Missouri Life June/July 2008

Page 1


45th & Oak, Kansas City, Missouri nelson-atkins.org

Be Open

T o A n e w D e s t i n at i o n

Photo by Timothy Hursley

Come to Kansas City to rediscover the classic Nelson-Atkins, now with a remarkable new expansion. FREE every day.

MOLifeAdNelsonAtkins3.indd 1

Breathtaking….a work of haunting power —The New York Times

The No. 1 Architectural Marvel of 2007 ­—TIME

4/18/08 11:48:37 AM


[3] June 2008

AD 3

4/18/08 3:39:02 PM


[1] April 2008

DonWessel0608.indd 1 AD 1

3/24/08 AM 4/17/08 11:39:17 3:04:22 PM


CONTENTS Features

June 2008

58 ✤ Flea Market Treasures

Five notable markets in Pevely, Kansas City, Seneca, Rutledge, and Wentzville offer bargain-hunter bounty.

62 ✤ Twisters, Trains, and Blind Boone

King of the Road John Robinson tracks piano prodigy, Warrensburg native, St. Louis student, and Columbia resident Johnny “Blind” Boone all over the state.

78 PAGOEzark Traailuk Falls

68 ✤ Blue Skies

aS The . lar Min ike the trail ectacu h s e Th p e reason to ide horses on or r is just hike, bike, f 300 o n You ca ng portions f trail. alo iles o m d te le comp

A photo essay explores the Kansas City skyline.

72 ✤ Steamboats’ Perilous Journeys

Mark Twain said he’d rather sink a steamboat than eat, anytime. And sinking steamboats were common on the Big Muddy. The Arabia hit a snag at Parkville, and the Saluda exploded at Lexington.

84 ✤ Secret Ozark Streams

Some of the less well-known Ozark steams yield some of the most fun, best fishing, and beautiful scenery.

94 ✤ Last Man Standing

The last World War I U.S. veteran still living was born in Missouri near Bethany and spent his youth here.

96 ✤ Tasteful Traveler: The New Organic Our food writer travels close to home and tries to eat only local food, during the winter, without the aid of fresh produce from gardens and farmers’ markets.

104 ✤ Wine Trails: Pairing Possibilities

Missouri has more than 70 wineries, and almost 30 of them are grouped along six wine trails.

Departments 19 ✤ Missouri Medley COURTESY OF OZARK TRAIL ASSOCIATION/SCOTT AVETTA

The new and largest genealogy center in the country opens in Independence, and a new Amtrak exhibit opens at La Plata. Meet Missouri’s first poet laureate, and discover culinary classes in rustic farmhouse cuisine.

27 ✤ All Around Missouri

Choose from 194 festivals and events in our newly expanded calendar, which doubled in size!

92 ✤ Civil War Series: Gen. J.O. Shelby

The flamboyant general who wouldn’t surrender returned to Waverly, where he farmed for thirty years.

112 ✤ Made in Missouri

A Joplin company makes skateboard ramps for parks all across the country and world.

[5] June 2008

TOC 5

4/28/08 3:19:28 PM


CONTENTS June 2008

8 ✤ Missouri Memo

120 ✤ Books: Ozark Novels

14 ✤ Letters: Great Tacos Too!

122 ✤ Missouri Journal

Managing Editor Rebecca French Smith shares lessons learned while floating Ozark streams.

You tell us about another great taco stand, a mom-andpop jail, and those hogs near Arrow Rock.

)N HOUSE ROASTING DAYS A WEEK &REE 7I&I 5PPER #RUST 0ASTRIES 7INNER ÂŻ "EST OF #OLUMBIA FOR "EST #OFFEE AND

Missouri leads the nation in production of black walnut.

111 ✤ Missouri Wine

126 ✤ Trivia: The Missouri River

Our columnist explains why Missouri oak barrels are now competing with European oak barrels in making some of the best wine in the world.

Ten questions relate to the Big Muddy.

128 ✤ Healthy Living

Find a carpool ride in four regions, and check the credentials of fitness trainers in the state.

112 ✤ Artist

A Kirksville cardiologist pours his heart into woodworking. Three artists near Springfield create a stained-glass vision, and the Discover America landscape project will be shown all together for the first time at St. Louis.

130 ✤ Musings

Our Ozark philosopher thinks bad weather follows him around. Perhaps we should send him out of state.

Cover photo: Ozark Trail courtesy of Ozark Trail Association/Scott Avetta

. This Issue on MissouriLife com Rayville Baking Co. Recipes Chef Josh Anthony shares recipes for French Country Chicken Fricassee and Coffee Pots de Crème from the farmhouse culinary classes taught at Rayville Baking Company (page 22).

Flea Markets One man’s trash is another man’s treasure. Visit us online for a complete listing of Missouri flea markets (page 58), and one near you.

WWW LAKOTACOFFEE COM WWW SPECIALTY COFFEE ADVISOR COM

Win a Family Vacation! Silver Dollar City and Missouri Life are giving away a family vacation at Silver Dollar City! Enter online by submitting your best memory of a visit to a Silver Dollar City Attraction.

3 .INTH 3TREET #OLUMBIA -/

Ghostly apparitions play a role in both Fiddler’s Ghost by Mitch Jayne and The River Wife by Jonis Agee.

Thomas Jefferson’s dream affected the Francis Quadrangle on the University of Missouri campus at Columbia, and his Revolutionary roots are still relevant today. See the Jefferson Garden, his original tombstone, and a bronze statue of this Revolutionary president.

17 ✤ Symbol: The State Tree Nut

! #OFFEE 2OASTERY

Departments continued

Missouri’s First Poet Laureate Ashland native Walter Bargen was appointed Missouri’s first poet laureate this year (page 20). Read his poetry at MissouriLife.com.

Get the Skinny Find the list of nine accredited organizations that certify personal trainers in Missouri (page 128). Some provide a state listing of their certified trainers to assist you in your search.

COURTESY OF NATIONAL FLEA MARKET ASSOCIATION

,AKOTA #OFFEE #O

[6] MissouriLife

TOC 6

4/28/08 3:27:04 PM


MARK W. MOORE President

MUCH “MOORE” THAN A FAMILY TRADITION! “G.L. Moore Tire & Automotive Inc. has the largest selection of Michelin, BF Goodrich, and Uniroyal tires in the Springfield area,” says owner Mark Moore. “Our technicians are all certified, utilizing the latest computerized equipment for alignments, tire mounting, balancing and mechanical repairs.” “We provide all preventive maintenance and repairs as needed for cars, light trucks, vans, motor homes, trailers, and SUVs,” says Mark. “Even our waiting room was made with you in mind. Cable television, comfortable chairs, a monitor to experience real-time wheel alignment, wide selection of magazines, view of the shop and Wi-

Fi for your laptops. There is always fresh coffee and every morning you’ll find fresh Krispy Kreme donuts!” G.L. Moore Tire and Automotive specializes in a long list of automotive maintenance needs for today’s hitech cars including Computerized Alignment and Computerized Engine Analysis, but also realizes that regularly scheduled maintenance is the key to a vehicle’s long life. That includes Lube & Filter Changes, Fuel Injector Service, Wheel Balance, Shocks and Struts, Tire Rotation, Transmission Maintenance, State Vehicle Inspections, and, of course, Tires. “Please stop by anytime and let us know what we can do for you!”

