Missouri Life October/November 2014

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[3 THANKSGIVING RECIPES

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THE SPIRIT OF DISCOVERY

CEMETERY

secrets

>>> 6 Graveyard Tales 7 Devilish Destinations 15 Halloween Happenings The State's Bloodiest Feud

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Conceal Carry in the Classroom: Training Teachers to Shoot 9/5/14 12:44 PM


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Contents OCTOBER 2014

[52] TEACHERS TAKE AIM Shield Solutions in West Plains is training teachers to carry Glocks to work.

featured >

[25] SHOW-ME BOOKS Washington University Professor Richard Newman explores the state through poetry. Plus, there are five more Missouri books you must read.

[28] MUSIC St. Louis native Angel Olsen released one of this year’s most critically acclaimed albums.

[30] ARTIST Surreal pop artist Mike Wolf divides his time between painting in Los Angeles, running Logboat Brewing Company in Columbia, and selling fireworks at Boomer’s in Moberly.

special features >

[34] GRAVE STORIES We dug up some of Missouri’s best cemetery stories, from Jesse James conspiracy theories to why Kentucky exhumed pioneer Daniel Boone.

[40] DEVIL IN THE SHOW-ME STATE The Devil is all around, at least in name. Discover Missouri’s devilish geological features, from the Devil’s Tollgate to his elbow and kitchen.

[20] BRANSON’S BEST

[44] THE WILDEST WALK

Go out and see the best new shows and all-time favorites in the Show-Me State’s live entertainment capital.

Join Missouri Life Publisher Greg Wood and Director of Missouri State Parks Bill Bryan on a late fall hike from Taum Sauk Mountain to Johnson’s Shut-Ins.

[65] STAY A WHILE

[48] TALES FROM MOUNT VERNON

Missouri has a bounty of bed-and-breakfasts, not to mention all of our historic hotels. Discover where to stay when you travel this fall.

Venture to Mount Vernon for the town’s popular Apple Butter Makin’ Days festival, and find out what else this Southwest Missouri town has to offer.

[78] BAD BLOOD AT DOE RUN

[94] STUFFED

who won the battle between the Dooleys and the Harrises.

Chef Daniel Pliska of the University Club in Columbia shares six beef recipes that you should fit into your holiday dinner plans.

[86] EXPERIENCE THANKSGIVING

[107] HIGHER EDUCATION

Claverach Farm embodies the field-to-table spirit and whisks you away to an

Discover tips and tools to find the right school.

Uncover the little-known history of Missouri's bloodiest feud, and find out

HARRY KATZ

special section >

almost magical world. Enjoy a Thanksgiving feast there.

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Contents

CONTENT BY LOCATION

OCTOBER 2014

35, 15

departments >

84 18

[10] MEMO

latest Ben Affleck movie, discover Seda-

Greg thinks Missouri might be the

lia’s black history library, and learn

“Tree State,” and Danita reflects on

about Misty's Mission.

84 26 36 30, 18 35 39 16 43

18 102 18 48 42

cemetery stories.

37 28, 18, 86 25, 26 84 15 39 41 78 42 40 43, 44 41 16 52

[83] MUSINGS ON MISSOURI

16

[12] LETTERS

Ron Marr catches fish in “Catfish Uto-

Readers write from all over Missouri

pia” this past summer and shares his

[117] ALL AROUND MISSOURI

and from California, and our own Karen

insight to life’s beauty.

Celebrate autumn with 110 fall festivals

Cummins takes Missouri Life to Alaska.

and 15 Halloween happenings.

[84] DINING WORTH THE DRIVE [14] MADE IN MISSOURI

Enjoy Bevier’s pizza paradise, discover

[138] MISSOURIANA

Get all the Show-Me State items you

how to be a royal at Weston Wine Com-

Astound friends and family alike with

need to throw a fall fiesta.

pany, and work up an appetite for the

these little-known trivia facts and

family-owned Lewis Café in St. Clair.

quotes that are all about Missouri.

[16] MO MIX Hear voices from the past in St. Joseph,

[102] SHOW-ME HOMES

find out the best place to scuba dive in

The Phelps House in Carthage is a living

Missouri, look for Missouri Life in the

picture of Victorian elegance.

– THIS ISSUE –

On the Web

Q-AND-A WITH ANGEL OLSEN

TEACHERS WITH GUNS

APPLE BUTTER MAKIN' DAYS

Find out what Missouri native and critically

Our editor-in-chief, Danita Allen Wood, reflects

Check out our slideshow of Apple Butter

acclaimed singer and songwriter Angel Olsen

on the story on page 52 and gives her insight

Makin’ Days in Mount Vernon, one of the

would bring with her to a desert island: Kansas

on why Missouri Life ran a piece outside of our

largest fall festivals anywhere in Missouri and

City barbecue or St. Louis-style pizza.

comfort zone.

possibly the most mouth-watering.

Spooky Stories!

Check out Mysterious Missouri by Ross Malone on our website! It's the perfect gift for the kid who can't get enough Halloween. www.MissouriLife.com.

on the cover> HILLCREST CEMETERY Notley Hawkins, a regular photo contributor to Missouri Life, snapped this beautiful-if-haunting photo of Hillcrest Cemetery in Fulton. We thought this image captured the ominous autumn feel of our October issue perfectly!

COURTESY OF ZIA ANGER AND MISSOURI DEPARTMENT OF TOURISM; STEPHANIE SIDOTI

Sign up for Missouri Lifelines, our free e-newsletter, and follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MissouriLife or on Twitter @MissouriLife.

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Scan to learn more about Marshall.

Marshall Democrat News

Come enjoy a beautiful fall morning at the fourth annual Marshall Democrat News Car Show on October 4. Classic vehicles will be on display around the historic Downtown Marshall Square. Registration takes place from 9:00 a.m. to noon. Plan now to attend one of the best shows in the area as proud owners share their vintage cars with you. For more details visit www.marshallnews.com or call 660-886-2233.

Plan to stay with us in Marshall: Comfort Inn – Marshall Station 1356 W. College Ave. 660-886-8080 www.comfortinn.com

Rich Lawson

Super 8 of Marshall 1355 W. College Ave. 660-886-3359 www.super8.com

It wouldn’t be autumn without attending one of Missouri’s oldest and most popular heritage festivals. This year marks the 46th annual Heritage Craft Festival in Arrow Rock on October 11 and 12 from 10:00-5:00 both days throughout the village. For $2.00 admission, visitors can see historic reenactments, living history presenters, observe and purchase traditional and modern crafts, and enjoy period food. Plan to return to Arrow Rock on November 8 and 9 for the Merchants’ Open House weekend. To learn more, visit www.arrowrock.org or call 660-837-3231. 007 ML1014.indd 7

Claudia’s B & B 3000 W. Arrow St. 660-886-5285

Kitty’s Corner Guest Houses 228 E. North St. 660-886-8445

Fall is one of the best times to enjoy a day trip through the Old Trails Region. This area prides itself on family-owned businesses, fun events and entertainment along its 100 miles of roads through the center of the state. Travel along both sides of the beautiful Missouri River and see all the region has to offer from orchards and award-winning wineries to unique shops and restaurants. For help in planning your adventure please visit www.oldtrails.net or call 660-259-2230.

Courthouse Lofts 23 N. Lafayette St. 660-229-5644 Marshall Lodge 1333 W. Vest St. 660-886-2326 www.marshall-lodge.com

Visit the Marshall Welcome Center on the northwest corner of the Square!

www.visitmarshallmo.com

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Boonslick Tourism Council

Get in your car and go for a drive while the weather is still nice. All along the Boonslick Trail in central Missouri you can view more than 40 quilt blocks designed and displayed on traditional barns. You’ll find each quilt block is unique and has a fascinating story behind it. If you are interested in rural charm and history, this is the tour for you. For more information visit www.boonslicktourism.org or call 660-248-2011.

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AUTUMN

the season between summer and winter

Enjoy Everything Pulaski County Has To Offer

THE SPIR IT OF DISCOV ERY 501 High Street, Ste. A, Boonville, MO 65233 660-882-9898 | Info@MissouriLife.com

Publisher Greg Wood Editor in Chief Danita Allen Wood EDITORIAL & ART Creative Director Andrew Barton Art Director Sarah Herrera Managing Editor Jonas Weir Associate Editor David Cawthon Special Projects Editor Evan Wood Associate Art Director Thomas Sullivan Graphic Designer and Staff Photographer Harry Katz Calendar Editor Amy Stapleton Administrative Assistant Karen Cummins

FESTIVALS & EVENTS

Come visit and get lost in Mid-Missouri’s largest precision-cut corn maze!

Oct. 3/4 Southern Gospel Reunion Oct. 4 Frogtober Fest/Frog Hill Half Oct. 18 Oktoberfest/Zombie Run 5K Oct. weekends- Haunted River Float check on-line calendar for details

Contributing Writers Meghan Bell, Gretchen Fuhrman, Chanelle Koehn, Geno Lawrenzi Jr., Wade Livingston, Sheree K. Nielsen, Annie Rice, Ron Soodalter, Ashley Szatala

PulaskiCountyUSA.com/MLM

Follow us on social media

Order a FREE Visitors Guide

Columnist Ron W. Marr

877.858.8687 573.336.6355

girls WEEKEND GETAWAY

Contributing Photographers and Illustrators Matt Faupel, Valerie Holifield, Merit Myers, Annie Rice, Stephanie Sidoti, Carmen Troesser MARKETING • 800-492-2593 Sales Manager Mike Kellner, Central and Northeast Advertising & Marketing Consultant Brent Toellner, Kansas City and Western Sales Account Executive Paula Renfrow, Inside Sales Sales Associate Gretchen Fuhrman Advertising Coordinator Jenny Johnson

Girl take a load off! You’re balancing life, family, work and all the stuff in-between. Grab your gal pals, this weekend is for you!

Circulation Manager Amy Stapleton DIGITAL MEDIA MissouriLife.com, Missouri eLife, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest Director: Jonas Weir Editors: David Cawthon, Sarah Herrera, Evan Wood Missouri Lifelines: Evan Wood

All inclusive package!

OCT 24 &25 Rolla, MO

TO SUBSCRIBE OR GIVE A GIFT AND MORE Use your credit card and visit www.MissouriLife.com or call 800-492-2593, ext. 101 or mail a check for $19.99 (for 6 issues) to: Missouri Life, 501 High Street, Ste. A, Boonville, MO 65233-1211 Change address: Visit www.MissouriLife.com

VIP treatment and gifts at the Rolla Shopping Expo, Chat over lunch at our favorite bistro! Shop Downtown Rolla with exclusive savings galore, Dinner at one of Rolla’s finest, you’re sure to adore! A round of drinks on the house, no need to thank, It’s off to the show, tickets to “the hilariously funny and extremely naughty”

OTHER INFORMATION Custom Publishing: For your special publications, call 800-492-2593, ext. 106 or email Greg.Wood@MissouriLife.com. Back Issues: Order from website, call, or send check for $7.50.

Book your Girls Weekend Getaway today! Only $250 for you and a friend! Includes 2 nights at Comfort Suites, lunch, dinner, tickets to the show, exclusive discounts, VIP gifts and more! (Package valued at $350) Call 573-341-4219 or purchase online at leachtheatre.mst.edu

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emo

MISSOURI, THE TREE STATE

CEMETERY TALES

SOMETIMES, we take for granted the things we see every day. Have you ever driven out west through the vast, empty plains of eastern Colorado or through southern New Mexico? While these endless landscapes can be mesmerizing, they usually make me long for the trees of Missouri. And what would fall be like if not for our trees? Missouri has a whopping fourteen million acres of forests. Mark Twain National Forest has 1.5 million acres in trees alone. Add to that trees on private woodland and farmland, eighty-seven state parks and historic sites, one designated backcountry area, and more than one thousand Department of Conservation areas. Altogether, about one-third of our state is covered by forested lands. GREG WOOD, PUBLISHER I have had a lifelong interest in trees and even took a course at Mizzou called dendrology, which is the “study of trees,” in the School of Forestry. During the long weekly field trip, I learned that Missouri has one of the most diverse tree cultures in the world. From persimmon to loblolly pine to chestnuts, there are literally hundreds of species and subspecies of trees. Not surprisingly, this resource was heavily exploited in our not-so-distant past. Intensive logging began during our steamboat days as these floating behemoths had voracious appetites. Then, even hungrier railroads opened our forests to expansive logging. This almost led to the complete destruction of some forests and wiped out all but pockets of our virgin timbers. Today, though, annual growth of our forests exceeds what we harvest. Missourians have planted billions of trees in recent years. On our farm, we planted one thousand trees about fifteen years ago alongside our creeks, and it’s wonderful to see them growing tall. The forest industry still adds about $3 billion to our economy. Missouri produces some of the world’s best lumber, which is made into everything from white oak whiskey barrels to walnut cabinets. As you are exploring the state this fall, you’ll no doubt be enchanted by the glorious colors our forests exude, but you should also take a minute to study a single tree and all it means. I love gazing at trees over a hundred years old, magnificent living beings that may have started life when the Osage or Lewis and Clark roamed our land. This reminds me of the old adage, “When’s the best time to plant a tree? Thirty years ago. When’s the next best time to plant a tree? Today.”

WE WERE working on the stories on cemeteries in this issue when something odd happened at one of the two cemeteries on our farm. Although on our property, the historic Salt Creek Cemetery is separated from our farm by a road. It’s a pleasant spot shaded by large walnuts and redbuds. The cemetery is at the site of the Salt Creek Christian Church, founded in 1817. Because we’re fond of the cemetery, you can imagine our surprise and shock when one day this summer we found a funeral being conducted! We spent about a week in angst about this unauthorized burial, which we believe violated an inactive, historic cemetery. Ultimately, we decided to let the departed, and his family, rest in peace. However, that event got me thinking about DANITA ALLEN WOOD, EDITOR cemetery stories from my younger days. When I was a teenager, my sisters, our friends, and I threw a Halloween party at a neighbor’s house. The guests parked down a half-mile lane that was lined with elaborate surprises, such as big spiders falling out of trees as they passed underneath. The lane passed a cemetery, and our friend Dee Dee Price created a cardboard box coffin between two small trees. As our small party entered, my little sisters in white sheets sprang out from behind gravestones and ran into the woods, “boo-ooh-oohing” all the way. The guests inched toward the coffin. Dee Dee, dressed as a vampire, suddenly sat up with a ghoulish howl. Carrying a huge tray of doughnuts, Ron Cook screamed and threw up his hands, sending doughnuts everywhere. He laughed as hard as the rest of us at the doughnuts rolling on the ground. A few years later, as a journalism student at MU, I took basic photography. Our class was tasked with taking photos for the Halloween edition of the school’s weekly magazine. I once again enlisted my sisters as ghosts and photographed them peeking out through the windows of an abandoned farmhouse or from behind gravestones at the cemetery on my parents’ farm. None of my photos made the cut, but a professor said one should have been on the cover. (I was thrilled because my photos were usually in the “how-toimprove” section.) Perhaps it seems callous that we kids planned a party in a cemetery, or that I did homework in another, but I suspect the souls laid to rest in those places were smiling down. Do you have your own cemetery stories? Email me: danita@missourilife.com.

THINKSTOCK AND DANITA ALLEN WOOD

MISSOURI

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find out how trees reduce stress [11] October 2014- www.TREESWORK.org Trees Work_MO Life 8.5x10.875 Ad_07_2013.indd 1 011 ML1014.indd 11

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OCTOBER

LETTERS from all over You write them. We print them.

CLARKSVILLE CURIOUS I think the article about the Clarksville home, owned and operated by Richard Cottrell, was very nicely written. I liked how so much history about the house was included in every picture. I have to get to Clarksville. —Janice K. Dauksch, Columbia

JUST MISSED THE FAB FOUR I want you to know how much I look forward to receiving Missouri Life magazine. The historical articles have been wonderful, and the issue on The Beatles was great, too. I grew up in Oregon County but was already gone when The Beatles visited. Thanks for an awesome magazine! —Mary Yarber, Springfield

KEEP ’EM COMING I just wanted to let you know that I found Missouri Life’s subscription renewal process to be the easiest that I have ever used online. Congrats! —Don Kurz, Jefferson City

BONKERS FOR THE BEATLES I love your magazine. Every time I get an issue, I can connect with some, if not many, articles and advertisements. As I am originally from Clinton, I love reading and seeing articles from there. Plus, I have lived in Harrisonville, Oak Grove, Sedalia, and now Rolla. I have gotten three of my coworkers hooked on Missouri Life. Plus, I usually send Christmas subscriptions. I am writing this time to say what a great issue the new one was from cover to cover. The Beatles on the front surely made my nieces’ day; I sent my brother and sister-in-law a subscription last Christmas, and Kristy loves The Beatles. The magazine reminds me of Jesse James; it turns up everywhere. My husband, Terry, wears his MO! T-shirt while walking the Acorn Trail here in Rolla. There’s a story. There are tons of trees planted along the trail dedicated to families and loved ones. —Kelly Hand, Rolla

My wife, Dixie Kepley Arnold, and I began receiving Missouri Life thanks to her dear friend, Libby Williams of Ash Grove, who attended Southwest Missouri State with her in 1960 and 1961. Dixie was born in Independence and graduated from Raytown High School. I am from Arkansas. Although we have lived in Southern California for many years, we will never forget where we came from, and you keep the memories fresh. —Ed Arnold, Fountain Valley, California

FROM CALIFORNIA, WITH LOVE We absolutely love reading your magazine from cover to cover and look forward to each issue, which is always full of wonderful photographs and stories about the Show-Me State. We especially enjoy reading about the towns you feature and the historical places to visit along with articles like “Mother Nature's Marvels” and The Beatles’ “Magical Missouri Tour” (August 2014). It makes us long for a visit back home.

TAKING MISSOURI TO TORONTO Just wanted to send you a fun and very grateful note to tell you that I so appreciated you helping us and the state of Missouri take your beautiful magazine to the Student Youth Travel Association conference in Toronto in August. I love your magazine and enjoy sharing it with my family. As you know, I have them all signed up for gift subscriptions. Hope to see you in Branson! —Milita Hoffman, Branson On Stage Live!

Our own Karen Cummins took a copy of the August 2014 issue to her in-laws in Juneau, Alaska. They stopped at Mendenhall Glacier for this photo. Where do you take your Missouri Life? Email letters@missourilife.com.

Now, you can also renew automatically on a per-issue or annual basis. Click “Renew” at MissouriLife.com. CLARIFICATION: The lime in the lime pickles recipe (August 2014) refers to pickling lime, which you can purchase in the canning section at most major supermarkets. CORRECTION: In the story “Odd County Out” (June 2014), we said that Clinton County supplied more than 350,000 horses to the government during World War I. That number includes mules and horses. We regret the error.

SEND US A LETTER Email: Fax: Facebook: Address:

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Fall is perfect in Clay County... Come See. Come Do...there’s something for everyone! Fall is perfect in Clay County...Offering romantic getaways and historic characters, golf courses and wineries, festivals and walking trails...and so much more!

Fall event listings at VisitClayCountyMo.com. EXCELSIOR SPRINGS | GLADSTONE | KEARNEY [13] October 2014 LIBERTY | NORTH KANSAS CITY | SMITHVILLE Photo credits: Pumpkin by Pam Muzyka and grapes by Matthew Shipp 013 ML1014.indd 13

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Made IN MISSOURI DINNERWARE FLAIR

Sample fall color with these handcrafted items. BY GRETCHEN FUHRMAN

Add warmth to the table with Megan E Sass Handknits’ knitted covers for Mason jar candle holders. etsy.com/shop/meganEsass Kansas City

This Jaque Ann Décor

Sip on sweet and tart cider from

tablerunner can fit any season.

Dossey-Rasmussen Orchard.

etsy.com/shop/JacqueAnnDecor

rasmussenorchard.com

Rogersville

1535 Huntsville Road, Moberly 660-263-2204

Traditional clay art takes a twist with Dragonflies and Mud Pottery. etsy.com/shop/dragonfliesandmud

Sucre Shop’s eco-friendly wooden spoons, plates, and paper straws are FDA-approved food safe.

ANNIE RICE

Joplin • 417-483-8084

sucreshop.com • St. Louis.

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Bonne Terre

Mysteries of the Deep St. Joseph

doned in 1961, but two St. Louis natives have transformed it into a fresh wa-

Meet Them at the Mausoleums

ter scuba diving resort. Owners Doug and Cathy Goergens first plunged into the lake in 1978. Doug recalls that first dive as a little scary but amazing. “It was pure

IF THE dead could talk, they would have

and diaries, and other sources, like the bi-

darkness,” he says. “We had to light the cave with lamps as we went.”

stories to tell. During one weekend each year in

ography inscribed on the tombstone of the

St. Joseph’s Mount Mora Cemetery, they do.

town’s first embalmer. These narratives are

Since then, the Goergens have illuminated the cave and established over twenty-four different dive trails throughout the passages, which

At Voices of the Past, you might meet a

the basis for her scripts that capture quirky,

divers can explore on guided tours. Divers can see pick axes, shovels,

Pony Express rider, a spy, a unicycle rider, or a

inspiring, and forgotten stories. There’s no

old oar carts still on the tracks, oil drills, slurry pipes, scaffolding, and

murderer. Actors bring these people from the

telling who you’ll meet.

an old elevator shaft.

past to life.

The event is on October 23 and October

Temperatures remain in the sixties year-round. Doug says the

Act I begins at the Wyeth-Tootle Mansion.

24 and begins at 6:30 pm. Call the St. Joseph

mine’s prime diving season is October through May because there are

Visitors are bussed from there to the ceme-

Museum at 800-530-8866 for reservations.

few places outside of the Caribbean to dive in warm waters during fall

tery gates. Inside, guests will first meet one of

Visit stjosephmuseum.org. —David Cawthon

and winter. On October 25, divers can participate in an underwater

the event’s creators, Suzanne Lehr who plays

pumpkin carving contest and an underwater ghost scavenger hunt at

Ms. Kemper, the wife of the man who built

the Bonneterror event.

the cemetery. Then, visitors walk the torch-

You can dive on Saturday with continuation of Saturday dives into

lit path along Mausoleum Row, where they’ll

Sunday. Guided diving tours typically last thirty-five to forty-five

pause and hear from the dead. Just before the

minutes. Prepaid reservations and open-water scuba diving certifi-

curtain call, guests might be treated to an im-

cation are required to dive. A seven millimeter wet suit and a hood

promptu flash-mob-style choral performance

are also needed.

or a speed-hungry race car driver who will

Dives are seventy dollars each with a two-dive minimum, and most visitors do at least three on Saturdays. Visit 2dive.com/btm.htm, or call 314-209-7200 for more information. —Chanelle Koehn

screech to a halt in his classic car. Suzanne digs up stories from her chats with visitors, research from old newspapers

COURTESY OF BONNE TERRE MINE TOURS AND ST. JOSEPH CVB

BENEATH the Ozark town of Bonne Terre lies a billion-gallon lake where one of the world’s largest lead mines once was. The mine was aban-

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Upcoming Events October 24: VSA Moonlight Madness Downtown Mexico 573-581-2765 www.mexico-chamber.org December 4-7: Shrek Presser Performing Arts Center 573-581-5592 www.presserpac.com December 6: Mexico Christmas Parade Downtown Mexico 573-581-2765 www.mexico-chamber.org December 18: 74th Christmas Evensong Missouri Military Academy 573-581-1776 www.missourimilitaryacademy.org

Mexico is a perfect combination of small-town charm and urban style. Artsy boutiques, jewelry, quilt shops, scrapbooking, antiques, and cultural offerings give Mexico a sophisticated air with a family-friendly attitude. Come visit us today!

Mexico Area Chamber of Commerce We work hard as a Chamber of Commerce to be the pulse of the community, assisting all to provide services that will nurture and encourage our businesses and strengthen our community. 573-581-2765 | www.mexico-chamber.org

Presser Performing Arts Center With a 920-seat auditorium, Presser Performing Arts Center has many arts education programs for the public, such as dance, piano, voice, film, writing, photography, and of course theatre! The calendar fills up fast year after year with concerts, ballets, plays, musicals, lectures, gallery shows, special events, and classes. We strive to offer the best professional, highly qualified instructors in the state of Missouri. This holiday season Presser Performing Arts Center will once again present the annual Christmas production of “Shrek” December 4-7, 2014. Tickets will be available online at www.presserpac.com and at the Presser Performing Arts Center box office (noon to 5:30 p.m.) from November 10 through December 5. Presser Performing Arts Center is centrally located in the state of Missouri, serving mid-America with quality cultural performing arts. Check out the upcoming events online! www.presserpac.com | 573-581-5592 [17] October 2014

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Missouri If you love

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU Wish we would change something? Let us know by taking a quick survey at

www.missourilife.com/survey

We would love to hear from you!

at Herman Hill

Vineyard & Inn

WIN A 2 NIGHT GET AWAY!

plus 10 more winners of other prizes

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Mo

MIX

Cape Girardeau

Cinematic City YOU DON’T have to drive to Hollywood to visit a blockbuster movie set. Instead, visit Cape Girardeau, where David Fincher filmed Gone Girl, based on the book by Gillian Flynn. For the movie, Cape became the fictional North Carthage, Missouri. Nick Dunne (Ben Affleck) and his wife, Amy (Rosamund Pike), move to Nick’s hometown after they lose their jobs. On the couple’s fifth wedding anniversary, Amy suddenly disappears. Nick discovers clues during the search for his wife but becomes the prime suspect. Although the cameras are gone, you can still visit places that appear in the film.

THE BAR On set: Nick and his sister, Margo, own The Bar. In Cape: The building located at 119 Themis Street housed Social’s Café and Catering be-

Ben Affleck at the Common Pleas Courthouse Gazebo

fore the business moved. The location is undergoing renovations for a reopening.

THE OLD FEDERAL BUILDING BILL EMERSON MEMORIAL BRIDGE

On Set: The old federal building was transformed into a police station. When Nick and his

On set: Amy drives across Cape’s Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge. You might also

lawyer exit the building, they wade through the throng of reporters.

catch the bridge in the background in other scenes.

In Cape: The building at 339 Broadway was vacant before makeup and costume

In Cape: Just ten years after its completion, the bridge, named after the Southeast

crews arrived. Now, a co-working community and a law firm have moved in.

Missouri congressman, makes its Hollywood debut. You can’t miss it set aglow at night. Before you retrace Gone Girl’s steps in Cape, visit gonegirlmovie.com, and search

COMMON PLEAS COURTHOUSE GAZEBO

the interactive crime scene for clues. One is a 2012 issue of Missouri Life. The film

On set: An evening vigil for Amy takes place at the Common Pleas Courthouse Gazebo.

arrives in theaters October 3. For more information about these locations and

In Cape: The gazebo is at 44 North Lorimier Street.

others in the film, check out visitcape.com/GoneGirl. —Meghan Bell

Senath

Sedalia

Fields of Pink

A Home for Black History

THIS OCTOBER, Dunklin

ROSE NOLEN fell in love with reading and writing when she was barely

County’s cotton fields are turning

five years old, so it’s only fitting that, today, she has her own library.

COURTESY OF MERRICK MORTON, MARGE HARLAN, AND DONNIE SHELTON

pink again.

The Rose M. Nolen Black History Library opened in April 2013 in the home that

Farmer Jason Chandler first en-

Rose had lived in for thirty years. The home’s current owner, Marge Harlan, named

cased fifteen cotton bales in pink wrap

the building after Rose. The two have known each other for decades.

in 2013 to raise awareness for breast

During her childhood, Rose created adventure stories where protagonists faced great

cancer. He and other area farmers are

challenges. Later, she reported for the Columbia Daily Tribune, Columbia Missourian, and

aiming to smash that number this year.

Sedalia Daily Democrat. She also pub- Marge Harlan and Rose Nolen lished a quarterly newsletter serving mid-

A few years ago, the disease had claimed the life of his sister Misty, so

County stopped and took pictures, and

Jason’s family created Misty’s Mission,

many told him their personal stories.

which has raised over seventy-five thousand dollars to help more than

How many pink bales can you see this year? There’s no telling until harvest.

Missouri’s African American communities. After all these years, it’s no surprise she’s still digging through history. What else would you expect from someone

twenty-five patients. Annual events

Contact Misty’s Mission at 573-344-

help fund the foundation, but Jason

2338. The Breast Cancer Awareness

The library, at 109 Lima Alley, is open

thought the pink bales would help, too.

Walk is on October 18. A fundraiser for

Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 am to

After last year’s harvest, Jason

Misty’s Mission is held every April 26,

3 pm or by appointment. Call 660-851-

Misty’s birthday.—David Cawthon

0077. —Wade Livingston

says travelers on Route 412 in Dunklin

who grew up on Nancy Drew?

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[21] October 2014

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Find Out Why Five Million People Have Visited Us!

Go Inside for the Big Picture Permanent, Interactive Experience

✔ Walk the $1 million exact replica of the Grand Staircase ✔ Touch an Iceberg ✔ Steer the ship ✔ Many interactive exhibits ✔ Over 400 artifacts ✔ Receive a boarding pass

Find us on Facebook: Titanic Museum Attraction & Twitter: TitanicUSA [23] October 2014

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Experience the

Magic of Toys!

Call Early! 800.520.5544

Visit us online at www.dixiestampede.com 1 Mile West of Highway 65 on 76 Country Boulevard.

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SHOW-ME

Books

EQUALLY ELEGANT UGLY

and

Richard Newman’s book explores subjects both grotesque and picturesque. BY EVAN WOOD

found in the same poem. In “At the St. OF ALL the forms St. Louis writer RichLouis Symphony Season Premiere,” the ard Newman explored in his most recent colspeaker observes a handful of tuxedoed lection of poems—odes, triolets, overtures, a patrons during intermission: sonnet—the spells seem the most unusual. A few stand on the sidewalk to smoke cigars, All the Wasted Beauty of the World is disip pinot noir and scotch, cough a last cough, vided into four sections, one for each season, then toss their glowing butts into the gutter. and a spell for each section. “Summer Spells” While the content is crude at times, this flags the coming incantations right from the collection is an honest look at the world start and contains a spell for luck. “Autumn around us. Contrails” has a spell for finding something Some of Richard’s most resonate lines you’ve lost, the spell in “Winter’s Bloom” will come when he sketches scenes, like in revitalize your spirit, and finally the one in “Old Lady at the Beach,” “Once More to the “Spring Necromancies” is simply titled “NecRoof Deck,” and “4 am.” And the Washingromancy Spell.” With a list of ingredients and simple directon University professor does an especially tions, each spell adheres to its season in ways good job at this when the setting is his that relate to personal growth as much as the current home, St. Louis. For that reason, rising and falling of the temperature. In sum“Bricks” is most likely to strike Missourimer we begin with sun-drenched images, ans as being an honest-to-God portrait of a on to the sting of loss in autumn, the gloom place they’ve been: of winter, and finally a plaintive attempt to September rain in streetlight speak with the resurrected dead in spring. silvers the cypress needles, scatters new dimes Although the spells range in tone from among the nuisance alley mulberry tress. quaint to tragic, the way Richard sets the By the heartbreaking ending of “Bricks,” scene for each one makes you almost want you’re essentially breathing the air in Newto try them out. The simple, descriptive man’s tableaux. language lends these spells their potency, All the Wasted Beauty of the World is Richard Newman, Able Muse Press and the same could be said about the rest an atlas and a snapshot in equal parts. 102 pages, softcover, of the book. Those who've logged a lot of miles readpoetry, $18.95 With a talent for observation, Richard ing poetry may find their fingers tracing covers a spectrum of images, illuminating the beautiful but never shythe state routes and highways of their own consciousness, but it is ing away from the uncouth. This book weaves between high art, “Great just as likely and no less valid to simply see the book as an image Blue Heron of Southern Indian” and back alley, “Four Kids Pissing off of a certain time and place, better used as a reminder than a source the Overpass after a Cardinals Game.” And in some cases, both can be of directions.

COURTESY OF ABLE MUSE PRESS

All The Wasted Beauty Of The World

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SHOW-ME

Books

MORE GOOD READS BY MEGHAN BELL AND EVAN WOOD

Lessons in Ruin Justin Hamm, Aldrich Press, 76 pages, softcover, poetry, $14 The poems penned by Illinois-transplant Justin Hamm in Lessons in Ruin deal with young manhood in Missouri. The book takes readers in a pickup speeding down an icy back road, onto a bus that’s headed for a baseball game, and into the thoughts of a boy who’s dreaming of “softer things” than blue-collar working and fathers begetting sons. In “First Lesson in Ruin,” a father presents the abandoned infrastructure of factories and sale barns to his child and says that, while they aren’t pyramids or temples, “we too have our echoes.” Hamm’s poems provide a familiar picture for those who call Missouri home.

The Moon in Your Sky Kate Saller, University of Missouri Press, 248 pages, softcover, nonfiction, $19.95 Experience the life of a young woman who left her native country and came to America. The Moon in Your Sky, by St. Louis author Kate Saller, tells the story of Annah Emuge, who grew up in Uganda under the despotic rule of Idi Amin. She meets a preacher, marries him, and moves to America with their two children. But Annah’s struggles don’t end with her arrival in the United States. This is a story of faith, courage, and overcoming life’s challenges in any part of the globe.

Guidebook To St. Louis By And For St. Louisans, Neighborhood by Neighborhood Amanda E. Doyle, with Kerri Bonasch and Don Korte, Reedy Press, 256 pages, softcover, guidebook, $19.95 St. Louis can be difficult to navigate, even for a native. Guidebook to St. Louis is for anyone looking to explore the Gateway City. With chapters that are organized by neighborhood, it’s easy to find exactly what you’re looking for, from popular attractions like bars, shopping districts, and museums, to little-known gems, such as the oldest pet cemetery.

The Siege of Lexington Missouri Sailor’s Mail Marsha Norris Knudsen, Compass Flower Press, 326 pages, softcover, historical nonfiction, $25 Recent newlyweds Homer and Ruth suddenly have their lives turned upside down after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Pieced together by their daughter, Auxvasse native Marsha Norris Knudsen, Sailor’s Mail tells the love story of Homer and Ruth. Letters and diary entries penned by the couple are scattered throughout the book, which bring the story to life.

