Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area awards St. Joseph Museums $10K grant

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) -- St. Joseph Museums, in partnership with the Black Archives Museum, has received a $10,000 grant from the Freedom Frontier National Heritage Area (FFNHA) to support the development of Midtown Corridor Signs: Exploring Black History in St. Joseph.

The project, "Midtown Corridor Signs: Exploring Black History in St. Joseph," will create interpretive signs along the new Midtown history corridor. The corridor stretches from Wyeth-Tootle Mansion to the Bartlett Center, a former segregated school that operated from the 1880s until 1954.

The signage will highlight significant people, events and themes within St. Joseph's Black community.

"This project allows us to honor and uplift the voices, experiences, and resilience of the Black
community in Midtown while creating a meaningful, accessible pathway for residents and
visitors to learn about this history,” said Sara Wilson, executive director of St. Joseph
Museums. "FFNHA’s support ensures that these stories—many long overlooked—are
preserved and shared with future generations.”

Freedom Frontier is a congressionally designated national heritage area that spans eastern Kansas and western Missouri. They work with partners to preserve and share the stories of the region's role in shaping the nation's history.

"Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area is proud to support projects like this that bring our
shared history to life,” said Lucinda Adams, FFNHA executive director. “By investing in local
partners, we’re helping communities preserve their stories, engage new audiences, and
strengthen heritage tourism across the region.”

The Midtown Corridor project is expected to be completed by June 25, 2027, with both physical signage and a mobile/online component offering a virtual walkthrough.