Our family serving yours...

2253 S. Olive Court • Springfield, MO 65802 mark@glmooretire.com • 417-869-2561

On Amtrak, kids ages 2-15

RIDE HALF PRICE

Kids fares are always half price when accompanied by an adult. The train is fun for them and budget-friendly for you. Limit two kids per adult.

Call 1-800-USA-RAIL, your travel agent or visit Amtrak.com today.

Up to 2 children ages 2-15 may accompany each paid adult at half the regular (full) adult rail fare. Fares, routes and schedules subject to change without notice, and seats are limited. Other restrictions may apply. Amtrak is a registered service mark of The National Railroad Passenger Corporation.

[7] June 2008

AD 7

4/24/08 11:14:01 PM


EMO MISSOUesRBeIhinM d the Stories Telling the Tal

SUMMER SECRETS By Rebecca French Smith, Managing Editor

to go on a float trip every year. They pack their coolers, meet at the creek, and launch the canoes. But take care to strap said cooler in, lest its contents land on the bottom of the creek bed—fodder for some brave drift diver. Finding solitude while floating these creeks is, of course, subject to the day of the week on which you choose to float. If, for example, you happen upon my friends one weekend, you might find yourself among twenty-plus canoes. There is an interesting thing about floating a

My first fishing experience with my dad was on the banks of Beaver Creek, though I can’t say with any certainty that we were actually fishing, more like watching the line float with the current. He said it wasn’t so much fishing as it was thinking. That is one thing for which these secrets are usually pretty good: solitude. Floating is another favorite pastime on Bryant as well as Beaver. Such was the pleasure of this particular activity that several of my high school classmates still make an attempt

creek or river and solitude: They have an uncanny ability to teach you things. The creeks will teach you whether or not you possess patience when you discover that your canoe mate, seated behind you, can’t steer from the rear. They will teach you to bring the bug spray. They will teach you that sunscreen is your very best friend. But most of all, through these secrets, you will rediscover the childhood notion of a lazy summer afternoon. Enjoy the trip.

TINA WHEELER

The creeks featured in Local Secrets (page 84) are very familiar to me, as I was once a local. Growing up, I spent many summer days cooling off in those seemingly arctic streams, wading in so slowly you could almost hear your skin sizzle in the stifling summer heat.

DID YOU KNOW ... BRANSON’S FIRST FAMILY OF ENTERTAINMENT STARTED THEIR SHOW UNDERGROUND?

B

efore the Presley Family built Branson’s original show on the strip, they got their start playing shows in Fantastic Caverns and the Underground Theater near Branson. These caves provided a beautiful theater setting, wonderful acoustics, and natural cooling in a time before air-conditioning was common.

– THE FIRS

EY THE PRESL RY O FAMILY ST

ginal Show

ri Branson’s O

on the Strip

3/20/08

Presley

MEMO 8

d 1

Cover-red.ind

3:21:06

PM

{

{

This is just one of the fascinating stories in Story, which tells the The Presley Family Story story of how the music on the strip got started. The story begins long, long ago… with a preacher man, his harmonicaplaying wife, and a young son named Lloyd. It begins with a family that had already called the rugged Ozarks home since 1850, and it begins with a hound dog. (104 pages, 156 pictures) Special Offer: $15 (+ shipping & handling )

T 74 YEARS –

To order the book or reserve tickets for Presleys’ Country Jubilee where you can see four generations of Presleys onstage and meet them, too, visit www.presleys.com or call 800-335-4874. [8] MissouriLife

4/25/08 11:26:11 AM


OakmontHills0608.indd 1

4/24/08 2:32:21 PM


The Spirit of Discovery 515 East Morgan Street, Boonville, MO 65233 660•882•9898 info@missourilife.com

Publisher Greg Wood

Editorial Editor in Chief Danita Allen Wood Managing Editor & Web Editor Rebecca French Smith Editorial Intern Lauren Foreman Contributing Writers and Editors Traci Angel, Katherine Craft, Ligaya Figueras, John Fisher, Doug Frost, Nina Furstenau, Dawn Klingensmith, Stefani Kronk, Ann Leach, Chuck Lyons, Dan Manning, Ron W. Marr, Arthur Mehrhoff, Charles Reineke, John Robinson, Mike Shores, Scott Spilky Contributing Photographers Scott Avetta, Notley Hawkins, Mike McArthy, Brad Reno

Art & Production Creative Director Andrew Barton

t NDDOCBN!NNVPOMJOF OFU

Art Director Tina Wheeler Advertising Art Director Shea Bryant

Advertising Senior Account Managers Linda Alexander, 816-582-7720, Kansas City area Sherry Broyles, 800-492-2593, ext. 107 Agnieszka A. Mahan, 417-872-8120, Springfield area Publishing Assistant Phillette Harvey, 800-492-2593, ext. 104 Sales Representative Kristin Witt, 573-268-3909, Central Advertising Coordinator & Calendar Editor Amy Stapleton, 800-492-2593, ext. 101

Circulation & Administration Circulation Director Karen Ebbesmeyer 800-492-2593, ext. 102 Proofreader & Administrative Assistant Lisa Guese Accounting Lammers & Associates CPAs, P.C. 660-882-6000 Webmaster Insite Advice, www.insiteadvice.com MISSOURI LIFE, Vol. 35, No. 3, June 2008 (USPS#020181; ISSN#1525-0814) Published bimonthly in February, April, June, August, October, and December by Missouri Life, Inc., for $19.99. Periodicals Postage paid at Boonville, MO, and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Missouri Life, 515 E. Morgan St., Boonville, MO 65233-1252. Š 2008 Missouri Life. All rights reserved. Printed by The Ovid Bell Press, Inc., at Fulton, Missouri.