Larry Wood, The History Press, 160 pages, softcover, historical nonfiction, $19.95 In September 1861, the Southern-sympathizing Missouri State Guard advanced on Lexington, a closely held but hastily assembled Union stronghold. The siege lasted for three days. The Siege of Lexington Missouri, by Missouri historian Larry Wood, details the ingenious plan to use hemp bales to absorb hot shot, which rallied the Confederate forces to victory.

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From enjoying old friends to making new ones... We are Clinton, Missouri; where small town life is still alive and well. We invite you to cruise the shoreline of Truman Lake or pedal your way down the Katy Trail. This Golden Valley in which we live offers a multitude of opportunities to shop, bike, hunt, fish or just relax. We invite you to come share all the things we love: our events, our square, our nature, and our people. We are Clinton, and we are great people, by nature.

For more information on Clinton, MO, go to www.clintonmo.com

! y a w a t e G r u o Y Pl a n se e a n d d o in L e ba n on! So m u ch to

Route 66 Museum and Research Center

Open Year-Round, Free to the Public 417-532-2148 www.lebanon-laclede.lib.mo.us

Lebanon is known by its motto,

“Frien dly people. Frien dly pla ce.” These events are only part of the fun we have to offer.

Modern Athletic Derby Endeavor Nationals October 24 – 26 Cowan Civic Center www.skatemade.org www.lebanonmo.org | 1-866-LEBANON

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MISSOURI

MISSOURI’S ANGEL ABROAD

St. Louis native Angel Olsen had to leave her home to find her audience. BY JONAS WEIR WHETHER SHE’S TOURING Europe or doing interviews

Angel Olsen grew up in the Richmond Heights-Maplewood area of St. Louis and went to Tower Grove High School. Her new album is one of the most critically acclaimed releases of the year.

Since then, Angel has changed. Burn Your Fire is a full-on rock album. However, she cannot evade certain songwriting conventions. In the lead single “High Five,” you can hear a country inflection when she sings, “I feel so lonesome I could cry.” However, country music is not a conscious influence, though she enjoys classics like Loretta Lynn and Townes Van Zandt. In fact, for most of her life, country was another thing Angel wanted to escape. “My parents always listened to country on the radio, and I hated it,” she says. “I avoided country at all costs.” Similarly, Angel has moved to a city much like her hometown. “Now, I’ve moved to Ashville, North Carolina, which is really small— smaller than St. Louis,” she says. “And a lot of people don’t leave here either. So, I ended up going to a place that reminded me of the past.” Many of her Midwestern attributes endure. She keeps the Southern dialect at bay. She’s down-to-earth. And most importantly, she remembers her roots with an impassioned sense of nostalgia. “I went running in my old neighborhood and went past all these houses of friends of mine growing up in elementary school, and I started crying,” Angel says. “I was just like, ‘This is so beautiful.’ ”

COURTESY OF AUTUMN NORTHCRAFT

with magazines like Vogue, Angel Olsen confounds people when they discover she’s from St. Louis. “I think people are surprised at first, and they don’t know where to place me,” she says. “‘So, is it a city or is it the country? Is it the middle of nowhere?’ ” This February, the Missouri native released a stellar folk rock album, Burn Your Fire for No Witness, to wide critical praise. NPR, Spin, and Stereogum.com have already dubbed it one of the best albums of the year. Perhaps that’s because the album is a solid collection of songs that span the spectrum of human emotion. Or perhaps it’s because Angel’s music has such a universal appeal, it could only come from a humble, grounded Missourian. Growing up in Richmond Heights and Maplewood, Angel came from a working-class family in a blue-collar neighborhood. “I wouldn’t say I was poor, but I grew up under the middle class,” she says. “I visit my parents all the time, and you can see it in Webster Grove and all of these changing areas. They are investing in the strip finally, and they’re attracting more people. When I was growing up, you just hung out with the neighborhood kids and ran around like a little neighborhood rat.” As a teenager, Angel discovered STLPunk—a primitive social media site dedicated to music—and began making friends and exploring the music scene. Although she enjoyed concerts, the young musician couldn’t find her place in the broader scene. She was too young to play the twentyone-and-over rock clubs, too sweet to play the Lemp Arts Center, and too ambitious for house shows. For Angel, her only place of musical refuge was the street, specifically Delmar Boulevard outside of Vintage Vinyl. Her music would find a home on the road, but the Gateway City was the spark for her career. “If I wouldn’t have had that experience, I wouldn’t have moved out of St. Louis and really tried to make music and play music in general,” she says. “I think there were a lot of different factors for me wanting to leave. I definitely didn’t want to work in a grocery store the rest of my life.” Angel moved to Chicago in 2007 to pursue music as a career. There, she became a member of acclaimed artist Bonnie “Prince” Billy’s band, and eventually, had enough songs to release her debut, Strange Cacti, in 2011, followed quickly by Half Way Home in 2012. Both albums have an avant-garde quality that appeals to critics, but they’re also stripped-down, bare, and deeply rooted in Americana.

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La Quinta Inn & Suites

Marriott Residence Inn

Days Inn

Courtyard by Marriott

Homewood Suites

Studio Plus

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Upper Limits offers something for everyone! Their 2 massive arches and amazing top-out boulder will challenge experienced climbers, while their introductory classes allow novices to learn the ropes.

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Quality Inn Westport

Hampton Inn Westport

Holiday Inn Express

Comfort Inn Westport

Wingate Inn

Motel 6

Visit www.more2do.org for more information about Upper Limits Rock Climbing Gym. Maryland Heights Convention & Visitors Bureau 888.MORE2DO • www.more2do.org

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Hollywood Casino & Hotel

Homestead Studio Suites

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Centrally Located, Just 30 Miles North of Columbia at the Junction of Highways 63 & 24

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MISSOURI

A LITTLE BIT HILLBILLY

Artist Mike Wolf uses his family’s fireworks store in Moberly as his part-time studio. There, he makes about six paintings a year, in addition to working at his Los Angeles studio.

A Little Bit Fancy

LUSH, VIBRANT PAINTS

explode on the canvas in Mike Wolf’s studio in Moberly. Neon acrylics and oil paints form pictures of his friends, self-portraits, and homages to the Show-Me State. Although he maintains another studio in Culver City, California, near Los Angeles, Mike’s Moberly studio is unlike most; it doubles as his family’s fireworks store. The Wolfs have run Boomer’s for more than thirty years. Mike buys and stocks the fireworks, his brother makes sales, and his sister offers free facepainting for kids. Among the firecrackers, bottle rockets, and Roman candles, there are pictures. Some are small sketches that advertise the price of sky dancers, blue stars, or eye catchers. Some are canvas paintings that sell for thousands of dollars, and others are photographs of patrons over the years. “People that are kids in these pictures have kids,” Mike says. At age fifty, Mike’s art career is almost as long and illustrious as Boomer’s. For as long as he can remember, he has been drawing. During his time at Moberly High School, art teacher Ed Miller helped Mike sharpen his skills and helped him realize his future.

“We never got to paint,” Mike says. “Most the time it was drawing and learning the minutia and learning the not-fun stuff.” In fact, Ed influenced many of his students. Ashley Maddox is a photographer. Phil Cason is a graphic designer. David Caywood also has a career as a painter. Amazingly, Mike can still rattle off the principles and elements of design: line, form, color, texture, space, variety, proportion, emphasis, balance, rhythm, and unity. His memory is sharp, and conversation comes easy. He leaps from story to story at lightning speed with no rhyme or reason. Once, he and a junior city attorney, now the prosecuting attorney, got in trouble for shooting fireworks in Downtown Columbia. In Los Angeles, he ran into and was frisked by Steve Martin’s entourage. Another time, he bought a silk screen by renowned pop artist Roy Lichtentstein that “may have been stolen.” However, these days, he mainly wants to talk about his latest endeavor—Logboat Brewing Company, a new brewery in Columbia. Mike created the logo in a painting, drawing inspiration from Lewis, Clark, and Sacajawea. The individual beer labels also stem from his art.

COURTESY OF MIKE WOLF

Welcome to the pop surrealist art world of Moberly’s Mike Wolf. BY JONAS WEIR

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COURTESY OF MIKE WOLF

Top right: This self-portrait, entitled Peckerwood, represents how artist Mike Wolf felt at the time—stuck like a tree rooted in the ground. Bottom right: Siamese Surprise is a painting that Mike says the brewery might use as the logo for a beer. He also hinted at the brewery trying to make whiskey, and this painting could be his pick for the label.

For about three years, the three founders of Logboat—Tyson Hunt, Andrew Sharp, and Judson Ball—have been working to open their brewery. And Mike and his brother were the first investors. Tyson and Andrew are from Moberly. While they were at a family reunion, they saw Mike and approached him. “They came up to me, and their eyes were big around as silver dollars,” Mike says. “They were like, ‘Wolf man, we’re going to start a brewery; you have to be a part of it.’ I was like, ‘Let’s do it.’ ” Given his mannerisms and dialect, his painting’s subjects—which include Mark Twain and a Missouri mule—and his predilection for fireworks, it’s easy to forget that Mike spends half of his time in Los Angeles. “I like the juxtaposition of fancy and hillbilly; I’m kind of a fancy hillbilly, I guess,” he says. “I can go to a black tie event in LA with celebrities, or I can go sit around a campfire with all my friends and shoot fireworks.” Although he’s spent the majority of his time in Missouri the past few years, Mike plans to transition back to spending more time in LA. After working as an artist in California for more than fifteen years, he’s finally earning recognition. Mike says noted artists like Shepard Fairey and Tim Biskup enjoy his work, but Mike has had his share of obstacles along the way. Mike’s painting career really began when he moved to Kansas City to work for the board of trade and devoted his free time to painting. “It was a weird job for an artist, but I wanted to make my parents proud for a few years before I went off and turned into what I am now,” he says, laughing. After having a few successful exhibitions, he decided to move to San Francisco, where he had some friends. Eventually, he transitioned to the prospering Los Angeles art scene, and people starting taking notice. About eight years ago, Venice Magazine—an arts and culture publication in the Los Angeles area—decided to profile Mike. The story was a big deal; the editor-in-chief wanted to be present for the photo shoot. His career was poised to take off, but his studio burned down the day before the scheduled photo shoot. Mike lost almost thirty paintings, but he found a new drive. “That was a setback of sorts, but it also made me more determined to make a comeback,” he says. Although the fire could have devastated him, Mike seems happier than ever. Wide-eyed, he reminisces on good times filled with fireworks, whiskey, and strange places and people. He lights up a room. He’s excited about the paintings he’s working on and the endeavors Logboat has planned. Of course, he still has his struggles, especially trying to break into a competitive art scene in a bustling city. But he has a trick for the tough times. “In my head, I always go to Missouri,” Mike says. “I have a lake house north of here at Holiday Acres Lake, and I keep a picture of Holiday Acres in the side of my [car] door. When you’re stuck on the 405 in traffic for three hours, you can go to Missouri in your head. I haven’t had to do that for a while, but it keeps you sane … or close to sane.”

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AWAKEN to Fulton’s rich history with exciting sights and sounds all wrapped up in the warmth of small-town charm in the Brick District with elegant architecture and 67 buildings on the historic register. IMMERSE yourself in the arts at the new Art House in Fulton's Brick District where there are classes to take and fine art to admire and purchase. CONNECT to our history at the state-of-the-art renovated National Churchill Museum. This $4-million museum inside a priceless piece of architecture offers a look back at living history. MARVEL at the impressive collection of 84 historic automobiles displayed in Hollywood-style sets for their era at the new Backer Auto World Museum. SAMPLE some distinctive Missouri wines at Canterbury Hill Winery, or bottle your own at Serenity Valley Winery. SAVOR scrumptious dining at one of our great restaurants for a down home or uptown experience. CAPTURE a sense of local history at the Historical Society Museum, or pay your respects at the Missouri Firefighters Memorial. SMILE at the offbeat collections at Crane’s Museum in Williamsburg, and before you head out, stop by Marlene’s Restaurant. A pulled-pork sandwich and warm slice of pie will leave you grinning. The National Churchill Museum features interactive displays that engage and educate visitors of all ages.

REVISIT the 1930s by sharing a shake made with locally made premium ice cream at Sault’s authentic soda fountain.

Spend a delightful Fall day shopping and dining in the Historic Brick District of Fulton.

UNWIND at a Missouri top 10 inn, the historic Loganberry Inn, where Margaret Thatcher and other famous guests have stayed.

Backer Auto World Museum displays an impressive collection of 84 historic automobiles in Hollywood-style sets. [12] MissouriLife MissouriLife [32]

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Wonderful breakfasts and romantic accommodations await you at Loganberry Inn B&B.

Calendar of Events 38th Annual Hatton Craft Festival October 4, 9 AM-4 PM Throughout Hatton 175+ exhibitors with handmade items for sale—dolls, hand-painted china, paintings, pillows, wooden toys, florals, seasonal items, and much more. www.hattonmissouri.org Autumn on the Bricks Saturday, October 11,9 AM-7 PM 600 East Fifth Street, Fulton Celebrate Autumn with live music, art, artisanal food, wine and beer and a wild game cook-off. thebrickdistrict.tripod.com/autumnon-the-bricks.html 573-642-3055 Hartsburg Pumpkin Festival October 11 and 12 9 AM-5 PM Arts & crafts, musical entertainment, food, contests, hayrides, hot air balloons and more than 10,000 pumpkinshartsburgpumpkinfest.com 573-861-1886

Crane’s 4,000-square-foot museum is a one-of-akind viewing experience featuring rural Missouri history dating back to the 1800s.

Celebrate the joy of painting, pottery, and creativity with weekly events at the Art House in Fulton’s Brick District.

Annual Victorian Christmas Sale November 13 thru December National Churchill Museum 501 Westminster Avenue, Fulton November 13 -Kettledrum Tea 10 AM2 PM, Cocktails and Food 5 PM-7 PM, All-day shopping. 573-592-5369 Holiday Open House November 14 and 15, 10 PM-5 PM Downtown Fulton Enjoy shopping, carriage rides and live music. Merchants will unveil their holiday windows. 573-642-3055

Savor a Brown Cow at Sault’s authentic soda fountain. [33] October 2014 [13] December 2010

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For your next getaway or family vacation, visit Fulton and Callaway County. For more information and calendar of events, visit www.visitfulton.com or call 573-642-3055.

9/5/14 4:04 PM


DIGGING UP Missouri’s

secrets THINKSTOCK

Folk tales from the grave

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A MAN NAMED GRAVES AS THE STATE’S last Civil War veteran, John T. Graves’s death in 1950 marked the end of an era for Missouri. Graves was born on January 1, 1842, in Pike County and died May 9, 1950, at the Confederate Soldiers Home of Missouri in Higginsville. He was a member of General Joseph Shelby’s Iron Brigade, as indicated by his epitaph, “The Last of Shelby’s Men.” However, he only served

JESSE JAMES IS BURIED IN TEXAS and Other Conspiracy Theories Oscar Wilde was touring the United States when he learned of Jesse James’s murder. Hightailing it to the outlaw’s Clay County birthplace, the renowned British humorist was amused by the local reaction. He witnessed a stampede to snag any souvenir remotely associated with the newly deceased bushwhacker.

in the army for two years. An injury during the Battle of Lexington on September 12, 1861, resulted in Graves’s release from the Confederate Army for “poor health.” Despite being wounded during the war, Graves lived well into old age and was the last resident at the Confederate Soldiers Home. He lived in the home for seventeen years and

COURTESY OF THE JESSE JAMES HOME AND TOM NAGEL

spent most days chatting and reminiscing with

“Americans are certainly great hero-worshippers,” Wilde wrote, “and always take their heroes from the criminal classes.” Wilde was half right. Americans tend to worship rebels, those who bend rules and color outside the lines. Nefarious or criminal attributes are only rationalized when the rebel is painted as an average Joe forced to stand against seemingly omnipotent people and institutions. The rebel is who we’d like to be but usually aren’t. They’re a construct of our own egos, and consequently, they are immortal. This was particularly true of Jesse James, and his post-death narrative was a fait accompli. After all, the idea of Goliath killing David, or the Sheriff of Nottingham firing an arrow through Robin Hood’s green heart, is intolerable. Thus, 132 years later and against all evidence to the contrary, a sizeable contingent still believes Jesse escaped Robert Ford’s bullet. But they’re wrong. Rumors of Jesse’s death were NOT greatly exaggerated. Jesse had twice recovered from bullets to the chest; he’d blown off half a finger while cleaning his gun. The corpse had the exact same wounds. Most damning is that Jesse’s body was exhumed from its Kearney grave in 1995. Mitochondrial DNA was matched with

one of his female descendants. I hate it when technology spoils cherished folk legends, but that’s what we get for living in the era of boring, rational science. Nonetheless, factional fictions are more fun than non-fictional facts. Rumors abound that a small-time thief named Charlie Bigelow was buried in Jesse’s place, that the old switcheroo had been orchestrated by members of Quantrill’s Raiders loyal to Jesse. Sadly, they’re not true. The logbooks and documentation of Jesse’s autopsy and funeral are intact, kept at Heaton-BowmanSmith & Sidenfaden Funeral Home in St. Joseph. The most prevalent conspiracy theory is that Jesse changed his name to J. Frank Dalton, joined a spy ring called “Knights of the Golden Circle,” financed by Howard Hughes, and died at age 103 in Granbury, Texas. However, it seems J. Frank didn’t even become J. Frank until middle age. Moreover, the Knights of the Golden Circle ain’t talkin’, which is pretty typical of secret societies that don’t exist. Jesse James does live on as a symbol, though, and symbols endure much longer than mere flesh and bone. That’s why, until his name fades from the history books, Jesse James will remain the rebel underdog who cheated death.

visitors. He often discussed the evils of war and the atom bomb and was quoted in an article by the Associated Press: “The best thing that all nations can do today is let well enough alone to keep peace. No one ever wins in a war, and the next one won’t be funny.” After his death, the Confederate Soldiers Home was closed and demolished. The home had provided refuge to 1,600 Civil War veterans and their families for over sixty years. Veterans from the border states and all but one of the Confederate states lived at the home. Although the home was torn down, visitors of the Confederate Memorial State Historic Site can still see the land where the home was located, as well as a century-old chapel and cottage, farmhouse, a 1920s-era hospital building, and the cemetery where Graves and eight hundred others were laid to rest. He is one of three confederate soldiers in the cemetery who lived to be more than one hundred years old.

– BY C H A NE L L E KO E H N –

– BY R O N M A R R –

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– The Story of –

SALT CREEK CEMETERY’S DOUBLE GRAVE

Two names mark the headstone in Salt Creek Cemetery: “William W. ... aged 17Y’s. 11M’s. 16D’s,” and “Alfred H. ... aged 17Y’s. 1Mo. 17D’s.” Below each name, the date is the same: “Sept. 12, 1864.” The fall of ’64 was a dangerous time to be a young man in Mid-Missouri. There were few friendly embraces between Northern and Southern hands.

f

The graves of William Collins and Alfred Carter rest in the Salt Creek Cemetery, a few miles east of New Franklin. The headstone is one of seventeen still standing. Karen Boggs and Louise Coutts’s book,

Howard County Cemetery Records, lists about twenty names—several Mosses and Settles— interned at Salt Creek, with the caveat that several graves are unmarked. The oldest readable headstone belongs to Sarah Moss: born in 1764, died in 1841. Walk around the graveyard, and you’ll see the remnants of old, illegible tombstones stacked against a tree or strewn throughout the grove. You’ll find the foundation of the long-gone Salt Creek Church, purportedly the first Disciples of Christ Christian Church west of the Mississippi. But amidst the redbud tress and the uneven rows of weathered tombstones, Alfred and William’s marker stands apart. It’s away from most of the others in the cemetery’s northern half—a shared grave born from Union bullets. – BY WA D E L I V I NG S T O N –

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Howard County Confederate guerrilla Hamp B. “Babe” Watts writes in his 1913 memoir—Babe of the Company: An Unfolded Leaf from the Forest of Never-to-be-Forgotten Years—that Al Carter was riding alone when he was shot. In Guerrilla Warfare in Civil War Missouri, Bruce Nichols writes that Alfred and William were visiting a house near the Peeler farm. A Union patrol surprised them and gunned them down as they fled through a field. Local histories—Howard County Cemetery Records and Bob Lay’s “Civil War Incidents in Howard County,” published in Boone’s Lick Heritage—say that Alfred and William were riding on the road by Salt Creek Cemetery when they intercepted an interloper, were fired upon, and then ambushed by a Union patrol.

EVAN WOOD

Two hands carved into the front of the headstone greet each new sunrise. One hand comes from a southerly direction, the other from the north. They meet in the middle, embracing in what looks like a handshake.

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Indeed, the accounts differ. But there are some consistencies. The location—generally Salt Creek Cemetery—of the fatal shooting seems reliable. The cemetery is given as a landmark in most of the accounts. When the cemetery isn’t specifically named, the Peeler and Maxwell farms are. Look at a Moniteau Township plat book from 1897, and you’ll see properties with these names adjacent to the cemetery. The nature of the shooting is the same. In all of the accounts, Alfred and William appear to have been killed in the act of retreat. The date of the shooting is consistent: September 12, 1864. And the implications of the altercation share a common theme. Alfred and William were killed because they were guerrillas fighting under “Bloody” Bill Anderson.

COURTESY OF THE MISSOURI DIVISION OF TOURISM

f

In his article, Bob Lay provides the transcript of a 1940 interview with J. Archie Maxwell. Archie, then eighty-six, apparently witnessed Alfred’s and William’s deaths. Archie was ten years old in 1864, and he remembers the Carter and Collins families moving to Howard County after being displaced from Jackson County by Union General Thomas Ewing’s Order No. 11. The order, issued on August 25, 1863, forcibly removed rural Missourians from Bates, Cass, and Jackson Counties, and seized property from those who could not prove their Union loyalty. Ewing’s aim was to quell guerrilla warfare on the Kansas-Missouri border. But one of the outcomes was the relocation of anti-Union sentiments to Mid-Missouri. Archie says that Alfred and William joined the ranks of Confederate guerrillas operating in Howard County. Babe Watts lists an Al Carter and an unnamed Collins in his “Roster of Capt. Bill Anderson’s Company of Guerrillas.” Sift through The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, and note the tone of correspondence between Union officers in Mid-Missouri during the summer and fall of 1864. It’s tense, to say the least. You’ll pick up on the desperation, fear, and hatred. continued on page 38

CARRY HIM TO HIS BURYING GROUND “HE WAS BRAVE, he was fearless, and as tough as a mighty oak tree …” So go the lyrics to the 1960s television series based loosely on the life and adventures of famed early American frontiersman Daniel Boone. Hyperbolic though the TV stories might be, they are no more far-fetched than the stories told about him during his own lifetime. And as with anyone who rises to folk hero status—Davy Crockett, Ethan Allen, James Bowie—most of the tales were wildly exaggerated. Nonetheless, despite Boone’s own claims to have been nothing but a “common man,” he was unquestionably an overachiever— pioneer, trailblazer, hunter, land speculator, surveyor, town-builder, and Virginia assemblyman. In fact, Daniel Boone was no less extraordinary after death than he was while living; his body is currently buried in two separate states. In 1820, Boone died at his home in Femme Osage Creek, at the well-advanced age of eightyfive. Devoted friends and family placed him in a modest grave in nearby Marthasville, close to his wife Rebecca, to take his eternal rest. Well, perhaps not eternal. Twenty-five years later, the citizens of Frankfort, Kentucky, decided that since Boone had been a local resident and had founded

was not her beloved Daniel’s but that of a “large

Boonesborough, the pioneer’s bones should right-

black man” who had preceded the frontiersman

fully be interred in their state. According to Marc

in death. The story’s veracity has since been

Houseman, president of Missouri’s Friends of the

called into serious question.

Daniel Boone Burial Site, “Some Frankfort busi-

Meanwhile in 2010, the Friends of the Dan-

nessmen were building a new cemetery, and they

iel Boone Burial Site officially conceded that the

wanted a celebrity buried there as a commercial

Kentucky delegation had, in fact, opened the right

draw.” They exhumed and reburied both Dan-

graves and taken some of the larger bones, since,

iel’s and Rebecca’s remains in Frankfort, ignoring

by the time of the exhumation, “everything else

the fact that Boone had left Kentucky more than

had decayed.” They stressed, however—and con-

twenty years before his death, vowing never to re-

tinue to stress—that “his heart and brain remain

turn because he felt it had grown “too crowded,”

where he was buried.”

and because the authorities there were consid-

Why it is so important to claim Boone’s

ering placing him in prison for non-payment of

gravesite for Missouri? Houseman replies, “Many

debts.

of us need a sense of closure, a sense of place. I

For well over a century, Missouri claimed that

look at cemeteries as outdoor libraries, where visi-

Kentucky had dug up the wrong bones and that

tors can come and learn more about those who lie

the remains now residing beneath an impressive

there. You can’t stop and visit with Daniel Boone,

monument in the Frankfort Cemetery belonged

but you certainly can come and stand by the place

to someone else. In the early 1980s, an attempt

where he is buried.”

was made to perform forensic analysis on a cast

Technically, Daniel Boone reposes in Missouri

of the Kentucky skull, resulting in a story that

and in Kentucky. Rest in peace, Dan’l … and rest

the body originally buried alongside Rebecca

in place!

– BY R O N S O O DA LT E R –

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On July 5, 1864, Union Colonel John F. Williams sent a letter to Captain G. A. Holloway. From Macon, the colonel wrote: “I have just returned from a scout through Boone, Howard, and Randolph Counties. I find that the [country is full] of outlaws and marauders, bent on pillage and plunder.” Writing from Fayette on July 25, 1864, Union Captain H. F. Glaze noted the guerrillas were growing in numbers: “The rebels are recruiting very fast; old and young are going to them.” On August 11, 1864, in Glasgow, B. W. Lewis wrote to Brigadier General C. B. Fisk that “the knights of the bush” could decimate Lewis’s troops whenever they saw fit. A “Lieutenant Clarke,” Fisk’s aide-de-camp wrote on September 4, 1864, “Boone and Howard are swarming with guerrillas. Every conceivable bushwhacker … can be found in this region.” And on September 12, 1864—the day Alfred and William were killed—J. B. Douglass wrote to Fisk that he’d trekked from Mexico, Missouri, to Howard County to hunt guerrillas. “Nothing will dispirit these marauders so much as surprising and cutting them to pieces.” He added that he wanted to find “Bloody” Bill Anderson. Every Union soldier in Howard County was looking for the infamous Confederate guerrilla leader.

f

If local histories are to be believed, Union soldiers thought they killed Bill Anderson on September 12, 1864—at least initially. In both accounts, Alfred and William, who were riding south on the road by Salt Creek Cemetery, turned their horses around and rode north to intercept a stranger on the highway. The stranger shot Alfred in the stomach. Alfred fired back, wounding his assailant, and then twenty-five Union soldiers appeared on the road to the north. Alfred and William turned back around and fled. William was quickly shot off his horse; he was dead. Alfred turned in the direction of the Peeler farm, came to a dead end, and darted into the woods. But he was thrown from

his horse when he caught a grapevine under the chin. Then the Union soldiers caught up with him. Because of Alfred’s stature and long, black curly hair, they thought the boy was “Bloody” Bill Anderson. They shot out both of his eyes and scalped him. The Union soldiers attached locks of Alfred’s hair to their bridles—souvenirs, trophies. Archie’s father later informed the Union troopers that they had mistaken Alfred for Bill Anderson. Archie remembers two coffins were made for the boys, and they were buried in the same grave in Salt Creek Cemetery. He says that William’s father returned to Howard County after the war and placed the tombstone that marks the grave. Today, a double-pronged redbud tree grows directly behind the headstone.

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Mary Ellen McVickers, sixty-three, of Boonville, remembers visiting Salt Creek Cemetery in 1987. Her notes read as follows: “Total ruin, dense thicket, more burials.” The cemetery was so overgrown that she didn’t record Alfred and William’s shared headstone; she wasn’t able to see it. In the late 1980s, Mary Ellen was finishing her doctorate in art history at the University of Missouri. Her dissertation was a survey of Mid-Missouri cemeteries: 232 graveyards in Boone, Cooper, and Howard Counties. The veteran professor and former curator of Central Methodist University’s Stephens Museum will tell you there’s nothing particularly unique about Salt Creek. The markers appear to be aligned in rows—typical. Husbands and wives and mothers and infants are buried together—nothing unusual about that in a Disciples of Christ church cemetery. And the graves face east, into the sun, into the light of God who will greet the risen dead after the Revelation. But ask her to take a closer look at Alfred and William’s gravesite. On further examination, there are a couple of peculiar details. There are two names on the headstone. Mary Ellen says it’s not unusual for a mother and a child to share a marker and a grave. But two young men—that’s a different story.

The headstone’s motif, two clasped hands, is also intriguing. Mary Ellen says that this type of carving was typical for an adult headstone in the mid-1800s. But she says dead young men were often represented by a fractured column: a symbol of strength and something you wouldn’t expect to break at such a young age. And Mary Ellen has a couple of theories that explain these oddities. She suspects someone got a good deal on the headstone, and she thinks Alfred and William could have been cousins. She speculates that William’s father was poor after the war, having been displaced from his home and Jackson County and, potentially, having lost much of his property. Mary Ellen has read the local histories; she knows the authors and attests to their thoroughness. She points out an interesting detail. A “Mrs. Hamilton” also relocated along with the Carter and Collins families to Howard County. Bob Lay quotes Archie Maxwell as saying that, on September 12, 1864, the boys rode past Salt Creek Cemetery and the Maxwell farm toward a cabin, where their mothers were visiting a “Mrs. Hamilton.” Karen Boggs and Louise Coutts note in the cemetery records: “Carter and W. Collins visiting grandmother.” Mary Ellen says that Mrs. Hamilton could have been the grandmother of the boys, making them cousins. That might explain why they’re buried together.

f

Mary Ellen will remind you that she’s just speculating about Alfred and William’s grave. She’s more certain, however, when she talks about Howard County during the fall of 1864. She believes the climate contributed to the boys’ deaths. Howard County was permeated by fear, distrust, and brutality, Mary Ellen says. Union soldiers and Confederate guerrillas alike were desperate for food, personnel, and sanctuary. If you were a young man, you ventured out at your own risk. Better to let the women go to town while the men lay low. Better to stay on your own property. The highways could be deadly. Two young horsemen from the South were not to be trusted by a stranger riding from the North.

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MISSOURI’S OLDEST GRAVE Honor might have been lost upon medical doctor Walter Fenwick’s name after his death by a duel. But centuries later, Fenwick holds the honorable top spot as having the oldest gravestone in Missouri. Ste. Genevieve was founded by the French in 1735 and then conquered by the Spanish thirty years later. Flooding from the Mississippi River in 1785 and 1786 washed away the graves of the town’s earliest settlers. The

townspeople moved to higher ground and built the first permanent church, the Church of Ste. Genevieve. Next to it, Memorial Cemetery was established in 1787 after the Spanish King Charles III donated a land grant for the grounds. The cemetery is the oldest one in the state. Buried there were European emigrants, as well as African Americans and Native Americans. The eighteenth century burials were made with wooden crosses, which disintegrated as the years went on. The earliest recorded burial in the state was Joseph Saint Aubin, fifty, on November 8, 1789. The official grand opening of the cemetery occurred two years later on May 3.

On that day, a priest blessed the cemetery, and immediately afterward, Pierre Roy, fortynine, was buried there. Prior to this, the first legal preceding in the town was the marriage of Roy to his wife, Jeanette. The oldest dated stone marker in the cemetery is for Fenwick, forty, who was killed in a duel, on October 3, 1811. Some stones earlier than this might have been destroyed, picked up by visitors, or sunk in the ground. It is possible to see this stone and others dated after it during tours of the cemetery. Each fall, the Missouri Humanities Council holds a Déjà Vu Spirit Reunion. The event takes visitors on a lantern-lit tour through the cemetery, where the groups stop at twenty gravesites to listen to reenactors tell the history of those buried there. The proceeds from this event benefit the cemetery’s restoration. This year’s reunion will be held on October 24.

BY A S H L E Y S Z ATA L A

THOMAS JEFFERSON’S GRAVE IN COLUMBIA THOMAS JEFFERSON HAS NEVER VISITED THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI, but his original tombstone rests there. In a string of unfortunate events for the deceased president and a series of fortunate ones for campus officials, his original gravestone traveled more than 850 miles to arrive at MU on July 4, 1885. Soon after his death, Jefferson’s family found instructions for a tombstone written on the back of a worn envelope. On it, he described his tombstone as being a plain slab or cube with a granite obelisk on top where his epitaph would be written. But Jefferson’s estate was in so much debt that his monument could not be erected until seven years after he died in 1826. His instructions were closely followed except for one detail: the granite was too difficult to carve his epitaph in, so COURTESY OF VALERIE HOLIFIELD AND SAMANTHA SUNNE

the inscription was written on a marble plaque that was set into the obelisk. In the following years, the burial ground of the Jefferson family at Monticello was neglected and desecrated, and trespassers chipped away parts of the tomb-

ginia. In addition, the authors of the request were from Virginia, one of them a University of Virgina graduate.

stones. In 1878, Congress paid to have a new tombstone replace the damaged one.

The family consented to give the tombstone to MU. One family member wrote, “[We]

Several requests were made to the Jefferson family to have the original tomb-

feel that in no other state of the union would its poor, battered, weatherworn front have

stone. One request came from the University of Missouri.

met with such a welcome.”

Jefferson had been a longtime proponent of state-supported education and has been

Although the marble engraving was once displayed on campus, it was moved to the attic

considered the founder of the state university with the University of Virginia. MU was

of Jesse Hall, where it leaned against the brick wall in obscurity, out of fear of vandalism. In

the first public university in Jefferson’s Louisiana Territory Purchase, and MU had

2012, the gravestone was sent to the Smithsonian for repair. It should return this fall to Jesse

based its campus off of Thomas Jefferson’s original plans for the University of Vir-

Hall, where it will be displayed, according to John Murray, manager of Jesse Auditorium.

