Trolley Tour Highlights Historical Points of Interest in Sedalia

I got to take the Historic Trolley Tour on Thursday at noon, thanks to organizer (and local author, historian, educator and public speaker) Becky Singer Carr Imhauser.

The rainy tour was one of two scheduled for Thursday, with two more slated for Friday and one final trolley tour on Saturday.

It was so popular in its inaugural year in 2024, that the tour returned in 2025 with all seats selling out very quickly.

The trolley seats over two dozen people, with driver Mike, his assistant Nancy and Becky (dressed in period costume) standing for the entire 90-minute tour of historical places in Sedalia.

Some of the “points of interest” on the tour included Jack Okie's boyhood home, Bob Darch's gravestone, George R. Smith college site, Sedalia Hospital #2, C.C. Hubbard School, Hubbard Park, Crown Hill Cemetery, Katy Depot, the old Chevy dealership building (now ABC advertising), Byron & Judy Matson's home, Ron J. Jennings's former home and Liberty Park.

In addition, Becky narrates for the guests on a PA system, all the while holding on to a vertical metal pole to keep her on her feet. She only had to refers to her notes once. Otherwise, she has all her facts, figures and names in her head. Did I mention she is an amazing public speaker? (and a lovely, well-prepared radio show guest).

This year’s trolley tour was extended from one hour to 90 minutes, to accommodate an extended stop at Liberty Park, where Monty Suffren entertained visitors with four songs on a piano situated at “David Moore’s Train House,” which opened four years ago.

Suffren was the chosen entertainer for Thursday’s trolley tour. He has been playing piano for more than seven decades (he had his first piano lesson on his seventh birthday). His day job was teaching chemical engineering for 40 years, and later aviation sciences in his native Australia, and later in Texas where he currently lives.

Suffern says he officially discovered ragtime at the Scott Joplin International Ragtime Music Festival in 2003. He placed second in the senior division in the Old Time Piano Contest in 2022.

Rumor has it he flew to Sedalia for the festival in an airplane that he built himself (not confirmed).

After his outdoor performance at Liberty Park, I got to sit next to him on the trolley on the way back to the trolley depot (corner of Fifth and Osage).

By way of explanation, I could only take decent photos of views seen on the left side of the trolley with my window wide open.

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Free performances can be enjoyed today from 9 to 5 at the Pavilion, the Stark Tent and the Katy Depot, and on Saturday

From 9 to 3 at the Pavilion and Katy Depot.

The Stark Tent will be alive with free entertainment from 9 to 5 Saturday.

On Friday there will be two paid concerts at the Hayden Liberty Center – Ragtime Currents at 2 p.m., ($28) and An Evening With Joshua Rifkin at 7:30 p.m. ($32).

On Saturday there will be two paid concerts – Euphonic Sounds at 12 p.m., ($28) and The Ragtime Music Hall at 7:30 p.m. ($40).

On Thursday there is a Symposia offered at 9 a.m., at the Liberty Center for $15.

Free dance lessons will be offered at the Fox Theatre at 11 today. At 1 p.m., free dances lessons for kids.

At 5;45 p.m., The Ragtime Dance will be held at the Fox ($28).

On Saturday at 10 a.m., a Ragtime Parade will be held starting at 7th and Ohio.

Each night after the concert lets out, a Ragtime Afterglow takes place at Best Western State Fair Motor Inn, 32nd and Limit, starting around 10 p.m. The event is BYOB, as there will be no professional bartender available at the motel this year, it was noted.