[10] MissouriLife

MASTHEAD 10

4/28/08 2:43:36 PM


Marshall

Area

Music Festival

M I S S O U R I

In the heartland of the nation, Marshall is home to folks who believe hospitality is our calling. Enjoy a concert on the square, a round of golf, a stroll in our historic neighborhoods, or play at the Aquatic Center at Indian Foothills Park. Visit the newly opened Nicholas Beazley Aviation Museum with interactive exhibits. Visit these local shops and sites: Adventure Quest Travel 2007 Uniglobe Franchisee of the Year

MARSHALL MO ......................... 660-886-3675

Bear Creek Blues Festival June 28, 2008

Aquatic Center

Annual festival featuring top regional musicians SLATER CITY PARK ... www.bearcreekblues.com

Comfort Inn - Marshall Station

Winner of the Platinum Hospitality Award

1356 WEST COLLEGE................ 660-886-8080

Court Street Classics Antiques & Collectibles Hours: Mon. - Fri. 10-5:30; Sat. 10-5; Sun. 1-5

Rich History

69 SOUTH LAFAYETTE ............. 660-886-2260

Nicholas Beazley Aviation Museum

Open 2008 featuring antique airplanes & displays from Marshall historic aviation school and factory.

1985 SOUTH ODELL .................. 660-886-2630 PahloArt Center & Kazoos

Featuring 20 artists in 15 gallery rooms as well as Kazoos children’s hands-on art center.

868 SOUTH BRUNSWICK .......... 660-831-1000

Rod’s Hallmark Store A store for you to enjoy!

Aviation Museum

941 SOUTH CHEROKEE ............ 660-886-4412

Square Corner Gift Shop

Custom framing, bridal registry, kitchen gadgets

72 NORTH JEFFERSON ............. 660-886-3716

3 Friends

Mastectomy Products & Nursing Uniforms

161 SOUTH BENTON ........... 660-831-5304

Wood & Huston Bank

Four locations in Marshall to serve you.

27 EAST NORTH ST .... 660-886-6825

Antiques

www.visitmarshallmo.com [1] April 2008

AD Marshall0608.indd 1 1

4/17/08 4/9/08 11:22:48 3:05:52 PM AM


BOOK YOUR NEXT EVENT HERE

The Spirit of Discovery 515 East Morgan Street, Boonville, MO 65233 660•882•9898 info@missourilife.com

To Subscribe or Give a Gift •Visit MissouriLife.com •Call 800-492-2593 •Or mail a check for $19.99 (for 6 issues) to: Missouri Life 515 East Morgan Street Boonville, MO 65233-1252

Advertising Call 800-492-2593. Information for display and web advertising and for other marketing opportunities are posted at MissouriLife.com.

Custom Publishing

Isle of Capri Boonville has multiple meeting spaces!

Get Missouri Life quality writing, design, and photography for your special publications or magazines. Call 800-492-2593, ext. 106 or e-mail Publisher Greg Wood at greg@missourilife.com.

ÂŽ

& ! ! " ! & ! $ "! # ! ! ! ! # ! ! ! & ! ! " ! #

Marketplace & E-newsletter Find Missouri-made gifts, services, and other Missouri products at our web site, and sign up for Missouri Life Lines, our free e-newsletter, at MissouriLife.com.

Reprints Missouri Life provides reprints on high-quality paper. E-mail info@missourilife.com or call 800-492-2593 for rates.

% "

Back Issues Cost is $7.50, which includes tax and shipping. Order from web site, call, or send a check.

Expiration Date Find it at the top left corner of your mailing label.

Change of Address

100 Isle of Capri Blvd., Boonville, MO 65233 www.isleofcapricasino.com

Send both old and new addresses to karen@missourilife.com or Missouri Life, 515 East Morgan Street, Boonville, MO 65233-1252

_[aZP_ XUWQ RaZ

Š 2007 Isle of Capri Casinos, Inc. Bet with your head, not over it. Gambling problem? Call 1-888-BETS-OFF or email gamblingcounselor@lifecrisis.org.

Audit pending

International Regional Magazine Association

[12] MissouriLife

2ND MASTHEAD 12

4/22/08 3:41:57 PM


C C B C

Concerned Citizens for the Black Community

WANT TO THANK ALL OF OUR MEMBERS AND ALUMNI ACROSS THE STATE AND HERE IN OUR COMMUNITY

CCBC members at the unveiling of the James Milton Turner bust.

Hope Photo

CCBC, a 30-year-old organization, restored the original black segregated school in Boonville. CCBC awards Eula Helson Educational Scholarships to local students and offers S.T.O.M.P. Youth Workshops addressing intervention/prevention programs.

Emancipation Day August 2, 2008

A historical family festival that’s fun for everyone! Celebrate this traditionally church-held African-American event at Harley Park and Old Sumner School Building.

!

CCBC Building 2URAL 3T s "OONVILLE -/ s WWW BOONVILLETV COM ##"# HTML [13] June 2008

AD 13

4/23/08 9:37:08 AM


S YOrinUgROpiniLonEs T& YoTurER Stories Sha

GREAT TACOS TOO!

The Kirby Family, Lake Saint Louis

Mom-and-Pop Jail I read with interest the story of the Lawman's Wife (April 2008). My uncle, Ted Mayhew, was sheriff of Lawrence County when I was a baby. Aunt Ella was known as the best cook in the county and prepared all the meals for the prisoners at the jail on the north side of the square in Mt. Vernon. They ate very good—she also did all the laundry, cleaning, and anything else that was necessary. The ledger that my uncle had kept … had every daily expense listed and when each bond was paid. These expenses and bonds were usually just a few dollars. Julia Helvey, Columbia

About Hogs Near Arrow Rock I have especially enjoyed John Robinson’s travels across Missouri. In reading the February (2008) issue, I was very disappointed and annoyed by several non-science-based comments made in his article that had no relevance to the topic. The article, “Traveling in Bingham’s Footsteps,” made some comments regarding Arrow Rock and pork production that were not only non-factual and unfounded but unprofessional and not germane to the topic. Mr. Robinson made assumptions about odor and false statements about the crowding of animals in modern facilities. Most of today’s hogs are raised in environmentally controlled buildings and the effluent or manure is then applied

to land for crop production. The amount of space provided per animal is based on their stage of life and their weight in an effort to provide the best possible care for them. Many universities, including the University of Missouri, have done much research on pork production, pigs, and their needs. Today’s pork producers are very environmentally savvy and regard the air we breathe and the water we drink as precious resources and, of course, believe that they need to be good stewards of their livestock and their land. My husband and I have been pork producers, or I should say “food” producers, for more than thirty years and take our role seriously. We make use of conservation and nutrient management programs. The nutrients from our farm are applied to our crop ground and have in the past had a fertilizer value of thirty to fifty dollars per acre. That application is not just recycling but saving of precious other fuels that would otherwise be required to manufacture synthetic fertilizers. At all times, we watch wind direction during application and strive to be good neighbors. In today’s world, only 2 percent of the population is engaged in feeding the world, and they do that job extremely efficiently when you realize that it takes only one farmer to feed 144 people. Agriculture is Missouri’s number one industry, and 52 percent of all revenue is generated by livestock. Approximately five thousand full-time jobs are pork production jobs, and there are another twenty thousand jobs created throughout the chain. This represents a huge economic benefit for the people of the state of Missouri. As farmers and pork producers, we are committed to providing a safe, wholesome, and affordable food supply. Part of our farm has been in the family since 1839, and our grandsons are the seventh generation here— we take care of our natural resources so that we can pass them on to future generations. There is a place for animal agriculture in Missouri and a place for fact-based information

in magazines. We’ll do our part to be good stewards and responsible neighbors, and I would ask that you and your magazine do yours and print responsible, appropriate, and factual information. Sharon Oetting, Concordia