BY A S H L E Y S Z ATA L A

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The

Devil in

Missouri

Explore a few of our geological formations that have something a little devilish about them. STORY BY DAVID CAWTHON | PHOTOS BY MATT FAUPEL

People have called Tower Rock a number of names, including Devil’s Tower. This craggy formation is a limestone remnant formed from erosion and shifts in the Mississippi River channel. When the water levels are low, as seen here, you can walk over to the tower. In high water, the eddy and whirlpool allude to why some might have named the rock after the devil. Despite the dangers, a couple did get hitched here. The formation is east of Altenburg and directly across the river from Grand Tower, Illinois.

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Named for the sharp bend in the Big Piney River, Devil’s Elbow caused trouble for many rafters of the early 1900s, especially those who were less skilled and had difficulty managing the unruly current. One error could result in a log jam, which must have seemed like hell. The unincorporated community of Devil’s Elbow is nearby and was a stop along the historic Route 66. Look for this monster near the town.

In Missouri, the devil seems to own everything, including the kitchen and the sink. His name is associated with natural features that include names like tollgate, well, den, tea table, pan, washboard, promenade, elbow, and many others. But why are so many geologic formations property of the devil? In Our Storehouse of Missouri Place Names, author Robert Ramsay says that names in Missouri that come from the Bible outnumber places that have names that are taken from all other books combined. Although religion has some part to play in early Missourians’ fascination with the overlord of the underworld, the devil of folklore, which is more of a trickster than the Prince of Darkness, is also a major influence in these names, he says. The state’s early settlers traversed and tamed the land and endured harsh conditions that might have seemed a bit like, well, hell. Consequently, the tapestry of their oral traditions became woven into the surrounding landscape, dotted with landmarks and formations that bore the devil’s name. In Thomas R. Beverage’s Geologic Wonders and Curiosities of Missouri, he devotes an entire chapter that probes eighty places named after the devil, though he admits the list, published in the second edition in 1990, was likely still incomplete. For example, he cites twenty-five instances of Devil’s Backbones in the state and that others, unnamed by any official designation, likely exist, if only colloquially. Although we don’t recommend that you go dancing with the devil, you should explore these amazing sites.

Devil’s Well, also called a karst window, is a sinkhole that offers surface-dwellers the chance to see how Mother Nature digests layers of rock. The underground spring can reach depths of up to eighty feet. Looking down, as pictured here, there’s a wicked hundred-foot drop through the narrow hole to the water’s surface. Divers spent sixty-two weekends mapping the extensive cave system. The well, located off of Route KK near Akers, is free and is open to the public as part of the National Scenic Riverways.

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This polygonal red ryholite formation, known as Devil’s Honeycomb, is at the peak of Hughes Mountain. This igneous formation and others in the area were formed from ancient volcanoes that created molten rock. The craggy outcrops on Hughes Mountain are some of the oldest exposed rocks in the country and form the perfect natural balcony to experience Southwest Missouri. Devil’s Honeycomb is inside the Hughes Mountain Natural Area, just over three miles southwest of Irondale.

If you take one 1.5-mile trail at Roaring River State Park, you’ll reach Devil’s Kitchen or Devil’s Fireplace, a rock structure that forms a shallow cave. Legend claims that Civil War guerrillas used it as a hideout before it collapsed. Two of the best seasons to hike this trail are during the spring (seen here) and fall, when the warm hues of autumn color blanket the forests. Devil’s Kitchen Trail is located eight miles south of Cassville at Roaring River State Park.

Have you seen something named after the devil? Take a picture, tell us about your adventure, and email Associate Editor David Cawthon at dcawthon@missourilife.com.

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According to Piankisha tribe legend, the Devil’s Tollgate was made by lightning. A maiden was fleeing a monster, but a rhyolite formation more than thirty feet tall blocked her path. The Great Spirit then blasted it with lighting, enabling her escape through a passage in the rock. The formation is located in Taum Sauk Mountain State Park, eight miles southeast of Ironton.

The Devil left his mark at Ha Ha Tonka State Park. Located on Devil’s Kitchen Trail, Devil’s Promenade is a steep, spurlike outcrop. One look at this monster, and you might think something devilish is responsible for the formation.

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the

Wildest walk Come along on a fall hike from Taum Sauk to Johnson's Shut-Ins. Photos and story by greg wood

Missouri State Parks Director Bill Bryan leads the way on stepping stones across the clear East Fork of the Black River.

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Wanting one more long hike last fall

GREG WOOD

as November was fast approaching, I sent a hurried email to Bill Bryan, director of Missouri’s State Parks, a division of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. “What would make a great fall hike?” I asked. “How about hiking from Taum Sauk to Johnson’s Shut-Ins?” he replied. “We have a new shuttle service there, and the trail itself has only been recently reopened.” “Sounds great! Want to come along and lead the way?” “Sure!” So, late last October, we ended up on the trail from Taum Sauk to Johnson’s Shut-Ins with the director of Missouri State Parks as our guide. Our five-member crew was myself, Bill Bryan, Danita Allen Wood (my wife and Missouri Life editor-in-chief), friend Kevin Miquelon from St. Louis, and Kim Todey, an Ozarks Parks District assistant supervisor.

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It was a chilly,

foggy morning, and the mist was rising from the Black River as we rode the shuttle from our campground at Johnson’s Shut-Ins State Park toward Missouri’s highest peak—Taum Sauk mountain, 1,772 feet above sea level. At the very center of the five-thousand-square-mile St. Francois Mountains and thirty other summits, Taum Sauk possibly means Big Sauk and is a reference to the Sauk tribe. Just before the road curves into the parking area at Taum Sauk Mountain State Park, an overlook above Arcadia Valley offers a beautiful vista to the north and informative sign panels identifying the St. Francois mountains that you can see, if it’s not foggy as it was that morning. The fourteen-mile trail we were about to embark upon begins on the Mina Sauk Trail and then follows the Ozark Trail. It’s one of the wildest walks in Missouri, according to Bill. For sure, it’s rugged. Although the trail is marked, there are certain rocky places where you could easily lose your way. We gradually descended the mountain’s west flank, with surrounding mountains occasionally looming through the fog. Soon, we heard the unmistakable sound of a waterfall. The Mina Sauk Falls drops 132 feet over volcanic rock ledges that lie at right angles across ancient faults and rock fractures. This is Missouri’s tallest waterfall, and you can reach it on a three-mile loop from the trailhead. But we pressed on, following part of the old Boy Scout Trail down the southwestern slope of the mountain into the Taum Sauk Creek valley. Taum Sauk Creek itself meanders through areas so remote and unsuited for farming that it was never settled, leaving it crystal clear and lined with Ozark witch hazel, which has sweet-scented red and yellow blossoms sometimes as early as January. Shortly after reaching the creek at the base of the falls, we passed through Devil’s Toll Gate, an eight-

foot-wide gap in a huge pink rock, igneous rhyolite some thirty feet high and fifty feet long. Many of the most twisted, gnarled post oaks and blackjack oaks are two hundred or more years old. Pines dot the slope, and prairie grasses and wildflowers cover it. Kim tirelessly named the flowers, answering our ceaseless questions about what we were seeing. We continued on the Ozark Trail, skirting the lower slopes of Weimer Hill, and then we went up and across Proffitt Mountain. About mid-morning, the fog and mist lifted, and the day turned to sparkling sunshine and cool breezes. Like a typical Missouri fall, the day warmed up, and we stuffed our jackets and sweaters into backpacks. As we descended toward Johnson’s Shut-Ins, we could see the new reservoir on Proffitt Mountain built by AmerenUE to replace the reservoir that failed in 2005. That disaster inundated Johnson’s ShutIns State Park with 1.3 billion gallons of water in just a few minutes. In the deluge, the park superintendent and his family were swept out of their house into the waters and a field. Miraculously, they all survived. Also miraculously, there were no people camping that night—a rarity for the Shut-Ins. Back then, Bill was a litigator for the Department of Natural Resources, and he described the lengthy and deliberate process of recovery. Both AmerenUE’s engineers and state park staff worked together to clean up the park, restore certain natural areas, and

Pools form at the top of Mina Sauk Falls, which provides an overlook into Taum Sauk Creek valley below.

Kim Todey with the Ozarks Parks District and fellow hiker Kevin Miquelon enjoy the vivid fall color of sumac.

The aptly named jack-o’-lantern mushrooms are poisonous. You can spot them from July to October.

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The northern fence lizard, or fence swift, is a common species in open forests or along edges of woods and on rocky glades.

Johnson’s Shut-Ins is known for water fun in the summer, but a board walk provides stunning views of autumn solitude.

reconstruct facilities that are now better than ever and no longer in the floodplain. Now, visitors can enjoy new campgrounds with camper cabins, bathhouses, a store, and concrete slabs for pulling in campers with full hookups. A complete equestrian campground was also added away from the regular campground. One natural area that was restored is a fen, a wet area constantly fed by cool groundwater. Ozark fens are unique in geology and composition and create rare ecosystems. Over a long time, the area developed a boggy, deep muck soil with some unique species, such as the Hines emerald dragonfly. Missouri State Parks staff literally dug out all of the muck and debris to restore this nine-acre, spring-fed area, which nurtures swamp wood betony, bottle gentian, wild sweet William, marsh blue violet, orange coneflower, southern blue flag wild iris, golden ragwort, and cowbane. The rebuilt reservoir perches like an alien spaceship atop the mountain and provides hydroelectric power to our state, especially during times of peak electrical use. Toward the end of our hike, we entered the Scour Trail, situated along the path the water took when the first reservoir broke and water roared seven thousand feet down the mountain, a reminder of the compromises we make to enjoy electricity. At the end of the Scour Trail, we crossed the East Fork of the Black River and entered our campgrounds. After fourteen miles, we were glad to see our camper, take off our boots, and head for the showers. The hot steamy water, provided by that electricity, never felt so good. We ended the day at a cozy campfire, exhausted but happily reflecting on the clear waters, delicate rock barrens, diverse woodlands, and unsurpassed scenery.

The next day, Danita and I further explored Johnson’s Shut-Ins by first stopping at the new visitor center, which has a fascinating exhibit about the events surrounding the breach in the dam. Also, there are exhibits about the early history of the area. We then went on to see the shutins for which the park is named. Shut-ins are narrow river gorges confined by erosion-resistant rock. There are others in the St. Francois Mountains, but Johnson’s, named for homesteaders who actually spelled their name Johnston, are the most famous. We strolled on a newly constructed 1.75 mile walkway that provides a continuously scenic overlook of the Shut-Ins. The Shut-Ins were formed when the river met and washed away the more easily eroded dolomites but had to meander through the erosion-resistant igneous rocks of the ancient ash and lava flows. These are the smooth and slippery volcanic rocks that visitors enjoy climbing up, sliding down, and sitting between. The water flows here and there and seeks a path through this rock maze, creating eddies and cross-currents, jumping at right angles, and flowing onward as it seeks a course through the narrow canyon. We hiked a short way up a trail but quickly decided we would come back to explore this rich reserve, which is home to more than nine hundred recorded species of trees, shrubs, vines, grasses, wildflowers, and ferns—almost one-third of the native flora found in Missouri. This beautiful, ruggedly wild place is nearly impenetrable, genuine backcountry, and it’s right here, just a few hours from home. For complete trail maps and details about Taum Sauk and Johnson’s ShutIns State Parks, visit Mostateparks .com. Some of the facts in this story come from our new book on Missouri’s State Parks (see page 82).

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THEY’VE

GOT

Tales TO TELL

LOCALS, TRANSPLANTS, AND VISITORS WRITE THEIR STORIES IN MT. VERNON. BY DAVID CAWTHON AND GENO LAWRENZI JR.

THOUSANDS on Interstate 44 travel from Joplin to Springfield each day. But there’s a town of about 4,500 halfway between these two cities that’s worth getting to know. If you see the sign Mt. Vernon, Exit 46, you should exit. You’ll pass colorful restaurants like the Red Barn Cafe and Hen House Bakery. The restaurant immediately passes the smell test: if you walk into a place, and it doesn’t smell good, forget it. The aroma of coconut cream and lemon meringue pies, fresh from the bakery, permeates the restaurant. The place seems warm, inviting and lived-in. Follow the server to a table with a checkered tablecloth. Bob Conway, seventy-three, owns a horse ranch near town. He’s a regular at the Red

Barn. Bob isn’t shy about what keeps him coming back to the cafe. “I come here for the gravy,” he says. “Give it a try. You won’t be disappointed.” Shari and Daniel Copenhaver have owned the Red Barn for the past six and a half years. He does the books. Shari and her sister, Barbara, manage the restaurant and bakery and their twenty-five employees. “Let me make some biscuits and gravy,” Shari says. “That’s one of the customer-pleasers, along with my coconut cream pie. That happens to be everybody’s favorite.” Just down the street from the Red Barn Cafe is another place where you can sample the flavors of Mt. Vernon: the farmers’ market. Lisa Corbitt is one of the smiling outdoor vendors.

She makes homemade blackberry, cherry, plum, and strawberry jam. She also mixes the fruits, cans them, and peddles them to the public. The market operates from April until mid-October, unless Old Man Winter decides to come earlier than usual. Next, make your way to the town square— the heart of Mt. Vernon, where you’ll find the Lawrence County Courthouse. The courthouse is the picture of small town life. A scene from a play, such as William Saroyan’s The Time of Your Life or Thornton Wilder’s Our Town, could be set here. During one weekend in October, the town square and surrounding area transform during the annual Apple Butter Makin’ Days, when more than fifty thousand visitors flock to the

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Mt. Vernon grows by the thousands in October during Apple Butter Makin’ Days. Lady Justice sits atop the courthouse, which is at the heart of the celebration.

COURTESY OF MISSOURI DIVISION OF TOURISM; STEPHANIE SIDOTI

Although there’s no direct connection, Mt. Vernon was named after George Washington’s hometown in Virginia. That pioneer spirit can be observed at Adamson Cabin, one of the oldest buildings in the county.

celebration. In 2013, tourists from as far away as California and South Dakota visited Mt. Vernon during the three-day festival. As its name suggests, everywhere you go, you can catch a whiff of fresh apple butter. In addition to apple butter, more than four hundred booths along the crowded streets offer pulled pork, steak sandwiches, candied applies, homemade fudge, and other goodies. Randy Conaway, quartermaster of Mt. Vernon’s Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 4541, always makes it out for the festival. “I have lived in different places where everybody is a stranger,” he says. “But here in Mt. Vernon, people go out of their way to talk to you. We even swap produce from our home gardens. Life doesn’t get much better

than that. If you work or visit Mt. Vernon, you won’t stay a stranger very long.” Outside of Apple Butter Makin’ Days, the town has other attractions worth visiting, like the Adamson Cabin, a pre-Civil War cabin, built about 1858. In 1978, it was cut in half, transported out of the wilderness, and reassembled at its current location. Next door, at the Jones Memorial Chapel, Gary Daughtrey and other members of the Lawrence County Historical Society give tours of the museum that’s housed inside the chapel. Gary, a

longtime resident, has binders full of notes and stories that he’s culled from the newsprint on the library’s microfilm. Gary knows a story or two from Mt. Vernon’s history. A favorite of his is the story of two men who shot and killed each other on the town square and were buried in separate cemeteries because they apparently couldn’t stand each other—in life or death. The museum also houses a few trinkets from the town’s past, including an 1865 horse-drawn hearse, urns decorated with black ostrich feathers, a soda bottling machine from the old Carnation Soda factory, and the original statue of Lady Justice, which was removed from the top of the courthouse because it was weathered and made of tin. The old statue was used as a model for the one that now sits atop the courthouse clock tower. Locals were curious about the old statue’s construction and origins. When they removed the blindfold, they discovered that the sculptor had given Lady Justice eyes—eyes that no one would see. The museum, which is open for tours, also pays tribute to wars past and present, but the Civil War gave Mt. Vernon the largest bounty of stories. Similar to the rest of the state, residents were torn between their sympathies for the North or the South. Historians have noted that more

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than a hundred regiments from the North and South marched through Mt. Vernon or camped in the nearby wooded areas where they rested and watered their horses. During the conflict, a detachment of troops commanded by Union General Samuel Curtis captured a Rebel outpost just outside of Mt. Vernon in the “Rebel Flag Incident,” which left the town briefly in Confederate control, though Union soldiers recaptured it without bloodshed. Another Civil War skirmish occurred at Baptist Hill Bluff, which, during peak fall color, offers must-see views of the surrounding landscape and the spring below. You’ll know you’re close because you’ll hear the water before you see it. The bluff is beautiful, but a gruesome story unfolded here. When Confederate troops were chased out of town, several lost their bearings, rode off of the bluff to their deaths, and were buried there along the banks. And along the shore, Gary says that his friend found a piece of a rifle sticking out of the sand. He never found out if that rifle belonged to those Confederate soldiers, but it makes a good story. Mt. Vernon’s most famous hometown storyteller, Harold Bell Wright, was a pastor and

novelist who wrote a best-selling book called The Shepherd of the Hills about historical Branson. Wright taught at the former Mt. Vernon Academy on College Avenue and served as a minister at several local churches, though he

The Jones Memorial Chapel and Museum was built in 1962. It was dedicated to Lawrence County resident Lawrence Jones’s wife, Edna, and his mother, Katherine.

gave up the ministry to become a full-time writer. The museum proudly displays a few pieces of Wright lore, including a photograph of Wright in his mid-twenties in Mt. Vernon. But don’t get stuck in the past. You can visit the nine-hole golf course or the Robert E. Talbot

Conservation Area with miles of trails for hiking and horseback riding. Or saddle up with a club that sponsors rodeos and other events. If that’s too tame, visit Skydive Missouri four miles west of town at the airport. People can face their fears at ten thousand feet above town. Owner Bob “Feisty” Feisthamel says that he remembers his first jump vividly, but the other eleven thousand jumps that he’s done since that day in Montana in 1972 seem to blur together. Today, Bob and the Skydive Missouri team are often a part of their students’ unforgettable first jumps. They teach basic tandem dives, accelerated free fall training, advanced courses, and more. The local churches are a bit more downto-earth. Sam Stover is a part-time minister at First Presbyterian Church, which is celebrating its 150th year of service to the community. “All of the churches here work together to help people,” he says. “Denomination doesn’t matter.” Sam’s church gives away diapers. Down the street, the St. Susanne Catholic Church has a food pantry. And the United Methodist Church gives free backpacks to students. For those who have a hungry heart and a hungry stomach, follow the aroma of cinnamon rolls

COURTESY OF BOB FEISTHAMEL; STEPHANIE SIDOTI

Herb Laub is among the team of instructors at Skydive Missouri and has hundreds of tandem jumps with first-timers.

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PLACES TO EXPLORE RED BARN CAFE AND HEN HOUSE BAKERY 107 W. MT. VERNON BOULEVARD 417-466-4650

KEEN BEAN COFFEE ROASTERS 1031 S. MARKET STREET 417-461-7101 keenbeancoffee.com Monday-Thursday: 6:30 AM-6:30 PM Friday-Saturday: 6:30 AM-9 PM

SKYDIVE MISSOURI

STEPHANIE SIDOTI

Although the micro coffee roaster Keen Bean Coffee might be planted in Mt. Vernon, they make stops throughout the region in their mobile cafe, a truck called the Bean Machine.

into Heather and Ted Scharbach’s That Crazy Redhead’s Bakery and Cafe, a newer business. They make a mean cheesecake, and a Lawrence County Record poll voted their burger the best in town. The couple are Chicago transplants. “We wanted a small town where there wasn’t any hustle and bustle and where my family could feel safe,” Heather says. She admits, though, that the town isn’t perfect. “We could use a few more businesses to serve the people in the downtown area,” she says. “We need some high-end craft shops. But they will come with time.” The Missouri Rehabilitation Center, which opened first as the Missouri State Tuberculosis Sanatorium in 1906, was one of the town’s largest employers. Initially, the facility housed only a few patients but would later accommodate several hundred in the thirties and forties, during the peak of the tuberculosis scare. Although there was no cure for the disease, there were happy stories that emerged from the facility. “Couples met and married there,” Gary says. The weathered facility is closing its doors this year, taking more than three hundred jobs with it. However, you can see a bit of its history at the courthouse where photographs of patients and staff, along with a few items from the medical facility, are on display. Where something ends, there are new beginnings. Like That Crazy Red Head’s, other busi-

nesses are sprouting. Williams Creek Winery opened in February 2007. And just down the street from the relatively new Red Barn Cafe is an older establishment, Keen Bean Coffee Roasters, owned by Tracy and Darrell Bradshaw. Tracy, a 1988 graduate of Mt. Vernon High School, says it wasn’t easy getting a coffee roasting business going. After she and Darrell married, they returned to town and started roasting coffee in their garage over fourteen years ago. “The people of Mt. Vernon are different,” she says. “This is a town of strong people who are set in their ways. We were just a couple of hippies who took a worn down car wash and turned it into a coffee roaster. When we opened our doors, it was a gamble, but slowly people came to accept our strange ways.” Perhaps that’s because other small shops that were town staples, like the shuttered quilt shop or the weathered historic building that housed the Ben Franklin store, have closed. Although there’s a new Walmart in town, you can sense that the people of Mt. Vernon, past and present, revere their local stores, their legacy, and their individuality. You can tell that Tracy is one of many people here who are writing their own stories. “I would like to think we opened a few minds, provided a venue for growth and a space for new friends,” she says. “Now, we have our regulars who support us every day, from the Mt. Vernon Arts Council to business people to kids from the high school. We don’t care who you are or what you look like. Everyone is welcome here. That is what being in this small town means.”

14800 ROUTE H 417-316-0383 skydivemissouri.org

LAWRENCE COUNTY COURTHOUSE 240 N. MAIN STREET

ADAMSON CABIN AND JONES MEMORIAL CHAPEL AND MUSEUM 11110 LAWRENCE 1137 The museum and cabin are open from 1 PM-4:30 PM on Sundays from Memorial Day weekend to mid-October and by appointment. For tours, call museum chairman Kathy Fairchild at 417-466-2185 and 417-466-3076 or Gary Daughtrey at 417-466-2893.

WILLIAMS CREEK WINERY 310 S. HICKORY STREET 417-466-4076 williamscreekwinery.com

EVENTS APPLE BUTTER MAKIN’ DAYS October 10-12 417-466-7654

VILLAGE OF LIGHTS FESTIVAL November 29 417-466-7654 Holiday Homes Tour: 12 PM-4 PM Christmas Parade: 4:45 PM Courthouse Lighting: 5 PM

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i i TEACHERS with

GUNS BY WADE LIVINGSTON

Ripples of the Sandy Hook shooting have reached Missouri. In response, an intensive week-long program in West Plains trains educators in rural districts how to carry concealed pistols and

HARRY KATZ

neutralize a violent threat in their schools.

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This dummy is used as part of a training exercise that teaches trainees to aim for the center-mass of the body, the region that, when hit, will stop an attacker.

THREE NOOSES hang limply from the gallows on the north side of the field. The adjacent saloon is empty. The early afternoon summer sun bakes the rolling Ozark hills near West Plains. There are ticks in the tall grass, and just moments earlier, someone almost stepped on a snake. Daisy peers through her aviator sunglasses, assessing the scene. Multiple bad guys. Some innocents, too. She must be precise when she engages the targets. So much pressure. Remember the training. Remember the fundamentals. STANCE: Feet are shoulder-width apart, non-dominant foot should be two inches behind the other. Lean forward “nose over toes,” push the gun toward the target, and roll and lock the elbows. GRIP: Sixty/forty—sixty percent of the grip strength comes from the support hand and forty percent from the gun hand. If you grip too tightly with your gun-hand, you’ll miss to the left. Your thumbs should rest on the left side of the pistol, aligning with the barrel, pointing toward the target. SIGHT ALIGNMENT: Focus on the front sight at the tip of the barrel. The white dot on the front sight should be centered vertically

between the notch in the aft sight; the top of the front sight should be parallel with the top of the aft sight. SIGHT PICTURE: Focus. Your vision might blur; it’s okay if the target seems fuzzy, as long as you can clearly see the white dot. Try not to shake. Breathe. TRIGGER PRESS: Stage the Glock before firing. When you’re ready, put your finger on the trigger. Bring it back slowly—even more slowly. Slow is smooth; smooth is fast. Feel the click as you deactivate the gun’s final safety mechanism. Now you have a hot weapon. Keep breathing. Continue to inch that trigger back. Pull slowly. You’ll feel pressure build in the trigger. Resistance. The weapon is staged. But slow down! Don’t anticipate the shot. If you do, you’ll slap the trigger and miss. Constant … steady … pressure. Control that trigger. BANG! A round downrange. Don’t let your finger fly off the trigger; ease it out until you feel the click. You’ve reset the weapon. The trigger is staged. A shorter trigger pull now, a faster rate of fire. But take it slowly. Don’t anticipate. Fire again. BANG! Repeat. BANG-BANG-BANG!

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DAISY RESTS HER ARMS on her hips. Her dark ponytail pokes out of the back of her camouflage ball cap. A pair of pink ear protectors are wrapped around her right thigh. She tiptoes over to Tiger, who leans against a John Deere Gator. The two women survey the tactical range with its static steel targets and impediments. The gallows that will never hold a hanging. The saloon with no booze. Cones to negotiate. Barricades to shoot around. The staged hostage situation. All are part of the obstacle course. Daisy turns her head away from the range and mutters in her coworker’s ear, “If I don’t pass this course, I’ll still have you guys to protect me.” FLIPPING THE SWITCH Protection. Deterrence. Mitigation. That’s what Daisy, an elementary school teacher, and ten fellow Missouri public school employees studied in West Plains on June 9-13 at Shield Solutions’ School Employee Firearm Training Program, or SEFTP. The course teaches educators to be “gunfighters”—as Shield instructors call them—who will carry and employ concealed handguns to counter a lethal threat at their schools. Shield’s SEFTP is a week-long shooting-intensive course where educators train with a Glock 9mm pistol. If they pass, they must return for three annual training sessions, a total of twenty-four hours of additional training. Make no mistake: the program trains teachers to become warriors. The warrior mind-set—the necessity of “flipping the switch”—comes up often. As Shield lead instructor Don Crowley told the trainees, “Your job is to be a

caring, loving, nurturing educator—until that first shot goes off.” Hopefully, that will never happen. If a shooter enters their schools, Daisy and her fellow educators from four rural districts—Climax Springs, Dora, Lutie, and Warsaw—say they are ready and capable of mitigating the attack and able to balance the roles of educator and gunfighter. They are teachers and coaches and principals, transportation and maintenance coordinators, bookkeepers, and superintendents. They are young and middle-aged, ranging from twenty-nine to fifty-seven years old. Some are fit. Others carry a few extra pounds. A few smoke, and a few dip. One has diabetes. Another is a former quarterback. Some of them farm or work side jobs. Most have grown up around guns, using them for hunting and farming. They’ve all fired rifles or shotguns for at least six years. Nine of the eleven educators have been using guns for two decades or more. However, they have less experience with the Glock 9mm pistol, the weapon they’ll carry in their classrooms. Some have been firing the Glock for a year or two; four of them learned how to use the gun on the first day of training. Daisy has had her Glock for three months. She received her concealed-carry permit through another Shield course, but that course wasn’t intense like the SEFTP. Her shot hasn’t been consistent this week. The reporters and photographers have added stress. At home, she’s practiced dry-firing her gun, staging the unloaded weapon with smooth trigger pulls. Her child practices with her, imitating her movements with a yellow Nerf gun. She’s taught him about gun safety.

STEPHANIE SIDOTI

Jason Long is one of Shield Solutions’ five instructors. Each instructor has experience on the police force, military, or both.

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STEPHANIE SIDOTI

During Shield Solutions’ five-day, forty-hour training course, trainees fire about 1,200 to 1,500 rounds, more than a one-day concealed-carry course, where a trainee fires about fifty rounds.

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The educators volunteered for this duty, and most of them paid for the Glocks out of their own pockets. They’ve undergone mental health evaluations and random drug tests. They are all parents; five of them have children in the schools into which they will carry their Glocks.

BY THE NUMBERS

After the June 10, 2014, shooting at Reynolds High School in Oregon, a figure spread online: seventy-four school shootings nationwide had occurred since the December 14, 2012, incident at Sandy Hook Elementary. Everytown for Gun Safety, a gun control advocacy group, supplied that number. Politifact.com, an independent fact-checking news organization, analyzed those seventy-four shootings and concluded that a broad definition of “school shooting” is necessary to classify each instance as such.

> 10 shootings mirrored those at Columbine and Sandy Hook where “a shooter intended to commit mass murder.”

> 39 were related to “criminal activity or personal altercations.” > 16 had no connection to school members and occurred outside of the school day.

> 6 were suicides. > 3 were accidental discharges. > 2 were in Missouri.

Daisy is a false name. Their true identities are known only to each other, Shield Solutions, and local principals, superintendents, and law enforcement agencies. The educators sign a contract with Shield that mandates this secrecy. The presumption is that schools with a Shield logo on the door will deter an attacker because he or she won’t know who—or how many—armed school employees will rush to neutralize a threat. The confidentiality is for the educators’ protection, lest they become a known target like a school resource officer. Trainees take the burden of secrecy seriously, and it’s a safeguard they demand. They gave me their real names and where they work, but I can’t share that with you. The price of three days of access to these educators and their firearms training is measured in pseudonyms and vague descriptors. To talk to these educators, to see them in action, is to understand the effect of Sandy Hook on them, to understand the media effect of school shootings that happen “once a week,” as President Barrack Obama said in a June 10 interview with Tumblr CEO David Karp—perhaps a misleading statement depending on how you define “school shooting.” Regardless, it’s not just the media effect that motivates these educators. A trainee sits on an old church pew on the bunkhouse deck at Twin Bridges Canoe and Campground after a day of training; she sips a Bud Light and cleans her Glock by the porch light. Educators ask questions about state statutes, grappling with the legal liability they will incur. Daisy winces in pain when a hot spent shell casing lands in the frame of her sunglasses.

HARRY KATZ

“Sheriffs department! Get down!” Fred Long (left) and Derek Hughston (right) will yell, as they swoop in from behind the trainees with fake guns drawn. “Get on the ground! Show me your hands!” When this happens, trainees fall to their knees, drop their guns, and lace their fingers behind their heads. Surrendering to law enforcement in the aftermath of a shooting is a vital part of the course curriculum.

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The educators say that they hope to never pull their guns or engage an active shooter, especially if it were one of their own students. They espouse confidence in their training, uttering variations of the phrase, “This is the best way to give our students a fighting chance.” And listen more closely when they ask you—in front of the entire group—if you believe in what they’re doing, if you agree that arming educators is the most effective way to lessen the loss of life should violence darken the schoolhouse doors. Have Daisy ask you this question on the heels of the June 10 shooting at Reynolds High School in Oregon, which followed the May 24 Santa Barbara shooting and stabbing spree. Surely, they say, you can understand why we would consider arming teachers —especially in rural school districts where law enforcement response times might quadruple the time you wait in the McDonald’s drive-thru. It took Adam Lanza about ten minutes to breach Sandy Hook’s locked doors and kill twenty-six people. And that was with adequate police response time. These educators will tell you that those kids didn’t have a chance.

Using a fake handgun, lead instructor Don Crowley demonstrates the correct way to hold a pistol.

HARRY KATZ

THE GENESIS OF SHIELD Prior to Sandy Hook, Robbie Crites, a member of the Fairview R-XI School District in West Plains and former Howell County Sheriff, was aware of the lengthy response times in his district. In theory, those times seemed adequate. A Howell County deputy could be at Fairview Elementary in fifteen to twenty minutes. The West Plains Police Department could manage a similar time. On a good day, depending where officers were patrolling in the county, the response time could be four or five minutes. However, there are many variables. At 928 square miles, Howell County is Missouri’s fourth-largest county. Rural and winding roads cut through conservation areas and the Mark Twain National Forest. The sheriff’s department employs eleven full-time patrol deputies; the West Plains Police Department employs twenty-eight full-time officers. Together, they cover the county’s schools, although not all are on duty at the same time. Depending where officers are at the time of a call, response times could reach up to a half-hour. In November of 2012, Robbie and other members of the school board discussed acquiring a school resource officer but determined that their funds could be better allocated. Also, they believed if they requested an officer, other schools might do so, which would put a burden on the police force. Additional physical security features—such as more cameras, a security foyer, and exterior door access systems—were also expensive. They needed a costeffective, quick-response safety plan. Robbie knew Greg Martin, a local former Missouri State Highway Patrolman, who had a private investigations and security firm, G.R. Martin & Associates. In fact, G.R. Martin had provided private security for Fairview after the school fired a disgruntled employee. Greg personally delivered the termination paperwork. Robbie asked Greg if it would be possible to train a school employee as a security officer through a rigorous firearms training course. Greg was intrigued. He contacted Don Crowley, a trained sniper and former police chief of Winona who has authored numerous Peace Officers Standards and Training (POST) firearms courses. Don and his company, Defensive Engagement Concepts, could facilitate the training. The conversation between Robbie, Greg, and Don continued through November and into December. It escalated after the Sandy Hook tragedy on December 14, 2012. Fairview had to work with the Missouri United School Insurance Council, or MUSIC, to ensure it didn’t violate the terms of its insurance policy. The agreement was that MUSIC would continue to insure

MIddle left: Instructors teach educators proper grip when firing a Glock 9mm pistol, the gun they’ll carry concealed in their schools. Middle right: Targets that represent innocents, like this one, are interspersed with targets that have guns on the firing range. Trainees must shoot “attackers” and avoid innocents.

During the training session educators must learn to fire while taking cover. Instructors stress that trainees should not go beyond the barricade without their gun at the ready.

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Fairview if another entity picked up the school’s primary liability insurance regarding incidents with armed teachers. And so Shield Solutions was born as a stand-alone company in February of 2013, created to shoulder the $3 million liability insurance burden necessary for Fairview Elementary to arm staff members and to divorce parent company G.R. Martin & Associates from any liability. By March of 2013, select Fairview employees had passed Shield’s SEFTP and were carrying concealed weapons in the school, according to a letter the school sent home to parents. Greg thought the Fairview deal would be a onetime gig. But other rural school districts, like Daisy’s, learned of the program. As of September 2014, Shield has trained thirty active school employees from twelve different campuses. Shield charges schools $17,500 to train two staff members, which includes all costs for the program. Insurance is the program’s biggest operating cost, though each class costs the company around $10,000 in ammo alone. As lead instructor for the SEFTP, Don has been spending a lot of time on Shield’s Alpha and Bravo firing ranges.

