The Elms Hotel in Excelsior Springs, Missouri, has been a landmark of the town’s history for more than a century. Its origins trace back to the late 1880s, when Excelsior Springs became famous for its mineral waters that were believed to have healing properties.

Established by the Independent Order of Odd Fellows (I.O.O.F.) on a 240-acre farm in Liberty, Missouri, the complex was designed to care for members of the fraternity, as well as their widows and orphans.

The 1953 kidnapping and murder of six-year-old Bobby Greenlease shocked Kansas City and the nation. Posed as his aunt, Bonnie Heady abducted Bobby with partner Carl Hall in a scheme that led to a $600,000 ransom—the largest in U.S. history at the time. Despite payment, the boy was killed, the kidnappers were swiftly executed, and much of the ransom money remains missing to this day.