Galilee Missionary Baptist Church is located in the community of Acres (Acre) Homes, developed beginning in 1910 by the Wright Land Company. The company sold plots of land for low prices, making it affordable for many families. By the 1930s, a large majority of those living in the neighborhood were African American. In the following decades, Acres Homes experienced significant population and business growth. The Rev. D. Hartman organized Galilee Missionary Baptist Church in 1913, with services held under a brush arbor. By 1915, the Wright Land Company sold land located at the church’s current site to church trustees, and members began construction of a new building. In the following years, under the leadership of the Rev. Jack C. Smith, members formed many auxiliaries and held traditional events such as Juneteenth celebrations, homecoming and the church’s anniversary. The Rev. D.S. Bailey served as pastor of the church from 1947 until his death in 1977, and under his leadership the church experienced tremendous growth. Bailey worked with community, political, school and business leaders in Acres Homes during his tenure. In 1979, the city of Houston passed an ordinance changing the name of Sherwin Street, on which the church is located, to D.S. Bailey Lane. As membership grew over the years, the church rebuilt several times, including a large sanctuary constructed in 2003. Galilee Missionary Baptist Church remains an important community institution, unifying and serving the residents of Acres Homes and surrounding areas.

At dawn on October 15, 1861. The iron mountain railroad bridge over the Big river was attacked here by 400 Rebel calvary (2nd and 3rd dragoons) of the Missouri state guard lead by Brigadier general M. Jeff Thompson. The bridge was defended by 40 men of company E, 33rd Illinois Volunteer Infantry (the Normal Regiment) Lead by Captain Isaac Elliott. After a brief but bitter fight the Union troops were overwhelmed and the bridge was burned. This was the only Civil war Battle fought in Jefferson County.

Later that morning the Rebels were attacked 2 miles south at the down of Blackwell by men of Company K, 33rd Illinois led by Captain Charles Lippincott. After routing this force, Thompson withdrew to Fredericktown. Total loss for both sides for the day's fighting were 7 killed and 22 wounded. These two engagements are know together as the Battle of Blackwell and mark the northern most point of Thompson's advance toward St. Louis.

Erected on the 146th anniversary of the Battle by a grateful nation, to preserve the memory of brave men who fought here.

"All quiet along the Potomac tonight, no sound save the rushing of the river, and soft falls the dew on the face of the dead - the pickets of duty forever."

Approximately 60 percent of today's commercially grown apples can trace their origin to Stark Brothers Nurseries and Orchards, the company that first introduced the Red Delicious and the Golden Delicious apple varieties to the world. The company celebrated its 175th anniversary in 1991 and continues to be a world leader in the production and sales of quality fruit and fruit trees.

In 1816, James Hart Stark and his family settled on land that would become part of Louisiana, Missouri, bringing with them a few apple scions from their native Kentucky. Stark grafted the scions onto wild crab apple seedlings. The trees gained a favorable reputation and produced a flourishing local trade. By the mid-1820s, orchardists from across the region purchased Stark trees. Thousands of barrels of apples were shipped annually to the North and East. In 1835, William, the only one of James's seventeen children to join the business, assumed leadership of the company until his death in 1880.

Prior to 1893, the most common apple variety was the Ben Davis. Although easy to grow, it did not have a pleasing taste. Clarence Stark, a son of William who ran the business from 1880 to 1914, sponsored a contest in 1893 to find better tasting apples. While sampling an array of apple varieties, he deemed a particular one "delicious" and awarded it first prize. After locating the Iowa farmer who grew the tree, the nursery purchased the rights to the apple and began to market Stark Red Delicious apples. Stark overcame orchardists' initial rejection of the apple by including a free bundle of Red Delicious trees with each order. The 1914 discovery of an apple shaped like the Red Delicious but golden in color proved to be another milestone of the Stark Brother's Nursery. Today, the Red Delicious and the Golden Delicious are the two most popular apples on the world market.

By the time the first Stark catalog appeared in 1894, the company sold peach, apricot, plum, pear, and cherry trees, roses, and other ornamental trees and plants. Due to their prolific advertising, colorful catalogs, and the consistent use of the scion/grafting method for tree propagation, the Stark Brother's Nursery had garnered an international reputation and clientele by the turn of the twentieth century. The nursery still thrives under Stark family leadership, making it one of the oldest family-owned and -operated companies in the nation.

In October 1853, eleven early settlers of the Prairie Plains community (3 mi.E), also known as Red Top, founded the Prairie Plains congregation of the Cumberland Prebyterian Church. Brother Weyman Adair served as the congregation's first pastor, although he became ill and died shortly thereafter. He was buried in the Red Top Cemetery. A few years later, in 1857, Jesse Bookman formally deeded five acres to the church; the property included the cemetery, manse and sanctuary. The church building was the only one in the area and served local residents as a community center as well as a house of worship. Due in part to a national rift within the Presbyterian Church, the congregation did not hold regular church services between 1899 and 1906. That year, the Prairie Plains Church, like most Cumberland congregations, became part of the Presbyterian Church U.S.A. At that same time, community residents began moving to Shiro, where the Trinity & Brazos Valley Rail Line had been located. On January 17, 1909, church members voted to move to this site and change the congregation's name to Shiro Presbyterian Church. As area population declined during the middle 20th century, so did church membership. The pulpit was often filled by lay and missionary preachers, and the church held services once a month for many years. In 1952, members discussed disbanding, but two men, T.J. Staton and Edwin Harman, encouraged them to continue. With new energy, the congregation lobbied seminary students and others to preach. Members organized church lunches and a Women's Circle. By 1970, they added Sunday School classes. In 2003, the congregation celebrated its 150th anniversary.

The "Madonna of the Trail" statue was designed and sculpted by August Leimbach of St. Louis. The statue was unveiled and dedicated on September 17, 1928 by the Missouri State Society Daughters of the American Revolution in memory of the brave pioneer women who helped settle the West. Keynote speaker was then Jackson County Judge (future U.S. President) Harry Truman. The state is one of 12 placed in every state crossed by the national Old Trails Road, the main cross route of early settlers from the East to California. This site is located in the Highland Avenue Historic District next to the Old Trails Road scenic byway Route 224 and listed in the National Register of Historic Places.