Clay County officials are considering walking away from their lease on the Jesse James Bank Museum in Liberty, Missouri, a move that could end the county's operation of the historic site by December 31. The Clay County Parks, Recreation & Historic Sites Department has recommended terminating the lease after years of financial losses at the museum, which occupies a building the county does not own.
The recommendation came during a Clay County Commission meeting on August 27, as reported by KSHB 41 Kansas City. Parks staff recommended that commissioners authorize a 90-day notice of lease termination, according to the station's report. John Davis, director of the Clay County Parks, Recreation & Historic Sites Department, made the case directly to commissioners, saying the county pays rent, staffing, electricity, supplies and other operating costs to display belongings it does not own.
The museum, at 104 East Franklin Street, has not generated enough revenue to cover its expenses, per the same account. It brought in $22,411 in 2023 and just $19,997 in 2025, and per proposal documents cited in the report, it has posted an annual deficit of roughly $29,000 to $33,000 in each of the past three full years.
A Price Hike Aimed at World Cup Tourists Fell Flat
County parks staff had already tried to close the gap by raising admission prices, hoping to capture a wave of visitors tied to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, according to a Facebook post detailing the August 27 commission meeting. The anticipated surge in tourism never materialized, the post notes, leaving the museum's finances essentially unchanged even after the price increase took effect.
Rent on the building rose to $1,900 per month in April 2026 and is set to climb again, to $2,200 per month, by April 2027, per the KSHB report. Davis argued the county should not keep investing money in a property it does not own, suggesting the savings could instead go toward historic properties the county already owns and can preserve as permanent public assets — including the Jesse James Birthplace Museum in Kearney, which sits on the original 1800s homestead cabin where Jesse James was born in 1847, according to KC Parent.
Commissioners Torn Between Budget and History
Not everyone on the commission is on board with cutting ties. Presiding Commissioner Jerry Nolte said Jesse James is important to Clay County history and said the historical importance outweighs the dollar amount, per the KSHB report. Nolte said he hopes to keep the museum operating, and commissioners have said they will gather more public input before making a final decision, with the final say resting with the county commission.
The building's significance stretches well beyond local budget lines. The February 13, 1866 robbery at the Clay County Savings Association there is documented by historians as the first successful peacetime daylight bank robbery in United States history, according to PBS American Experience, carried out by a group of former Confederate guerrillas. Bandits made off with roughly $60,000 in cash, gold, silver, bonds and tax stamps — including about $45,000 in government bonds and $518 in tax stamps — an amount equivalent to more than $1 million today, per Missouri Life.
The heist proved fatal. Nineteen-year-old George “Jolly” Wymore, a William Jewell College student, was shot and killed on the street outside the building as bandits mounted their escape. The unrecovered loss ultimately forced the Clay County Savings Association to settle with creditors for 60 cents on the dollar and close its doors permanently, according to Wikipedia's entry on the Clay County Savings Association Building. The two-story brick structure, built in 1858–1859 in the Federal architectural style, was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1992 and stands one block northeast of the Clay County Courthouse.
Preservationists and Neighbors Push Back
Local advocates argue the county's math misses the point. Historic preservationist Gieselle Fest, who previously served as Clay County Historic Sites Director and operated the museum's first private gift shop, said closing the museum would harm historic preservation, per KSHB's reporting. Fest, who also serves as Secretary-Treasurer of the National James-Younger Gang organization and lives in Liberty, said the museum tells stories about local residents and banking that go beyond the bank robbery itself.
Neva Farrar, who owns Max and Charlie's boutique next door to the museum, said the site brings business to downtown Liberty. David Langston, a Liberty resident, said the museum's value cannot be measured only in dollars and argued the bank should be preserved and need not produce a large profit to have value. Michaela Lynn, who lives in the Northland, said the area's history should be preserved and wants the museum to remain in place.
The Building's Owner Is Waiting on the County
Mark Mathes, who owns the property, declined an interview request from KSHB reporter Fernanda Silva. Mathes said the commission's decision must come before he plans next steps, and he has indicated he will review the outcome of the county's decision and determine appropriate next steps for the building.
There is also a municipal wrinkle to consider. In August 2025, the Liberty City Council approved a Chapter 353 downtown redevelopment zone amendment covering the property, according to a report from Citizen Portal. Chapter 353 zones offer tax abatement incentives meant to encourage property maintenance and commercial revitalization, though it remains unclear whether the city would use those tools to intervene if the county's lease ends. Whether Mathes will seek a new private operator or sell the building, and how Clay County commissioners will ultimately weigh public sentiment against the recommended 90-day termination notice, are questions that remain unresolved as the commission continues gathering input.
