• Missouri Mule Museum (MMM): Jeanie shared that several visitors to the museum said they came after seeing the billboards on Highway 61 and Highway 154.  To date, the museum has had visitors from 27 states and 2 foreign countries.    The showbox parade to celebrate our country’s 250th birthday was a hit, and Jeanie is already planning for a Christmas Tree parade.  To participate, decorate a 2 foot Christmas tree (or smaller) and bring it to the museum.  More information will be provided closer to the Christmas season.

• Missouri Mule Museum t-shirts are available for $20.  

• Lasagna Supper Fundraiser: The annual Lasagna Supper fundraiser has been set for January 16, 2027.  The event will again be held at the RDC Multipurpose Building north of Perry.This year, we will add additional food items for individuals that don’t care for lasagna.

• Perry Bank Restoration:  No update

• Preserving County Documents and other Artifacts: No update

• Area Historical Society Meeting: Area historical societies met at the Randolph County Historical Society on August 7, 2026.  The event brought together thirty-one participants representing ten Northeast Missouri historical societies and/or partner agencies to network and discuss each organization’s efforts to preserve and celebrate the region’s rich heritage.  Organizations represented included the Audrain County Historical Society, the Huntsville Historical Society, Monroe County Historical Society, the Ralls County Historical Society, the Randolph County Historical Society, the Macon County Historical Society, the South Howard County Historical Society, the State Historical Society of Missouri, the City of Moberly, and the Sons of Confederate Veterans, Col. Elijah Gates Camp 570. Dr. Bondy shared an overview of Randolph County history, including information about Stamper Mills, which later became Banquet Foods, which after a buyout by RCA began making TV meals, Omar Bradley, Rothwell Park, Brown Shoe Factory, Major League Baseball, Black History, DuPont, the Wabash Railroad, the city’s designation as “Magic City,” coining the term “juicy burger,” Everlast,  the depot district, Shepherd Area Radio, MACC, Central Christian College,  Walmart #40 and the Jacksonville Cemetery, just to name a few of the topics.The Randolph County Museum features a wide variety of historical artifacts that tell the story of Randolph County.  It also features a model of Moberly’s downtown area in 1964, highlighting the railroad system's importance to the development of the city and county.  J. W. Ballinger shared information about Rothwell Park and the Rothwell Park Miniature Railroad.  The Railroad is open on Sundays from 1:00 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. Troy Bock of the City of Moberly shared that participating in current events within the community, which for Moberly includes the car show and Farmer’s Market, and having something that pulls young people into your business or organization goes a long way in getting people interested in your business or organization. The next quarterly meeting of this group will be held sometime between November and January, and details will be shared as soon as they are finalized.  Thank you, Randolph County Historical Society, for hosting area historical societies, giving a tour of the Randolph County Historical Society Museum, sharing an outstanding meal, and reminding each of us that history belongs to all of us!

• All Time History:  No updates.

• Current Research Requests:  Kathy Dodd is looking for photos of the original post office in Perry.  As background, before Perry was officially a town, the Lick Creek Post Office provided mail services, and it was located close-to/on Lick Creek.  The next post office was in the building that currently is Tony Elam’s computer business. The current Perry Post Office is the third location.  Another patron is seeking to find the location of the trail through the Cincinnati area.

• Public Outreach Opportunities: .

  • August 22:  Northeast Missouri Genealogical Society Meeting

  • August 22:  Oak Hill School Gathering:  Meal, local music, no charge

  • August 24:  Freedom Tribute Wall at American Legion in Hannibal (3819 Hwy. MM), 8am – 8pm

  • August 25:  Freedom Tribute Wall at American Legion in Hannibal (3819 Hwy. MM), 8am – 3pm

  • August 26: Freedom Tribute Wall at American Legion in Hannibal (3819 Hwy. MM), 8am – 8pm

  • August 29:  Misfits Car Show in ILASCO

  • September 4-5:  Perry All Town Garage Sales

  • September 16: RCHS Meeting, 10:00 a.m., Perry City Hall

  • September 16:  Mark Twain Homecoming Parade

  • September 26:  Tentative date for Center Fall Festival

  • September 26: Oak Hill School Gathering:  Meal, local music, no charge

  • October 2-4:  New London City-Wide Garage Sales

  • October 7:  Monroe County Historical Society Banquet at Paris School District Central Office/Ag Building, time TBD.  Holocaust survivor Linda Hogan will be the guest of honor for the event. 

  • October 10:  ILASCO’s 2nd Annual Cake Piknik.   This is a ticketed event. 

  • October 11-12:  Great River Yard Sales in Saverton, Fort Mason Trail, and Turkey Run Subdivision

  • October 21: RCHS Meeting, 10:00 a.m., Perry City Hall

  • October 24: Northeast Missouri Genealogical Society Meeting

  • November 18: RCHS Meeting, 10:00 a.m., Perry City Hall

  • November 21:  Perry Holiday Market

  • December 4:  Christmas in ILASCO

  • December 5:  Perry Small Town Christmas

  • December 16: RCHS Meeting, 10:00 a.m., Perry City Hall

  • January 16, 2027:  RCHS Annual Lasagna Fundraiser

• Recent Donations:  Gene Waters is working with RCHS to donate his collection of genealogy records and other Ralls County items.  Jeanie Gay thanked Cindy Lynn-Drainer and her daughter for decorating the windows and entryway to the RCHS Museum.  The patriotic display is greatly appreciated by all.

