Green City, Missouri, is set to host a special July 4th celebration, honoring the restoration of the historic 1931 Shell Filling Station and featuring presentations by noted authors and historians. The event will take place on July 3rd and July 4th and will highlight the capture of notorious gangster Fred “Killer” Burke.
The restored Shell Filling Station, located at the southeast corner of the square, is a significant landmark where Burke was first identified before being captured in Green City on March 26, 1931. This event will commemorate the station’s restoration and its historical significance.
Two distinguished authors, Chriss Lyon and Enfys McMurray, will be present at the Green City Museum. Lyon, a retired public safety professional and historian, has extensively researched the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre and Fred Burke. She is the author of “A Killing in CAPONE’S PLAYGROUND, The Story of the Hunt for the Most Dangerous Man Alive.” McMurray, a Welsh American writer and public speaker, authored “Centerville, The Mid-America Saga and Disaster at 39,000 Feet.”
The celebration will begin on July 3rd from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. with a meet and greet at the Book Nook, located on the first floor of the Green City Museum. A special screening of the 1931 movie “The Capture of Fred Burke” will be shown every hour starting at 1:00 p.m. The film features original participants in the capture and local citizens, except for Burke.
On July 4th, presentations will take place at City Hall at 2:00 p.m. and again at 6:00 p.m. Chriss Lyon will discuss her findings on Fred Burke’s history, and both authors will display historical artifacts related to Burke.
The famous Shell Filling Station and Historic Depot will be open to the public on July 4th from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. The Green City Museum will also feature a special display on Harvey Bailey, known as the Dean of American Bank Robbers, open on July 3rd from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. and on July 4th from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Residents with gangster-era cars, trucks, moonshine stills, or related history are invited to participate in the July 4th parade. The line-up will begin at 10:30 a.m. at Green City School, followed by a car show in front of the museum. For more information, contact David Hauser at 660-342-2781 or 660-874-4455.
Help preserve Green City’s rich history by sharing untold stories and artifacts with the authors and the Green City Historical Museum.
