of several steamboat docks located along the Missouri River.  As Liberty was the "jumping off" point for the frontier and westward expansionists, the Liberty Landing was a disembarking location for merchandise and early settlers for those coming from St. Louis and other points from the east.  The steamboats would fire a cannon when they were several miles away from Liberty in order to give merchants and the town's people time to reach the dock before the boat arrived.  During this decade, as many as five "steamers" would move up the river daily and at least one would dock at the Liberty Landing.

The Liberty Jail, built in 1833, is known for its most famous prisoner, Joseph Smith, first president and prophet of the Church of Jesus Christ of the Later Day Saints.  Mr. Smith and six of his followers were housed in the jail during the winter of 1839.  From the late 1840s through the 1860s, an exodus of more than 70,000 Mormons passed through on their way to their "New Zion" in Salt Lake City, Utah.