The two sentences in Robinson’s feature that prompted this letter follow: Prevailing winds from the other direction may soon carry the unwelcome scent of manure from a barn containing thousands of hogs crammed together ham to ham. Folks in Arrow Rock—seventy-nine strong—are adamant that this tiny town, often called the “Williamsburg of the Midwest,” be spared the indignity of becoming known for stench. —Editor

The Standard Was Not First I enjoyed the article by Kathy Witt on historic Missouri theatres (February 2008), but the Standard (later the Folly) was not Kansas City’s first theatre. Three other theatres were operating well before 1900. Gerelyn Hollingsworth, Chesterfield

True. The article’s focus was historic theaters that have been renovated or restored and are in use as performing arts venues today. Cited in the article as Kansas City’s oldest theater, The Folly is the oldest standing historic theater that has been restored and is actively used today in Kansas City. —Editor

Send Us a Letter E-mail: info@missourilife.com Fax: 660-882-9899 Address: Missouri Life 515 East Morgan Street Boonville, MO 65233-1252

CHRIS BJULAND

John Robinson took the wrong turn while in St. Louis for his article “The World’s Greatest Taco Stand” (April 2008). The best oasis for suburban St. Louis Mexican food is down Manchester Road to the Hacienda. Our family has been going there for years and has always enjoyed the excellent food and delicious margaritas. Tell John he must come this way again, and this time, don’t miss that turn onto Manchester Road in Rock Hill.

[14] MissouriLife

LETTERS 14

4/28/08 2:51:53 PM


Where you’ll find...

T

he churches of Missouri are a lot like the state’s residents: Each one has a unique history and a story to tell. Some began as log cabin structures or in the homes of its first members. Others served as hospitals during the Civil War or in some other way are linked to the history of our state. Before these important parts of the state’s landscape disappear forever, the staff of Rural Missouri set out to preserve the heritage of Missouri’s churches and their members. We asked our readers to send in photos and information about their churches, and they responded. Rural Missouri is pleased to announce the publication of a new book created from these submissions and titled “Faith of our Fathers: The Churches of Missouri.” This beautiful 180-page, 8-1/2 inch by 11 inch, limited edition hardcover book by Linda Kerns is available now. Going beyond mere photos of buildings, this book highlights symbols of our faith, people of faith, church traditions such as baptisms, weddings and socials, along with many historic images. There are hundreds of churches included, representing most of the faiths of Missouri. The book can be ordered by filling out the form below and mailing it along with payment to the Rural Missouri office. Or, you can order through our secure Web site at www.ruralmissouri.coop/ RMstorefront.html.

Culture

7 Museums 10 Historic Register buildings 2 Universities Civil War battlefield Kirksville Arts Center

Summer on the Square concerts

Country

Huge white-tail deer Musky, bass, and trout fishing Kayaking, mountain biking, and hiking 1000 Hills State Park Antiques Amish Weekly Farmer’s Market Red Barn Arts Fair

Comfort 294 hotel rooms 2 B&Bs 38 restaurants

Faith of our Fathers:

! r a d

The Churches of Missouri

Send check or money order for $35 per book (plus $6 shipping and handling for 1 to 5 books) to: Faith of our Fathers, c/o Rural Missouri, P.O. box 1645, Jefferson City, MO 65102. Call 573-635-6857 ext. 3423 for more information or to order by phone.

lenhite, a C W l

a , r ed estiv r u R Yo an e F Fai

et

.n ne ric Blu trict o e e l m d is or cab l-A an O D l m @ o m A -6 EM ille.c uris 3 N to sv ly 9 Ju irk at kv 4-1 k t 1 i si ly .vi Deb w Ju t w c

ark

M

Name:________________________________________ Address:_______________________________________

w nta co

Phone:_____________________ # of books ________ [15] June 2008

AD 15

4/23/08 12:52:08 PM


MBOL RI SYState MISSOU of the Show-Me Icons

STATE TREE NUT:

BLACK WALNUT

Take a drive to Historic Downtown Liberty where you’ll discover a wealth of American heritage. Just north of Kansas City, this quaint, early America town is brimming with historic attractions for a fun-filled weekend, including: 0 Jesse James Bank Museum, site of the first daylight robbery in 1866 0 Historic Liberty Jail, where Prophet Joseph Smith spent months awaiting trial in 1839 0 William Jewell College, established in 1849 0 Corbin Mill, a former grain mill 0 Clay County Historical Museum Stay in one of the charming bed and breakfasts, dine at locally owned and inspired restaurants, and shop in stores as unique as their surroundings. Liberty, Missouri has something for all.

www.historicdowntownliberty.org

black walnut (Juglans nigra) was an important Missouri resource. For many years, Missourians have utilized both the lumber and nuts furnished by the black walnut, making it the state’s most valuable tree. The black walnut, native to the eastern United States, is a large tree sometimes reaching heights in excess of one hundred feet. Leaves are one to two feet long and have fifteen to twenty-three leaflets. Both female and male flowers occur on the same tree. The female flowers form a globe with a greenish husk, which turns black as the nut matures. The husks contain iodine, which stains the hands brown if handled without gloves. The nuts are contained within a dark brown to black, rough shell under the outer husk. Walnut meats are oily and have a strong, distinctive, sweet flavor. Black walnut lumber is heavy, strong, and fine-grained, making it the most valuable lumber coming from the state’s forests. The wood is used to produce high-quality furniture, gunstocks, and veneers. Missouri leads the nation in the production of black walnut lumber. Black walnuts have long been a part of Missouri’s cooking and baking tradition. In 2007, Hammons Products Company at Stockton, the world’s leading supplier of walnut products, purchased twelve million pounds of walnuts. Missouri usually produces more than half the nation’s walnut crop, with most coming from wild trees. Hammons buys walnuts from individuals who collect the nuts, which are taken to hulling stations located in small communities around the state. There the walnuts are hulled and purchased on the basis of hulled weight. Even walnut shells don’t go to waste. They are ground to make a mild abrasive as well as being used in soaps, cosmetics, dental cleansers, filtering material, and filler in dynamite. They are also used in the oil-drilling industry to seal rock formations to prevent the loss of drilling fluid. Some parts of the black walnut tree have even been used for medicinal purposes. American Indians made a tea from the inner bark to use as a laxative and chewed the bark for toothaches. Today, preparations from green walnut hulls are sold in herbal markets for a variety of uses. Researchers are encouraging the planting of commercial black walnut orchards because of the tree’s high value. New cultivars are being developed to improve productivity and quality of both nuts and lumber. –John Fisher is the author of “Catfish, Fiddles, Mules, and More: Missouri’s State Symbols.”

