Holt County, Missouri was first surveyed in the late 1830\'s. The
Baldwin/Munkres Tract located on Squaw Creek National Wildlife Refuge
was purchased by the Daniel Baldwin family in the 1840\'s. There is an
1840\'s witness tree (**huge**) bur oak within a few hundred feet of the
house. The Baldwin Family came by wagon train to Holt County from Parke
County, Indiana after the Platte Purchase Treaty secured the land from
multiple groups of displaced Native Americans in 1837. The farm was
occupied continuously by members of the Baldwin Family, with only one
exception of about 40 years. The Baldwin and Munkres families were
joined through the marriage of Lucy Baldwin and Granville Munkres in
1895. Their son, Henry Munkres, lived on the property from his birth in
1898 to 1998 when he sold his property to the U.S. government
incorporated into Squaw Creek National Wildlife Refuge.

Squaw Creek NWR was established in 1935. Henry worked at Squaw Creek
from 1938 until his retirement in 1965. He remained a friend of the
refuge until his death in 2001 at the age of 103. The property contains
two historic building clusters which are typical of rural Midwestern
domestic/agricultural sites. The extant buildings date primarily to the
second half of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century
and are reflective of a time in American history when the family farm,
as a cultural and economic unit, dominated rural life.

A cultural resource investigation of the 172 acres within the
Baldwin/Munkres Tract was done in September 2005. The two farmsteads
represent a Hall-and Parlor home dating to the mid 1840-50\'s and a
Gothic Revival home dating to the 1870\'s. Some of the outbuildings
include a two fruit/root cellars, privy, several chicken houses, several
sheds, several barns, machine shed and corn crib. The buildings are all
in extremely poor condition and several have already collapsed.

The Fish and Wildlife Service proposed to dispose of the buildings and
restore the area to original native habitat ( warm season native grasses
and forbs). The recommendations from the 2005 cultural resource survey
indicated the residences lack any distinct or unusual features and is a
commonplace style for the areas and its time period. There has been
multiple additions and alterations to the homesteads which rendering it
ineligible for recommendation to the National Register of Historic
Places. However, the Missouri State Historic Preservation Officer took
exception to their recommendations and felt the farmstead should be
eligible for inclusion. Therefore, the Fish and Wildlife Service is
trying to alleviate the problem by offering any interested parties or
organizations that would like to remove the buildings from the Refuge
and relocate/restore for historic and educational purposes.

A news release was sent out to numerous outlets in Northwest
Missouri/Northeast Kansas to request interest in relocating/restoring
the buildings. Two groups have responded thus far - the City of St.
Joseph 35 miles south in Buchanan County and a group from Holt County
hoping to keep the buildings in the county. The City of St. Joseph is
currently engaged in developing a Living History Preserve along the
Missouri River in St. Joseph. They would like to add as many of the
buildings that are in good shape to their 21.5 acre Preserve. Signs
would be attached to the buildings stating where they came from, who
built them , what they are made of and any other outstanding features
including a history of the families. The Holt County group would like to
do the same thing but move them adjacent to an 1880 Benton Church and
cemetery within 2 miles of the Refuge. We are now waiting for more
specific details of which group can raise the money and/or see if it is
feasible to move the buildings.