• Payment of Bills with Receipts: 3 receipts were presented.

• Carolyn Trower, $27.63:  Display case for military patches and medals

• Delores Woodhurst, $10.45:  State of Missouri Annual Registration Report

• Delores Woodhurst, $100.00:  RCHS’s Silver Level Membership in State Historical Society of Missouri 

• Financial Information as of 7/31/2026:  Ending balance $45,914.87.

• President’s Update:  Ron Leake thanked everyone in attendance for their support of RCHS, sharing a message that he hopes the group will continue to build on the momentum that is currently happening within the organization.  Delores shared the following:

• Hidden in Plain Sight:  Uncovering the people and places that have been here all along.  Margot McMillen and Heather Roberson have worked with RCHS in the past when visiting Brush Creek Cemetery to tell the story of Martha Tolton, the mother of Fr. Augustus Tolton, the first known African American priest ordained in the Catholic Church.  Recently, Margot shared a pamphlet about their podcast,  Hidden in Plain Sight:  Uncovering the people and places that have been here all along. A copy of their brochure was passed out. For more information, visit https://www.hiddenmissouri.com/

• The July newsletter of RCHS, Recollections, was distributed.  You can find all newsletters at https://www.rallscohistoricalsociety.com/newsletters.

• Randolph County Historical Society generously donated two inkjet printers to RCHS.  The Shelby County Historical Society voted to donate its extra copier and water dispenser to RCHS.  The group's consensus is to thank both groups and accept the inkjet printers from Randolph County and the copier and water dispenser from the Shelby County Historical Society.  

• Delores recently shared a program about trains with participants in the Ralls County Library Summer program.  The library paid Delores $50 for the program, and Delores donated this money to RCHS.

• If you would like to volunteer your time and/or talents, please contact Delores Woodhurst, 573-248-7445, dvwoodhurst@gmail.com.

The meeting adjourned at 10:53 a.m.  The next meeting is September 16, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. at Perry City Hall.  The meeting is open to the public, and we hope anyone interested in preserving, celebrating, and honoring Ralls County's history will attend. 

Students from the Ralls County Elementary Student Leadership Team and RCHS Student Interns assisted in the evening’s events, including welcoming guests, serving drinks, bussing tables, and assisting with the auction.  Ralls County Elementary Student Leadership Team members assisting included Izzy Browning, Haven Elliott, Mallory Diffenderfer, Trinity Logan, Auburn Simmons, Sapphire Muehring, Blaire Gilmore, and Avery Jones, Jaelyn Wieczorek, and Jackson Keil, along with their advisors, Diana Duckworth and Julia Henderson.  RCHS Student Interns assisting with the event included Landon Pease, Evie Bickel, Maeley Moss, Ericka Gilbert, and Alyvia Paxton.  Having youth involved was a wonderful addition to the event.

Jeanie Gay, Carolyn Trower, and Sarah Petersheim worked the main table, accepting memberships, selling calendars and books, and assisting with the auction.  All paper products for the event were donated by Dennis and Debbie McMillen, owners of Center Locker.

Presiding Commissioner John Lake and his wife, Sharon, and Western District Commissioner John Wieczorek and his wife, Carol, sold raffle tickets for a gun that was donated by all three commissioners, including Eastern District Commissioner Junior Muehring and his wife, Jenny.  Proceeds from the gun raffle will benefit the Ralls County Historical Society. 

After enjoying the meal, Elementary Leadership Team members led the group in the Pledge of Allegiance to kick off a brief program before the auction got underway.  President Ron Leake thanked those in attendance for their continued support and encouraged volunteerism. Leake has been the president of RCHS since 2002 and continues to be an integral piece of the organization.  Leake acknowledged and honored the men, women, and children who came together in 1976 to form an organization dedicated to preserving, celebrating, and honoring the history of Ralls County, several of whom were in attendance.  When the Society was founded in 1976, there were approximately 130 members. While membership has surged and waned over the years, RCHS is proud to have 135 members today.

In 2025, RCHS issued a call for submissions to design a new official seal for Ralls County Historical Society. Several thoughtful entries were received, and after review, RCHS unanimously selected Christina Strode's design.  Vice President Delores Woodhurst asked Strode to come forward, and Strode was recognized and thanked, as her seal, which was on display for viewing at the event, became the official seal of the Ralls County Historical Society.  The narrative that accompanied Strode’s design is included below.

