What would the state look like today if the capital wasn't Jefferson City? But Sedalia?
That almost happened 120 years ago.
Sedalia champion John Bothwell was determined to make Sedalia a state institution and for 30 years he was relentless trying to make the town something more than the location of four railroads and premiere brothels. Ultimately, he makes a play for the biggest state institution in a surreptitious political maneuver that surprises everyone.
Picture this: Feb. 20, 1895. Under the cover of the early morning darkness, Sedalia residents quietly slipping off of a train into Jefferson City, invading the town to steal its most prized position. Jefferson City never knew what hit it.