When Gallatin’s Dockery Park was added to the city’s amenities, it included a beautiful white bandstand where crowds were entertained during the summer months.
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No one seems to know what happened to the structure or exactly where in the park it was located. When a postcard of it from 1909 surfaced, the park board was determined to rebuild it. An Amish carpenter, John Graber of J.A.M. Wood Products, was hired to recreate the bandstand using the postcard as a guide.
It was completed in 2015, and today forms a perfect backdrop to the northwest Missouri town’s 4th of July in Gallatin festival. Last year, the 135th Army Band’s Bear Bras performed at the event and gathered on the steps of the bandstand for our cover photo.
Representative of various branches of the armed forces were on hand, as will first responders showing off the latest lifesaving technology. A patriotic program featured country singer Bryan Fontenot. Afterwards, a professional fireworks display lit up the sky.
Gallatin is also home to one of the three remaining rotary jails in the United States. No trip to the northwest Missouri town would be complete without checking out the unusual jail that once had revolving cells. It is located two blocks west of the courthouse.