ANDREW BARTON

LONG BEFORE it was designated a state symbol July 9, 1990, the

[16] MissouriLife

SYMBOL 16

4/23/08 1:20:17 PM


Breakthrough hearing technology helps you enjoy the beautiful sounds of music and life!

With today’s advanced digital hearing technology, enjoying the important, wonderful sounds of life has never been easier. Rhapsody delivers clearer, crisper, more natural sound, even in noisy settings like a restaurant. The science of nanotechnology created a hearing device that automatically activates features you need to enhance every listening situation: at the symphony, in a restaurant, in the car, even at home.

It’s simple Rhapsody delivers clarity! Professional Hearing Aid Center 1306 E. Sunshine St. Springfield, MO 65841

Steve Flanagan NBC-HIS

Call us today for a free demonstration of this giant leap forward in hearing technology!

417-889-4327 1-800-658-1319

[17] June 2008

AD 17

4/23/08 12:49:46 PM


OUR COURSES ARE LEGENDARY

Whether you’re in the mood for an 18-hole course or a 4 course meal, the Lodge of Four Seasons proudly offers the best the Lake of the Ozarks has to offer.

Play. Dine. Enjoy. We’ve thought of everything else. Rooms start at $119

Central Missouri’s Lake of the Ozarks 1-800-THE-LAKE (800-843-5253) www.4seasonsresort.com

AD 1 Lodge4Seasons0608.indd 1

4/17/08 2:03:08 3:07:02PM PM 3/25/08


MISSOURI MEDLEY Noteworth y People and Places

New Amtrak Exhibit AT THE PREMIERE

of the History

Exhibition of Amtrak at La Plata, northern Missouri celebrated a history rich with the steamy smoke of trains. Original artifacts from the Amtrak Historical Society in

NEW GENEALOGY CENTER IS LARGEST By Lauren Foreman

Chicago lured train lovers to La Plata from homes as far as the state of California and as near as Columbia. Housed in two rustic boxcars, the permanent exhibit recreates the story of Amtrak. From the USPS logo on the car itself to items related to Amtrak routes organized and housed in glass cases inside the cars, this exhibit conjures up the nostalgia of the

COURTESY OF INDEPENDENCE TOURISM DEPARTMENT; COURTESY OF CARL MORRISON

past as well as a present appreciation for

SPANNING FIFTY THOUSAND SQUARE FEET, the Midwest Genealogy Center, the largest

trains. But the boxcar exhibit is only one

freestanding genealogy library in the country, will officially cut the ribbon and invite visitors to explore their lineage on Saturday, June 21, at the eight-million dollar facility at Independence. The former genealogy center was built under the direction of Martha Henderson, one of the first head librarians of the genealogy branch of the Mid-Continent Public Library, which services Jackson, Clay, and Platte counties. However, as the collection grew, space to house that collection did not, and from this arose the plan for the new center. “The Independence Daughters of the American Revolution, the pioneer chapter, donated a set of books to the Mid-Continent Public Library, and that was the beginning of our collection,” Research Assistant and Program Director Angela McComas says. The new center will house a more extensive assemblage of history including a climatecontrolled archival processing room, expansive microfilm and microfiche sources, and tax, penitentiary, and military service records, among other features. The collection is comprised of acquistions from many sources, including the National Archives, Library of Congress, and genealogy societies nationwide. It includes seventy thousand reference titles and fourteen thousand circulating titles, which become more than numbers to patrons who have been searching for the missing link in their families for more than twenty years. “Frequently we get the ‘Yahoo!’ or the ‘Oh wow!’ that kind of echoes through the building when someone finds something new,” Angela says. “It’s exciting to be with a beginner who finds grandma or grandpa on a census letter, and they’ll tear up a little bit. “I think it has a lot to do with finding out who you are personally,” Angela says. “We’ve become so fragmented in our society. One hundred years ago, even fifty years ago, Grandma and Grandpa were down the street. Now, they’re across the country. “People are wanting to find that family connection again,” she says.

part of La Plata’s re-creation of Amtrak history. The grand opening also marked the premiere of the Silver Rails Event Center, which is a part of plans for a 170-acre, twohundred-million dollar, railroad-themed resort. The exhibit will have a home on the grounds of the resort once it is completed. Visitors already come for the trains. “We get eighty plus trains a day you know, whistling through La Plata,” Kelly Marshall of Depot Inn and Suites says. A small, heated gazebo near the tracks allows train lovers the opportunity to view their beloved trains passing along the tracks. “It’s a wonderful spot to come and watch trains, if that’s where your passion lies,” she says.

Call 660-332-4669 for more information. —Lauren Foreman

Call 816-252-7228 or visit www.mcpl.lib.mo.us/genlh/mgc.htm for more information. Above: The Midwest Genealogy Center has more than fifty thousand square feet of space on two levels and features lockers, a break area, and food service for visitors who spend the day.

[19] June 2008

MEDLEY 19

4/28/08 12:25:38 PM


Huber’s Ferry Bed & Breakfast & Wilhelmshaven

ML

Missouri Medley

Overlooking the Osage River Jefferson City, MO 573-455-2979 or toll-free 877-454-2979 www.hubersferrybedandbreakfast.com

Leila Cohoon’s Hair Museum

"INGHAM 7AGGONER %STATE 21st Annual Antique Craft Fair July 12 • 9 AM-4 PM

Open daily for walk-in tours, available for weddings and other private events, catered luncheons for groups from 10 to 50, Carriage House Gift Shop open daily. Mon.-Sat. 10 AM-4 PM • Sun. 1 PM-4 PM

Admission Adults: $5.00 • Senior Citizens: $4.50 Children/Students: $2.00 • Group Rates: $4.50

WWW BWESTATE ORG „

Knitcraft Yarn Shop A Complete Knitting & Crocheting Experience 215 N. Main, Independence, MO

