Weston Founded 1837

From Weston- Queen of the Platte Purchase 1837-1900 by Mrs. B.J. Bless, Jr., a noted and award-winning journalist

Published by The Weston Chronicle, September 1969 

Excerpt from Chapter 1

With reasonable credibility it is assumed that as early as 1819 a small settlement of Frenchmen, probably from Kickapoo, across the Missouri from Weston, had located at the “mouth of Pensineau Creek with a small tavern”, forerunner of Wells’ Rialto Inn.  The creek ran from the (later) Distillery grounds to the Missouri River.  It is named for a Frenchman who came to Salt Creek, Kansas with the Kickapoo migration from Michigan in 1831.

By 1840 the liquor traffic had become so troublesome to the Ft. Leavenworth authorities (Ft. Leavenworth was established in 1827) that the Military Reservation was extended to include Rialto.  While it was never really enforced rigidly, it did end the popularity of Pensineau’s Landing. 

Joseph (or Joel) Moore, a discharged Dragoon, purchased the site later to become Weston from an Indian trader named McPherson* for a barrel of whiskey.  Having concluded to lay out a town he employed one Tom E. Weston, First Sergeant of Com. D., First Dragoons.  Captain Hunter was the company commander and Col. Kearney commander of the Regiment.  In a letter owned by the late Maud Barton Poss, Weston wrote:

“I had erected a small log shanty on Main Street** for an office and was employed in surveying the town when two strangers rode up to introduce themselves.  One was Bela M. Hughes, the other his cousin, Ben Holladay.  They had come from Liberty to examine the site, study the maps and assess the general outlook.

“Holladay asked me what I would take for the shanty.  I told him $25. He closed the deal by handing me the money.

“The town I named Weston, as it was at that time the fartherest town west in trade.

“The town grew fast; men came in to erect stores for business ventures. Bela Hughes built on Main Street and put in a large stock of dry goods. Mr. Holladay made some money, put up a 2-story frame house, bought some drugs from a friend named Marshal in St. Louis and opened a drug store. He was appointed Weston’s first postmaster. 

*McPherson operated a trading post on land near the present McCormick Distillery Site.

**Identified later as How Shoe Store site at Main & Short Streets

***Southeast corner Main & Thomas Streets