St. Joseph, Missouri is a friendly retirement community known for its high quality of senior living.

St. Joseph MO History

Joseph Robidoux established a trading post with the Indians in 1826. The trading post became a fur-trading empire that eventually led to the formation of the city of St. Joseph in 1843. The discovery of gold in California in 1848 greatly accelerated westward migration. Hundreds of thousands of settlers arrived at St. Joseph by steamboat and hundreds of wagon trains lined the streets waiting to be ferried across the Missouri River. St. Joseph's proximity to the Missouri River and accessibility by river, rail and land made it an important supply and distribution point to the entire western half of the country.

Political tension leading up to the Civil War led to the establishment of the Pony Express in 1860, with St. Joseph becoming the eastern terminus. The Civil War years were very difficult, with divided loyalties and much violence.

In 1881, the famous outlaw Jesse James moved his family to St. Joseph. Living under the assumed name of Tom Howard, James attended church, but did not work for a living. There was $10,000 reward for capturing James. Bob Ford, whom James recruited to help rob a bank, killed Jesse James in his own home with a single bullet to the back of the head on April 3, 1882.

St. Joseph Missouri – A Quality Retirement Community

Today, St. Joseph Missouri has a friendly, small-town atmosphere that provides a world-class quality of life.