816-461-1248 www.knitcraft.com

We Service What We Sell

By Scott Spilky

As the state’s first poet laureate, Ashland native Walter Bargen has crisscrossed the state speaking, reading his work, and championing the power of words to move the imagination. “Poems are more relevant than they have ever been,� he says. Bargen, the award-winning author of eleven books, has been writing for nearly thirty years. His work has appeared in more than one hundred publications, including The Missouri Review. He grew up in Belton near Kansas City and attended the University of Missouri at Columbia where he has worked for decades, first as a technical writer and currently as a consultant on testing with primary and secondary schools. Last fall, he was one of more than one hundred Missourians nominated to become poet laureate; he was selected as a finalist in December and interviewed with the governor. When Walter got the news he had been appointed to fill the two-year term as Missouri’s first poet laureate, he was “surprised, delighted, taken aback, wondering what’s in store for me.� What’s in store is a minimum of six appearances a year at public libraries and schools across the state to promote the arts in Missouri. Walter was inundated with media requests after the announcement. “People are curious,� he says. “It’s the first of something.� While not a requirement of the position, Walter penned a poem about the state, “Moon Walk Missouri,� which he read at the ceremony marking his appointment in the state capitol rotunda. “It’s about the need to tell stories and how that is an essential part of our identity,� Walter says of the poem. That need will be a central theme of Walter’s message as he talks to people about poetry’s continuing ability to move us in our fast-paced, digital age—something he witnessed with the outpouring of poetry after 9/11. “People find solace in something that is well crafted and thoughtful,� he says. Visit www.walterbargen.com for more information. Walter Bargen’s poems and fictions have appeared in more than one hundred magazines.

notley hawkins

Admission: $5.00, Seniors/children under 12-$2.50 1333 S. Noland Road • Independence, MO 64055 Mon./Sat. 9 am-4 pm • 816-833-2955 • www.hairwork.com/leila1

Missouri’s First Poet Laureate

[20] MissouriLife

MEDLEY 20

4/28/08 2:54:19 PM


“Thanks Dr. Mike for the beautiful smile I’ve always dreamed of.”

Agnieszka A. Mahan

Sales and Marketing, Missouri Life Magazine

3762 S. Fremont Ave. Castle Gate Office Center 417.886.6868 deruyterdental@yahoo.com visit drmikesmiles.com Call us today to find out more about our “Zoom” whitening and Invisalign specials. “Smile-enhancing dentistry is my art and my passion.”

[21] June 2008

AD 21

4/18/08 4:31:03 PM


More Than Just A Ride...

ML

Experience relaxing, stress-free, “Carriage Therapy” as our Wrangler entertains you with stories of Old Independence.

816-456-4991 or 816-254-2466 We circle the wagons at Main St. and Truman Rd. in Independence, MO.

www.pioneertrailsadventures.com

Missouri Medley

Rustic Farmhouse Cooking Classes More than three-quarters

of Americans now

buy local products on a regular basis, according to a study by the Hartman Group, a company that studies the consumer in action, and new farmer’s markets are cropping up everywhere. Rayville Baking Company, part of Van Till Farms at Rayville about forty miles northeast of Kansas City, is doing its part to bring nutrient-rich, farm-fresh food back to the kitchen by offering culinary classes in rustic farmhouse cuisine. Once a month, Rayville Baking Company chef and catering director Josh Anthony and student cooks eagerly roll up their sleeves to explore traditional American-, French-, and Italian-style cooking methods to create savory dishes like handmade gnocchi with San Marzano tomato sauce and Italian sausage, French country chicken fricassee, and rustic artisan breads—all from scratch. “The classes allow us to introduce people to a little more exotic cuisine than they are used to,” says Cliff Van Till, the owner of Van Till Farms and Rayville Baking Company, which has been in operation for more than twenty-five years. The registration fee for the three-hour session includes a fourcourse lunch featuring the dishes prepared in class, a take-home recipe sheet, and an embroidered chef apron.

Rayville Baking Company is located at 13986 Highway C at Rayville. Call 816-776-2720 or visit www.rayvillebaking.com for

Chef Josh Anthony leads a class in farmhouse cooking at Rayville Baking Company, a part of Van Till Farms near Kansas City. The family-owned operation offers monthly culinary classes.

Courtesy of independence tourism department

more information. —Ligaya Figueras

[22] MissouriLife

MEDLEY 22

4/23/08 7:33:03 PM


May 29 Downtown Dinner Dash

June 28 Cruisin’ for MDA 5-9:30 p.m.

May 31 Cruisin’ for MDA 5-9:30 p.m.

July 3-4 Salute to America

June 4 Lewis & Clark Monument Dedication at the Capitol

July 18 Summer Movie Festival on Capitol South Lawn: Grease

June 14 Summer Movie Festival on Capitol South Lawn: The Sandlot

July 26 Cruisin’ for MDA 5-9:30 p.m.

June 28 Summer Solstice

573-291-3524 P.O. Box 652, Jefferson City, MO 65102

www.DowntownJeffersonCity.com

Thank you Jefferson City! Our newly extended hours are: Monday – Friday 7 a.m. – 9 p.m. Saturday 9 a.m. – 10 p.m. Sunday 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Downtown Book & Toy

An Internet CafĂŠ Specializing in Fresh Foods, Premium Coffees, Wines and Beers.

306 E. High Street • Jefferson City, MO

ArtVenture Studio

Midwest Travel Consultants Ă“äÇÊ >ĂƒĂŒĂŠ ˆ}Â…ĂŠ-ĂŒĂ€iiĂŒĂŠUĂŠ ivviĂ€ĂƒÂœÂ˜ĂŠ ÂˆĂŒĂž]ĂŠ "ĂŠĂˆx£ä£

xĂ‡ĂŽÂ‡ĂˆĂŽx‡Î™™xĂŠUĂŠĂœĂœĂœ° ˆ`ĂœiĂƒĂŒ/Ă€>Ă›iÂ?°ĂŒĂ€>Ă›iÂ?

We sell books the old fashioned way We read them!

573-635-1185

125 East High Street • Jefferson City, MO 65101

"˜Â?ˆ˜iĂŠLœœŽˆ˜}ĂŠ>Ă›>ˆÂ?>LÂ?i

Celebrations Bridal & Formal Wear

Original Fine Art & Decorative Objects d’Art by the artist Dublene Original Paintings & Prints Abstract • Equine • Landscape Handmade Cast Paper Wall Plates, Vases, Bowls, Sculptures & Greeting Cards

112 East High Street Jefferson City, MO • 573-301-9932

Our gift is making you the perfect gift-giver.

Bridal Gowns, Bridesmaids, Flower Girls, Tuxedo Rentals, Special Occasions

No. 110 East High Street Jefferson City, Missouri 65101 573.659.GIFT (4438) www.southbankgifts.com email: southbank@socket.net

(573) 635-9820 • Celebrations1@earthlink.net 109 E. High St. • Jefferson City, MO 65101

ART & ANTIQUES ON HIGH FINE ART • MURALS • TROMPE L’OEIL EUROPEAN & AMERICAN ANTIQUES • ORIENTAL RUGS

573-291-1186

t & )JHI 4USFFU t +FGGFSTPO $JUZ .0

124 EAST HIGH STREET • JEFFERSON CITY, MO 65101

[23] June 2008

AD 23

4/28/08 2:59:38 PM


SilverDollar-Spread.indd 2

4/22/08 5:45:46 PM


SilverDollar-Spread.indd 3

4/22/08 5:47:11 PM


EXCLUSIVE MIDWEST VENUE

Leeand Grant LIMITED ENGAGEMENT!