BACK-SLAPPERS AND BACK-BREAKERS Don Crowley is built like two beer kegs stacked atop each other. As he paces the firing line at Shield’s Bravo Range on the third day of training, he looks the part of a special operator. He wears desert-brown combat boots and camouflage cargo pants, held up at the waist by a tactical belt replete with gun holster and slots for ammo magazines. (They’re magazines, not “clips.” Those are what girls wear in their hair, Don will remind you.) His drab, olive T-shirt with a large Shield logo, a lightning bolt within a black shield, is always tucked in. He wears a baseball cap that sports a tanand-brown American flag. A long dusty-red beard streaked with gray frames his mouth that’s often smoking a Marlboro cigarette. His facial hair creeps past Oakley wraparound sunglasses and up to his closely cropped hair. Minus the facial hair and the cigarette, this is the standard uniform of a Shield instructor. In addition to Don, there are four others: Derek “Smiley” Hughston, Jason Long, Fred “Daddy” Long, and Rob “Pilk” Pilkington. They work as a team, five fingers on a hand that will pat you on the back and punch you—figuratively—in the gut. They are thorough, sometimes training a student one-on-one on an adjacent range. They are safe. They are coordinated. They communicate without speaking and monitor the firing line. They’ll pull a student back by his shirttail if he might step into another trainee’s field of fire. They are critics, chastisers, and cheerleaders. They are back-slappers and back-breakers. Derek is the youngest. His pearly white smile is offset by a river runner’s tan. He rarely yells, but he will get in a trainee’s ear, delivering advice like a player’s coach. He’s also a member of the Howell County Sheriff Department’s tactical team. Jason is the shortest of the bunch. His body is coiled tightly like a spring, his posture upright, his gait precise when he walks downrange. The Army veteran leads the Howell County Sheriff Department’s tactical team and, aside from Don, is most likely to get in your face and raise his voice. He’s an affable guy—and Shield’s best shot. Jason’s father, Fred, is the oldest trainer at sixty-two, but he’s more agile than most thirty-year-olds. He’ll draw his pistol, steady his aim, and calmly put his first round through a 32-by-18-inch target from a hundred yards out. A former Army paratrooper, he made the final jump of his career on a Friday the thirteenth. Fred has a soft voice and a pleasant grin. He often wears a

shemagh—a desert scarf and head-wrap—around his neck. At six-foot, two-inches tall, Rob, the resident medical expert and a walking “attaboy,” is a big man. The Navy veteran’s eyes light up after you’ve submerged your arms for sixty seconds in a vat of freezing water—diminishing your dexterity—and then successfully put a tourniquet on your partner. He’s happy that you’ve fallen back on your gross motor skills training in the face of your body’s fight-or-flight reaction. He’ll flash you a goofy, gung-ho smile. Don is the largest presence—in any sense. If there’s a photo of the instructors, the former Army airborne-qualified recon-specialist is usually in the center. He’s the leader out on the range, briefing each training exercise, pelting trainees with bits of gravel when they exceed their cover. He yells “OUT! STANDING!” from across Bravo range when a trainee puts his rounds center-mass, the “fight-stopping” region of the body. He’s equal parts commissar and comedian, the kind of guy who makes you smile— while you’re doing push-ups in the gravel because you screwed up. The other instructors joke about Don’s beard being a filter. It’s just “PC” enough while letting through the military-infused, down-and-dirty diatribes. (“Are you married?” Yes. “Do you yell at your husband?” Yes. “Then you know what I’m talking about. I want to hear you yell like that out here!”) Don has no shortage of zingers in his repertoire; think of a toned-down, PG-13-version of R. Lee Ermey’s character from Full Metal Jacket. And he often delivers his digs playfully in a gravelly, Marlboro-marinated voice that pairs Sam Elliott’s bass with Clint Eastwood’s rasp. When Don meets with school officials, he wears long sleeves to cover his football-sized forearms that are inked with si vis pacem and para bellum—If you want peace, prepare for war. The tattoos can come across aggressive. Get to know him first.

GUNFIRE ON THE PROVING GROUNDS On the fourth day of training, storm clouds gather over the rolling hills to the north and west of Shield’s Bravo Range. Thunder rumbles in the distance. The boom of a pair of Glocks loosing lead downrange and the PING of rounds finding their targets is much closer. Gravel crunches underfoot as two trainees advance toward black plywood barricades. Two instructors follow closely behind. It smells like rain. It smells like gunpowder. Daisy looks on as her colleagues run the live-fire bounding drill. In pairs, they start from a central location, acquire targets, and advance toward them using cover and suppressive fire. The trainees bound ahead of each other on opposite sides of the range and laterally leapfrog each other’s positions, closing in on the static targets twenty yards away. Communication is critical. You must ask your partner for permission to move, wait for her to acknowledge you, announce that you are indeed moving, and trust that she’ll cover you as you briskly step heel-totoe—with your knees bent to absorb the shock and stabilize the shooting stance—toward the next barricade, closer to the enemy. Remember: scan for threats behind you before you move. When you reach the barricade, you must resist the urge to “turkey peek:” poke your head out from behind cover without your weapon at the ready. The muzzle of your gun should be one foot from the barricade, giving you enough clearance to lean side-to-side and safely engage your target without exceeding your cover. Make sure you don’t shoot the barricade, or you’ll sign it with a silver Sharpie. You’ve made the Wall of Shame. It’s time for some consequence-based training, push-ups perhaps, or a sprint up the Stairway of Knowledge—the steep hill that winds out of the firing range. After a few trainees finish, there’s another mini-debrief.

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This one is punctuated by one of the frequent, random group quizzes. “What are the four rules of firearms safety?!” Jason yells. The trainees respond in unison: “Treat every gun as if it’s loaded. Never point a firearm at anything you’re not willing to destroy. Always be sure of your target and what is beyond it. Keep your finger off the trigger until you’re on target and ready to fire.” “OUT! STANDING!” Don says. Another pair runs the course and holsters their weapons. It’s Daisy’s turn now. She’ll run the range with Tiger. “Eyes and ears,” Don says. That’s the command for everyone on the range to don their eye and ear protection. Daisy and Tiger receive last-minute instructions from Jason and Derek: take it slowly. Together, the women get ready behind the first barricade. “On the command of ‘gun,’ ” Don says, reminding them of the go-word. The women tense. “Guuuhn!” Don says. “Gun!” Daisy says, drawing her Glock. “Gun front!” Tiger says, identifying the direction of the threat and drawing her weapon. Daisy kneels and scans for targets. To her left, Tiger stands and does the same. While pointing their guns downrange, the women use their left hands to undo the Velcro pouch that houses a neon yellow security sash, which they’ll carry in secret every day at school on their concealed belts or holsters. “EXCEEDING YOUR COVER!” Don says. (Derek taps Tiger’s left foot to encourage her to get her full body behind the barricade.) “GET YOUR FINGER OFF THE TRIGGER UNLESS YOU’RE READY TO SHOOT SOMETHING!” Jason says as he bends down and yells in Daisy’s ear. Don yells at Daisy to back up, admonishing her for being too close to the barricade to safely engage her target. Daisy scoots back. “That’s better, Daisy,” Jason says. “Now, slow down and concentrate on the front sight.” Tiger fires her first round. Daisy is primed for her first shot. “Think of nothing but that trigger press, straight to the rear, and when you’re ready, take the shot,” Jason says. Daisy fires. A miss—and the last round in her magazine. She smoothly ejects it and inserts a new one. “Good, Daisy,” Jason says. “Now, find it. Straight back, straight back, straight back. Ease it.” Daisy fires her second round. PING! She’s found her mark. “Atta girl!” Jason says. “OUT! STANDING!” Don says. “Moving!” Tiger says, announcing she’s ready to move up to the next barricade. “Move!” Daisy says, giving her partner permission to advance. Tiger moves to cover, five yards in front and to the left of Daisy. “Covering!” Tiger says, engaging the targets from behind the barricade. Daisy puts another round on target. PING! “Moving!” Daisy says. “Move!” Tiger says. Daisy moves toward the barricade to the right, parallel with Tiger’s position. Her weapon at the ready, she leans out to the right, acquiring her target. “Straight back,” Jason says. Daisy fires a round—a miss. “You’re being shot in that left leg,” Don says. He’s standing to Daisy’s

left, pelting her leg with bits of gravel. “Fix that shooting stance.” Daisy adjusts her stance. “Now, front sight focus,” Jason says. “Straight back. Don’t anticipate.” Daisy fires. Another miss. Tiger says she’s moving forward. Daisy gives her the okay. Daisy switches sides, leaning out to her left. She fires. PING! Meanwhile, Tiger has reached the second barricade. “Covering!” Tiger says, at the same moment Daisy says “Moving!” There’s a pause. Both women are unsure of what to do. Jason says nothing. He waits to see if Daisy will repeat her request. “Moving!” Daisy says. “Move!” Tiger says. Instead of moving, Daisy leans out to the right. “Don’t turkey peek!” Jason says. Daisy ducks behind cover for an instant then briskly walks to the next barricade. She’s close to the target now, maybe five yards out. She’s inside the seven-yard range where “at least eighty percent of gunfights take place,” according to a statistic that Don often repeats to trainees. He also tells them that the best shooters’ accuracy on a static range can drop in a real gunfight by eleven percent to seventeen percent. Daisy fires. A miss. Don tells her to keep her left foot on the ground so she can maintain a stable shooting stance. Daisy fires. Another miss. “GET THAT HOOF ON THE GROUND!” Don says. Daisy readjusts her stance. “C’mon, Daisy,” Jason says. “Get out of your head; get out of your head. Front sight focus. Stage the trigger.” Daisy fires again. Another miss. “Stop snatching that trigger,” Don says. “Keep both eyes open.” Over the course of the week, Daisy has discovered that she is crosseye dominant, meaning that she has to aim with her left eye, though she’s right-handed. She must keep both eyes open and focus on the gun sight when she aims. It’s difficult to fight the instinct to close one eye. “Ease it back,” Jason says. Another shot. Another miss. “Scan and re-holster,” Jason says, telling her to check her backside for threats and secure her weapon. She’s finished the exercise with mixed results. Daisy has been inconsistent this week, though the instructors appreciate her attitude. She’s teachable, and she gives a damn. She practices dry-fires each night to get a feel for the trigger. Sometimes, she psychs herself out. Don and Greg worry that she may not pass the course, and tomorrow is the true test. On the last day of the program, Daisy and the other trainees will have to “cold qualify” (meaning no warm-up rounds) with a score of ninety—twenty points higher than the national law enforcement minimum standard, according to Don and Greg. None of their trainees have ever failed to qualify after the introductory week-long course. The educators must make the grade before they can become Shield security personnel, dually employed by the company and the school to defend campuses and educate students.

TO CARRY OR NOT TO CARRY In the wake of Sandy Hook, a national debate raged about arming teachers. In September of 2013, The New York Times reported that small communities—akin to Fairview, Climax Springs, Dora, Lutie, and Warsaw— were working to arm teachers, formulating security plans that rely “on

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a patchwork of concealed-weapons laws, special law enforcement regulations, and local school board policies to arm teachers.” In Missouri, Chapter 571 of the state statues permits concealed carry and the lawful brandishing of firearms. It’s a law often discussed during Shield’s training sessions. The Times also reported that in January of 2013, South Dakota became the first state to pass legislation that expressly authorizes teachers to carry guns at work. In Missouri this summer, the House and Senate passed a bill, SB 656, with a similar objective, but Governor Jay Nixon vetoed it on July 14. The General Assembly had the opportunity to override the veto in mid-September, after this story went to press. If the veto was overturned, the bill would permit “a school district to designate one or more school teachers or administrators as a school protection officer” who is “authorized to carry a concealed firearm or self-defense spray device.” SB 656 would require that school boards hold public hearings before arming teachers, though boards could make the final decision in a closed session. Interested teachers would have to write a request to their superintendents and prove that they have the proper concealed-carry credentials and that they have completed a school protection officer training program. Additionally under the bill, the Missouri Department of Public Safety’s Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission would be responsible for developing the standards and curriculum for training programs. Also, the Director of Public Safety would develop and make available a list of approved school protection officer programs to all school districts. Even without this legislation, educators can legally carry weapons in schools. Department of Public Safety spokesperson Mike O’Connell said in an email to Missouri Life that Don Crowley’s SEFTP was approved by Peace Officer Standards and Training for continuing law enforcement education credit for licensed peace officers. Mike declined to comment on SB 656, writing, “Typically, POST does not comment on pending legislation.” When Governor Nixon vetoed the bill, he issued a statement, part of which read: “I have consistently opposed the arming of teachers as a means to keep schools safe. It is simply the wrong approach, and one that I do not support. … This bill … would not make schools safer.” Regardless of the bill’s fate, national education safety experts have mixed opinions about arming teachers. Bill Bond grew up around guns. He’s the school safety specialist for the National Association of Secondary School Principals and was the principal of Paducah, Kentucky’s Heath High School during the 1997 school shooting there. He owns guns and hunts. But he says that teachers already have enough responsibility in the classroom without balancing the role of security guard. He says it might detract from an educator’s primary role: teaching students. Judy Brunner and Dennis Lewis of the Springfield-based EduSafe aren’t necessarily anti-gun-in-the-classroom. Like Bill, they worry that a gun can diminish the educational effectiveness of the school environment. They do, however, acknowledge how arming teachers can be a viable solution for rural school districts with isolated campuses and lengthy response times. That said, they add that the current school safety climate does not warrant the need for such measures. Ronald Stephens, executive director of the National School Safety Center, says that hiring academy-trained and POST-certified officers is more reasonable than arming teachers. He adds that schools considering an armed-teacher security program should cite a compelling need for such a policy, which should be established through data-driven assessment. Kevin Quinn, a police officer and president of the National Association

of School Resource Officers, says that educators are not mentally prepared like police officers. “I don’t know if there’s a switch you have to flip,” he says. “I’m still a cop first. The mind-set is already there. In my mind, I’m always prepared for ‘what if.’ Teachers are not.” Michael Dorn, a law enforcement veteran and executive director of the non-profit school safety organization Safe Havens International, says that some of his clients are hyper-focused on defending their schools against an active shooter and sometimes overlook more common school safety concerns. Michael has advised some of his clients to arm civilian staff, but he says that fires and tornados have killed more students than crazed gunmen: “The analogy I use is, if you’re going to sail in a boat from America to London, England, and you spend a whole bunch of time learning how to survive a shark attack but didn’t take any swimming lessons, that’d be out of balance.”

HIDDEN PISTOLS Daisy says she can balance the roles of educator and gunfighter. As an elementary school teacher, she’s used to giving students hugs. If she carries a concealed Glock on her torso, she plans to encourage fist bumps instead. They’re more age-appropriate for the older kids in her school, anyway. Although Don and Greg say that women’s fashion can make it more difficult to conceal a pistol, Daisy is not worried. She has lost seventy pounds and has some oversized clothes that could help hide her secret. She probably wouldn’t wear the blue, tie-dyed peace sign T-shirt she wore during training. Daisy has always loved kids. As a teenager, she baby-sat and worked at a day care. She has experience with special education. Although she could be carrying a gun, she says teaching will be her focus. She hopes to become so comfortable with the Glock that she can react without thinking if the need arises. She uses the analogy of defining a vocabulary word: knowing what it means and what to do—instantly. As she finishes her lunch inside Shield’s classroom, she knows there’s work to be done on the range. After all, she’ll have to qualify in the morning, and there are problems to address. But she’s been practicing every night, dry-firing her gun, balancing an empty shell casing on the tip of the barrel to steady her aim and smooth out her trigger pulls. She’s improving, she says—better than she was four days ago.

PASS OR FAIL Don and his team of instructors have taught many rookies how to shoot. Don says some of his best students have no prior experience with a pistol, so the instructors start with the basics: Grip. Stance. Sight alignment. Sight picture. Trigger press. He says the benefit is that rookies haven’t developed bad habits. While the instructors are patient with novices, they must see progress. They also look for mental toughness, problem-solving ability, physical fitness, and, of course, weapons skills. Above all else, trainees must practice weapon safety. It helps if they don’t miss often. It helps further still if they don’t accidentally shoot an innocent target on the range. Don and his crew have a nightly roundtable where they discuss the trainees and their progress. They use a simple majority to determine, hypothetically, if a trainee must go. Don says the vote is always unanimous. The instructors know who’s improving and who’s struggling. They’re familiar with Daisy from the previous concealed-carry course she took with Shield. She has some work to do, but she hasn’t been voted off the island, yet.

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A TEST WITH TARGETS “Both eyes,” Rob says to Daisy. “Remember. Both eyes.” Daisy nods her head and smiles. Rob returns the smile, gives her a thumbs-up, and pats her on the shoulder. The moment of truth has arrived: 9 am on the final day of training. No warm-up. From five distances, trainees will fire twenty rounds at an 18-by-32-inch cardboard target with a 12-by-24-inch fight-stopping region, the size of the average human torso and where the vital organs are located. Five points are awarded for head shots and fight-stopping hits. Three points are awarded for any hits outside of that zone. Zero points for misses. Miss the target completely more than twice, and you fail. Miss the fight-stopping region more than five times and you fail. If you fail, you can try to qualify again twenty-four hours later. Fail again, and you could be permanently dismissed from the program. The instructors talk to the students to loosen them up. For two of the instructors, it’s already been a long day. Hours earlier, around 3 am, Jason and Derek executed a raid with the Howell County Sheriff Department’s tactical team. They were serving a warrant on a suspected meth trailer. The trainees fidget, massaging their hands, tracing the butts of ammo magazines with their fingers, swinging their arms to shake out the nerves. The press will watch from the sniper deck atop the hill behind the ranges; the distance is intended to alleviate some of the stress. The trainees are split into two groups. Half go to Alpha Range, and Daisy and the other half go to Bravo where they will attempt to qualify. Daisy stands on the far right of the firing line. The trainees will fire twice (once standing and once kneeling) from twenty-five yards. They’ll move up to the fifteen-yard line and fire eight rounds, then six rounds from the ten-yard line, and then two shots at both the five- and three-yard lines. Qualification begins. “On ‘gun,’ fire one round center mass, scan, and re-holster,” Derek says. He calmly and slowly repeats this statement before each of the twenty shots, lending a cadence to the proceedings. From fifty yards away on the sniper deck, you can hear the pop of the Glocks and the PING! of hits. But you can’t tell who’s hitting what. What you can see is Daisy taking her time. She’s usually the last person to shoot. Qualification ends. Derek assesses each target at the front of the range, adding up the points. Daisy walks over to the pop-up tent near the back of the range. She takes a pull from her water bottle and sits down in the shade, her knees tucked into her chest, her arms wrapped around them. She seems exhausted. Derek calls her name. She stands up and walks over to the instructor. She reads off her gun’s serial number, so Derek can complete the paperwork. She receives her score.

AIM SMALL, MISS SMALL On the tactical range, the gallows and the saloon cast shadows in the early afternoon sun. Don Crowley sits with his left leg propped up on the fender of an ATV. He motions for me to come over. Our conversation is punctuated by gunfire as the educators run the tactical course, a timed individual exercise following qualification. It’s not a pass-or-fail test but demands integration of the skills they’ve learned.

Don finishes a cigarette and leans nearer to my ear. The lead instructor tells me there were three failing qualification scores—the first after the introductory week-long training session in the short history of Shield’s SEFTP. He can’t tell me who failed. I can’t help but wonder if Daisy is one of them. Don and I finish our conversation and shake hands. It’s Daisy’s turn to run the course now. She knows she’ll have a reporter on her tail, recording video for his story. The buzzer sounds, and she’s off, popping up from her “desk,” an old cable spool, and engaging the targets. She runs through the course, zigzagging to different firing stations. It’s four-and-a-half minutes of heavy breathing. At one point, she reloads, which she does smoothly. At another station, Fred surprises her, commanding a tactical reload, which she swiftly executes. Yes, there are some misses along the way but also many hits. Don’t exceed your cover. Muzzle plus a foot. Sixty-forty grip. Front sight focus. Straight back. She advances to the final firing station—the hostage shot. It’s a steel target like any other, except the bad guy has a captive, which is painted over his torso. A center-mass shot would hit the hostage. Instead, shoot the small black flap to the left of the bad guy’s head. After four minutes of shooting and running, Daisy must calm her breathing and steady her aim. “Aim small, miss small,” as the instructors say, half-mocking the line from the film The Patriot. Keep both eyes open. Inch that trigger back. Pull slowly with the middle of your fingertip. Don’t anticipate the shot. Constant. Steady. Pressure. Control that trigger. BANG! PING! A hit! Daisy finishes with a flair. She re-holsters her gun and walks off the range.

THE SECRET BURDEN A month after the training, Don told me he had shaved his beard for an interview with CBS. He also said that he’d been terminated from his post as police chief of Winona. Under advice from counsel, that’s all he could say. A representative from the Winona City council declined to comment. Daisy and I spoke a few times by phone after we left West Plains. She failed her initial qualification on the last day of the course but said that she’d passed her second attempt the very next day. She shot an eighty-one the first time and a ninety-five the second. During our conversations, Daisy sounded motivated to start the school year as a Shield employee. “This is serious now,” she said. “I want to be the best I can be safetywise and with accuracy. I’m determined to do a good job.” We fell out of touch in July, and she did not return my later phone calls. Later that month I talked to Greg. I asked him how Daisy was doing. He told me she’d left the program. He hinted that the media attention—The Kansas City Star, CBS News, Missouri Life, all of it—made her reconsider. In an email to Missouri Life, she said that medical reasons caused her departure but that she would like to return to the program later. Greg was disappointed that she left. He admired Daisy. She was improving, he said. She could do the job. He called her a “survivor.” During one of my last phone conversations with Daisy, I asked her if she had any questions for me before I hung up. She did. What was my opinion, she wondered, of arming teachers? After seeing this training, what did I think? And so, I told her. ■

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Be Our Guests

PROMOTION

Fall is vacation season. When the foliage washes the landscape in autumn hues, that’s your cue to get out and follow wherever the open road takes you. That might be the city, where big entertainment, big games, and big fun await. Or maybe a quiet country getaway on horseback might be more your speed. Sip some wine. Sample local fare. Ride a zipline. Bring your bike. Savor a few brews. Relax at the spa. And when it’s all said and done, you’ll need somewhere to lay yourself down to sleep. Before you start counting sheep, explore our sampling of just a few of the state’s hundreds of bed-and-breakfasts and historic hotels.

Wined & Dined

Blackberry Creek Retreat Bed-andBreakfast

Stay and play at this cozy B&B. Scrapbooking, quilting, or a girl’s weekend out in the Ozarks is the perfect remedy for the city blues. Plus, explore the nearby grist mills, Laura Ingalls Wilder Home, and more. Rogersville, 417-859-7466, blackberrycreekretreat .com

a taste of the state’s wine heritage. There’s a wine wagon shuttle that can take you from winery to winery. When you’ve finished your journey, sample some of the local Augusta fare, and call it a night in the heart of Missouri wine country. Augusta, 636-4824307, augustawinecountry.com

Before you hit the hay, taste some wine and fill up on some good eats near these bedand-breakfasts and historic hotels. Little House B&B Location is everything. Especially when you’re staying next to some of the state’s most acclaimed wine producers. Make this your starting point as you become acquainted with the vintners of the area. Marthasville, 636-456-8230, littlehousebnb.com/info.asp Augusta Wine Country Inn Have an excursion through the nation’s first viticultural area, and explore Route 94 for

Aunt Kat’s Bed-And-Breakfast If you’re seeking an escape, you can make your getaway to Aunt Kat’s Bed-and-Breakfast in the rural splendor of the foothills of the Ozark Mountains. Visit the Durso Hills Bistro for samplings of wine and a quiet morning on the front porch that overlooks the city park. Marquand, 573-783-3282, auntkats.com

Marydale Inn Bed-andBreakfast

This bed-andbreakfast lies in the heart of the largest old order Amish settlement this side of the Mississippi River. Enjoy an Amishmade breakfast at an Amish-made table. Visit a festival, tour downtown Jamesport, or explore the countryside that’s dotted with Amish businesses that sell handmade goods. Jamesport, 660-8284541, marydale.com

Hermann Hill Bed-and-Breakfast Vineyard Inn and Spa Nestled in Missouri Wine Country, explore the town, visit the spa, and have a sip of wine on a balcony overlooking scenic views of the area. It’s a great little spot for those romantic excursions and that much-needed “you”-time. Hermann, 573-486-4455, hermannhill.com

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PROMOTION

The Fleur De Lys Mansion The high rankings on TripAdvisor.com can’t be wrong. Each of the rooms inside the ornate structure have an ambience and character all their own, and the gourmet breakfast and gardens are the perfect natural oasis to unwind in the big city. St. Louis, 888-693-3500, thefleurdelys.com

Tree House Cabins at River of Life Farm If finding a place to stay is sending you up a tree, then you might as well stay in one. The tree house cabins at River of Life Farm sit on more than 350 acres of secluded property. No matter if you’re a fly fishermen looking for a fall fling or if you’re looking for a family escape to nature, these lodges make for a fantastic getaway. Dora, 417-261-7777, riveroflifefarm.com

Off-the-BeatenPath Stays City Sights & Sounds

If you’re looking for somewhere to stay that’s out of the ordinary, these retreats will satisfy your eclectic side. Milkweed Mercantile Environmentally conscious travelers can stay at a B&B that has as much respect for the planet as they do. The Milkweed Mercantile is a two-story solar- and windpowered abode made out of straw bales and other materials. Enjoy an assortment of organic goodies for breakfast. Rutledge, 660883-5522, milkweedmercantile.com The Round House at Granny’s Country Cottage Bed-and-Breakfast You can enjoy a quaint country cottage on the farm where the owner was raised. Or you can stay in a two-story grain bin decorated with items from the farm. Save your appetite for when you get there. You’ll receive a fresh baked pie at check in. Humphreys, 660–286– 3981, grannyscountrycottage.info White House Hotel If you’ve ever wondered what 1880s gunfights, saloons, and decor might have looked like, visit the White House Hotel. Re-enactors dress in period garb and recreate the sensation that you might have accidentally entered a time portal and stepped into the days of the Wild West or a 1920s speakeasy. There are always new things in the works, so call ahead. Hermann, 573-4863200, whitehousehotel1868.com

Catch a show. Visit the art museum. Explore the zoo. Drink a brew. These historic hotels and B&Bs offer access to attractions in the heart of the city. Hotel Savoy You may come for the location, but you’ll stay for the dinner. As it did in 1903, the hotel offers an upscale dining experience. Elegant stained glass, Corinthian columns, and other touches make this more than just a place to sleep. Kansas City, 816-842-3575, savoygrill.net/history.html Mansion at Elfindale This mansion was transformed into a bed-and-breakfast more than a century after it was built. Its thirteen suites and next-door chapel can seat 150 people, so a wedding party and those in search of a casual retreat will feel equally at home. Springfield, 800-443-0237, mansionatelfindale.com The Raphael Hotel Situated in the heart of Kansas City, The Raphael Hotel has many packages that get guests out and about. See historic neighborhoods, the American Jazz Museum, Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, the Kansas City Zoo, and more. Kansas City, 816-756-3800, raphaelkc.com Napoleon’s Retreat Although you won’t see the usual sign marking its location (it’s a historic district, after all), you can’t miss the building’s distinctly yellow facade. Plus, their breakfast is better than home cooking, and you can savor it by the fireplace. St. Louis, 314-772-6979, napoleonsretreat.com Tiger Hotel The 62-room Tiger Hotel is a historic lodging epicenter between Missouri’s two metropolises. Dine at Glenn’s Cafe, get drinks at The Vault, and savor treats at the Velvet Cupcake. Then, explore the hometown of the Mizzou Tigers. Columbia, 573-875-8888, thetigerhotel.com

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Hotel Bothwell

You don’t have to rough it the entire time you bike the Katy Trail. The historic Hotel Bothwell has a spa to pamper those sore muscles, The Ivory Grill to fill you up, a gym to get your blood flowing, and a full coffee bar to get you riding again. Sedalia, 660-826-5588, hotelbothwell.com

Night Trains

BIKE and B&B The Katy Trail cuts through the heart of the state and traces many historic towns that dot the Missouri River. Plan a two-wheeled trip across Missouri, and enjoy these out-of-the-ordinary overnighters along the way.

Here’s your stop! Although you won’t hear these trains a’ comin’, you can experience the quirkiness of sleeping in cabooses and boxcars without the bumps or the noise. Katy Trail B&B The quaint community of Rocheport has a few cozy overnight lodging options available, but there’s only one where you can sleep in a train car. Just a stone’s throw from the Katy Trail, this boxcar abode makes for a unique stay for kids and adults alike. Rocheport, 573698-2453, katytrailbb.com

Cruces Cabooses

Stay in one of two cabooses that overlook a pond. You can even listen to train sounds on CD as you fall asleep. Explore Truman Lake and take advantage of the riding opportunities. So, of course, you should bring your horse and your kids. Windsor, 816-229-8389, crucescabooses.com

1909 Depot B&B After you’ve dried off from your scuba dive at Bonne Terre Mine, stay in one of two detached train car suites at the historic depot, built more than a century ago. Bonne Terre, 314-209-7200, 2dive.com/lodging.htm

Haysler House Bed-and-Breakfast Quiet. It’s something we all seek, and you can find that in Clinton. No matter if you’re starting or ending your Katy Trail trek here, this bed-and-breakfast is a great home-base for festivals, shopping, and outdoor excursions. Clinton, 660-885-2117, hayslerhouse.com Cliff Manor Inn Rand McNally awarded Jefferson City with the honor of being the most beautiful town in America, and it’s not difficult to believe that the beauty stems back more than a century and a half when the Cliff Manor Inn was conceived. The inn is located just off of the Katy Trail and offers guests access to the many amenities of the capital city. Jefferson City, 573-636-2013, cliffmanorinn.com Bittersweet Inn Many cyclists start and finish their Katy Trail ride in St. Charles— and for good reason. The inn, located in the historic French district, is a great break from the bike seat. Explore historic Main Street, the Lewis and Clark Boathouse and Nature Center, and more. St. Charles, 636-724-7778, bittersweetinn.com

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T H E M O S T U N F O R G E T TA B L E S C E N E S A R E R A R E LY C O M P U T E R G E N E R AT E D. Just imagine the dialogue that can unfold on nearly a thousand miles of managed trails. It’s easy in the only place just named “Best Trails State” by American Trails.

Katy Trail

Enjoy the setting.

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Wild Views

PROMOTION

Park Avenue Mansion Bedand-Breakfast

Although the Park Avenue Mansion is great for business travelers, newlyweds, and St. Louis explorers, the building’s aesthetics are perfect for some crime solving. There’s no telling what century or which location the mystery will be set, but if you’ve always wanted to try your acting chops and showcase your superior sleuthing skills, pick up the case here. St. Louis, 314-588-9004, parkavenuemansion. com/events/murder -mysteries.html

Murder Mystery Someone is dead. Think you know whodunnit? Test your sleuthing skills, and explore the sights, sounds, and eats near these stays-turned-crime scenes. Country Colonial Inn At the Country Colonial Inn, you’ll not only be munching on brunch but also examining the evidence. You’ll be searching local shops for clues, keeping a close eye on your fellow guests at the candlelight dinner, and having dessert with a side of interrogations. Jamesport, 800-579-9248, jamesport-mo.com/cc/htdocs/about.htm Grand Avenue Bed-and-Breakfast After you check in, you’ll report to the chief investigator who will brief you about the murder. Keep your eyes peeled for clues during the weekend while you enjoy the amenities at this Queen Anne Victorianstyle home. When you’re not whittling down the list of suspects, be sure to visit the Precious Moments Chapel, Civil War Museum and Battlefield, and other attractions. Carthage, 417-358-7265, grand-avenue.com /murdermystery.htm Lodge of Four Seasons The Lodge of Four Seasons is entering its fiftieth year of pampering and entertaining guests. Experience the luxurious Spa Shiki or the fifty-four holes of golf. But there will be something foul afoot on October 24-26 when a murder mystery weekend has guests figuring out who’s got blood on their hands. Although you might encounter a few dead bodies, your fun won’t be dead in the water. There is still ample time to enjoy the amenities at the Lake. Lake of the Ozarks, 573-3653000, 4seasonsresort.com

There’s something to be said about a great vista. Escape to the country, and take in the views during these overnight retreats. Arcadia Academy B&B You don’t have to travel far to experience entertainment, sweet treats, and a good night’s sleep in one of the most picturesque parts of the state. The restoration process was extensive, but this old school has been transformed into a hotspot for local entertainment and charm near the must-see Johnson’s ShutIns, Elephant Rocks, Clearwater Lake, and more. Arcadia, 573-546-4249, arcadiavalley academy.com/arcadia/bed_&_breakfast.html Lodge at Mark Twain Lake Near the waters of Mark Twain Lake and the boat ramps, beach, and woods of Mark Twain State Park, this quaint retreat beckons you to heed the call of the wild. Have a picnic, and enjoy the scenic views before returning for some R&R. Among the special packages are chocolate-covered strawberries and a bouquet of flowers. Stoutsville, 573-672-3230, lodgeatmarktwainlake.com

Dauphine Hotel B&B

The hotel’s first travelers stayed there in 1875, and it has been restored with the past in mind. The antiques and architecture have been carefully preserved, and the structure has been updated with modern amenities. Near the confluence of the Osage and Missouri Rivers, the French River Town of Bonnots Mill offers something for everyone. Bonnots Mill, 877-901-4144, dauphinehotel.com

Hawkins House If you’re seeking an adventure in the hills of southern Missouri, look no further than the historic Hawkins House in Eminence. Explore the quirks of the charming town, take a trail ride on horseback, set out on the Current or Jacks Fork Rivers, and take a hike. Eminence, 573-226-5944, hawkinshousebb.com Anchor Inn on the Lake Branson and entertainment are synonymous, but don’t overlook the area’s scenic landscapes. The inn is near a bluff that overlooks Table Rock Lake, but in addition to those H2O adventures, visit a golf course, Dogwood Canyon Nature Park, and more. Branson, 877-307-9140, anchorinnonthelake.com

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When life’s hectic pace calls for a little escape. Gather at and

ATING 50 Y R B

RS EA

CEL E

The Lake THE LODGE of FOUR SEASONS G O L F

R E S O R T,

M A R I N A

&

S PA

S H I K I

One of the most historic and famous resorts in Missouri 315 Four Seasons Dr. | Lake Ozark, MO 65049 | At the Lake of the Ozarks | 1.888.265.5500 | www.4SeasonsResort.com

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ACTUAL SIZE

Bed-and-Breakfasts

Historic Hotels

Hilty Inn Bed and Breakfast

Our guests enjoy access to local theatre, great restaurants, a large Mennonite community and the Lake of the Ozarks. 573-378-2020 • Versailles, MO

www.hiltyinnbedandbreakfast.com

BUS TOURS, WEDDINGS 232 Wharf St., Hermann, MO CONFERENCES, MOVIE SET 573-486-3200 232 WHARF ST. -­‐ HERMANN, MO www.WhiteHouseHotel1868.com 573-­‐486-­‐3200

WHITEHOUSEHOTEL1868.COM

573-783-3282 www.auntkats.com ADVERTISING PROOF

Berger Guesthouse, LLC

636-482-4090

www.weinstrassecabins.com Enjoy a bygone era with today’s comforts!

