Gordon-Collins Log Cabin
Furnished with authentic period collectibles and artifacts necessary to prosper in frontier life, the Gordon-Collins Log Cabin may possibly be the oldest surviving log structure in Boone County. Built around 1821 by David Gordon, Sr., the cabin is said to have served as the family’s temporary quarters while a large plantation-style house was built. The cabin served later as slave quarters and the home of hired laborers. Portable looms, spinning wheels, tools, and cookware are evidence of appropriate essentials in this cozy living environment. This cabin speaks volumes about early pioneer life in Boone county.
Easley Country Store
A county landmark, the Easley Store, stocked with items for trade, sale and postal service, befitting a turn-of-the-century country establishment. Three generations of the Easley family provided services to the Easley community for one hundred years. Built originally in 1890 by William Greene Easley on the banks of the Missouri River in the southwest part of the county, the store has been reconstructed at Boone Junction using historical photographs, detailed interviews, and portions of the original building. The interior has been completely refurbished, reminding folks of days when shopping meant picking up all of your essentials, along with the mail, in one location.
Shotgun House
This “shotgun” style home was originally built on Garth Street in Columbia around 1911 by Luther McQuitty, an early black contractor and realtor in Boone County. Shotgun houses were typically long and narrow, usually three or four rooms, with doors connecting one room to the next. They are so named because a shot fired from a shotgun at the front door could reach the back door without ever touching a wall. The McQuitty shotgun house has front and back doors in the center of the ends of the house but the connecting doors between rooms are along the right-hand side of the house. It is known to be one of the few surviving houses of this design in Columbia.
River-Horse Pavillion
Home of Nikawa — Nikawa is one of only a few vessels to cross the continent on inland waterways since the Lewis & Clark Corps of Discovery Expedition in 1804–06. Boone county resident and “River-Horse” author William “Least Heat-Moon” Trogdon piloted Nikawa across American waterways and donated the boat to BCHS in 1995. He also contributed artifacts and documents relating to this historic voyage. Open at all times the River-Horse Pavilion celebrates the spirit of adventure and the historic Missouri River.
Ryland Farm House
The newest addition to the Village at Boone Junction is the Queen Anne period Ryland Farm House. Future additions include the 1950s steel Lustron House, and the one-room Burnett School House.