Route 66 - Stanton, Missouri

 

At first glance, Stanton might not appear to have much to recommend to someone taking in the sights and landmarks of historic Route 66, but this small, unincorporated community is up there with every other example of not judging a book by its cover. Since Rittenhouse's 1946 guide to Highway 66, the town appears to have shrunk even further – back then, there was a garage, a gas station, a cafe, a shop, and a few cabins. Now, the only business open year-round is the gas station, although the famed Jesse James Wax Museum makes a good trade in the Summer when it is open daily and at the weekends in Spring and Autumn. Like the town, it pretty much closes down in Winter. 

Stanton is, however, close to the famous Meramec Caverns, where the James gang holed up to avoid arrest. The caves are natural limestone, formed more than 400 million years ago. They have been used variously for shelter by Native Americans, to collect saltpetre for the production of gunpowder in the 18th century, and even as a venue for ballroom dances in the 1890s - the same area of the caves can still be rented today for private special events. 

The wax museum is devoted to all things Jesse James - including photographs of the outlaw, plus several personal items and vintage firearms. You will also hear the legend of what was possibly the greatest feat of James' criminal career; officially, he was gunned down by Bob Ford, a member of his own gang, in 1882, but legend has him escaping and dying at the grand old age of 101 in Texas in 1951. It would make a fitting end to the tale of the modern-day Robin Hood. However, family questioning and recent DNA evidence have sadly debunked this.