THE WRIGHT BROTHERS MULE BARN
B. C. Wright and a Missouri mule. Photo courtesy of the State Historical Society of Missouri
The Wright Brothers Mule Barn, also known as the Rader Packing Company building and the Diggs building, was built by William Lee Wright (1864-1923) and his brother, Basel Crocket Wright (1872-1937) in 1919-1920 at the corner of what is now Hinkson Avenue and Fay Street. Mules and mule breeding were introduced in Missouri in the 1800s and by the time the barn was built, Missouri was one of the largest mule producers in the country.
The Wright brothers were experienced in the mule-trading business when they purchased the land in an area where small industries, livestock pens and workers’ houses clustered around the railroad tracks. Jesse I. Gedney, a St. Louis contractor, designed a 150’ by 150’ one and a half story masonry building encompassing nearly an entire block equipped with running water, electricity and a top-fed trough system. The barn was considered very modern at the time it was built with space for 300 mules and feed stored and placed in pens from overhead.
Unfortunately, William Wright died of kidney disease in 1923 and the demand for mules decreased with the advent of tractors and automobiles in the 1920s but the Wright Brothers’ barn remained important real estate in Columbia. In 1930, the Rader Packing Company was established by William Edward Rader (1861-1938) and Thomas Dudley Diggs (1894-1958) in the southeast corner of the building which they rented. The rest of the building was used by the mule barn and businesses that included Columbia Livestock Auction. In 1937, Thomas Riggs and his wife Minnie purchased the building and in 1953 had it remodeled for a meatpacking business. In 1973, they changed the company name to Diggs Packing Company which operated through 2005. In 2006, architect Brian Pape bought the property, restoring and renovating the building into offices and loft apartments. The property was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2007. The Wright Brothers Mule Barn is one of only five Local Landmarks/Districts (i.e. Historic Preservation-Overlay) in Columbia.
To learn more about tools for preservation and recognition of historic properties check out our Advocacy webpage.
Photo courtesy of Google Earth.
Sources:
Wikipedia
COMO Magazine
Newsbreak.com
Waymarketing.com
The State Historical Society of Missouri
Google Earth
Find-A-Grave
CoMo Preservation is devoted to helping homeowners, landlords, and institutions prevent the destruction of historic architecture. Original period styles might be replicated but will forever lack the social history of authentic structures. Preserving historic places and spaces gives people a sense of place and boosts Columbia’s economy. You can get involved by volunteering, signing up for our mailing list, attending an event, becoming a member, or donating.