Gottfried’s Cabin is the oldest standing structure in downtown Washington, and the privacy and accommodations make it feel like it’s just for you. 636-239-1743  info@gottfriedscabin.com www.gottfriedscabin.com

124 Jefferson Street Washington, MO 63090

Groups & children welcome

210 Agusta MO MO• 63332 63332 210Ferry FerryStreet Street P.O. P.O. Box 33• Augusta,

Epple Haus Bed and Breakfast Morrison, MO

573-294-6203 Home 573-690-7779 Cell kayarlen@gmail.com www.epplebedandbreakfast.com

3691 HWY B Berger, MO 573-834-5057 bergerguesthouse.com

Open all year, located in Missouri Wine Country, sits on 42 private acres, in-ground pool and sleeps 4.

Gottfried’s Cabin Gast Haus

16251 Highway 21 Ironton, MO 573-546-2994 • www.dragonflyinbb.com Located in the beautiful Arcadia Valley 176 acres • 2 lakes • trails

A cozy bed & breakfast located in historic Marquand, at the foothills of the Ozark Mountains

660–286–3981

WHERE HISTORY Step back in time… CHECKED-IN! where history checked-in!

Located on the corner of Public and Walnut Streets In Augusta, Mo 314-504-4203 www.hsclayhouse.com

Cabins & Retreat

www.grannyscountrycottage.info

WWW.CRUCESCABOOSES.COM 781 NE 901 RD, WINDSOR, MO 660-694-3506

Owned and Operated by: Leigh & Alan Buehre

y-In

Enjoy the quiet countryside in a restored grain bin unit. 12473 Atom Dr., Humphreys, Mo.

White House HotelHotel 1868 White House

Dragon-Fl B&B

Granny’s Country Cottage

Cruce’s Cabooses

A unique place to relax and have family fun. Enjoy some s’mores over the campfire in the Hobo Hollar.

An elegant haven, magically blending the decades and offering legendary small-town hospitality

Phillips Place B & B

GUIDELINES

www.phillipsplacebandb.com Macon, Missouri 660-385-2774

1.

The Advertising Proof will allow you to review your ad and ensure that all the ad information is correct as you Need a great have discussed with your advertising representative.

2.

It is important that you review your proof and notify us of any corrections asay soon as possible. If we do not to st as is. group approved receive a response within 2 business days, your ad will be considered

place for a large

when you visit 3. Proof service is rendered for the privilege of correcting errorsJeonly. or?changes to the original copy son City fferRevisions

Mizzou’s own bed and breakfast

may result in additional design charges.

PROOF SHEET / INSERTION ORDER

High Street Retreat

To approve your ad, contact Jenny Johnson at 660-882-9898, ext. 116 or jjohnson@missourilife.com. • Can sleep up to 15 For questions regarding your contract, call your sales rep at 1-800-492-2593.

• Fully equipped kitchen with everything to cook for yourself or catering PLEASE REVIEW CAREFULLY. • Formal dining or casual seating Revisions or changes (not corrections) in your second proof may result in extra charges. Be sure to check the • Fenced offdesign -street parking Gourmet breakfast Rated No. 1 Bed & following information: • WiFi/Cable TV Breakfast in Columbia, Mo., Five luxury suites • 6 blocks to Capitol, 3 blocks to Lincoln by TripAdvisor.com Walk to Columbia’s Offer • Expiration date • Contact Information University downtown shops, restaurants Operated by the MU Ride th • ADA Space local tr e College of Agriculture, olley! Steps away from MU’s Special discounts with local merchants This proof is an opportunity toFood review your ad prior to printing and to• correct any mistakes. If you do not respond & Natural Resources campus and restaurants within 2 business days your ad will be considered approved as is.

Make a reservation today! 1-800-492-2593 • www.MissouriLife.com • jjohnson@missourilife.com

573-443-4301 gatheringplacebedandbreakfast.com

www.HighStreetRetreat.com • 573-619-4377 www.TheTrolleyCompany.net [74] MissouriLife

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Nature’s Beauty with

Country Charm DAUPHINE HOTEL

Blackberry Creek

Nature’s Beauty with Country Charm

This historic railroad hotel has been brought back to life as a country bed and breakfast. Located in the picturesque town of Bonnots Mill where the Osage and Missouri rivers meet.

Discover Mid-Missouri’s Hidden Gem! 877-901-4144

www.dauphinehotel.com

The earth is the Lords’s and the fullness therof.

Pslam 24:1

Tree House Cabin Vacation Romantic Getaways, Family Vacations, Lodge Rooms and Camping on the Beautiful North Fork of the White River in Dora, MO

treehousecabins.com myron@riveroflifefarm.com 417-261-7777

Bed & Breakfast Ladies quilting, scrapbooking and knitting retreats Weddings, anniversaries, and other special occasions Rogersville, MO

(East of Springfield between I-44 and US-60)

417-859-7466 www.blackberrycreekretreat.com reception@blackberrycreekretreat.com

Our Charming Bed & Breakfasts And Restored Hotel in Weston, Mo.

Voted Best Overnight Stay and Best Daytrip and Best Small Town in Missouri. Come find out why! The Benner House 816-640-2616 The Hatchery House 816-640-5700 The Murphy House 816-640-5577 Inn at Weston Landing 816-640-5788 Weston B & B 816-640-9916 St. George Hotel 816-640-9902 www.westonmo.com

Marydale Inn Bed & Breakfast

Next to Amish Country! Jameson, MO • 660-828-4541 www.marydale.com

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Bed-and-Breakfasts

Historic Hotels

Bed and Breakfast Inns of Missouri The only place where you’ll find Inspected and Approved member inns at locations statewide.

Enjoy life, Liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.... in a 1889 Victorian in the Kansas City metropolitan area.

f

www.bbim.org

BBIM Gift Certificates Are Available

Stone -Yancey House Bed and Breakfast

www.stoneyanceyhouse.com 421 N. Lightburne, Liberty, MO 816-415-0066 Carolyn and Steve Hatcher, Innkeepers stay@stoneyanceyhouse.com

Somewhere Inn Time Enjoy our private courtyard with hot tub, pool and lovely garden setting located in Historic District of Ste. Genevieve. 888-883-9397

THE INN S T.

G E M M E B E A U VA I S

www.somewhereinntime.net

Relax in a spacious suite with a private bath and dine in our classic French cuisine restaurant

HISTORIC LODGING PRIVATE BATHS FULL BREAKFAST CIRCA 1848

800-818-5744 info@innstgemme.com

78 N. Main Street, Sainte Genevieve, MO 63670 383 Jefferson Street Ste. Genevieve MO 63670

The Southern Hotel An Historic Bed and Breakfast Inn STE. GENEVIEVE, MISSOURI

573-883-3493

www.stgem.com

Watertower Winery 11373 State Route M Ste. Genevieve, MO 63670 Hours: Fri. 4-8pm Sat. & Sun. Noon -6pm 573-880-3887

Main Street Inn B&B

www.watertowerwinerystegen.com WatertowerWinery@gmail.com

Ste. Genevieve, Missouri

“A Getaway to Remember” 800-918-9199

www.mainstreetinnbb.com

www.southernhotelbb.com Find us on Facebook. [76] MissouriLife

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The Amber House Modern Elegance with Victorian Style Reserve Your Luxury Suite in Historic Rocheport, Missouri

Located in the heart of Missouri wine country. Experience small town charm and hospitality at our historic inn while enjoying amenities you expect to find in a fine hotel.

1017 Maupin Ave. | 573-237-8540 705 Third Street, Rocheport, MO 65279 innkeeper@centralhotelnh.com | www.centralhotelnh.com www.amberhousebb.com

573-698-2028 info@amberhousebb.com

HOTEL WEATHERFORD A Historic Hotel, located in the heart of downtown Flagstaff, Arizona and near Northern Arizona University, featuring 4 full service bars and live entertainment. phone 928-779-1919

fax 928-773-8951

Located 2 miles outside of Ironton, MO ~ In Beautiful Arcadia Valley www.plainfancybb.com 314-640-2564

www.weatherfordhotel.com

Experience the romance of a bed & breakfast at the

Lake of the Ozarks Castleview Bed and Breakfast

3395 State Road D, Camdenton, MO www.castleviewbedandbreakfast.com 877-346-9818 • 573-346-9818 • castleview.allers@gmail.com

Bass and Baskets Bed and Breakfast

1117 Dogwood Road, Lake Ozark, MO www.bassandbaskets.com 573-692-6737

Inn at Harbour Ridge

6334 Red Barn Road, Osage Beach, MO 65065 www.HarbourRidgeInn.com 877-744-6020

Photo courtesy of funlake.com

Produced in cooperation with the Lake of the Ozarks Area Business District of Camden County.

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“We got shot up considerable.”

MISSOURI’S

DOOLEY-HARRIS

FEUD

BY R O N S O O DA LT E R I L LU S T R AT I O N BY M E R I T M Y E R S [78] MissouriLife

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August 4, 1900, dawned bright and clear as some one thousand locals gathered for a midsummer picnic in the St. Francois County mining community of Doe Run. The event featured carnival rides, barbecues, and liquor concessions and was attended by most of the families in the area. Some were seeking relief from the August heat at the lemonade stands or strolling along the river, while others lazed in the shade of the trees or rode the steampowered swing—a type of carousel, sporting gaily painted horses. According to local lore, handsome Frank Harris had unwisely bought steam swing tickets for Ollie Swinford Dooley, the pretty seventeen-year-old wife of Les Dooley. Soon, Les approached with a handful of his own tickets. When he ordered Ollie to ride the swing with him, she reportedly pointed to Harris, who was boldly leaning against her swing, and replied, “I care more for the little finger of Frank Harris than for your whole body.” Within the span of five minutes, this illconsidered remark sparked the wanton killing of two men, the fatal shooting of a third, and the wounding of several others, including a young girl. As the St. Louis News Dispatch of the day colorfully phrased it, “[O]ver all [hung] the pall of firearm smoke and the ghastly consciousness of sudden and violent death.” It makes for a good story. Although the shootout at the Doe Run picnic did occur and was indeed a bloody affair, the causes of the conflict are considerably murkier, go back much further, and have little if anything to do with a carnival-ride flirtation. It is a remarkable aspect of many feuds that the reasons for the violence are often lost in the haze of the past—fictionalized, glorified, or simply forgotten. Even the famous war between the Hatfield and McCoy clans of the Kentucky-

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West Virginia border country stemmed from causes that are still disputed. As time passed, feuding families rarely felt the need to hearken back to the feud’s origins to justify their actions.

“Alleged facts” Feuds between extended families are an American tradition. The noted Texas gunfighter John Wesley Hardin took time away from his desperate deeds of murder and mayhem to side with one of the factions in the bloody Sutton-Taylor Feud of the late 1800s. Some thirty-five men died in a pointless slaughter that not even the famed Texas Rangers could curtail. The Graham-Tewksbury Feud— known throughout Arizona’s Tonto Basin as the Pleasant Valley War—was a classic Western dustup over sheep and cattle. As for Missouri, our most dysfunctional and bloody inter-familial conflict has come to be known as the Dooley-Harris Feud. Many of the details have been lost, as participants and observers died off or moved away with the passage of time. Indeed, the Farmington Times, the local newspaper that reported the Doe Run shootings, stated on August 9, 1900, “It appears that there was a sort of feud between the two families, the beginnings of which are not clear, several different stories as to the cause being afloat.”

9/5/14 7:06 PM


Apparently, after the publication of this issue, some of the locals weighed in with their own versions of the feud’s origins because, two weeks later, the same paper printed a column outlining the “History of Alleged Facts.” According to this account, the trouble had begun over a year earlier, when sixty-four-year-old farmer William Dooley Sr. heard a nocturnal disturbance at his corn crib. Upon investigation, he could make out a figure illicitly filling his sack with Dooley corn. Raising his Winchester, Dooley fired, hitting the thief, who managed to escape. A short time later, Henry Harris, patriarch of the neighboring clan, died, ostensibly of a bullet wound. Although there was no way to prove their suspicions, the Dooleys always assumed that old Henry was the corn thief. The Harris clan—comprised mainly of the late Henry’s four sons, Jim, Frank, Wes, and Bill—took no action at the time. However, within the year, Jim Harris bought the farm that the Dooleys rented, where they lived and worked, and ordered them to immediately vacate the property. Dooley, who had a crop in and had always assumed that his lease extended until the end of the harvest season, protested. He took the Harrises to court, but the judge upheld the eviction, and the Dooleys were forced off the farm. The Dooleys—Old Bill Sr. and his four sons, John, Bill Jr., Les, and Joe—were understandably bitter, having been driven from their home before they could harvest their crops. The Harrises were unmoved by the Dooleys’ plight. Soon, bad things began to devil the Harris family. Their stock and dogs were poisoned, and although local law enforcement never pressed charges nor arrested any suspects, the Harris boys harbored little doubt as to who was behind

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the killing of their animals. Circumstances continued to throw the two clans into each other’s path. In order to make a living, John Dooley took a job teaching in the same school that the Harris children attended. Apparently, Dooley was so liberal with his use of the birch switch in disciplining the fledgling Harrises that criminal charges were filed against him. Not surprisingly, the enmity between the two families grew apace.

“I will whip them all” Picnics were the main summer venue in this part of Missouri. They afforded the hardworking locals—miners, farmers, businessmen, their wives, and their children—the opportunity to spend a few relaxing hours, share a drink with friends and neighbors, and generally enjoy a lazy Sunday. On July 25, 1900—just two weeks before the Doe Run affair—a picnic was held at Flat River. Members of both the Dooley and Harris families attended the picnic, and it took little provocation for a fight to break out between the two factions. No weapons were in evidence, although some accounts mention the use of brass knuckles, but the young men parted, if anything, even angrier than before. By the day of the Doe Run picnic, both sides were resolved to settle their differences with violence. However, while the Harris brothers were anticipating a fistfight, the Dooleys arrived carrying firearms. Although two witnesses later testified at the inquest that they later saw all four Harris men firing, it was determined beyond doubt that Wes was the only Harris who was armed. William Dooley Sr. and his four sons arrived at the picnic at around 8:30 in the morning. Significantly, they had left their

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women at home. All carried pistols and a healthy store of ammunition and had stowed Winchester rifles under the hay in their wagon. According to the inquest testimony, the Harris boys arrived an hour or so later, along with their widowed mother, Jim’s wife, and seven children. Frank Harris attended the picnic with Ollie Swinford Dooley, Les Dooley’s estranged wife. There are at least two versions, all sworn to by eyewitnesses, as to what happened next. According to one account, it was the Harrises who drew first blood. Wes Harris approached the elder William Dooley, and without preamble, pushed him. Wes then drew his pistol and shot the old man in the hip. The bullet severed an artery, and Dooley bled out in minutes. Another iteration, however, has the old man advancing on Wes with a club and beginning to draw his pistol, whereupon Wes drew his own weapon and shot the old man down. It is safe to assume that, whether provoked or not, Wes shot Bill Sr., and after the old man fell, Wes shot young John Dooley, whereupon the firing became general. Wes was the first Harris to fall, shot several times by rifles in the hands of Les Dooley and his wounded brother, John. Wes was, in the words of the newspaper

report, “literally shot to pieces.” According to one witness’s statement, his last words before the shooting began were, “I’m not afraid of your guns.” Wes’s mother, Amanda “Grandma” Harris, later testified, “A man came up to me and told me that one of my boys was killed. It was Wes; he breathed about three times after I got to him and died.” Within the next few minutes, Joe Dooley shot Frank Harris, seriously wounding him, while Bill Dooley Jr. turned his gun on Jim Harris, shooting him twice in the back. Just a few minutes earlier, the unarmed Jim had shouted to no one in particular, “If you will take their guns away from them, I will whip them all!” Frank and Jim, though grievously wounded, would survive. When Jim’s wife saw her husband fall, she shouted in desperation at young Bill Dooley, “For God’s sake, quit!” He fired on her as well but missed. Bill Harris, arriving late at the picnic, was warned of the mayhem taking place and managed to escape. Meanwhile, as Wes’s grieving mother knelt fanning the flies from her son’s bloody face, an enraged Bill Dooley walked up to the dead man and shouted, “God damn you!” before picking up Wes’s revolver, shooting him twice more, and then kicking him in the head. Stunned at the abuse her dead son was taking, Wes’s

“Stunned at the abuse her dead son was taking, Wes’s mother brought her parasol down on Dooley’s head. He cursed the distraught old woman and, pointing his pistol at her, stalked off muttering, ‘He killed my father, and I allow to kill the rest of them before I stop!’ ”

mother brought her parasol down on Dooley’s head. He cursed the distraught old woman and, pointing his pistol at her, stalked off muttering, “He killed my father, and I allow to kill the rest of them before I stop!” With no more Harrises to shoot, the Dooleys ceased fire. Moments later, a stunned silence settled over the picnic grounds. Throughout the altercation, bullets had flown in all directions, one of them wounding a sixteen-year-old girl in the ankle. Miraculously, no one else among the hundreds of people attending the picnic was hurt.

“Now I’ve got you” Because there was no formal law in the 1,500-person mining town of Doe Run, the Dooley brothers, after strutting around town for the rest of the day, surrendered to the Farmington sheriff. In the process, they turned over a Winchester rifle and four pistols; one of them the former property of Wes Harris. Indictments were brought against Joe, Les, and Bill Dooley for Wes’s murder, with bail set at $8,000 each. Not surprisingly, the finding of the inquest, according to the Farmington Times, was that “W.H. Dooley came to his death at the hands of the Harris boys and that Wes Harris came to his death at the hands of the Dooley boys.” As Frank Harris recovered from his wounds, he reflected, “I reckon it’s well enough that we didn’t have our guns, for if we had ’em, we would now probably be where the three Dooley boys are, boarding with Sheriff Jeff Highley. We got shot up considerable, but I reckon that beats being in jail with a murder trial hanging over us.” If Frank was anticipating death

sentences or lengthy jail terms for the killers of his brother, he was in for a disappointment. As it turned out, lawyers for Les and Joe Dooley managed to get their clients continuance after continuance, and on July 16, 1905, a jury found them not guilty of murder. A different fate awaited their brother. Nearly three years earlier, Bill Dooley boarded a Mississippi River and Bonne Terre train, walked up behind an unsuspecting Bill Harris, and, with the words, “You killed my father, and now I’ve got you!” pumped three bullets into the back of Harris’s head, killing him instantly. In fact, Bill Harris had not participated in the fight at all; ironically, he had escaped the Doe Run bloodbath unharmed, only to fall victim to it two years later. Bill Dooley was judged to be incurably insane and was committed for life to the Disturbed Ward of Missouri’s State Hospital No. 4. After a brief escape, he was recaptured and confined there until his death from tuberculosis in June 1907. It took a grievously wounded John Dooley nearly two years to die after having been shot by Wes Harris at the picnic, but die he did in January 1902. The two surviving Harris brothers, Frank and Jim, were involved in several shooting scrapes in the years following the Doe Run incident. Apparently, none of the gunfights related to the feud. After serving time for shooting a man to death, Frank Harris died of tuberculosis at brother Jim’s home in April 1909. Two years earlier, Jim had suffered a nearfatal gunshot wound in his second gunfight since Doe Run. He survived, however, to face murder charges for killing a man in the previous shootout. Apparently, there were no saints on either side of the Dooley-Harris Feud.

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Musings ON MISSOURI

THE BEST LAID PLANS OF MICE & FISHERMEN BY RON MARR

ILLUSTRATION BY ANDREW BARTON

INHERENT TO the art of fishing is the potential for humility, futility, and utter defeat. Having the right bait, the perfect spot, exquisite technique, and the finest of fine days is no guarantee of a heavy stringer. This is how it should be. Few lessons in life are more crucial than those that illuminate reality. It’s a hard-learned fact that the best laid plans of mice and fishermen regularly go down in flames. The trick is to not sweat the details. Enlightened characters are defined not by the single-minded pursuit of set and structured goals—and certainly not by the quest for the material—but by how much they enjoy engaging in any given endeavor. Winning and losing are transient illusions at best, and the only ambition worth having is the ambition to live well and happily. Of course, that’s easy for me to say since I just experienced the greatest fishing season imaginable. The summer of 2014 was catfish utopia. Much to my delight, the mornings were crisp and chill. The winds were a shadow of their typical gale force velocity. Gentle rains arrived with the consistency of a train schedule. The gods of climate and angling, capricious entities that are seldom on the same page, joined hands and smiled. For over fifty years, I’ve viewed fishing as largely a hit and miss affair. Not so over these past few months. Most days, I hit my personal limit—a maximum of four whoppers—within a couple of hours. At least three times, the seven-foot pole was nearly ripped from my hands when a big cat struck within a millisecond of my bait hitting the water. It was all weird and RON MARR wild and wonderful.

Thus, my small freezer was soon full. I fried fish for myself and my family. I gave fish to neighbors. I began hauling along one of my homemade guitars, as often I’d landed all the whisker-heads I needed by shortly after sunrise. To my back, blazing streaks of deepest orange peeked over the horizon. To my front, layers of ghostly fog hung silent over the still waters. I serenaded my quarry with poorly picked blues tunes, which no doubt gave them headaches and spoiled the prospects of those late-arriving fishermen who believe it necessary to cast with the benefit of light. The early bird gets the worm … and if he’s smart, he quickly puts it on a hook. I fully realize that summers, such as the one now gone, are rare as hen’s teeth. Like a perfect arrowhead or the actual sighting of an ivory-billed woodpecker, some things are made more resplendent and memorable by their scarcity. Experiencing them firsthand creates recollections that endure, a bright and stunning brocade woven seamlessly into the grand tapestry. That is not to say that the rest of the tapestry is plain or ugly. Those strands of humility, futility, and utter defeat are only that … necessary threads, without which the bigger picture would be false and incomplete. People tend to compartmentalize good and bad, but we can’t recognize or appreciate one without the other. If life were nothing but puppies and rainbows, we would never know the pleasure of silver linings. If life were nothing but storms and tribulation, we would have no concept of joy or beauty. It’s like fishing. The worst day I’ve ever had was still pretty good. Really, any day when you’re healthy and on this side of the grass is pretty good. Be thankful for fishless days. They’re what allow you to treasure the rest.

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SHOW-ME

Flavor

Dining worth the drive.

Bevier

Pizza Paradise NESTLED in the hills and winding roads of northern Missouri, the Italian enclave of Bevier, population 728, has a strong taste for authentic cuisine. Once the home of renowned restaurant The Pear Tree, Bevier now keeps diners satisfied with Ugo’s Pizzaland, an old Macon-Atlanta County Bank-turned-pizzeria in 2003. Taking over in 2013, owners Tim and Gerri Johnson first fell in love with Ugo’s as customers, frequenting two to three times a week. “We just loved the pizza,” Tim says. “We’ve been all over the United States, and we considered Ugo’s to have the best. And we still do.” Customers can enjoy specialty pizzas like chicken and artichoke and other items like subs, pastas, salads, and appetizers like toasted ravioli and jalapeno poppers. But Tim recommends the traditional Meatza Pizza, complete with ham, pepperoni, sausage, beef, bacon, and onions.

When the intoxicating smells of pizza pour from the kitchen and the com-

Inside, pizza lovers can take in the exposed beams, brick walls, and hanging garden lights that make the perfect space for family reunions, wedding rehearsals, club meet-

be merry.—Gretchen Furhman Ugospizzaland.com • 200 N. Macon Street • 660-773-5334

Weston

St. Clair

The Royal Treatment

Home-cooking Heaven

FOR THOSE of us who’ll never be royals, we can visit Weston Wine Company to be treated like kings and queens. The winery, which opened in May, is a cross between a palace and Alice in Wonderland. Pink and gold diamonds decorate the walls, and there’s a free photo booth with royal garb to dress in.

DISHES clack together. A server balances five plates on one arm. Customers laugh with each other and the wait-staff. It’s lunch at Lewis Café—a family restaurant for three generations. If you’re here, there’s only one question to ask: What to have for lunch? The smell of homemade onion rings permeates the res-

“We want this to be a place to laugh,” says

taurant, and breakfast is served all day. But you can scan the

Jason Gerke, who founded the winery with his

menu and take a chance, or you can take the advice of the staff

wife, Colleen. “It’s different than most wineries

and order a chicken-fried steak with a side of sweet corn and

you have visited.”

a side of mashed potatoes and gravy. Although the meals are

Tucked behind the winery, there’s a secret

large, you might have room for dessert, so try the lemon me-

garden where patrons can enjoy their wine and

ringue pie and plan to come back to try more of the delectable,

visitors can picnic.

country-style menu.—Annie Rice

Its wine and cupcake pairings also make this winery a sweet place to visit. Colleen loves cupcakes. She wanted to bring together her two favorites, so she and Jason reached out to a local baker to partner with the winery. Now, flavors such as salted caramel and key lime are matched with a companion wine. Guests avoiding sugar can try equally delicious wine and cheese pairings, which pay tribute to dairy from around the world with cheeses such as Dutch Gouda and Irish cheddar. Luckily for all wine lovers, the Gerkes spoil their guests. “We want to treat everyone like royalty,” Jason says. —Ashley Szatala westonwinecompany.com • 519 Main Street • 816-386-2345

Facebook: Lewis Café • 145 S. Main Street • 636-629-9975

COURTESY OF WESTON WINE COMPANY; GRETCHEN FUHRMANN AND ANNIE RICE

ings, or simply a night out to enjoy great food.

radery of small-town life fills the air, you know this is a place to eat, drink, and

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S I N C E 19 3 0

Visit the Historic Westphalia Inn Serving our famous pan-fried chicken, country ham and German pot roast family-style since 1930 106 East Main Street Westphalia, Missouri

Reservations Accepted Walk-Ins Welcome

573-455-2000

Sample our wines in the

Norton Room

on the top floor of the Westphalia Inn www.westphaliavineyards.com AMERICA’S PREMIER SULFITE-FREE WINERY

Open Fri. at 5pm, Sat. at 4:30pm, and Sunday at 11:30am

Join us for a Unique trade show with something for everyone who works with their hands, or dreams of doing so...

November 8, 2014 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Plaza Event Center Parkade Mall 601 Business Loop 70 W. Columbia, MO Meet Vicki Payne

Share in the wisdom of our celebrity guest, host of For Your Home - a popular lifestyle show representing the new traditional home with an eye on tomorrow’s trends. Weekly on KMOS Create.

kmos.org/CreateExpo

KMOS-TV broadcasts in HD on channel 6.1, and is carried in many communities on channel 6. You can also see broadcasts of lifestyle/how-to shows on 6.2 and international programs on 6.3. [85] October 2014

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Flavor

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX CARMEN TROESSER XXXX

SHOW-ME

The fire pit welcomes visitors to the barn where Claverach Farm hosts its Thanksgiving dinner, Sunday suppers, and other events such as Slow Food St. Louis’s Feast in the Field.

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OVER THE RIVER

and

THROUGH THE WOOD Experience Thanksgiving at Claverach Farm. BY SHEREE K. NIELSEN

CARMEN TROESSER

FROM THE TIME

you reach the sign that reads Private Road CLAVERACH’S CARETAKERS and drive across the century-old wood and steel bridge, you’re whisked Sam and Joanna reside at the farm and tend to its three hundred acres. away to another world, and the Claverach Farm experience begins. Sam’s parents inherited the property from his great grandfather, Joseph Winding for close to two miles, the gravel road offers views of the MeraBoland. A self-taught farmer, Sam remembers frequenting his grandfamec River to the west. Sunlight reflects off ther’s farm in St. Peters at the junction of the river and cascades through oak, maple, Highway 79 and 70 as a child. hickory, and sycamore trees that frame the “After graduating college, I never looked rambling thoroughfare of twists and curves. back,” Sam says about farming. The burnt sienna, warm umber, and yelJoanna earned a degree in fine art, which low-green hues of fallen leaves blanket the resurfaces in her food presentations. Her ground. A white wooden gate leads you out catering experience helps her create visual of the woods to an open pasture. As you masterpieces. crest the top of the hill, the imposing barn is The two met in 2001 through a mutual visible—a welcoming sight in the distance. friend. Sam had farmed for most of his life, At the destination, opaque luminary conand he knew at that point that he wanted tainers line the drive to the barn and courtto feed people. So, during the first two yard. A big, fluffy, and somewhat shy Great years at Claverach, Joanna cooked while Pyrenees-Anatolian Shepherd mix greets Sam grew commercial vegetables and sold visitors and alerts the farm’s proprietors, them at farmers’ markets and to some of St. Sam Hilmer and Joanna Duley, that guests Louis’s best restaurants, such as Riddles, have arrived for Thanksgiving dinner. Cardwell’s, and Café Provencal. Adjacent to the barn, a small stone pit The original Sunday Supper concept blazes with the warmth of a crackling fire. came to fruition about three years ago. Alongside the big wooden structure, an old Sunday Suppers center on the hundreddirt road meanders past fields and a green- Rugged and rural, Claverach Farm sits just off the Meramec River and is year-old barn. Originally used for livestock, only accessible by gravel road. Last year, The Riverfront Times called the house to the chicken coop. Be careful: a farm “St. Louis’s purest incarnation of the slow-food movement.” the barn was loaded with junk. In 2010, feisty rooster may chase you if you get too they rehabbed the barn, discarding its sidclose to his hens. The chickens are a popuing and roof but keeping most of the origilar attraction at Sunday Suppers, when groups of more than thirty peonal framework. For the interior, the cedar walls and posts were cut and ple sometimes crowd around the coop. milled at the farm. He added a concrete floor, radiant heating, aeronauThe sights and sounds of Claverach Farm are as much a part of the tic fans, and a wood-fired oven with refractory clay. Now, it’s more suited Thanksgiving dinner experience as the food. Attending a dinner at the to hosting high-end dinners than animals. farm feels just like going to Mom’s for a home-cooked meal and some Simultaneously during the barn rehab, Sam and Joanna upgraded the migood old-fashioned camaraderie. crogreens—tiny greens harvested before full maturity—operations by building

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SHOW-ME

Flavor

Pea shoots make their way out of the soil in the greenhouse at Claverach Farm. Pea shoots are just one of the many microgreens grown in the greenhouse.

a climate-controlled greenhouse, facilitating higher production and quality. There, they grow sunflower shoots, radish shoots, and Swiss chard. More than 170 trays of shoots on the custom tray table are readied on a regular basis for the more than twenty restaurants requesting greens. The acclaimed restaurants Five Bistro, Sydney Street Cafe, Stellina Pasta, and The Crossing are just a few of Claverach’s regular customers. The greens are watered daily and are an essential part of the Thanksgiving dinner. “Field to table” is the best way to describe Claverach. Sam is inspired to make dishes from the food the farm can provide. A vast majority of the Sunday Supper bounty comes directly from the farm: herbs, greens, fruits, and cruciferous vegetables. The ever-changing menus depend on what’s in the field. Sam and Joanna grow a diverse array of crops. Instead of just one type of tomato, they grow fifteen varieties. The main priority for the farm’s vegetables are for Sunday Suppers. However, St. Louis area restaurants are always interested in whatever is growing on the farm.

SETTING THE MOOD

Top left: Sam Hilmer carves up turkey, which was raised at Buttonwood Farm in California, Missouri, for the Thanksgiving dinner at Claverach Farm. Bottom left: Joanna Duley forms dinner rolls in cast irons to be baked in the wood-fired brick oven.

CARMEN TROESSER

What Sam and Joanna like best about Sunday Suppers is intimacy. “It’s all about community,” Joanna says. In 2013, she started assigning dinner seats and encouraging guests to engage in conversation with each other. The guests at the Thanksgiving dinner are usually repeat customers, but newcomers are always in attendance, with most of the marketing done by word-of-mouth. The two proprietors maintain a loyal customer email list—an idea inspired from one of their first guests, Kirk Warner of the restaurant King Louie.

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CARMEN TROESSER

Guest chefs cooked the first year, but now, Sam and Joanna collaborate, create the menu, and cook the entire meal. Joanna is in charge of pastries, desserts, and appetizers. Sam usually creates the soup and salad. “You have to have a plan, especially when you’re feeding eighty people,” Sam says. Grapes, also grown on the farm, comprise the Claverach Rosé aperitif, served only at their dinners. “The grapes are as close to organic as you can get in Missouri,” Sam says; sulfur dioxide is never used in the process. To ferment the wine, Sam pours the grape mash into oak barrels. The next step, wine clarification, takes places in stainless tanks at thirty-five degrees. After the clarification process, it’s dispensed into five gallon kegs. Their entire approach to making and serving wine is sustainable. However, it’s not just the wine that brings out the spirit of camaraderie at the farm’s dinners. Musicians often entertain in the barn. For Thanksgiving, The Old Orchard Boys—John Jump and Bob Breidenbach—set up in a cozy corner of the barn to play folksy bluegrass on acoustic and lap steel guitars. The scene is set for a good time among attendees. People have visited from as far away as northern California, Germany, and England. Farm newcomer, Cynthia Chapman, in town from Colorado, cherishes the time spent with her children and nine grandchildren. Plus, she loves everything about Claverach Farm—the barn, the chickens, the setting. “I’ve got three generations here,” Cynthia says. “What could be better?”

