OSAGE COUNTY — The Osage County Agritourism Council sponsored a bus tour of Hope on Thursday. Participants visited three historic structures, had a wonderful “Sunday dinner” meal at the Salem Hope Presbyterian Church, visited a longhorn cattle ranch, and finished by viewing a personal collection of Allis-Chalmers tractors.

According to information provided by tour organizer Mary Ann Gelven, Hope was originally called Boegers Store, after the first store, built in 1859 and owned by Christopher Simon Boeger. In 1897, the community decided to change the name of their town. During a town meeting, they put two names, Hope and Rose, in a hat. Hope was drawn, and became the town’s new name.

In 1886, August Boeger sold three acres of land to Fritz Stock, on the condition he build a mill for the community. A wooden, steam-powered mill was built. In the 1890s, the mill was purchased by A. Henry Heidbreder, who built the present limestone mill after the wooden structure burned down in 1898.

The tour began with the three-story limestone mill. The building was purchased by a couple from St. Louis/Chicago, who completely restored it and converted it to a private residence.

Participants then toured the old mercantile store, a three-story limestone building that was built around 1859 by Henry Broeker.

Broeker quarried the stone from Butcher’s Bluff, on the Gasconade River, hand-cutting the stone for $400. He lived near Pershing and would go home from Hope to Pershing a couple of times a week, walking seven miles each way. The building took two years to complete.

The store was purchased by a couple from Houston, Texas. The current owners are both engineers. He is originally from Maine and she is from New York. They have had the exterior limestone repaired, have mostly restored the second floor into living quarters, and are working on restoring the first floor. 

“The original tongue-and-groove wood floor has been sanded and refinished on the second floor, and is beautiful,” said Osage County Agritourism President Steve Duncan. “The wooden support beams in the basement are incredible.

“Another amazing feature is a rope hoist that goes from the third story down to the basement, with a trap door in each floor,” Duncan added. “The hoist has a wooden cylinder at the top that the rope hoist winds around to be raised and lowered. The cylinder moves to wind and unwind the rope via other ropes and pulleys. The building owner said he used the hoist to raise a 300-pound refrigerator from the first floor to the second floor.” 

Participants next toured the one-room Hope School, which is currently used by a group of community ladies who meet once a week to quilt.

“The community housed a school and four churches at one time,” Gelven said. “Friendship School, first built of logs in 1848, was later replaced with a stone building in 1868. The rock building was replaced with a frame structure, which was christened Hope School round the turn of the century. In 1911, it is recorded that 90 pupils were enrolled in Hope School.”

Lunch (or dinner, as it was called in the days of old) was served at the Salem Hope Presbyterian Church, followed by a visit to the church and cemetery, and a presentation by Mike Nolting and Pastor Jason Hilkerbaumer on the history of the church.

Sometime around 1835-1840, a German Presbyterian denomination was organized. Church services were conducted in pioneer homes during the early years. In 1863, on land purchased from Daniel Hoffmann, a log church was built. Today, the church is called Salem United Presbyterian Church, and still conducts regular services.

In the afternoon, they visited a Hope Creek Longhorn Cattle Ranch.

The tour concluded at a farm where the owner restores Allis-Chalmers tractors and has collected around 30 of the machines.