Tarkio: Town History and Aviation History

Tarkio brings together several distinct themes from the town’s history: a building listed on the National Register of Historic Places, a museum about David Rankin and the town’s history, a center for historical and genealogical research, and the history of flight training. These themes are easy to distinguish as you plan your trip. They range from a single building and its address to local collections and aviation history. If you are looking for a hotel in Tarkio, it may help to first decide which of these themes matters most to you during your stay.

Rankin Hall

Rankin Hall is listed on the National Register of Historic Places at 402 N. 13th St. in Tarkio. The listing makes Rankin Hall a specific point of reference if you are interested in the town’s historic buildings.

Educational history of Tarkio College

Tarkio College opened David Rankin Hall in 1931 as a building with a library, offices, and classrooms. These details give the building a clear historical connection to the college and also identify its functions at the time. The library, administration, and teaching spaces make the building’s use tangible and add an educational dimension to the town’s history. If you are organizing Tarkio’s history by theme, this connection to the building sits alongside the local collections and aviation history.

Museum and historical research

The David Rankin Museum is on the third floor of the Thompson Learning Center. It presents the life and contributions of David Rankin, as well as the history of Tarkio. This places an individual and the town side by side at the center of its focus. The museum offers a thematic approach that brings both together: Rankin’s life and the town’s history. This focus may interest you if you would like to learn about both a notable person and the town.

For historical and genealogical research, there is also the Tarkio History Center. It supports research into Tarkio’s history and genealogy and preserves books, pamphlets, manuscripts, letters, and journals that illustrate the town’s history. The collection includes several types of material related to Tarkio’s history. Unlike the interpretive focus of the David Rankin Museum, the History Center explicitly supports historical and genealogical research. The center is accessible by appointment on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. As the information about the days of the week is inconsistent, confirm your appointment before visiting.

Parks and historic sites

Niedermeyer Memorial Park is at the intersection of Third Street and Broad Street in Tarkio. The historic Polk School House Park is at the intersection of 10th Street and Park Street. These specific intersections help distinguish the two named park locations in town. Together, they complement the buildings and collections with two more precisely located points of reference.

Aviation history and event

EAA Chapter 1405 is based at Gould Peterson Airport in Tarkio, Missouri. Through a museum, the chapter preserves the history of World War II flight training and civilian flight training. This gives aviation history its own focus alongside the history of the town and college. The Greatest Little Airshow is generally held every two years on a second Saturday. If you would like to plan your trip around a possible edition, check the specific event date.

More points of interest

The Tarkio Municipal Pool is a municipal swimming pool at 605 S. 3rd Street, Tarkio, Missouri 64491. This facility adds a swimming pool with its own precisely stated address to the historical and cultural themes. When planning your stay, you can therefore distinguish between different interests: local history, genealogical research, aviation history, or the municipal swimming pool.

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