Candles, silverware, flatware, burlap, and other decorations set the mood for Thanksgiving dinner at Claverach Farm. Although it’s a great place to celebrate Thanksgiving, St. Louis Magazine also named it one of five unexpected ways to celebrate Mother’s Day.

THE DINNER Three community tables, set for a total of eighty guests, sit prominently in the barn. Tabletops covered in white cloth are accented by a table runner of soft burlap. Burlap subtly draped over the windows adds to the rustic aura. Tea lights and petite glass vases filled with crab apples and fuzzy thyme line the center of the table. The appetizer table is a vibrant cornucopia. Brick-oven grilled baconwrapped dates stuffed with chèvre and crostini topped with brie and pickled red onions delight the palate. A crudite platter offers crimsonorange and bright yellow carrots, baby brussel sprouts, watermelon radishes with magenta centers and white rinds, and a French breakfast variety radish. A creamy wasabi dip compliments the crispness and fresh taste of the root vegetables. As the room fills, guests find their seats at the appropriate tables. A variety of hungry diners are meeting and mingling: Shaunessy and Phillip Custer, from the Central West End; Colleen Judge, an art teacher from Vianney High School; Bruce Lindsey, the Dean of Architecture at Washington University; the Autry and Blake families, who purchased colorful peach and yellow kalanchoes housed in turkey-shaped planters to brighten their table; and Felicia and Prentiss Autry and their children—all considered regulars with eight prior visits under their belt.

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Flavor

Last year, guests from all over attended Thanksgiving dinner at Claverach Farm in western St. Louis County, and they sat at long, community tables. Each guest was assigned a seat at a table in this renovated hundred-year-old barn.

They come for a different twist on Thanksgiving food and the warm “over the river and through the woods” feeling Claverach provides. Before dinner’s official start, conversation and music resonate throughout the barn. Joanna had an uncanny knack for seating guests with similar interests next to each other. At Claverach, the conversation flows just as easily as the wine; guests are encouraged to bring their favorite libation or purchase drinks there. Patrons exchange tales of four-legged friends, faraway places, family, and of course, fabulous food. Children with their families are in their own worlds. The clinking of the spoons, the candles flickering, reflections cast from wine glasses, and voices of folks nearby create a warm atmosphere. The Claverach Farm experience wraps its arms around you like one of Grandma’s handmade quilts. As servers dole out the first course, butternut squash soup in Mason jars, the conversation quickly switches to the food and what spices might have been used. “It’s harissa, a Middle Eastern spice blend, and fennel fronds,” one

server says. The spices are complemented by the delicious toppings: roasted pumpkin seeds and crème fraîche. The Mason jars that held the now-devoured soup are promptly whisked away, and family plates of autumn salad, with mixed hearts of romaine and frisee, take their places. The greens, garnished with fennel, Pink Lady apples, and shaved parmesan reggiano, are drizzled with lemon vinaigrette. The plump, golden dinner rolls, hand-shaped by Joanna and baked to perfection, are asymmetrical but beg to be slathered with generous squares of hard butter. In the kitchen, Joanna and her helpers hustle and bustle to fill rows of dishes with roasted carrots, onions, turnips, and braised collard greens. On another table, Sam and the chef arrange turkey from Buttonwood Farms and pickled leek stuffing in casserole dishes. Servers hurry from the kitchen area to deliver condiments—mini Mason jars filled with cranberry compote, bursting with tartness and sprinkled with star anise and clove, and butternut squash. Next, root vegetable puree resembling mashed potatoes, though somewhat healthier, arrives in a casserole dish. The main course consists of roasted turkey and smothered gravy—a simple broth consisting of white wine, bay leaf, thyme, carrot, celery, and onion. Thick cuts of white meat and shredded dark meat fill the iron skillets, shared between four guests.

CARMEN TROESSER

SHOW-ME

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PROMOTION

d e f f Stu Find a way to fit these six recipes into your holiday dinner plans. By Jonas Weir Recipes by Daniel Pliska photography by Harry Katz

Blue Cheese and Wild Mushroom Purses In terms of aesthetics, the blue cheese and wild mushroom purse has to be the most astounding dish here, and it’s not lacking in flavor or creativity. “You can have a smaller cut of fillet with a nice phyllo purse on top that is filled with mushrooms, blue cheese, and port wine,” Pliska says. “When you put that all together, it makes for a striking presentation and a really great tasting dish.” The classic combination of mushrooms, blue cheese, and port wine inside buttery, flaky phyllo dough complements all filets perfectly. Save this recipe for any dinner party where you’re trying to impress, whether it’s showing your family your creative prowess or keeping up with the Joneses. Recipe on page 99

Between Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s, the holidays are a time to splurge. From one celebration to the next, we go all out with food, presents, and drinks. And beef has a place at the table each time … even on Turkey Day. “You can do a smaller turkey and do beef, so you can have a combination,” says Chef Daniel Pliska of the University Club—a membersonly restaurant in Columbia. “It’s a little bit more cooking, but that way you can make for a more memorable experience by having both.” Chef Pliska also sees beef as a great alternative

for guests who make trips to multiple dinners with friends, the in-laws, neighbors, etc. But that’s not surprising coming from him—a selfproclaimed beef lover. “I used to have a 24-ounce porterhouse on my menu,” he says, “and I would have that for dinner every Friday night. It’s one of my favorite cuts of beef.” Although the porterhouse is his favorite, with the ribeye coming in a close second, Pliska has a deep knowledge of different cuts, and he can incorporate almost every part of the cow into

a menu. With the holiday dinners in mind, he has put together six recipes that are variations of dishes that have been proven successes over the span of his lengthy career. Sticking with an American palate with one slight deviation, these recipes range from small plates that are perfect for hors d’oeuvres, shareable entrees, or as the centerpiece of the meal. Using a variety of cuts, each recipe is perfect to impress your guests at a holiday dinner that goes one step beyond. Be prepared to bust out the steak knives this holiday season.

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Standing Rib Roast “You can’t beat the standing rib roast as far as a carved dish,” Pliska says. “It’s very striking when it comes out.” Rib roasts aren’t only striking, but they’re also extremely flavorful, especially if you keep the bones in. Although we live in a culture of boneless foods, meat can draw a lot of flavor from bones during the cooking process. Afterward, you can repurpose the bones: make beef stock or barbecue ribs. With this dish, you have a centerpiece for your meal and dinner for the family later in the week. Recipe on page 99

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Missouri Beef & St. James Wine Dinner Come out to the Grand Room at the University Club in Columbia on Friday, November 14, for a night of Missouri Beef and wine. The Missouri Beef and St. James Wine dinner will feature food, cooking demonstrations of the recipes featured in the magazine, a dessert buffet featuring pastries from Chef Daniel Pliska’s new pastry book, and of course wine. The dinner is open to nonmembers, starts at 6 pm, and costs $50. For more information visit uclub.missouri.edu or missourilife.com.

Braised Short Ribs of Beef with Wild Mushroom and Sun-dried Tomato Risotto Short ribs are actually one of the tougher cuts of meat, so why is it pricier than other cuts? Well, if you know how to cook short ribs correctly, it can be one of the most succulent, rich, and flavorful beef dishes. Braising short ribs is surely the superior technique. This risotto dish is perfect for the holidays because braising is such a long, slow process. You can cook the meat the day before, or cook it all day while you ready the house, and leave the risotto to the end. In other words, you can multi-task and still make a melt-in-your-mouth, delicious entrée. Recipe on page 99

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PROMOTION

Pan-Seared KC Strip Loin with Bacon Lardons and Steak Butter The Kansas City strip is a steakhouse favorite, but it’s also a suitable cut to serve a crowd. Don’t break the bank, though. Cut the strips into four or five ounce portions rather than eight to ten ounce portions. With this recipe, four ounces will be plenty. “The accompaniment is just as decadent as the actual strip steak,” Pliska says. “The components of that dish—fingerling potatoes, the crispy bacon lardons, the wild mushrooms, and the cipollini onions—are all, in their own food groups, very luxurious products.” Given its inherent decadence, this dish is great to indulge in over the holidays. Plus, the steak butter is a great recipe to put in your back pocket for any steak night. Recipe on page 100

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PROMOTION

Beef Tenderloin Tapenade Croustades This dish deviates from Americana by incorporating more Mediterranean flavors: olives and capers. But for a small plate item like this, that’s a good thing. “Small plates, appetizers, and such always need to be something that burst, and make you say, ‘Wow, that’s got a lot of flavor,’” Chef Pliska says. “The olives and capers give this dish a really sharp flavor.” Recipe on page 100

Place this dish on a buffet table for any holiday, or circulate serving trays during the cocktail hour during more formal events, and prepare to receive scores of compliments. [98] MissouriLife

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1 cup of water Cornstarch slurry (see the box at the end of the page)

Blue Cheese and Wild Mushroom Purses 1 tablespoon minced shallots 4 ounces rehydrated, rough-chopped morel mushrooms 8 ounces diced cremini mushrooms Olive oil for sautéing the mushrooms Kosher salt to taste Black pepper to taste 1 cup port wine 1 cup low sodium beef bouillon Cornstarch slurry (see the box at the end of the page) 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves 1 teaspoon fresh, chopped tarragon leaves 1 tablespoon chopped Italian flat leaf parsley 12 sheets phyllo pastry Clarified butter for phyllo (about 1 ½ cups) Bread crumbs (about 3 cups) 12 ounces blue cheese crumbles or diced blue cheese 12 of your favorite cuts of steak DIRECTIONS Sauté the shallots, morels, and cr-

emini mushrooms in a small amount of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Add the port wine, and reduce over medium heat until almost dry. Add the beef bouillon, reduce by half, and then thicken with the cornstarch slurry. Add herbs, and season with salt and pepper. Layer 3 sheets of phyllo dough with butter and bread crumbs between each layer. Cut into 6 squares, and place a small amount of bread crumbs into the middle of each square. Top each square with a small amount of the mushrooms on the bread crumbs, and add some blue cheese. Paint the edges with butter if needed and form into purses, by pulling up and pinching together. Place on a sheet pan. Continue the procedure until all of the mushroom and blue cheese mix is used. Bake at 375° for about 12 minutes or until golden brown and crisp. Add to the top of your favorite steak, cooked the way you like it, and serve. Yields 12 purses

Standing Rib Roast 2 tablespoons kosher salt or coarse sea salt 2 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper 1 teaspoon paprika 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary leaves 1 teaspoon granulated garlic 1 standing, bone-in, 10-pound beef rib roast 2 cups large diced onion 1 cup large diced celery 1 cup large diced carrots 6 garlic cloves ¼ cup dry sherry 1 12-ounce can beef bouillon (no salt or MSG)

DIRECTIONS Mix the seasoning ingredients together, and rub the roast thoroughly. Sear off the roast in a hot pan or in the oven at 400° until browned on all sides. Place in a roasting pan and roast at 350° for approximately 20 minutes per pound. Half way through the cooking process, add the onions, celery, carrots, and garlic cloves. Cook to 130° for medium rare. Remove from the oven, and let rest for 20 minutes before carving. Return the pan with the onions, celery, carrots, and garlic cloves to the stove and cook over medium heat. Add the sherry to de-glaze the pan and scrape all the meat drippings off. Remove any burnt onions, celery, carrots, and garlic cloves that may have. Add the beef bouillon and one cup of water to the pan. Return to a boil, skim any fat that rises to the top, and then strain into a small pot. Return to the stove and continue cooking. When the sauce has come back to a light boil, thicken with the cornstarch mixture. Carve the roast and serve with the au jus sauce. Yields 10 servings

Braised Short Ribs of Beef With Wild Mushroom and Sun-dried Tomato Risotto 8 12-ounce beef short ribs 2 cups flour seasoned with ¼ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, ¼ teaspoon dry thyme, ¼ teaspoon granulated garlic, and ¼ teaspoon paprika ½ cup butter ½ cup olive oil 1 cup large diced onions ½ cup large diced carrots ½ cup large diced celery 2 tablespoons chopped garlic 1 bottle red wine 1 cup tomato paste 3 quarts brown veal stock or beef broth 6 bay leaves 12 fresh thyme sprigs 2 4-inch fresh rosemary sprigs Risotto: 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 cup Arborio rice 2 teaspoons minced garlic ¼ cup minced onion 1 cup diced Portobello mushrooms 1 cup diced shiitake mushrooms ½ cup diced rehydrated morel mushrooms 1 cup diced rehydrated sundried tomatoes 1 cup dry white wine 3 ½ to 4 cups chicken broth ½ cup grated parmesan cheese Salt and pepper to taste

Plating: 3 parsnips, peeled and cut with the peeler into ribbons 2 cups diced root vegetables (beets, parsnips, carrots, or turnips) 2 cups flour, seasoned with salt and pepper 2 teaspoons white truffle oil DIRECTIONS Dredge the short ribs in the sea-

soned flour. In a braising pan, melt the butter with the olive oil, and brown the beef on all sides. Remove the meat from the pan, and add the vegetables and the garlic. Add ½ cup of the seasoned flour, and stir while cooking to form a roux. Return the beef to the pan, and add the red wine and tomato paste. Return to a light boil. Add the stock and the herbs, and bring back to a light boil. Cover and cook in a pre-heated oven at 375° for 2 to 3 hours until meat is very tender. Remove the meat, strain the sauce, and hold for plating. Risotto: Heat the olive oil in a deep sauce pan. Add the rice, and cook until browned. Add the garlic, onions, mushrooms, and sundried tomatoes. Stir for 2 minutes until the mushrooms are cooked. Add the white wine, and stir frequently until the wine has evaporated. Add the stock in 3 batches, stirring frequently each time until absorbed. When the stock is incorporated and the rice is tender, add the cheese and season, with salt and pepper if needed. Hold warm until it’s ready for plating. Plating: Toss the parsnip ribbons in the seasoned flour, and fry at 350°. Remove to a pan lined with napkins. Sauté the root vegetables in the olive oil until golden brown and tender. On 8 plates, scoop out the risotto and surround with the vegetables. Trim the short ribs of excess fat, and slice into ¼-inch pieces. Top the risotto with the beef. Ladle a generous portion of sauce over the beef, and drizzle with the truffle oil. Garnish with the fried parsnips, and serve. Yields 8 entrées

Cornstarch Slurry 1 part water 1 part cornstarch DIRECTIONS Mix equal parts water and cornstarch until even and thick. Use 1 tablespoon water and 1 tablespoon cornstarch for every cup of liquid you’d like to thicken.

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Beef Tenderloin Tapenade Croustades Pan-Seared KC Strip Loin with Bacon Lardons and Steak Butter 3 cups diced slab bacon 8 ounces steak butter (recipe below) 8 14-ounce KC Strip Steaks Kosher salt Black pepper Olive oil for sautéing 1 ½ pounds fingerling potatoes 24 peeled Cipolina onions 4 cups chopped trumpet royal or porcini mushrooms Course ground sea salt Steak Butter 1 pound unsalted butter at room temperature 1 tablespoon fresh tarragon leaves 1 tablespoon fresh chives 2 tablespoons fresh flat leaf parsley leaves 2 tablespoons minced shallots ½ teaspoon ground black pepper ¼ teaspoon kosher salt 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce DIRECTIONS Prepare the bacon lardons by blanching the diced bacon in water over medium heat, removing them from the water, and baking in the oven at 375° until crisp and golden brown. Remove, and drain on paper towels. Prepare the steak butter by coarsely chopping the herbs and mixing them thoroughly with the rest of the steak butter ingredients. Roll up in plastic wrap and chill or freeze slightly to firm up into a cylinder. This recipe will yield more than is needed for 8 portions. Let the strip steaks come to room temperature, and season with salt and pepper. Sear in very hot pan with olive oil. Place onto a roasting rack, and roast for 10 to 12 minutes at 375° or until internal temperature reads 125° for medium rare. Sauté the onions on medium heat until brown, remove from the pan, and add the potatoes. Sauté until brown. Return the onions to the pan with the potatoes, and cook in oven at 375° until the potatoes are done. Remove from the oven, and add the mushrooms and bacon lardons. Sauté together to cook the mushrooms. Remove the steaks from the oven, transfer to a platter, and let rest covered with foil. Slice the strip steaks and serve on top of the onions, mushrooms, potatoes, and bacon lardons. Cut thin slices of the chilled steak butter, and place onto the sliced steaks. Return to the oven just long enough to slightly melt the steak butter, and sprinkle with coarse sea salt. Yields 8 servings

½ cup blanched, chopped Kalamata olives (black pitted olive can be substituted for less sodium) 1 tablespoon anchovy filets, rinsed ¼ cup capers, rinsed 1 tablespoon minced garlic 1 tablespoon minced shallots 2 tablespoon chopped parsley 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard ¼ cup olive oil ½ teaspoons course ground black pepper 1 wheel Boursin cheese (150 grams) 6 ounces cream cheese 3 ounces butter 48 pieces thin-sliced beef tenderloin, cooked medium rare 48 croustades made from French bread Parsley Split cherry tomatoes DIRECTIONS Prepare croustades by slicing French

bread into ⅜-inch thick, brushing with butter, and baking at 375°until dry and crunchy. Blanche olives by bringing to a boil in water and then cooling. Blend Kalamata olives, anchovy filets, capers, garlic, shallots, parsley, Dijon mustard, olive oil, and black pepper in a food processor until it forms a course paste: the tapenade. Cream the Boursin cheese, cream cheese, and butter. Fill a pastry bag fitted with a small star tip. Spread each croustade with a thin layer of tapenade. Top croustade with a thin slice of beef tenderloin. Pipe on a rosette of the Boursin cheese mixture. Garnish with a split cherry tomato and parsley, and serve. Yields 48 croustades

Top Sirloin Roulade 1 ½ cups red onion confit (see below) 8 slices Portobello mushrooms, gills and stems removed Olive oil 8 6-ounce pieces thin sliced top sirloin 8 slices cooked, thick-cut bacon 16 slices Fontina Cheese, julienne cut Kosher salt Black pepper Fresh thyme Red Onion Confit 1 quart julienne-cut red onion, about 5 onions 2 tablespoons vegetable oil ¼ cup red wine vinegar ¼ cup sugar Red Wine Sauce 2 tablespoons finely diced shallots 2 cups merlot

1 cup beef broth (low sodium no MSG) 1 tablespoons tomato paste ¼ stick butter Cornstarch slurry DIRECTIONS Make the red onion confit: sauté the red onions in the oil until they start to brown over medium heat. Add the red wine vinegar and the sugar, and caramelize slowly. Remove from heat, cool, and set aside. Sauté the Portobello mushroom slices in olive oil until tender. Cool. Pound out the slices of top sirloin between sheets of plastic to tenderize and flatten. Take off the layer of plastic wrap, and spread a small amount of red onion confit on each piece of beef. Lay a piece of cooked bacon, Portobello mushroom, and 4 or 5 pieces of julienne cheese onto each piece of beef. Tightly roll each piece up, season with salt, pepper, and fresh thyme, and tie up with butchers twine or secure with bamboo skewers. In a hot sauté pan with a small amount of olive oil, brown each roulade and place them on a roasting rack. Roast in a hot oven at 375° for 12 to 15 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 130°. Baste with a little melted butter while roasting if desired. Remove from the oven, and let rest prior to slicing. Slice and serve on mashed Yukon gold potatoes, and serve with the sauce. Yields 8 servings

Red Wine Sauce: After the roulades are browned, sweat the shallots in the same pan where the meat was browned. Add the red wine, and reduce by half. Add the beef broth and the tomato paste, and bring to a light boil. Thicken with the cornstarch slurry; then whisk in the cold butter. Strain, and serve with the sliced roulades.

Simply visit www.MissouriLife .com/winbeef or scan the code to enter into a drawing to win $500 worth of beef. Sponsored by the Missouri Beef Industry Council.

Visit www.mobeef.org for more information on Missouri beef, recipes, and nutrition.

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PROMOTION

Top Sirloin Roulade You don’t need an expensive cut of beef to create a dish that tastes like a million bucks. Top sirloin is the fourth most tender loin cut, following tenderloin, strip loin, and ribeye— but follow this recipe, and you wouldn’t know it. “It’s a good way to use a less tender cut of beef, a midrange cut of beef, and make a luxurious item,” Pliska says. The trick is to take a meat hammer and pound the meat really thin. Then, if you marinate the beef and wrap it around some flavorful accompaniment, like this red onion confit, it will taste even more tender. Once you’ve mastered this technique, you can try out new recipes that will make a midrange cut of beef shockingly tender. Start practicing by making this roulade; it’ll make a great addition to any dinner menu, and it’s an ideal dish for a pot luck.

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Carthage was home to the world’s largest gray marble quarry, which provided marble for the home’s exterior, as well as the Jasper County Courthouse and the state Capitol.

SHOW-ME

THE ABODE

Abides

Although it was constructed in 1895, became a schoolhouse, and survived an explosion, the unusual quirks of the Phelps House in Carthage have endured. STORY BY GRETCHEN FUHRMAN | PHOTOS BY STEPHANIE SIDOTI

THE HISTORIC Phelps House might be flawless. Strong hands and wise minds planned every detail. The crystal doorknobs, the ribbons of Italian wood that weave throughout the ceiling, the twilight skyscape painted above the ballroom, and even the original family crest painted in rich, deep colors on the library walls—all have been intact since the home’s birth in the late 1800s. History runs deep here. It seeps from the antique walls and causes visitors who walk its halls to question what century they are in. “This is an uncommon house,” says Judy Hill. She should know. She’s admired the home since her childhood and has been its event coordinator for twenty-five years. More than 640 properties in Carthage are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Phelps House at 1146 South Grand Avenue is one of

them, but it’s unlike the others. It was built and owned by the same family for over sixty-four years until it was sold to St. Ann’s Parish in 1959. Carthage Historic Preservation bought the home in 1979 and has owned it ever since, giving public tours and opening the venue for special events. Pat Phelps is the grandson of the builder and its first owner, William Phelps. Pat and his wife, Carolyn, can tell you a lot about William and his home. William, a New Yorker, journeyed west to practice law immediately after he graduated from Albany Law School in 1867. While traveling, he met a woman from Ohio named Lois Wilson. While their love blossomed, William continued his journey, eventually landing in Southwest Missouri, a developing area that needed lawyers, which was promising for his practice. After he settled down there, he returned to Ohio to marry Lois and brought her back to the region where he would build his home decades later.

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In the library, intricate Italian wood designs lace throughout the ceiling. Oak, cherry, and American walnut are accompanied by windows of curved glass.

guests, gave back to the community, and, on one occasion, hosted a vice A civic-minded citizen, William served in the State House and Senate. president. He was also the primary attorney for the Missouri Pacific Railroad. Pat Although they shared many happy times, they also experienced adsays that his grandfather was likely drawn to Carthage because it was the versities. Judy recalls that in 1899, William became very county seat and one of Jasper County’s first cities. ill. The railroad leaders in St. Louis were concerned that This prime location enabled William to assist the railtheir primary attorney would not recover, so in addition road with his legal expertise, which also gave him power to local doctors, they also sent doctors from St. Louis in politics. A framed campaign poster of William still to care for him. After some time, William regained his hangs in the gentlemens’ smoking room. health. As his career took off, William built the home for his Seventeen years after, while recovering from surgery family in what would become the South Historic District at Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, he died in 1916. of Carthage. His position with the railroad required him Decades later, Bridget sold the property to the St. Ann’s to be mobile, so his Carthage home was only one of his Parish, which they used as their elementary school. Nuns three residences; the other two were in St. Louis and Jefserved as the teachers, and children filled every room ferson City. from the basement to the third-floor ballroom. The soWilliam and Lois spent twenty-five years together larium served as the chapel and had an altar. The gentleand raised their three children—Helene, Florence, and William Jr.—in Carthage. However in 1894, Lois Original drawing plans, a photograph of men’s smoking room was converted into an office for the William Phelps’s son, and other memorabilia principal. was killed in a runaway carriage accident in St. Louis. are in the gentlemens’ smoking parlor. It was during this time that the home survived the She was never able to live inside the home, which was Hercules Powder Plant blast on July 14, 1968. The town still remembers completed shortly after her death in 1895. William continued to care that day of panic when a manufacturing company producing dynamite for his three children and, in 1905, married Bridget O’Leary, a young and nitro exploded just outside of Carthage. woman from Ireland who originally served as his secretary. They had “All of a sudden, there was this huge mushroom cloud and a bang like two more sons: Cyrus and George. Together, they enjoyed entertaining

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SHOW-ME

In the ladies’ parlor, visitors can see some of the home’s original aesthetics. The furniture in this room was purchased at a French exhibit at the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis.

you had never heard before,” Judy says. “Everything was covered in dust.” The blast shattered windows on the town square, several buildings suffered major structural cracks, and one person died. National news outlets inaccurately reported that the town had been leveled to the ground, which caused relatives and friends of Carthage residents to frantically phone their loved ones. However, the Phelps House was untouched. Apparently, the home is immune to explosions and unaffected by time. Inside, you’ll notice that the structure and details have maintained the same charm and sophistication for more than a hundred years. Pat and Carolyn are passionate about preserving the structure and details of the home. Although William died many years before his grandson was born, Pat can recall family stories passed down from his grandmother, Bridget, which enabled him to visualize how the home might have looked during William’s time there. Pat can also remember some details about the home from his childhood. In addition to the couple’s accounts, Carthage Historic Preservation was able to gather historic information from the local library. Judy says that during the restoration, they retouched the home to look as it did in 1895 and that, if questions arose, they could easily consult Pat and Carolyn. Pat recalls the main challenge they faced was keeping the original elements intact during repairs. In one instance, the library’s original curved wood ceiling shipped from Europe had a lincrusta center (a pliable type of plaster) and began to show water damage. Careful repairs

were made around the detailed elements. In addition to the ceilings, you’ll see the original brass light fixtures. These could run on both gas and electric power, so the family could use gas until electricity arrived in Carthage. The home’s ten fireplaces have different combinations of tile, marble, and onyx. There’s the original clawfoot tub, the original ceiling treatments, leaded-glass bookcases, a heated cloak closet, pocket-doors to retain heat from the fireplaces, and thick, canvas-type wall-coverings on the first floor, which are made from printed paper that resembles leather. Bridget was known to repair and care for things, rather than purchase new items to replace those that were worn or old. Judy says that’s another factor that contributes to the home’s proliferation of original aesthetics. “It was made to last forever,” Judy says. Preservation of the original elements can be seen from the exterior as well. When the roof required replacing, the same company that produced the original clay tiles when the home was built provided exact matches of the materials to maintain the familiar cover and appearance of the home. The Ludowici Roof Tile Company is a more than three-hundred-year-old company that started in Italy until it relocated to New Lexington, Ohio. The ladies’ parlor has hand-painted canvas walls, original pastels, and whimsical brush-stroke designs on the ceiling, as well as furniture with gold leaf trim that the Phelps family purchased from the French exhibit of the St. Louis World’s Fair in 1904. After Carthage Historic Preservation ran an “Adopt a Room” campaign in the early 1990s, period pieces of furniture

“People say, ‘We appreciate having access to a place like this.’ It’s part of our history, and people want to keep it that way." -Judy Hill

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Above: Bridget’s bedroom is called the White Room. Below: The original brass light fixtures (left) and stained glass (right) are a few of the original items in the home.

Ten years ago, artist Matt Myers used indigo, ultramarine, cerulean, and cobalt oil paints to recreate the ballroom ceiling’s night sky. He sat and stood on a scaffold as he painted.

glossy oil paint for the sky and a matte finish for the stars, allowing were either donated or on-loan from local families who wanted to preserve them to shimmer in the glossy glow of the celestial sphere that would the home’s original appearance. have floated above the lavish dances and parties that took place below. On the third floor, visitors will have their head in the clouds. The ceilAlong the floor, dancers have etched marks into the vintage hardwood. ing was restored around ten years ago by Matt Myers, an artist and muralist You can imagine the music humming, laughter, and glasses clinking in the within the hospitality industry. His portfolio included all types of artwork air—traces of delightful nights that once filled the ballroom. for hotels, including a major theme resort in Orlando, nightclubs, and cruise The tours and the parties continue today. ships around the world. “People say, ‘We appreciate having access to Matt grew up in Kansas City, and after mova place like this,’ ” says Judy. “It’s part of our ing around, he relocated to Webb City. In behistory. And people want to keep it that way. tween his larger commercial projects, Carolyn It’s by far the most original home that we have Phelps asked him to restore different elements in terms of historical homes in Carthage.” inside the Phelps House—predominantly the Anyone can visit the home during public ballroom ceiling. tours on Wednesdays from April to November. When Matt approached the project, the The home can be rented for weddings, recepceiling was a blank white canvas. Stories tions, showers, family reunions, and parties. that were passed down alluded that the Groups of more than twenty-five people original ballroom ceiling consisted of paintcan savor a homemade luncheon and dinner ed stars and constellations. However, since prepared by Judy Goff, a Carthage historian there was no photograph of the room, Matt developed the design and style by using past The bedroom of William Phelps is decorated with furniture from the and passionate restorer of The Phelps House. The home is also one of the highlights of projects to envision how the original ball- period. The bed frame has ornate carvings that echo the home’s opulence. the renowned Christmas Homes Tour that room might have appeared. takes place every other year in Carthage. This year, the event is sched“We wanted a real intense color with beautiful depth,” Matt says. “It uled for December 6th, from 10 AM–4 PM. Visitors can tour other historic gives you a sense of that sort of thrill that you have when under an actual starry sky.” homes and enjoy high tea at the Phelps House from 11 AM-5 PM upon With no obstructions in the room, he was able to move around the reservation only. ceiling as he blended the clouds, stars, and varying colors. He used a Visit phelpshouse.org, or call 417-358-1776 for more information.

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univerSity cOncert SerieS

Good People. Great Performances.

unIversIty ConCert serIes

Spring Semester

Good People. Great Performances.

Holiday Festival 2014

Sid the Science Kid Live!

Saturday, February 14, 2015, 2PM

Get the Led Out: A Led ZeppeLin tribute Sunday, March 15, 2015, 7PM

An IrIsh ChrIstmAs Wednesday, November 5, 2014, 7PM

the holIdAy ICe speCtACulAr Monday, December 1, 2014, 7PM

pOtted pOtter: the unAuthOriZed hArry experience

mosCow BAllet’s the GreAt russIAn nutCrACker

Tuesday, March 31, 2015, 7PM

Wednesday, December 3, 2014, 7PM

the chAnceLLOr’S cOncert

neBrAskA theAtre CArAvAn’s A ChrIstmAs CArol

Monday, April 13, 2015, 7:30PM

cherry pOppin’ dAddieS

Wednesday, December 10, 2014, 7PM

And

Thursday, April 16, 2015, 7PM

A speCIAl holIdAy FIlm As pArt oF the ClAssIC FIlm serIes

Mu chOrAL uniOn:

Our trAditiOn And Future: A prOphet OF LiGht

Sunday, December 14, 2014, 2PM

Thursday, April 23, 2015, 7PM Battle High School

MiSSOuLA chiLdren’S theAtre: rApunZeL Saturday, May 9, 2015 3PM and 6PM

And

Join us for our classic film showings! List of films available on our website.

tICkets: (573) 882-3781 www.ConcertSeries.org Box Office 203 South 9th Street Downtown Columbia

University Concert Series TICKETS at

www.concertseries.org or at the Missouri Theatre Box Office 203 South 9th Street, Downtown Columbia (573) 882-3781 [106] MissouriLife

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PROMOTION

Washington University in St. Louis

HigherEdGuide-ML1014.indd 107

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PROMOTION

Missouri S&T

Drury University

You’ve got the drive. You’ve got the determination. You want to take the next step. But the brick-and-mortar college, university, or technical program might be hours away, or you might not have time to attend a weekly class. If you can go, great. But in the modern world, you don’t have to. Online programs are perfect for those who are busy with work and family life, and continuing education programs can open new doors. Before you take that next step, explore these tips and tricks, whether you’re considering becoming a virtual student in the digital age or enrolling at a physical campus.

Does it Transfer? Students who have earned credits prior to enrollment should determine if an online program will accept those credits or if credits earned online will transfer elsewhere. Credits that transfer can save time, money, and headaches. If you search for other avenues, and you discover that prior credits earned won’t transfer, explore other options, such as taking a course that is in the same vein but offers different experiences and gives you the credit you need. This enables you to earn credit and learn something new without taking the exact same course again.

Why Do You Want to Attend? Answering why you want to pursue a degree is a great way to determine if it’s something you should do. A degree costs money and time but can offer career advancement. Determine why you want to go.

Is the Program Accredited? Not all online programs carry the seal of approval that post-secondary institutions need: accreditation. This status means that the program is academically suited in preparing students for the real world. It might take some basic sleuthing, though, because some programs will tout bogus accreditation credentials. Check with the Council for Higher Education Accreditation or the Department of Education’s Navigator Tool at nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator to ensure that a post-secondary institution is accredited.

Online Students Should Get Technical Make sure you have an up-todate computer that can handle any computerintensive assignments and a web cam for video sessions with instructors and other students. To protect your eyes from screen strain, be sure to have a printer, too. Sometimes, physical copies of required readings or assignments are a welcome break from the computer screen.

Central Methodist University

What Support Services Are Offered? Considering the level of support a program offers is another measure by which you can judge its merit. Ensuring that help is there when you need it is crucial for an online program, so ask representatives tough questions regarding this topic. Who can help you with financial aid, homework questions, etc.? What guidance can you expect from academic counselors? What support services are offered? What career placement opportunities exist? Experts say that if schools won’t give you proper answers to these questions, it might be an indicator that you should pass on the school.

COURTESY OF DRURY UNIVERSITY, MISSOURI S&T, AND CENTRAL METHODIST UNIVERSITY

What Are You Studying? If you can answer the first question, the answer to this is often easier. Research schools. Learn about their most touted programs. What courses are offered within the discipline? Do these courses meet the needs of your field? What is the outlook for your industry of interest? Make a list and record the answers to these questions. Often, visualizing a problem is the best way to tackle it. Explore the Occupation Outlook Handbook online atbls.gov/ooh to see where the government charts your future occupation. Careers that are in demand usually pay more and increase your chances of landing a job in a particular location.