Lindell and DeBaliviere Forest Park (314) 746-4599 www.mohistory.org Lee and Grant was organized by the Virginia Historical Society. The exhibition was made possible in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities: great ideas brought to life and the E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation. Oil on canvas of Robert E. Lee painted between 1852 and 1855; Oil on canvas of Ulysses S. Grant painted in 1869. The Abraham Lincoln Foundation of the Union League of Philadelphia. Images courtesy of Virginia Historical Society.

[26] MissouriLife

AD 26

4/17/08 3:08:05 PM


ALL AROUND

MISSOURI

Events in Your Area

June & July

COURTESY DURB CURLEE

Featured Event CIRCUS FLORA June 5-22, St. Louis. Acrobatics, horses and other animals, antics, and music pay tribute to the legend of Robin Hood and his band of merry men. See the world-famous Flying Wallendas, Nino the Clown, St. Louis Arches, Circus Flora band, the Flying Cortes, the worldclass Haute Ecole horses, and the liberty ponies. Held at Grand Center, the Circus now has new bucket seats. 7 PM Tues.-Fri.; 2 and 7 PM Sat.; 1 and 5 PM Sun. Wed. performances at 10 AM. $8-$35. Visit www.circusflora.org or call 800-293-5949 for information and tickets.

Northeast & St. Louis Area National Trail Day June 1, Wildwood. Join naturalists on a nature hike, learn about trees, and help clean up the trail. Dr. Edmund A. Babler Memorial State Park. 1-3 PM. Free. 636-458-3813 Barbizon School and Nature of Landscape June 1-July 21, St. Louis. Exhibit of landscape paintings from the French Barbizon school of painters. Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum. 11 AM-6 PM Mon., Wed., Thurs., Sat.-Sun.; 11 AM-8 PM Fri. Free. 314-935-4523 Trail Day June 4, Washington. Walk the trail, bingo, hot dogs, hamburgers, and drinks. Volunteers will be available to assist seniors and people with handicaps. Rennick Riverfront Park. 8 AM-2 PM. Free. 636-390-1080

Star-Spangled Girl June 6-8, 11, 14, 18, 20-21, 24-25, 28-29, Macon. Andy and Norman run a magazine that Sophie hates, which makes for the perfect Neil Simon comedy. Royal Theatre. 7:30 PM (2 PM matinees on specific days), $12-$22. 660-385-2924 Garden Tour June 7, Chesterfield. Tour five featured home gardens with the plants in full bloom. Throughout town. 9 AM3 PM. $15. 636-537-4000 Living History Day June 7, Hermann. Artisans in period attire demonstrate skills common to the 19th century, such as blacksmithing, spinning, and bobbin lace making. Sample German cookies and lemonade, and hear music performed on the dulcimer, zither, and scheitholt. Deutschheim State Historic Site. 10 AM-4 PM. Free. 573-486-2200

[27] June 2008

Calendar Template.indd 27

4/28/08 12:30:50 PM


All Around Missouri

Figurative Works June 1-27, St. Charles. Featuring works that explore the theme of figurative drawing. Foundry Art Centre. 10 am5 pm Tues.-Sat.; noon-4 pm Sun. Free. 636-255-0270

Live from Grand Center: Janis Ian June 19, St. Louis. Performance by Grammy awardwinning folk singer and songwriter. Sheldon Concert Hall. 8 pm. $20. 314-533-1884

Fossil Day June 7, Imperial. Exhibits on Missouri fossils. Hunt through fossil-bearing gravel piles. Mastodon State Historic Site. 9 am-3 pm. Free. 636-464-2976

Wine, Cheese, and Wolf Howls June 20 and July 18, Eureka. Wine and cheese reception, informative program, 1/2-mile walk near the wolf enclosures where staff and guests attempt to get the wolves to howl followed by dessert and coffee. Wild Canid Center. 7-9 pm. $15 (21 years and older only). 636-938-5900

Antique Car Club Show June 7, Kirksville. Display of cars from all eras. Wal-Mart parking lot. All Day. Free. 660-665-0058 Summer Breeze Concerts June 7, 14, 21, 28, and July 4, Warrenton. Bring your blankets, chairs, and cooler for a different concert each week. Farmhouse Field. 7:30 pm. Free. 636-456-3550 Art in the Park(ing Lot) June 13-14, Chesterfield. More than fifty regional artists, demonstrations, hands-on art activities, and local bands perform. Parking lot next to Chesterfield Arts. 6-10 pm Fri.; 10 am-9 pm Sat. Free. 636-519-1955 Gallery Night June 14 and July 12, Hannibal. Exhibit by featured artists. Alliance Gallery. 5-8 pm. Free. 573-221-2275

Fiesta in Florissant June 21-22, Florissant. Performances by Hispanic cultural groups featuring dancers and bands, Hispanic arts and crafts, traditional foods, and children’s pavilion. Knights of Columbus Park. 10 am-10 pm Sat.; noon-9 pm Sun. Free. 314-837-6100 Museum Garden Tea June 26, Kirksville. Tea, refeshments, and entertainment in a garden party setting. A.T. Still Osteopathic Museum. 5:30-6:30 pm. Free. 660-626-2359 Boardwalk Beach Blast June 26, Kirkwood. Visit Sandcastle beach, and step back in time and enjoy a 1920s-style boardwalk. The Magic House. 5-8 pm. $18. 314-822-8900

Railroad Days June 11-15. Moberly celebrates its history and heritage. It was dubbed the Magic City when buildings appeared almost overnight during the railroad boom of the late 1800s. Special events will be a carnival, special rides for kids that include two mini trains, vendors, and crafts. Get a kick out of the Sycamore Queen contest (men dressed as women), and take in a ticketed performance at the Municipal Auditorium. Most events are free. Visit www.moberlychamber.com or call 660-263-6070. —Amy Stapleton

Courtesy of susan hall

ML

Missouriʼs Picturesque Rivertown Turn-of-the-Century Homes Historic Business District Mississippi Riverfront Restaurants & Lodging Route 79 Mural City Antiques & Artists

Chesterfield, Missouri A city where history, tradition, progress and family values have joined together to become a destination worth visiting.