Creating the Ralls County Historical Society seal has been a fun experience for me, and one that truly means a lot.  My husband Joseph's family roots run deep in the Ralls County dirt!  My family lives on my husband's family farm, where his 3x Great Grandfather Hedgman Wilson lived.  The Wilson family moved to Clay Township, near Spalding, in Ralls County, from Virginia in the mid-1800s.  His 4x Great Grandfather Jeremiah Strode moved to Ralls County, where his family grew.  Joseph's 3x Grandfather, Edward Strode, became a prominent doctor in New London, and there is even a street named after him. In an effort to create a unique design, I researched many seals from around the country for layout ideas.  In the outer ring, 1820 represents the year Ralls County was formed.  The central focus of the seal is our beautiful courthouse, with the year it was built, 1858, prominently displayed on the front.  Around the courthouse are iconic symbols of our county.  In the top right, you see the great Clarence Cannon Dam with the beautiful Mark Twain Lake behind it.  To the right of the courthouse is a crappie, a fishing favorite on the lake.  My son works at the marina, and the number one question he is asked daily is, "Are the crappie biting?"  There are oak leaves and acorns to show homage to the abundant nature in our county.  Near the bottom, corn represents our rich agricultural heritage.  To the left of the courthouse is the iconic state animal, the Missouri Mule.  On the top left, you see a handsome whitetail, representing the wildlife in our area.  Separating the words in the outer ring are yellow cone flowers.  These flowers are also known as the Ozark cone flower and can be found growing wild and free along many of our roads.  The three main colors of the seal are red, white, and blue.  They reflect the Missouri State flag, and, of course, our nation.  The people of Ralls County are patriotic and deeply love our land! It was my pleasure to research and design a seal that will serve as a lasting visual representation of our great county.  Thank you for considering my design for Ralls County Historical Society's official seal.

John Wallace, assisted by his grandson and RCHS Student Intern Landon Pease, facilitated the auction of donated items.   The auction served not only as entertainment but also as an important fundraiser supporting museum operations, preservation initiatives, and local history programming.  The feature item of the auction was shared ownership in RCHS’s copy of Ralls County Missouri by Goldena Howard.  In 1980, Goldena Howard published Ralls County Missouri, known to many as “the green book,” and the book remains the most comprehensive single history of Ralls County ever created. Mrs. Howard spent decades researching the people and places of Ralls County, personally funding the project and overseeing every detail. Nearly half the book is devoted to Ralls County families. Mrs. Howard believed it was important to document the people living here at the time, those whose stories were not yet recorded in history books.  Her work was never about recognition or profit, but about preservation. Ralls County Missouri continues to be a treasured resource for families, researchers, and community members. As RCHS celebrates its 50th birthday, Mrs. Howard’s work stands as a cornerstone of its mission to preserve, honor, and celebrate Ralls County.  Individuals purchasing ownership in this book, which will continue to be housed at the Ralls County Historical Society’s museum in Perry include Jon and Pam Barnes, Greg Sharpe for State Senate, Michele Keil, Wiley and Susan Hibbard, Ryan, Sarah, and Carter Petersheim, Brian and Linda Hodges, Brian and Delores Woodhurst, Ron and Sandy Myers, Cindy Lynn-Drainer, Chad and Meri Williams, Jim and Jeanie Gay, and Landon Pease. 

Numerous individuals, businesses, and organizations donated items for the auction, including Leanne Reed, Wiley Hibbard, Dustin Wasson of South Lake Design, Mary Kay Weiss, Michele Keil of Salt River Realty, Kerri Jo Reese of Crossroads Bar & Grill, Hannah Smith and Tessa Meranda of Polish & Glow, Dustin and Jan Garner of Lake Country Gardens, Delores Woodhurst, Cindy Lynn-Drainer of At-Home Realty, Brad Stinson, Tracy Mundell of Shaggy’s Hair Salon, Lydia, Lola, and Randy McDonald of Meadows Campground & Coffeehouse, Brandon and Skylar Anderson of Anderson Auto Body & Detailing, John DiMaria of Perry Economic Development Group, Debbie Hodges, Brice & Ashley Harvey of Harvey’s Floral Boutique and Premier Pest Solutions, Rachel Jones, Frances, Dean, Kris, Jason, and Kristie Yancey of Yancey Auto Sales, Ralls County Clerk Brandy Flynn, Ralls County Collector Tara Comer, Penny Cearley, Western District Commissioner John Wieczorek, Eastern District Commissioner Junior Muehring, Presiding Commissioner John Lake, and District 5 State Representative Louis Riggs. 

Ralls County Historical Society extends heartfelt thanks to the many volunteers who made the evening possible. The Society also thanks everyone who attended, contributed, or supported the event in any way.  As RCHS looks ahead to its next fifty years, the organization invites the community to stay engaged by becoming members, volunteering, or participating in upcoming events. For more information about the Ralls County Historical Society and its programs, please visit rallscohistoricalsociety.com or follow RCHS on Facebook.

More event photos are available on our Facebook page!

Physical Address:

Ralls County Historical Museum 

105 East Main Street

Perry, MO 63462

Missouri Mule Museum & Ralls County Historical Library

114 East Main Street

Perry, MO 63462

Mailing Address:

Ralls County, Missouri Historical Society

PO Box 463

Perry, MO 63462