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PROMOTION

What’s the Cost? This might seem like an obvious question, but it’s certainly an important one. Students pursuing online degrees should find out how tuition is charged: hourly, yearly, or a grand total. Then, seek out scholarship opportunities, and dig in to financial aid resources, like studentaid.ed.gov, to see what’s available. Be sure to consider other miscellaneous expenses, such as the fuel that would be needed drive to on-site locations. Can You Test Out? Inquire about options to test out of courses that you have a substantial skillset in already. Certain tests, based on how well a student shows mastery of a subject, can award students credit. Be sure you know your stuff, though, because these tests can cost hundreds of dollars. Still most are substantially cheaper than enrolling in the actual course.

Central Methodist University > This fall, there are changes happening at Central Methodist University. There are new undergraduate degree programs in the health professions and in advanced behavior analysis, along with a new nurse educator option for the master of science in nursing program. Take advantage of CMU’s network of off-campus sites in Illinois and Iowa and its growing online program. Central Methodist University will be home to a new $6.5-million Center for Allied Health. In addition, the Philips-Robb Recreation Center, residence halls, and Linn Memorial Church all received major upgrades. centralmethodist.edu Columbia College > This fall, Columbia College will offer a bachelor’s in nursing, a major and minor in entrepreneurship, and teachers’ certification programs at its Rolla, St. Louis, and Lake of the Ozarks campuses. The bachelor of nursing program, available online to students who have received their RN, will help prepare students for advanced roles in nursing management. The college’s entrepreneurship major, offered at the Columbia campus, will teach students how to market, manage, and launch their ventures. Students will also compete for startup capital, through

Have You Graded the Professors? Students aren’t the only ones who should have to live up to high standards. Research your department’s professors. Where did they study? What have they published? What are they involved in inside and outside the school? Do they have connections in the industry that could help your career? Are they accessible? If you’re not receiving the answers you need from admissions, contact the instructor directly. Answering these questions can help you determine if a professor, either online or in-person, can help you get to the next level during and after your studies.

the Fishman Entrepreneur of the Year Pitch Competition. ccis.edu Drury University > Drury University’s College of Continuing Professional Studies now offers degrees in emergency management, public administration, leadership studies, organizational communication and development, and a completely online bachelor’s of business administration. The graduate studies program offers master’s degrees in business administration, education, communication, and studio art and theory. Additionally, Drury offers an advanced graduate certificate in digital health communication designed by health communications research faculty and facilitated by professionals in the digital healthcare field. drury.edu Harding University > Harding University continues to offer a wide range of study-abroad experiences through semester-long international programs. Almost forty percent of the student body takes advantage of the eight international campuses on four continents. Some students study architecture at the base of a Greek temple. Some study artistic masterpieces while staring into the eyes of a towering, marble statue. Each of the international programs is unique, but no

matter which program a student chooses, he or she is likely to return home with a new outlook on the world. harding.edu St. Louis University > St. Louis University prepares students for the global business world with a curriculum grounded in business theory and academic learning. Earning a graduate business degree from SLU will prepare students for the future and help current business professionals perform in today’s fastchanging, global environment. Many graduate business programs include a unique study abroad component, which includes foreignbased business case studies, guest speakers, and an international trip. slu.edu Wentworth Military Academy & College > Serving Missouri and beyond since 1880, Wentworth Military Academy & College offers a college preparatory high school education and affordable and transferrable two-year college degree programs. Located in historic Lexington, the school offers dual enrollment at a number of high schools and on-line college classes. They also offer a commuter college campus for those who need to live at home. wma.edu

COURTESY OF DRURY UNIVERSITY

We’ve done a bit of the homework for you. Start your search with these accredited institutions. Central Methodist University Columbia College Drury University Harding University Missouri S&T St. Louis University Wentworth Military Academy & College

Drury University

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Art and Design Communication English Foreign Language and International Studies History and Social Science Music Theatre

Well-rounded education While pursuing an education in Harding’s College of Arts and Humanities, students find themselves inspired and challenged, seeking to better understand the human experience. Seven departments within the college explore media and oral communication, history, languages, and visual expression — all taught within the Christian mission of Harding. Students are prepared to continue their studies in graduate schools or enter into any one of the hundreds of professions in today’s workforce. Within the liberal arts, anything is possible.

Faith, Learning and Living Harding.edu | 800-477-4407 Searcy, Arkansas [111] October 2014

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PROMOTION

It’s about Time College demands a lot of time and energy, and you’re a busy person. If you can plan, you can do it. Some weeks will be more intense than others, but professors typically have their assignments planned in advance. Ask about important projects, exams, quizzes, assignments, and other work in advance so you can get ahead. When life throws a curveball your way, you’ll be ready.

‘Wentworth gave me the

opportunity

to learn a new

Have You Measured the Institution’s Success? Numbers can tell a story about the program and provide hard measures that you can use to compare programs. Remember that list you made earlier? Time to add to it again. For each program, check its student loan default rates, completion rates, and employment rates. Poor numbers could be warning signs that the program isn’t up to snuff. What Are You Waiting For? If you’ve taken these steps, asked the tough questions, weighed your options, and decided on a program, you’ll be rewarded. On graduation day, you’ll realize that the planning was worth it.

of competitors in

future job positions. Also it gave me the

opportunity to

play basketball

and get

an education

at the same time.’

Wentworth where opportunities are seized!

wma.edu •

800-962-7682

COURTESY OF CENTRAL METHODIST UNIVERSITY

Central Methodist University

language which can put me ahead

admissions@wma.edu

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S A I N T

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When it comes to higher education, I’m not about to lower my expectations.

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5

Days of riding DAYS OF MUSIC

DAYS OF FUN 300 Miles across missouri

JUNE 22-27, 201 5 www.bigbamride. com

Missouri Life & Pedalers Jamboree have teamed up to Bicycle Across Missouri!

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WANTED: HIGHLY MOTIVATED INDIVIDUALS. ABLE TO STUDY OFF-HOURS. LIFE-ALTERING EXPERIENCE GUARANTEED.

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Day 1 Brownville, NE to maryville - 48 Miles Day 2 Maryville to Albany - 64 Miles Day 3 Albany to Unionville - 81 Miles Day 4 Unionville to Kirksville - 39 Miles Day 5 Kirksville to Canton - 68 Miles

Learn more at: missouri.wgu.edu/missourilife

For tickets and more information go to www.bigbamride.com [115] October 2014

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FROM THE MISSOURI HUMANITIES COUNCIL

With so many characters, Missouri has plenty of stories to tell. Show Me Missouri Speakers Bureau presents expert historians, storytellers, researchers, and authors who share these captivating stories about Missouri’s culture, history, art, and people – right in your hometown. Attend one in your community today or have your organization choose its own speaker among over fifty uniquely “Show-Me State” topics.

Visit mohumanities.org to find a Speakers Bureau presentation in your area or to host your own event.

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ALL AROUND

Missouri OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2014

ST. LOUIS CAVE PHOTO TOUR Oct. 4, Leasburg > Bring your camera and join park staff on a tour to take photos of the cave. Onondaga Cave State Park. 10:30 am-1:30 pm. $6-$15. Reservations required. 573-245-6576, mostateparks .com/park/onondaga-cave-state-park

FALL INTO ART Oct. 4, St. Louis > Art canvas and paint will be supplied for children to express their artistic side. See art from more than fifty local artists on display, and meet the artists. Artistic Meanderings. 10 am-4 pm. Free. 314-781-5185, artisticmeanderings.biz

SHROUD OF TURIN CONFERENCE Oct. 9-12, St. Louis > Experts from around the world gather to discuss the latest discoveries on the Shroud of Turin. Drury Plaza Hotel. 7-10 pm Thurs. (registration 5 pm); 8 am-9:30 pm Fri.; 8 am10 pm Sat.; 8:30 am-noon Sun. $50-$150. 614-4771480, stlouisshroudconference.com

ERIN BODE CONCERT Oct. 10, St. Charles > Enjoy a jazz concert by St. Louis native Erin Bode. Foundry Art Centre. 8 pm. $20-$25. 636-255-0270, foundryartcentre.org

COURTESY OF HERMANN TOURISM

HERMANN OKTOBERFEST The German enclave of Hermann is legendary for its Oktoberfest celebration. Every weekend in October, there will be celebrations throughout the city. Any of the twelve wineries and breweries will make a fine place to celebrate. Missouri’s oldest vineyards—Adam Puchta and Stone Hill Wineries—will have live music every weekend, with performances from artists like Man in the Ring and the Loehnig German Band. If wine’s not your thing, there will be a beer garden open from noon to 10 pm at the city’s Sesquicentennial Park. Food, drink, and live entertainment will abound. If you want to abstain and still celebrate your German pride, there are still a few options. The museum at the German School is open for self-guided tours each week, and on October 18 and 19, the Artists of Wine Country Art Walks and Talks will offer you a chance to see the studios of the area’s award-winning artists. Go to visithermann.com for specific event times. Call 800-932-8687 for more information.

MISSOURI DAY Oct. 15, St. Charles > Celebrate the achievements of all Missourians. This year’s program will be about all Native Americans with an emphasis on Missouri tribes. First Missouri State Capitol State Historic Site. 10 am-4 pm. Free. 636-940-3322, mostateparks.com/first-missouri-state-capitol -state-historic-site

A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM Oct. 15-Nov. 9, Webster Groves > See Shakespeare’s comedy filled with magic, merriment, and romance. The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis Loretto-Hilton Center for the Performing Arts. Times vary. $17.50-$79.50. 314-968-4925, repstl.org These listings are chosen by our editors and are not paid for by sponsors.

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HAYRIDES AND BLUEGRASS

NEARLY LEAR

Oct. 17-18, St. Louis > Take a 45-minute family-friendly hayride around the grand old military base, roast marshmallows over an open fire, sip hot chocolate, and listen to bluegrass music. Jefferson Barracks Park. 6, 7, and 8 pm. $10. 314-615-8822, stlouisco.com/parks

Nov. 8, St. Louis > Actress Susanna Hamnett uses storytelling, music, film, Shakespeare’s poetic text, and humor to take the audience to the heart of the story. Founder’s Theatre at COCA. 5 pm. Call for tickets. 314-561-4877, cocastl.org

HOLIDAY FARE WINE TRAIL

FIRE FEST Nov. 1, New Haven > This festival shows the wonder and strength of fire art, including the House of Fire and Ice, Burning Man, Fire Dancers, and Pumpkin Chunking. Downtown. Noon-10 pm. Free 573-237-2832, newhavenfirefest.com.

Nov. 15-16, Hermann > Follow the wine trail, and sample wine and food pairings perfect for holiday celebrations. Seven area wineries. 10 am-5 pm Sat.; 11 am-5 pm Sun. $30. Advanced tickets only. 800-932-8687, hermannwinetrail.com

WINTER WONDERLAND WALK

LIVING HISTORY HAYRIDES Nov. 1-2, St. Louis > Take a hay wagon tour where costumed reenactors from the War of 1812, Civil War, World War II, and other periods explain their uniforms and equipment. Fort Belle Fontaine. 10 am, 12:30, and 2:30 pm Sat.; 12:30 and 2:30 pm Sun. Advanced registration. $7. 314-544-5714, stlouisco.com

Nov. 21-23, St. Louis > Get a sneak preview of the hundreds of twinkling lights on this walking tour. A special visitor from the North Pole can be expected. Tilles Park. 6:30 and 7:45 pm (9-10 pm singles hour) Fri.; 5:15, 6:30, 7:45, and 9 pm Sat.; 5:15. 6:30, and 7:45 pm Sun. Advanced registration. $5. 314-615-8822, stlouisco.com/parks

OZARK FIBER FLING

LANTERN PARADE

Nov. 7-8, Steelville > Try classes and workshops on all things fiber, and visit vendors with everything from spinning wheels to handmade soaps. Meramec Baptist Retreat Center. 9 am-5 pm. Free (except classes). 573-245-6851, www.ozarkfiberfling.com

Nov. 29, Hermann > This traditional German parade celebrates the compassion of a German knight who gave half his coat to a beggar and includes caroling and refreshments. Starts at the Hermann Amphitheater. 6 pm. Free. 800-932-8687, visithermann.com

SOUTHEAST FALL FESTIVAL AND CAT QUEST Oct. 4, New Madrid > 5K run/walk, car, truck, and bike show, beauty pageant, mini golf, crafts, petting zoo, primitive campers and traders, youth fishing tournament, and catfish weigh-in. Main Street. 9 am-4 pm. Free (except some events). 877-7485300, new-madrid.mo.us

CCC IN STATE PARKS Oct. 4, Patterson > Ride to the Mudlick Mountain Fire Tower, and hike to the Civilian Conservation Corps-built shelters. Sam A. Baker State Park. 10 am-2 pm. Free. 573-856-4514, mostateparks.com /park/sam-baker-state-park

ART ON THE RUN FESTIVAL Oct. 4, Poplar Bluff > 10K and one-mile run, handson art experiences, artists’ market, and live entertainment. Margaret Harwell Art Museum. 8 am3 pm. Free ($5-$20 race). 573-686-8002, mham.org

RIVER HERITAGE QUILT SHOW Oct. 4-5, Cape Girardeau > Quilt show with daily bed turnings, mini quilt auction, vendor mall,

the Mark Twain Boyhood Home and Museum Family Artifacts Interactive Exhibits Original Rockwells Live Performances Twain Memorabilia Unique Gifts

YOU HAVE THE DREAM.

WE HAVE THE BARN. WOOD BARNS & BARN HOMES

Hannibal, Missouri 573-221-9010 marktwainmuseum.org

888-489-1680

sandcreekpostandbeam.com

Learn how a young boy from Hannibal became America’s most beloved author!

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buy-it-now table, and homemade cinnamon rolls and box lunches available for purchase. Arena Building. 9 AM-4 PM. $5. 573-339-0494, riverquilters.org

During the Arcadia Valley Music Fall Mountain Music Festival—October, 17, 18, and 19—Ironton and the surrounding area will witness a homecoming of sorts. That Saturday, the Arcadia Valley High School will host its eighty-seven-year-old fall parade at 10 AM. That night the high school will also decide the queen of the festival and hold a coronation. But Arcadia Valley’s returning natives won’t be the only ones in attendance. The music festival’s bluegrass bands draw in people from all over. “My favorite part is meeting the people that come,” says Carol Kelsheimer, who helps organize the festival. Mountain Faith, a Christian Americana band from North Carolina, is returning for the second year on Saturday and Sunday, and some of the bluegrass highlights include fiddle champion George Portz on Saturday and the Mississippi Sawyers on Sunday. The entire festival is rounded out with great fall scenery in Ironton and the surrounding areas. Elephant Rocks, Johnson’s Shut-Ins, and Taum Sauk Mountain State Parks are just a short drive away. The festival is free to attend and starts Friday at 6 PM and ends Sunday at 4 PM. For more information, call 314-517-4445. visit mountainmusicfestival.net.

BRANSON Festival of Light Tour

BIRDING BY CANOE Oct. 11, Cape Girardeau > Guided canoe (supplied) trip to the open marshlands of Duck Creek to look for wetland species. Conservation Nature Center. 8:30 AM-3 PM. Free. 573-290-5218, mdc.mo.gov

LEADBELT HARE SCRAMBLES Oct. 12, Park Hills > This American Motorcycle Association-sanctioned competitive course trail event is open to the public. St. Joe State Park. 7 AM-6 PM. $5. 636-639-6373, mhscracing.com

VINTAGENOW FASHION SHOW Oct. 17, Cape Girardeau > This fundraising event shows how vintage collections can be incorporated into today’s fashions. Osage Centre. 7:30-10 PM. $25$50. 573-332-8882, vintagenowfashionshow.com

FALL ROCKS Oct. 18, Park Hills > Twelve educational activity and game stations, staff answering questions about mining and minerals, and refreshments. Missouri Mines State Historic Site. 5-8 PM. Free. 573-431-6226, mostateparks.com/park /missouri-mines-state-historic-site

COOURTESY OF THE MOUNTAIN ECHO

ARCADIA VALLEY MUSIC FALL MOUNTAIN MUSIC FESTIVAL

LEARN TO MAKE PASTRIES LIKE THE PROS WITH PASTRY & DESSERT TECHNIQUES

November 10th to the 12th

Join us for our all inclusive two night chartered Branson Festival of Light Tour

Just $369 per person!

Book your ticket now! Quantities are Limited 660-537-2577 david@mttcllc.com

BY CHEF DANIEL PLISKA

Available at amazon.com and the University of Missouri Columbia Bookstore For a person ali email daniel. zed signed copy pliska@gma il $40 plus $5 for shipping .com & handling

For Recipes and Cooking Tips visit chefpliska.wordpress.com [120] MissouriLife

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DÉJÀ VU SPIRIT REUNION Oct. 25, Ste. Genevieve > Hear the story of the US Senator who has been buried three times at this family-friendly living history program, tour the cemetery by lantern, and chat with spirit reenactors in period dress. Memorial Cemetery. 5-7:30 PM. $2.50-$8. 800-373-7007, historicstegen.com

ARTS AND CRAFTS SHOWS Nov. 22-23, Cape Girardeau > Three craft shows. Show Me Center, Osage Centre, Arena Building, and Notre Dame High School. 10 AM-5 PM Sat; 10 AM4 PM Sun. $5. 573-335-1631, visitcape.com/events

SOUTH CENTRAL FIRST FRIDAY STROLL

COURTESY OF CAT SPENCER

Oct. 3 and Nov. 7, West Plains > Listen to live music, and visit the local shops. Historic Downtown. 5:309 PM. Free. 417-293-4438, westplains.net/tourism

OLD IRON WORKS DAYS Oct. 11-12, St. James > More than forty crafts, old-time demonstrations, and live music provided by the Ozark Rounders and Highway 32 Bluegrass. Maramec Spring Park. Noon-5 PM. $5 per car for parking. 573-265-7124, stjameschamber.net

FROGTOBERFEST

It all started in 1996 when the city council of Waynesville wanted to do something with the big rock protruding from what is locally called Waynesville Hill. Phil Nelson, then owner of the Blue Rose Tattoo Shop in St. Robert, offered to donate his time and expertise to the project. He removed about two tons of rock, dirt, and grass to expose the rock that became W.H. Croaker, the frog rock. Working in the early-morning hours for nine straight months, Nelson sculpted and painted the 30-foot-long, 10-foot-high, and 18-foot-wide frog. The festival began its life as Frog Fest but was later changed to Frogtoberfest when the date was changed from May to October. This year, the frog celebration is held on October 4 and features the Frog Hill half marathon. A large portion of the half marathon course is on Route 66, passing by W.H.Croaker, and ending with the family-friendly festival, which features live music, crafts, a cake walk, children’s games, pony rides, and a scavenger hunt. Of course, there will be a Kiss the Frog contest, frog races, and plenty of food, including frog legs. The festival is open from 10 AM to 4 PM and is free. The half marathon registration starts at 7 AM, and the race begins at 8:30 AM. The cost is $45 to $55 per person to enter the race. Call 573-433-6684 for race information. For more information on the festival, go to visitpulaskicountyusa.com or call 573-774-3050.

ING YS L L A C YBO er L F L L d A e yon lu wild b to the Military in , o g u’ll and Off yo kansas Air ircraft r A ugh a r. Peek o e r h h t t e at d ga li n a G Sam um. oric h Muse e hist art founder h t in s ry M it a lit ib a il h ex of W ge m plane y vinta armored d u t s at the e n, n. The Rolls-Royc tubes. Walto g ea in k li h , c s n u vehicle grenade la ith eum: car w y Mus Militar d n a s Air rkansa The A TA? E r u o y What’s

arkansasairandmilitary.com 479-521-4947 [121] October 2014

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Explore the Old Trails Region

The largest sutlery in the Midwest!

Carrying a complete line of Civil War Living History needs for Ladies, Gentlemen, Civilian, Military – featuring patterns, weapons, accessories, research. Our specialty: the Border Wars. Custom orders at no additional cost!

Our clothing is American made! 111 N. Main, Liberty, MO • 816-781-9473 www.jamescountry.com • jamescntry@aol.com

150 th Commemorative Battle of the

BATTLE OF GLASGOW

Reenactment

OCT 11th & 12th

Historic Homes Tour Saturday Oct. 11th A brochure will be available for the eight homes $20 per person Bus tickets to homes are $5 per person, per day

Period Ball

Saturday Oct. 11th 7:30 p.m. until midnight $15 per person 1001 Randolph Street Featuring period music by Dave Para and Cathy Barton With Jim Phaxter calling and Paul Fotsch on the fiddle

For tickets and more information visit www.GlasgowMo.com

Events

Saturday Oct. 11th

9 a.m. Camp and craft and food vendors open, field demostration starts 10:30 a.m. Parade on First Street 11 a.m. Ladies Tea starts 11 a.m to 5 p.m. Home tour $20 each 2 p.m. Reenactment of the 1864 Battle of Glasgow. 5 p.m. Camp closed 7 p.m. Twilight firing 7:30p.m. to midnight Period Ball

Sunday Oct. 12

9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Camp and craft and food vendors open, period demonstration 9 a.m. Church service 1 p.m. Battle of Glasgow 11a.m. to 3 p.m. Lewis Library, Railroad Depot, Glasgow Museum and Henderson Drug Store will be open 11a.m. to 3 p.m. Church tours, free-will donation *Buses available both days, $5 per person

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Knight & Rucker Banquet Hall 660-414-5297 www.knightandruckerbanquethall.com 119 East Broadway, Brunswick, MO

Rockin’ at the River! Saturday • Oct 25th Come Enjoy ‘60-’70 Live Music at Lexington Riverfront Park Only $5 per Person

660.259.4711

www.visitlexingtonmo.com

ShowMe ZIPLINES 816-699-9739 15510 Highway C Rayville, MO showmeziplines@gmail.com www.showmeziplines.com Find us on Facebook!

Enjoy the ride: We’re open 7 days a week! Monday through Saturday: 9 AM-6PM Sunday: 3-6 PM

9 lines, ranging between 300 ft. to 2,000 ft. long!

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Great Missouri Art

Saleigh Mountain Co. Quality Hand-Crafted Leatherwork & Shoe Repair 573-486-2992 www.saleighmountain.com 1005 Market Street Hermann, MO

www.thebenttree.com www.stacyleigh.etsy.com

Studio Art Tour Nov. 1-2. Call for information: 573-242-3200

Wants You!

Bent Tree Gallery The

HISTORIC CLARKSVILLE, MISSOURI The perfect place to find one-of-a-kind gifts for the special people in your life.

Rustic Furniture, Handcrafted Handbags, Fiber Art & Baskets 573-242-3200

The Best of Missouri Hands is dedicated to the development and recognition of Missouri’s Artists and Artisans. We are a statewide resource for connecting, educating, and inspiring Missouri Artists and Artisans.

Join the Best of Missouri Hands today! www.bestofmissourihands.org 866-699-2664 2101 W. Broadway, Ste. 322 Columbia, MO information@bestofmissourihands.org

Established 1979

Celebrating 35 years in the business of art! 31 High Trail Eureka, MO 63025 www.stonehollowstudio.com 636-938-9570

George A. Spiva Center for the Arts presents

HARDWARE OF THE PAST For the present and the future

Reproduction Antique Hardware and Supplies for Restoring Antique Furniture

405 North Main Street Saint Charles, MO 63301 636-724-3771 or 800-562-5855 www.hardwareofthepast.com

Exhibition organized by The Norman Rockwell Museum, Stockbridge, Mass.

Sponsored by Sharon & Lance Beshore and Family

September 20 – November 8, 2014 Admission: $5 Members: $3 Children under 12: Free Free Fridays, open Noon-7pm: September 26, October 3, 17 & 24

Girl Reading the Post Cover for The Saturday Evening Post, March 1, 1941 ©1941: SEPS Norman Rockwell Museum Collections

222 W. 3rd Street | Joplin, MO 64801 417.623.0183 | www.spivaarts.org Tuesday–Saturday 10am–5pm | Sunday 1–5pm

Convention and Visitors Bureau

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ARTS AND CRAFTS FESTIVAL

JAKE SHIMABUKURO

Oct. 18, Rolla > Vendors feature original and handmade items such as jewelry, furniture, clothing, paintings, pottery, and toys. Downtown. 9 am-5 pm. Free. 573-341-1024, visitrolla.com

Nov. 15, Rolla > Performance by ukulele virtuoso and composer who combines elements of jazz, blues, funk, rock, classical, folk, bluegrass, and flamenco. Leach Theatre. 7:30-9:30 pm. $15-$32. 573-341-4219, leachtheatre.mst.edu

HAUNTING IN THE HOLLOWS Oct. 18, West Plains > The park is filled with Halloween decorations, children’s games, a cupcake walk, farm and exotic animals, and a campfire. Galloway Creek Nature Park. 3-10 pm. Free. 888256-8835, westplains.net/tourism

PUMPKIN DAYS Oct. 25, Salem > Fine arts and handmade craft and gift items. Bonebrake Center. 9 am-2 pm. Free. 573729-3400, bonebrake.org

FROGZ! Oct. 30, Rolla > Madcap revue of illusion, comedy, and fun with penguins playing musical chairs, a cat trapped in a giant paper bag, and orbs running wild through the audience. Leach Theatre. 6-8 pm. $10$14. 573-314-4219, leachtheatre.mst.edu

PUMPKIN FEST Oct. 31, West Plains > Live music, games, and treats for children. Historic Downtown. 6-9 pm. Free. 417-293-4438, westplains.net/tourism

CENTRAL SLAVERY BY ANOTHER NAME Oct. 1, Jefferson City > After hours museum program features a documentary film on the insidious forms of forced labor that were prevalent in the South after the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863 followed by discussion. Martin Luther King Hall at Lincoln University. 6-9 pm. Free. 573-751-2854, mostateparks.com/park/missouri-state-museum

MEMORIAL CONCERT Oct. 2, Columbia > Conrad Herwig’s Latin Side AllStars and Cuban native Chucho Valdes perform. Missouri Theatre. 7 pm. $18-$45. 573-449-3009, wealwaysswing.org

SOUND OF MUSIC Oct. 2-4 and 9-11, Versailles > One of the world’s most beloved musicals follows the true story of the

Von Trapp family. Royal Theatre. 7 pm. $5-$10. 573378-6226, theroyaltheatre.com

MULTICULTURAL FALL FESTIVAL Oct. 4, Jefferson City > Variety of cultural dances, music, singing, arts, crafts, storytellers, and community information booths and vendors sharing the diverse cultures of Mid-Missouri. Downtown. 10 am-4 pm. Free. 800-796-4183, jcmcf.net

CAR SHOW Oct. 4, Marshall > Vintage and classic cars. Downtown Square. 9 am-2 pm. Free (fee to enter a car). 660-886-2233, marshallnews.com

CRAFT FESTIVAL Oct. 4, Hatton > More than 175 exhibitors with handmade items including dolls, wooden toys, and paintings. Throughout town. 9 am-4 pm. Free. 573642-3055, fultonchamber.com

OLDE TYME APPLE FESTIVAL Oct. 4, Versailles > Festival theme is Jumpin’ and Jivin’ to the 1940s and features pancake breakfast, crafts, parade, 5K and fun run, fiddler contest, antique tractor display, car show, apple pie contest, and compact figure-eight race. Historic Courthouse Square. 6:30 am-7 pm. Free (except special events), 573-378-4401, versailleschamber.com

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THURSDAY NIGHT LIVE The intoxicating aroma of barbecue will take over Centralia on October 10 and 11. The Anchor City Cook-Off—a Kansas City Barbecue Society-sanctioned contest—will bring pitmasters from all over to compete for cash and prizes. While the judges get to have all the barbecue fun, guests and visitors will have plenty of barbecue and sausage vendors from which to choose. Plus, the Knights of Columbus will be hosting a shrimp boil, so come hungry. “It’s a great opportunity for families to get out on a fall day,” says Ginny Zoellers, executive director of the Centralia Chamber of Commerce. Aside from dining, Prenger Foods will be sponsoring plenty of activities for kids, including a cup cake decoratingcontest, a costume contest, and a hay ride to the city square where there will be a pumpkin patch hosting pumpkin decorating and pumpkin races. There will be plenty of fun for parents, too, including a raffle and live music from the Kansas City Street Band—a jazz group from Columbia. Events will take place in the Anchor City until about 5 PM on Saturday. Call 314517-4445 or visit centraliamochamber .com for more information.

Oct. 9 and 30, Jefferson City > Listen to live bands, and purchase a cup from local bars and restaurants to enjoy adult beverages. Downtown. ($2 for Event Cup). 6-9 PM. Free. 573-632-2820, visitjeffersoncity.com

RACE TO THE DOME Oct. 11, Jefferson City > Compete in a 26.6- or 15.8-mile charity canoe/kayak race on the Missouri River. Proceeds go to Missouri River Relief. This race is perfect for novice paddlers to gain experience and enjoy the beauty of the river. Starts at either the Perche Creek Access or the Hartsburg Access and ends at the Carl R. Noren Missouri River Access. Race begins at 9 AM and lasts about 4 hours. Free ($45 to race). 573-301-8119, racetothedome.org

HERITAGE CRAFT FESTIVAL Oct. 11-12, Arrow Rock > Festival features traditional and modern hand-crafted items, historic reenactments, living history, entertainment, and food vendors. Throughout town. 10 AM-5 PM. $2. 660-837-3330, arrowrock.org

FALL FESTIVAL Oct. 11-12, Blackwater > Antiques, collectibles, and entertainment. Downtown. 9 AM-5 PM. Free. 660-846-4411, blackwater-mo.com

COURTESY OF CENTRALIA FIRESIDE GUARD

ANCHOR CITY COOK-OFF

John Knox Village East Hundreds of European flavored sausages and meats Indoor or Outside Seating Microbrewery and Sodameister Great Gifts & Amish Food

People love living here.

Meats produced in house by Mike Sloan, two-time Hall of Fame Wurstmeister Open 7 days a week Mon to Sat 9-6 p.m. Sun 10-4 p.m. Free samples

Located in historic downtown Hermann

Ask us about this surprisingly affordable retirement option. 660-584-4416 • www.johnknoxvillageeast.com • Higginsville, MO

234 East First Street, Hermann, MO 573-486-2266 | www.hermannwursthaus.com

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BUSHWHACKER MASSACRE Oct. 12, Emma > Dedication ceremony and unveiling of a monument to the victims of a Bushwhacker massacre and potluck meal. Holy Cross Lutheran Church and School. Noon-3 pm. Free. 660-4632150, emmamissouri.com

ART IN THE PARK

SOUTHWEST OZARK FALL FARMFEST

Oct. 18, Marshall > Art, games, car show, vendors, and bands. Saline County Fairgrounds. 8 am-midnight. Free. 660-631-4318, foothillsfestmo.com

Oct. 3-5, Springfield > Indoor and outdoor exhibits including livestock, tractors, balers, forage equipment, trailers, animal health products, and rural living displays. Ozark Empire Fairgrounds. 9 am-5 pm. Free. 417-833-2660, ozarkempirefair.com

MURDER MYSTERY DINNER

TASTE OF SPRINGFIELD

Oct. 18 and Nov. 8, Hallsville > Roaring ’20s -themed interactive murder mystery with costumes provided. Victorian Country Inn. 6:30-8:30 pm. $59. 573-819-2000, victoriancountryinn.com

Oct. 4, Springfield > Samples from local restaurants, beers, specialty vendors, and live music. Park Central Square. Noon-4 pm. $10 for 10 tasting tickets. 417-831-6200, itsalldowntown.com

“STING” RAY ANTHONY CONCERT

GEORGE THOROGOOD

Nov. 1, Versailles > Performance of the unforgettable hits from the 1960s and ’70s. Royal Theatre. 7 pm. $5-$10. 573-378-6226, theroyaltheatre.com

Oct. 9, Springfield > This rock legend performs with his band The Destroyers. Gillioz Theatre. 8 pm. $35-$125. 417-863-9491, gillioz.org

FALL INTO ART

APPLE BUTTER MAKIN’ DAYS

Nov. 15-16, Columbia > This festival blends art, music, and education and features more than forty artisans, children’s activities, and live music. Parkade Center. 9 am-5:30 pm Sat.; 11 am-4 pm Sun. Free. 573-445-6853, fallintoart.org

Oct. 10-12, Mount Vernon > Crafts, games, parade, car show, and apple butter cooked the oldfashioned way in copper kettles over an open fire. Town Square. 9 am-6 pm Fri.-Sat.; 10 am-4 pm Sun. Free. 417-466-7654, mtvernonchamber.com

FOOTHILLS FEST

Oct. 11-12, Springfield > Meet the artists at this fine and contemporary art and craft show. Sequiota Park. 10 am-4:30 pm. Free. 417-864-1049, parkboard.org

MAPLE LEAF FESTIVAL Oct. 11-18, Carthage > Quilt show, 5K/10K run and 3K walk, dog show, gospel sing, en plein air paint-out, wine festival, lip sync contest, reenactment of Shelby’s Ride, cruise night, live music, arts and crafts show, parade, and marching band festival. Throughout town. Times and costs vary. 417-358-2373, carthagemapleleaf.com

ART COMPETITION AND EXHIBIT Oct. 11-26, Neosho > Professional, emerging, and student artists compete. Longwell Museum at the Elsie Plaster Building at Crowder College. 9 am4 pm Mon.-Fri.; 1-4 pm Sat. and Sun. Free. 417-4893041, southwestmissourialliance.webs.com

NATURE PHOTOGRAPHY Oct. 18, Joplin > Published nature photographer Becky Wylie will discuss how to take better nature photos, and then there will be a hike in the park to practice techniques, Wildcat Glades Conservation and Audubon Center. 10 am-noon. $6-$12. 417-782-6287, wildcatglades.audubon.org

MissouriLife

Statement of Ownership Management, and Circulation Missouri Life (ISSN 1525-0814) is published bimonthly (6 times/year) by Missouri Life, Inc., 501 High St. Suite A, Boonville, MO 65233-1211. Publisher: Greg Wood; Editor: Danita Allen Wood; Owners: Missouri Life, Inc. (Greg Wood and Danita Allen Wood). Extent and Nature of Circulation: Average denotes the number during the preceding year. Actual denotes number of single issues published nearest to filing date, August 2014 issue. Total number of copies printed: average 25,593; actual 27,120. Total paid and/or requested circulation: average 19,578; actual 23,295. Free distribution by mail: average 3,029; actual 1,755. Free distribution outside the mail: average 1,095; actual 1,189. Total free distribution: average 2,499; actual 1,569. Total distribution: average 22,077; actual 24,864. Copies not distributed: average 112; actual 154. Percent paid and/or requested circulation: average 88.68%; actual 93.69%.

