For the first 100 years of its existence, Madison Street was the heart of Jefferson City.
On Sunday, history enthusiasts were able to enjoy a "Walk Through Time" as they got to see and hear about what was going on in the area of Madison and State streets from 1800-1900.
Around 40 volunteers, many dressed in period costumes, manned 20 stations showcasing documents and exhibits telling visitors about specific topics.
Lewis and Clark, Missouri Pacific Depot, the Gunn Family Log Home, Indian Sand Pits, Rising Sun Hotel, the first Jefferson City Capitol, and the first and second Governor's Mansions were among the pieces of the area's history visitors explored.
The virtual experience was the brain child of Terry Casey, Cole County Historical Society board treasurer and volunteer for almost 20 years.
"I'm so happy to see the turnout we had," she said. "We hope to do more things like this in the future. There's a lot more history here than what you can imagine."
The historic Upschulte House, which the Cole County Historical Society has renovated and now rents for small weddings and parties, along with the brick courtyard, was open for tours and live period music filled the Victorian-period drawing room at the Cole County Museum.
Emily Luker is the executive director of the Cole County Historical Society and said the event was a fundraiser for the group. She hopes to see the interest that this event generates continue to grow. As a volunteer-run, nonprofit organization, the society hosts fundraisers, rummage sales and bus tours to fellow museums to help supplement the expense of operating the museum, outside of admission fees, donations and membership contributions.
"Jefferson City is an older community and we need to feature its history," Luker said. "We want to get young people interested in coming because once they start to learn about their history it usually leads to them being more involved in the community. It makes them good citizens."
One of those ways is offering free tours of the museum to third- and fourth-grade classes of public, parochial and private schools. These are the grades in which Missouri history is taught. Luker also noted it only costs $30 for a family membership to the society and the parents and kids can enjoy the museum for a whole year for that price.
"We have so many collections that need to be curated," she said. "We're all volunteers who work here and we do our best, but it would be nice to get some professional help on these collections. In the museum's DeLong Room we house the first ladies' gowns and it would be nice to have a larger place to store these the way we would like."
The society plans to open a World War I exhibit at the museum in November, continuing to add to its artifacts and exhibits. The museum is open 1-3 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays. For more information on the museum and society visit colecountyhistoricalmuseum.org or call 573-635-1850.