Commerce museum soaking with history

The small village of Commerce, Mo., has quite a history with the Mississippi River.

The Commerce Museum has recorded that history and vows not to lose the battle this year, no matter how high the water gets.

Expected to crest April 26, the river was predicted to approach 42 feet in Cape Girardeau, the 11th highest on record. Much of Commerce was inundated.

"Even if the water rises we will still be open; we just move everything down the street to another building until the water recedes," said Dixie Dodson, who is a member of the Commerce Historical Society and was moving items out of her former gift shop early that week due to the water creeping toward her property.

The museum recently opened its doors for the 2013 season and is inviting the public to come experience "how things were in the old days." Museum curator Lois LeDure said the museum has many artifacts showing how things used to be, such as old farm equipment, an extensive photo collection; artifacts relating to river industry, a genealogy library and even a canonball from the Civil War.

Commerce was legally established in 1797 but dates back to circa 1760 when the area was used as a trading post. The town was once one of the largest in Missouri because of its location on the Mississippi River and, according to LeDure, Commerce was the stopping point for many of the immigrants who settled surrounding small communities that still are in existence today.

A once-bustling city, riverboats and trains kept the city alive and provided industry for the region. According to LeDure, Commerce was once full of many large and small businesses: a large flour mill, Koch Pottery, Post Brothers Tile Factory and Anderson Mercantile to name a few. Due to the evolution of transportation in our country, LeDure said people simply quit stopping in Commerce.

"We are just out of the way now. When the vehicle became mainstream, the railroad and river traffic began to bypass us," said LeDure.

While much of the historic architecture has been taken by the river, neglect or fire, there are still several historic homes and buildings left to admire. While the historic buildings and homes aren't available for tours and are privately owned, museum-goers can learn their history before driving by to admire the town. The museum itself is housed in an old Baptist church built circa 1905 and sits across the street from a one-story Queen Anne home and a two-story brick school house built in 1905. The "Anderson Homes" also survive and are currently under renovation. These homes are from the Victorian Era with one having a turret overlooking the river. The Methodist church down the street from the museum is still used for Sunday services and is more than 150 years old. Along with several other historic homes, buildings and a clapboard-sided city hall located in the city park, there are five known cemeteries located throughout Commerce with tombstones dating back to the 1700s.

The Commerce Museum opened its doors in 1996 to offer visitors a place to learn about the areas rich history. Visitors can visit the museum from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. every weekend through October.