2014 • 11th Season

e

BINGO: THE WINNING MUSICAL [10/19-26]

The Odd Couple [11/5-23] Winter Wonderettes [11/28-12/14]

• North Missouri’s Professional Theatre •

102 N. Rubey St., Macon, MO 63552 660-385-2924 www.maplesrep.com www.facebook.com/maplesrep

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QUEEN OF THE PRAIRIE FESTIVAL Oct. 4, Sedalia > Award-winning artists and crafters exhibit painting, ceramics, photography, sculptures, and jewelry. Plus, there will be strolling docents in period costume, vintage cars, and Kid’s Alley. Historic Downtown. 10 AM-5 PM. Free. 660826-7000, qpfa.org

HEALTH, WEALTH, AND LEISURE Oct. 9, Lee’s Summit > More than forty vendors with products and services for ages fifty plus. Legacy Park Community Center. 9 AM-noon. Free. 816-969-1581, lsparks.net

ART OF JOHN LENNON

FALL FEST AT RUTLEDGE-WILSON FARM PARK

On weekends from October 4 to October 26, Rutledge-Wilson Farm Park will host its Fall Fest. Come out to the park in Springfield, and enjoy the harvest of the season. Pick your own pumpkins, meet the farm animals, view demonstration gardens and crops, and walk, run, or bike the Wilson’s Creek Trail. Children can play on the farm-themed playground. This 207-acre farm park was created as a way for visitors to celebrate the rich agricultural heritage of the area. The farm also provides educational opportunities for each visitor. You can pick up souvenirs at the gift shop and learn more about the park at the visitors’ center. The park hosts a variety of events all year long. For more information, call 417-837-5949 or visit parkboard.org/rutledge_wilson/.

Oct. 10-12, Kansas City > This exhibit features more than 120 pieces of John Lennon’s art. Crown Center Shops Level 1 Showplace. 10 AM-9 PM Fri.-Sat.; 10 AM-6 PM Sun. Free. 816-274-8444, crowncenter.com

VOLUNTEER WORK DAY Oct. 11, Knob Noster > Join park staff on these clean-up projects, including park roadside and interior trash pick-up, trail construction, and exotic species control. Knob Noster State Park. 9 AM-1 PM. Free. Pre-registration. 660-563-2463, mostateparks.com/park/knob-noster-state-park

HAUNTED AND HISTORIC SPACES HOMESTEAD DAYS FESTIVAL

BISON HIKE

Oct. 18-19, Ash Grove > Living history, period craft demonstrations, live music, and food. Nathan Boone Homestead State Historic Site. 10 AM4 PM. Free. 417-751-3266, mostateparks.com/park /nathan-boone-homestead-state-historic-site

Nov. 1, Mindenmines > Fall is a great time for hiking and viewing bison and other wildlife. Prairie State Park. 10 AM-noon. Free. 417-843-6711, mostateparks.com/park/prairie-state-park

Oct. 23 and 25-26, Cassville > Music variety show featuring HomeTown Sound, The RedHots, and local talent. School Event Center. 7:30 PM Thurs. and Sat.; 2 PM Sun. $6-$8. 417-847-2814, cassville.com

CHILI AND SALSA COOK-OFF Oct. 25, Cassville > Live music, crafts, a pet parade, and chili and salsa tasting. Main Street Square. 8 AM-2:30 PM. Free. 417-847-2814, cassville.com

WILD AREA HIKE Oct. 25, Cassville > Four-mile hike through the Roaring River Hills Wild Area and part of Roaring River Cove Hardwood Natural Area. Roaring River State Park. 9 AM. Free. 417-847-3742, mostateparks .com/park/roaring-river-state-park

WINE AND FOOD CELEBRATION Oct. 25, Springfield > This fundraiser for educational children’s programing on Ozark Public Television features hundreds of wines, foods from local restaurants, craft beers, and specialty cocktails. White River Conference Center. 2-5 PM. $25-$40. 417-836-8894, optv.org/wineandfood

Nov. 8, Springfield > This parade honors those who have served in the military. Downtown. 9 AM. Free. 417-761-4692, swmoveteransdayparade.com

TRIANGLE FACTORY FIRE PROJECT Oct. 17-19, Lee’s Summit > This play explores the historical Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire that took the lives of 146 workers in March 1911. North West High School. 7:30 PM Fri.-Sat.; 2:30 PM Sun. $6. 816-986-4000, westsidestage.com

TURKEY TROT Nov. 27, Springfield > Join more than nine thousand runners and walkers for the Thanksgiving Day 5K. Downtown. Starts at 8 AM. Free to spectators. 417-864-1049, parkboard.org

KANSAS CITY TRIVIA NIGHT Oct. 2, Liberty > Test your knowledge alone or bring a team of eight. Heritage Hall. 6:30 PM. $15 per person. 816-781-3575, historicdowntownliberty.org

PARKTOBERFEST Oct. 4, Parkville > October Skies rocket launch competition, ninja warrior contest, Halloween practice parade, pinewood derby, 5K/10K run/ walk, and concerts. English Landing Park. 10 AM8 PM. Free. 816-520-8430, parktoberfest.net

GOURD DANCE AND POW WOW Oct. 18, Clinton > Traditional Native American dancing and drumming, vendors, and concessions with traditional fry bread. Benson Convention and Exposition Center. 11 AM-10 PM. Free. 816-331-2824, redstargourd.com

RAPUNZEL PUPPET SHOW Oct. 18, Independence > Puppet show with Nancy Smith of Great Arizona Puppet Theatre. Puppetry Arts Institute. 11 AM and 2 PM. $5 (included museum tour). 816-833-9777, hazelle.org

FAMILY FALL FUN Oct. 18, Weston > Apple cider pressing, Dutch oven cooking demonstration, blacksmithing, pumpkin decorating, nature crafts, children’s activities, and live music. Weston Bend State Park. 1-4PM.Free.816-640-5443,mostateparks.com/park /weston-bend-state-park

COURTESY OF SPRINGFIELD, MO CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU

THE SHOW

VETERANS DAY PARADE

Oct. 11, Lee’s Summit > Start with a wine reception, and then tour the historic buildings to learn about their history and the ghost stories surrounding them. Downtown. 7, 8:15, and 9:30 PM. $15. 816-969-1581, downtownls.org

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GREAT

gift

BASKETS

AgriMo Savory Gift Box Filled with savory treats Made in Missouri. BBQ sauce, spice rubs, pickled jalapenos, and more will spice up any meal. All of the products are created by Missouri producers. A personalized gift card is included with the box. Each box includes a one-year (6 issues) subscription to Missouri Life $63.70

Each basket comes with a subscription.

Holiday Treat This festive holiday bowl features our Little Hills Pumpkin wine. Our Pumpkin wine is made with pumpkin extracts added and mulled with cinnamon and nutmeg. The gift bowl also includes crackers, sausage, cheese spread, mustard, jelly, gourmet cookies, Icewine chocolates, a lighted message holiday bottle stopper, and a subscription to Missouri Life. $79.99

Holiday Popcorn Delight Satisfy your sweet tooth this holiday with a gift tin filled with Kernel Dave’s gourmet popcorn. Pick three flavors to fill the tin. There are 80 amazing flavors to choose from! Each popcorn filled tin includes a one-year (6 issues) subscription to Missouri Life. $69.99

AgriMo Sweet Gift Box Filled with sweet treats Made in Missouri. Nuts, jams, coffee, candies, a luscious bar of handmade soap, and more created lovingly by Missouri producers. A personalized gift card is included with the box. Each box includes a one-year (6 issues) subscription to Missouri Life. $63.70

Simple Snow This beautiful holiday tin features a bottle of Alpenglow, a spiced holiday wine best when warmed. Use the included cinnamon stick to enhance the flavor profile. Also included: crackers, sausage, cheese spread, mustard, jelly, Icewine chocolates, a lighted message holiday bottle stopper, and a subscription to Missouri Life. $69.99.

(all basket prices include shipping and tax)

www.MissouriLife.com • 800-492-2593, ext. 101

FIND MORE GREAT Personalize your bottle of wine.

Perfect for your business referral thank you, congratulatory messages, wedding gifts, Valentine message, birthday wishes, and just for fun!

gifts!

Try the gourmet fresh popcorn.

Enjoy flavors including butter, cheddar, kettle and caramel. Stop by and taste one of our custom flavors!

Little Hills WINERY

Restaurant: 501 S Main Street, 636-946-9339 | Wine Shop: 710 S Main Street, 636-946-6637 St. Charles, Mo[130] | www.litt lehillswinery.com MissouriLife 130 ML1014.indd 130

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HERITAGE DAYS Oct. 18-19, Warsaw > Travel back in time to the 1800s and experience pioneer heritage with period demonstrations and more than a hundred craft vendors. Drake Harbor and Kaysinger Bluff. 9 AM-5 PM. $3-$5. 800-927-7294, warsawmo.org

BATTLE OF WESTPORT Oct. 24-25, Kansas City > Living history, encampments, 2nd Kansas Colored Troops, children’s encampment and activities, Byram’s Ford Battlefield tours, Civil War medicine, field hospital, embalming surgeon, and battle reenactments. Swope Park. 10 AM-2 PM Fri. (education day); 10 AM-4 PM Sat. Free. 913-345-2000, battleofwestport150.org

QUILTER’S GUILD QUILT SHOW Oct. 24-25, Lee’s Summit > More than two hundred quilts, demonstrations, and booths. Woods Chapel United Methodist Church. 9 AM-5 PM Fri.; 9 AM-4 PM Sat. Free. 816-591-0251, lsqg.blogspot.com

BOOS AND BARKS PARADE Oct. 25, Lee’s Summit > Families and dogs dress up in costumes and join the parade followed by trickor-treating at the local businesses. Downtown. 10 AM-noon. Free. 816-346-6598, downtownls.org

ALICE (IN WONDERLAND)

Take a trip down the rabbit hole with the Kansas City Ballet and the Kansas City Symphony. Alice is a fantastic journey for the senses. Washington Ballet’s Artistic Director Septime Webre’s choreography, Cirque du Soleil designer Liz Vandal’s costumes, and a score by Matthew Pierce performed live by the Kansas City Symphony complete this whimsical adaptation of Lewis Carroll’s classic tale—Alice in Wonderland. The ballet is based on the real Alice—Alice Liddell—at home with her out-of-control family and family friend Lewis Carroll. People from her life become the Queen of Hearts, the Mad Hatter, Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum. See snap dragon flies and bread and butter flies, and follow Alice as she learns to adapt to this “curiouser and curiouser” world. Alice will be performed at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts October 10 to 12 and 17 to 19. Show times are 7:30 PM Friday and Saturday and 2 PM Sunday, with an additional performance at 2 PM Saturday October 18. Tickets range from $25 to $119. To order tickets and for more information visit kcballet.org or call 816-931-2232.

FALL MUSTER Oct. 25, Sibley > Historically accurate reenactment of events surrounding the prelude to the War of 1812. Fort Osage National Historic Landmark. 9 AM4:30 PM. $3-$7. 816-503-4860, jacksongov.org

holiday arts and crafts. Lutheran School Auditorium and Jaycee House. 9 AM-4 PM. Free. 660-668-3157, colecampmo.com

FALL KIDS ART IN THE PARK

READ MY PINS

SCARE ON THE SQUARE

Nov. 30-Feb. 22, 2015, Independence > Exhibit features more than two hundred pins, many of which former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright wore to communicate a message or mood during her diplomatic tenure. Truman Library. 9 AM-5 PM Mon.-Sat.; noon-5 PM Sun. $8-$3. 816-268-8200, trumanlibrary.org

Oct. 31, Liberty > Family-friendly trick-or treating. Historic Downtown. 5-7 PM. Free. 816-781-3575, historicdowntownliberty.org

NORTHWEST

Oct. 25, Warsaw > See nature-themed art work created by kids grades K-5 and a concert by a children’s choir. Harry S. Truman State Park. 9 AM2 PM. Free. 660-438-7711, mostateparks.com/park /harry-s-truman-state-park

OCTOBERFEST AND SHOWDOWN Oct. 11, Maryville > Microbrewery samples, food and craft vendors, and oompah music followed by the Country Music Showdown State Finals. Mozingo Lake Recreation Park. 1-5 PM; Showdown starts at 5 PM and is free; festival is $10 with $20 for samples. 800-748-1496, mozingolake.com

SPEND THE NIGHT IN THE GLORE

Oct. 3-5, Brunswick > Flea market, parade, pecan pie auction, nutty parade, teen dance, pet contest, and entertainment. Downtown. 9 AM-7PM. Free. 660-322-1407, brunswickpecanfestival.com

Oct. 11, St. Joseph > Learn in-depth about the museum, tour the tunnels, learn about the history of asylums, participate in a paranormal investigation, and enjoy dinner, a movie, and breakfast after spending the night in the museum. Glore Psychiatric Museum. 3 PM. $125. Reservations. 816-232-8471, stjosephmuseum.org

Nov. 1-2, Kansas City > Celebrate a hundred years of Union Station with live music, history lectures, classic movies, vintage train and railyard displays, swing dance, and rededication ceremony. Union Station. 10 AM-4 PM Sat. (dance 5-9 PM); 11 AM-4 PM Sun. Free. 816-460-2020, unionstation.org

JOSEPHINE EXPO

FALL FUN

CHRISTBAUMFEST CRAFT SHOW

Oct. 10-12, St. Joseph > Live entertainment, children’s costume parade, festival rides, games,

FELINE FANCIERS CAT SHOW Nov. 1, Sedalia > Cat show with up to 225 cats from 42 breeds. Mathewson Exhibition Center at the Missouri State Fairgrounds. 9 AM-4 PM. $4-$6. 573-239-7970, cfamidwest.org

CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION COURTESY OF KENNY JOHNSON

crafts, and the lighting of hundreds of carved electrically lit pumpkins on the Great Pumpkin Mountain. Grounds of the Pony Express Museum. 5-9 PM Fri.; 10 AM-9 PM Sat. 11 AM-5 PM Sun. Free. 816-279-5059, ponyexpress.org

Nov. 22, Cole Camp > More than fifty vendors with

PECAN FESTIVAL

Oct. 4, St. Joseph > Women’s event features merchandise mart, food, live music, fashion show, and Women’s Wellness Initiative. Civic Arena. 10 AM5 PM. $5. 816-271-8673, www.newspressnow.com

PUMPKINFEST

Oct. 18, Cameron > Find the Pumpkin trail hunt, live bird program, and a night hike. Wallace State Park amphitheater. 10 AM-8 PM. Free. 816-6323745, mostateparks.com/park/wallace-state-park

BATTLE OF ALBANY Oct. 25-26, Richmond > Battle reenactment featuring the Union raid on the guerillas of “Bloody”

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SUGARPLUM FESTIVAL Nov. 6-8, St. Joseph > Local and regional vendors transform the museum into a holiday gift gallery, with a special preview night on Thursday, holiday lunch, and wine tasting. Albrecht-Kemper Museum of Art. 5-8 PM Thurs.; 10 AM-8 PM Fri.; 10 AM-4 PM Sat. $10 (3 day pass). 816-233-7003, albrecht-kemper.org

NORTHEAST APPLEFEST Oct. 11-12, Clarksville > Parade, art show, quilt block demonstrations, and antiques. Historic Shopping District and the Appleshed. 10 AM-5 PM Sat.; 10 AM3 PM Sun. Free. 573-242-3207, clarksvillemo.us

HARVEST HOOTENANNY Oct. 10-12. Hannibal > Grape stomping, live music, food vendors, wildlife viewing, and craft beer tasting. Cave Hollow Complex. 9 AM-11 PM Fri.-Sat.; 9 AM-6 PM. Free. 573-221-1656, marktwaincave.com

MISSOURI DAY FESTIVAL

From October 17 to 19, Trenton’s annual Missouri Day Festival is celebrating its thirtieth anniversary and expanding from its typical two days to three days. The first Missouri Day Festival committee was formed in 1984, but Missouri Day dates back to 1915 when the Missouri General Assembly declared the third Wednesday of October Missouri Day. This year, the festival will celebrate in its typical fashion with nearly 175 vendors that sell everything from arts and crafts to food. “I like seeing all the different vendors and all they have to offer,” says Christy Farmer from the Trenton Chamber of Commerce. “If you’re looking for a family-friendly event that has something for everyone, this is the place.” Because it’s been thirty years since the committee was formed, the theme this year is “remembering the eighties.” Trenton area residents can participate in yard decorating, window decorating, and pumpkin decorating contests that will award prizes. But there are many things for visitors to do, too. The opening ceremony at the First Baptist Church will kick off the festival on Thursday the sixteenth with a soup supper and opening ceremony. Then, throughout the weekend attendees can enjoy various events, including a pie baking contest, a parade, and a marching band competition. For more information on the festival, visit trentonmochamber.com, or call 660-3594324. For more information on the marching band competition that weekend, visit missouridaymarchingfestival.com.

COURTESY OF TRENTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Bill Anderson, funeral march, sutlers, night cannon fire, period ball, and dedication of historic marker. Fairgrounds, downtown, and Pioneer Cemetery. 9 AM-10 PM Sat.; 9 AM-4:30 PM Sun. Free. 816-7762305, battleofalbany-raycountymo.angelfire.com

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Tales from the Dark Side Deaths on Pleasant Street

The Ghastly Enigma of Colonel Swope and Dr. Hyde

Giles Fowler $22.95 pbk 9781931112918 $9.99 eb 9781935503200

v ForeWord Magazine True Crime Book of the Year Award

Anyone who craves a good murder story will find Fowler’s book hard to put down. Beautifully written and thoroughly researched.… —The Ames Tribune

What Lurks Beyond

The Paranormal in Your Backyard

Jason Offutt $19.95 pbk 9781935503033 $9.99 eb 9781935503248

From time travel and encounters with aliens to more, this blends new tales of the paranormal with new perspectives on old cases to show how strangeness exists all around us and not just in high-energy places. —Midwest Book Review

100 E. Normal Ave., Kirksville, MO 63501 tsup.truman.edu • 660-785-7336

NEW HAVEN MISSOURI

FIREFEST 2014 ALL DAY SATURDAY NOVEMBER 1

PARADE ARTISTS EXHIBITS FOOD MUSIC BURNING MAN HOUSE OF FIRE & ICE

www.newhavenmo.com

Travel with Fellow Missourians!

Spain, Portugal, & Morocco 13 Days • October 5–18, 2015 $4,171 includes air from Kansas City or St. Louis Take scenic drives through the rugged mountain ranges of Spain and Portugal. Beautiful forests, mountain streams, and lakes provide magnificent views. Visit quaint towns and wander cobblestone alleys. See the charming water gardens and fountains. Bask in the sun and enjoy the sandy beaches on Costa Del Sol or shop the trendy boutiques. Sail 4-star hotels, across the Straits of Gibraltar to Morocco and visit plus full buffe t exciting Tangier. Explore the colorful Grand Socco breakfasts da ily an d 6 three-course Square and the narrow streets of the Kasbah.

We’ll visit: Madrid, Segovia, Avila, Salamanca, Fatima, Lisbon, Seville, Tangier, Gibraltar, Costa Del Sol, Granada, and Toledo

dinners!

For more info visit www.missourilife.com/travel/travel-with-fellow-missourians/ or www.travelerslane.com • 314-223-1224 • travelerslane@hotmail.com

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FOLKLIFE FESTIVAL

COUNTRY COLORFEST Oct. 18-19, Louisiana > Parade, car and motorcycle shows, fireman’s challenge, kid’s corner, and a hundred vendors. Downtown. 10 AM-5 PM Sat.; 10 AM4 PM Sun. Free. 888-642-3800, louisiana-mo.com

TASTE PALMYRA Oct. 20, Palmyra > Samples of food from local restaurants, craft vendors, and musical entertainment. Downtown Main Street. 5-9 PM. Free. 573-769-0777, showmepalmyra.com

50 MILES OF ART FALL TOUR Nov. 1-2, Louisiana, Clarksville, and Hannibal > Visit artisans along Highway 79. Various locations. 10 AM-5 PM. Free. 888-642-3800, 50milesofart.com

AN ARTIST GOES TO WAR Nov. 7-Jan. 3, Kirksville > Exhibit of works by Bernard Perlin. Kirksville Arts Center. 9 AM-noon Mon.-Wed.; 1-5 PM Thurs.-Sat. Donations accepted. 660-665-0500, kirksvillearts.com

SCOTTISH HIGHLAND GAMES

Come out to Kirksville on October 4 for this traditional Scottish athletic event featuring weight lifting games, competitions in traditional feats including the caber toss, hammer throw, and the Braemer stone throw. Organizers claim this event to be the longest continuous running Scottish games in the state. There has been a world record in the amateur light hammer throw set at this event. During the games, you can enjoy the sound of Scottish music with performances from traditional bagpipers. Also, the current world champion, Dan McKim, will be throwing this year. Held at the Faith Lutheran Church lawn, this event is great for the whole family and is free to spectators. However, there is a cost to compete. They will take novice entries (called field entries) the day of the event if you get a sudden urge to give the caber toss a try, but the event coordinators prefer to have competitors pre-register. The games start at 10 AM and usually end around 4 PM. For more information on the event, call 660-341-1755 or go to visitkirksville.com.

COURTESY OF LARRY VENTRESS

Oct. 18-19, Hannibal > Artisans demonstrating lifestyles and folk arts of the mid 1800s, street musicians, food prepared over wood fires, and storytellers. Historic downtown. 10 AM-5 PM Sat.; 10 AM-4 PM Sun. Free. 573-221-6545, hannibalarts.com

Six new documentaries feature groundbreaking American women in different spheres of influence: war, comedy, space, business, Hollywood and politics. Each program will profile prominent women and relate their struggles, triumphs and contributions as they reshaped and transformed the landscape of their chosen vocations.

Tuesdays at 8 p.m. on

Clockwise from top left: Pat Schroeder, Linda Woolverton, Valerie Wilson, Peggy Whitson, Ava Duvernay, Geena Davis, center.

kmos.org

KMOS-TV broadcasts in HD on channel 6.1, and is carried in many communities on channel 6. You can also see broadcasts of lifestyle/how-to shows on 6.2 and international programs on 6.3. [134] MissouriLife

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As a MEMBER of the Missouri Chamber YOU WILL RECEIVE:

Regular legislative and regulatory updates The Missouri Chamber is a critical, behind-the-scenes power in Jefferson City, helping draft bills to be introduced by legislators, testifying at hearings, and watch-dogging regulations. Updates and alerts are published on all major issues and sent to our members. Members can participate in issue webinars and conference calls.

MEMBER PROGRAMS: Cutting edge seminars and conferences Competitive employee health insurance programs

Member Help-line

Missouri Drug Card savings program

Access to our lobbyists and legal experts is an automatic membership benefit. Members can contact us with legislative questions concerning: • Local and state tax issues

Shipping and office supply discounts Competitive employee 401K programs

• Workers’ compensation • Employment law • Environmental regulations • And much, much more

Missouri Business Magazine The full-color magazine, Missouri Business, highlights our members and gives readers a more in-depth look at the issues facing the business community.

WANT TO LEARN MORE? Contact Linda Gipson at lgipson@mochamber.com, or by phone at 573-634-3511.

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Missouri Life survey, p. 18 Missouri Life travel, p. 133 Missouri Pork Association, p. 140 Moberly Area Chamber of Commerce, p. 29 New Haven Chamber of Commerce, p. 133 Old Trails Region, p. 123 Presleys’ Country Jubilee, p. 22 Pulaski County, p. 8 Queen of the Prairies Festival of the Arts, p. 133 The Railyard Steakhouse, p. 85 Rolla, p. 8 Saleigh Mountain Co., p. 124 Samuel’s Tuxedos and Gifts, p. 125 Sand Creek Post and Beam, p. 118 Show Me Ziplines, p. 123 Sikeston Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, p.120 Socket, p. 129 Spiva Center for the Arts, p. 124 St. Charles Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, p. 4 St. Joseph Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, p. 61 Stone Hollow Studio, p. 124 Sydenstricker, p. 139 Titanic Museum Attraction, p. 23 Truman State University Press, p. 133 Union Station Kansas City, p. 119 Westphalia Inn, p. 85

Directory of our Advertisers Connect with us online! www.MissouriLife.com www.facebook.com/MissouriLife • Twitter: @MissouriLife

American Honda Motor Company, p. 3 Arkansas Parks and Tourism, p. 15 Arrow Rock, p. 122 Battle of Glasgow Reenactment, p. 122 Bent Tree Gallery, p. 124 Best of Missouri Hands, p. 124 Bike Across Missouri, pgs. 114-115 Boonville Tourism, p. 123 Branson Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, pgs. 20-21 Callaway County Tourism, pgs. 32-33 Cape Girardeau Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, p. 59 Carthage Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, p. 59 Chef Daniel Pliska, p. 120 Clay County Tourism, p. 13 Clinton, p. 27 Columbia Orthopaedic Group, p. 61 Dixie Stampede, p. 24 Fayetteville, AR, p. 121 Greater Chillicothe Visitor’s Region, p. 127 Green Country Marketing Association, p. 132 Hardware of the Past, p. 124 Helena, AR, p. 121 Hermann Wurst Haus, p. 126 Hermann Tourism, p. 61 Isle of Capri, p. 9

James Country Mercantile, p. 122 Jefferson City Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, p. 125 John Knox Village East, p. 126 KCPT, pgs. 24 & 119 KMOS, pgs. 85 & 134 Knight and Rucker Banquet Hall, p. 123 Lebanon, MO Tourism p. 27 Lexington, MO Tourism, p. 123 Little Hills Winery, p. 130 Lodge of Four Seasons, p. 2 Maples Repertory Theatre, p. 127 Mark Twain Boyhood Home and Museum, p. 118 Marshall Tourism, p. 7 Maryland Heights Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, p. 29 Mexico, MO Tourism, p. 17 Mission Travel Tours and Cruises, p. 120 Missouri Beef Council, pgs. 94-101 Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry, p. 135 Missouri Department of Conservation, p. 11 Missouri Humanities Council, p. 116 Missouri Life books, p. 82 Missouri Life gift baskets, p. 130 Missouri Life Statement of Ownership, p. 127 Missouri Life subscriptions, p. 63

Guide to Bed and Breakfast and Historic Hotels Amber House B & B, p. 77 Aunt Kat’s B & B, p. 74 Bass & Baskets, p. 77 Bed & Breakfast Inns of Missouri, p. 76 Berger Guesthouse, p. 74 Blackberry Creek Retreat B & B, p. 75 Castleview B & B, p. 77 Central Hotel, p. 77 Cruces’ Cabooses, p. 74

Dauphine Hotel B & B Inn, p. 75 Dragon-Fly-In B & B, Cabins, and Retreat, p. 74 Epple Haus B & B, p. 74 The Gathering Place B & B, p. 74 Gottfried’s Cabin Gast Haus, p. 74 Granny’s Country Cottage B & B, p. 74 H.S. Clay House and Guest Cottage, p. 74 Hermann Hill B & B, p. 67 High Street Retreat, p. 74 Hilty Inn B & B, p. 74 Hotel Frederick, p. 77 Hotel Weatherford, p. 77 Inn at Harbour Ridge B & B, p. 77 Inn St. Gemme Beauvais, p. 76 Lodge of Four Seasons, p. 73 Main Street Inn, p. 76 Marydale Inn B & B, p. 75 Missouri Division of Tourism, pgs. 68-71 The Phillips Place B & B, p. 74 Plain & Fancy B & B, p. 77 River of Life Farm, p. 75 Somewhere Inn Time B & B, p. 76 Southern Hotel B & B Inn, p. 76 Ste. Genevieve, MO, p. 76 Stone Hill Winery, p. 75 Stone-Yancey House, p. 76 Watertower Winery, p. 76 Weston Chamber of Commerce, p. 75 White House Hotel, p. 74 Wienstrasse Cabins, p. 74

Higher Education Guide: Central Methodist University, p. 112 Columbia College, p. 113 Drury University, p. 109 Harding University, p. 111 St. Louis University, p. 113 University Concert Series, p. 106 Wentworth Military Academy and College, p. 112 Western Governors University, p. 114

Here’s another way to connect to our partners! Pull out your smartphone and scan this code to request information or link directly to their websites.

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HALLOWEEN HAPPENINGS HAUNTING STROLL IN THE WOODS Oct. 4 and 11, Blackwater > Beware of witches, werewolves, grave robbers, and vampires as you stroll through the woods lit by hundreds of candles and bonfires. Wild Cliff Woods. $10. Call to make a reservation. 660-888-2300, blackwater-mo.com

HALLOWEEN STORYTELLING Oct. 17, Burfordville > Bring a blanket or lawn chair for some animated storytelling by Marilyn Kinsella, and enjoy refreshments. Bollinger Mill State Historic Site. 7-8 PM. Free. 573-243-4591, mostateparks .com/park/bollinger-mill-state-historic-site

HALLOWEEN CAMPSITE CONTEST Oct. 25, Cameron > Participate in the campsite contest, and enter a pumpkin carving contest. Wallace State Park. 7-8 PM. Free. 816-632-3745, mostateparks.com/park/wallace-state-park

FRIDAY NIGHT GHOST TOURS Oct. 10, 17, 24, and 31, Independence > Take a tour of the 1859 Jail and Marshal’s Home, and enjoy a covered wagon ride with historical narration and ghost stories. Independence Square. 8 and 9 PM. Free. 816-461-0065, theindependencesquare.com

DOWNTOWN TRICK OR TREAT

Oct. 31, Warrensburg > Dress up in your costume, enjoy entertainment and games, and safely trick-ortreat at local businesses. Downtown. 4:30-6:30 PM. Free. 660-429-3988, warrensburgmainstreet.org

HALLOWEEN NIGHT HIKE

HALLOWEEN CAMPOUT Oct. 25, Lawson > Bring your camping gear, and join the spookiest campsite contest, K-9 costume contest, trick-or-treating, and spooky nature program. Watkins Mill State Park. 5:30 PM. Reservations and regular camping fees. 877-422-6766, mostateparks.com/park/watkins-mill-state-park

GHOST TOURS Oct. 17-18 and 24-25, New Madrid > Walking tour and ghost hunt with paranormal investigators. Tour begins at Chamber office. 7 and 9 PM. Reservations. $15. 877-748-5300, new-madrid.mo.us

A HAUNTING IN THE MILL

COURTESY OF WARRENSBURG MAIN STREET

Oct. 25, Salem > Bats, voices, ghosts, a nighttime tour of the mill, and historic characters. Montauk State Park. 6:30, 7:30, 8:30 PM. Free. 573-548-2201, mostateparks.com/park/montauk-state-park

SPOOKTACULAR Oct. 9-31, Springfield > Hand-carved jack-o’lanterns line the pathways, a vintage carnival, and a variety of spooky, kid-friendly themed sets. Dickerson Park Zoo. 6:30-9 PM Thurs.-Sun. $7. 417-833-1570, dickersonparkzoo.org

BOO! SILLIAGE Oct. 18, Ste. Genevieve > Help do bousilliage repair to the Louis Bolduc House, play zombie versus human games, eat s’mores, plant garlic, hunt for a

werewolf, and sing zombie karaoke. Bolduc House Museum. 10 AM-5 PM. $8 (dress like a zombie and get half off). 573-883-3105, bolduchouse.org

VOICES FROM THE PAST Oct. 23-24, St. Joseph > See the unique architecture of the Mount Mora Cemetery, and hear stories from St. Joseph’s past as you meet the costumed reenactors dressed as some of the city’s most fascinating characters and enjoy refreshments. Meet at the Wyeth-Tootle Mansion to ride the bus to the cemetery. 6:30 and 7:30 PM. $18-$20. 816-2328471, mountmora.org

CREEPY CRAWL Oct. 31, St. Louis > Sample botanical spirits from local distilleries, enjoy a cash bar and appetizers, learn about the haunted history of the Victorian District, join the costume contest, and dance the night away. Missouri Botanical Garden. 6-9 PM. $15-$30. 314-577-5141, mobot.org

Oct. 31, Trenton > Take a night hike through the woods and make a Halloween craft. Crowder State Park. 6-8 PM. Free. 660-359-6473, mostateparks .com/park/crowder-state-park

HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA Oct. 25, Warsaw > Dracula movie includes popcorn, tea, lemonade, and Bugs Bunny cartoons beforehand. Harry S. Truman State Park amphitheater. 8:30 PM. Free. 660-438-7711, mostateparks .com/park/harry-s-truman-state-park

FREE LISTING & MORE EVENTS At MissouriLife.com PLEASE NOTE: TO SUBMIT AN EVENT:

SPOOK SPECTACULAR Oct. 18, Sullivan> Scavenger hunt, best coloring page contest, trick-or-treating, most original jacko’-lantern, scariest campsite, and most original campsite contest, bon fire and s’mores, and outdoor movie with popcorn and hot chocolate. Meramec State Park. 1-9:30 PM. Free. 573-468-6072, mostateparks.com/park/meramec-state-park

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Missouriana Here are five things you didntknow you wanted to know.

Pretend you already knew this!

The OZARK TRAIL in Missouri is over 390 miles long, passing through both Taum Sauk Mountain AND Johnson’s Shut-Ins.

On March 22, 1915, the 48th General ASSEMBLY declared the third Wednesday each October to be MISSOURI Day. The holiday celebrates the state and achievements by Missourians.

Use these facts to one-up a co-worker!

"But who

wants to be the

Missouri was the FIFTH LARGEST producer of turkeys in 2013, having produced about 544,000 turkeys.

richest guy in

some cemetery?"

THE SHEPHERD IN HAROLD BELL WRIGHT'S FAMOUS NOVEL, THE SHEPHERD OF THE HILLS, IS THOUGHT TO BE BURIED IN WILLIAMS CEMETERY, JUST WEST OF MT. VERNON WHERE WRIGHT TAUGHT.

— St. Louis native William S. Burroughs

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