Why is the Stars and Stripes museum located here? On November 9, 1861, soldiers of the Illinois 8^th, 11^th, 18^th, and 29^th Regiments, after pushing Confederate forces south, set up camp in Bloomfield, Missouri. Upon finding the newspaper office empty, ten of these soldiers decided to print a newspaper for their regiments, relating troop activities. They called it the Stars and Stripes, after their beloved flag and our nation's symbol of freedom. This was the beginning of the 139 year history of the "Soldier's Newspaper" which has been treasured by virtually every service man and woman who has since served their country. Bloomfield is the birthplace of the Stars and Stripes. By the year 2002, a Missouri State Veteran's Cemetery will be sited immediately adjacent to the proposed museum additions, underscoring the value of the museum complex to American citizens.

Future plans are for the Museum/Library to be developed in five building stages, at a cost of about $500,000 each in approximately two-year intervals, making this a ten-year project. Sufficient funds ($125,000) were raised to construct our first building. Our complete complex will cost about $3,000,000. A local capital campaign has been launched, followed by an expanded campaign to further our goal. There has been generous support from all over the United States and other nations. Many donations have come from Stars and Stripes Alumni Association, which strongly supports our efforts and a number of donations, and funds have come from individuals in Japan and Germany, where the newspaper is still printed. Additionally, Mercantile Corporation will contribute $25,000 to the Stars and Stripes Museum/Library over the next three years. In 1997, the Stoddard County Commissioners granted 7.5 acres of land, just south of Bloomfield as the museum site. In 1998, the Missouri Department of Economic Development awarded us $60,000 in Neighborhood Assistance Tax Credits, at a 50% rate.

This facility was constructed with funds and hard work from local donors and others whom have a keen interest in the preservation of the Stars and Stripes military history. Today, the first building houses three exhibit rooms, our print shop display, showcasing some of our most important artifacts. In addition to an authentic, period print shop, which includes a military Teletype facility, the museum features exhibits from every major war since the Civil War. In our archives are over 5,000 copies of the Stars and Stripes newspaper, including several complete sets from World War I, and the rare original November 9, 1861 edition. The collection is catalogued and preserved according to professional museum standards. We will continue to develop and maintain the museum and library, interpreting and properly displaying the artifacts that are available to us through museum loans and gift donations. Expansion will continue as funding is acquired, until the facility is complete and appropriately displays the entire record of the Stars and Stripes and the part it plays in American military history. We estimate that the museum site will attract upward to 10,000 visitors per year during the first five years, and that the number will continue to increase as we market the facility and more people learn of our site and its unique role in America's legacy and future.

     Year 2000 Mission Statement