FREE SUMMER CONCERTS IN FAUST PARK Presented by the Chesterfield Chamber of Commerce and Visitor’s Center

June 3 June 10 June 17 June 24 July 8 July 15 July 22 July 29 August 5 August 12

Bob Kuban Band Cornet Chop Suey Yessir! Ralph Butler Hudson and the Hoo Doo Cats Scott Laytham and Karl “Trickee” Holmes Spectrum Billy Peek Trilogy Bob Kuban Band

www.chesterfieldmochamber.com

1-888-242-4262

www.louisiana-mo.com • 888.642.3800 [28] MissouriLife

Calendar Template.indd 28

4/23/08 5:06:39 PM


ML

All Around Missouri

Tom Sawyer Days July 2-6, Hannibal. Local and state fence–painting competition, pet show, carnival, arts, crafts, boat parade, Star-Spangled Spectacular Parade, Tom and Becky contest, fireworks, and Hannibal Cannibal run. Throughout town. Free (except some special events). 573-221-1101 Riverfest July 3-5, St. Charles. Games, crafts, carnival, parade, fireworks, Pole Vault Explosion, and music on two stages. Frontier Park. 4:30-11 pm Thurs.; 10 am-10:30 pm Fri.; 2-10:30 pm Sat. Free (except carnival). 800-366-2427 All American Red, White, and Blue Festival July 3-6, Kirksville. Apple pie contest and auction, Cemetery Theater, pancake breakfast, antique car show, parade, BBQ, and fireworks. 5:30-7:30 pm Thurs.; noon-9 pm Fri.; 7 am-7 pm Sat.; 3-6 pm Sun. Free. 660-665-3766 Sally Mountain Bluegrass Festival July 3-6, Queen City. Bluegrass music including the Dillards, camping, and home cooking. Sally Mountain Park. All day. $15-$40. 660-949-2345 Independence Day Celebration July 4, Defiance. Celebrate an old-fashioned Fourth of July with speeches, rifle salutes, games, and music. Boonesfield Village. 9 am-6 pm. $4-$7. 636-798-2005

Cajun Concert on the Hill July 11-13, Hermann. Cajun band and dancers from the Bayou, and authentic food. Stone Hill Winery. 6-10 pm Fri.; 1-6 pm Sat.-Sun. $1-$10. 800-909-9463

High School Musical July 11-12, 16, 20, 22-23, 26, 30, and Aug. 1-3, Macon. Phenomenal musical presented by Maples Rep Company. Royal Theatre. 2 and 7:30 pm. Call for times each day. $12-$22. 660-385-2924 Dirty Fingernails July 11-Aug. 15, St. Charles. Exhibit celebrates handpulled printmaking including etchings, lithographs, woodblocks, and monotypes. Foundry Art Centre. Opening reception 6-8 pm July 11. Open 10 am-5 pm Tues.-Sat.; noon-4 pm Sun. Free. 636-255-0270

Miss Saigon July 21-27, St. Louis. Musical love story set during the 1975 evacuation from Vietnam. The Muny at Forest Park. 8:15 pm. $9-$64. 314-361-1900 Ralls County Sesquicentennial Celebration July 24, New London. Leroy Van Dyke performs, plus booths, tractor pull, reenactors, horse pull, parade, entertainers, and crafts. Courthouse grounds and other venues. Free (except special events). 573-565-2025

Rhythm and Brews June 21. Beer in wine country, you bet. Hermann’s first beer festival features breweries from across Missouri bringing their best beers to provide a statewide tasting experience. In addition to beer tastings, Hermannhof will serve up delicious fare, and the St. Louis band Pennsylvania Slim will perform classic blues tunes. It will be held at The Hofgarten at Hermann Farm from 11 am to 5 pm with a $20 ticket price. Visit www.tinmillbrewing.com or call 573-486-2276. —Amy Stapleton

WORLD FAMOUS

MARK TWAIN

CAVE NO STEPS

Open Daily

Hannibal, MO

800-527-0304 [29] June 2008

Calendar Template.indd 29

4/28/08 11:26:50 AM


ALL AROUND MISSOURI

Southeast Digital Landscapes June 1-29, Poplar Bluff. Exhibit of panoramic images of landscapes from across the country. Margaret Harwell Art Museum. Noon-4 PM Tues.-Fri.; 1-4 PM Sat.-Sun. Free. 573-686-8002 Farmers’ Market June 1-July 31, (Thurs. only), Cape Girardeau. Seasonal vegetables, fruit, arts, crafts, cut flowers, and plants for sale. Independence St. parking lot. 2:30 PM. 800-777-0068 Ozark Life June 3-July 5, Salem. Local photographers show pictures of life in the Ozarks from yesterday to today. Ozark Natural Cultural Resource Center. 9 AM-5 PM Thurs.-Fri.; 9 AM-1 PM Sat. Free. 573-729-0029 Old Abe and Trail Dedication June 4, Fredericktown. Reenactors will march to the beat of a drum cadence to begin the dedication and the unveiling of Civil War bald eagle mascot, Old Abe, and opening of War Eagle Trail. Courthouse Square. 9:30 AM. Free. 573-576-8528 Route 66 Summerfest June 5-7, Rolla. Miss Route 66, BBQ, 399th Army Dixie band, classic cars, demonstrations, artisans, firetruck pull, motorcycle show, crafts, bicycle and tricycle races, and Elvis Lives performance. Downtown and Middle School. 7 PM Thurs.; 4-11 PM Fri.; 9 AM-11 PM Sun. Free. 573-341-2562 Summerfest Cruise-In June 6, St. James. Cars cruise-in, entertainment, and food. Tourist Information Center grounds. 4-6 PM. Free (except food). 573-265-3899 Community Rodeo June 6-7, Altenburg. IPRA-sanctioned with local participation in everything from bull riding to barrel racing. East Perry Fairgrounds. 6:30 PM Fri.; 4 PM Sat. (petting zoo and pony rides). $9. 573-547-6062 Country Days June 6-8, Farmington. Concerts, talent show, parade, run/walk, bed race, moonlight bike ride, oldies dance party, classic car show, and corporate games where businesses compete in wacky events. Throughout town. 7 AM-midnight. Free. 573-756-3615 Tunes at Twilight June 6, 13, and 20, Cape Girardeau. Bring your lawn chair for performances of original acoustic music. Courthouse Gazebo lawn. 7-8 PM. Free. 573-334-7692 Wild Heart in Concert June 7, Bonne Terre. A musical adventure of original upbeat tunes by award-winning recording artists and conservationists exploring wildlife, habitats, and natural history with a conservation message. St. Francois State Park. 7 PM. Free. 573-358-2173

Tour de Corn |

By Amy Stapleton

JUNE 27-JULY 4. The small town of East Prairie, in southeast Missouri, celebrates the harvest of sweet corn in a big way. During the annual Sweet Corn Festival, hundreds of cyclists tour cornfields and countryside for charity during the Tour de Corn Charity Ride on Saturday, June 28. Both recreational and competitive cyclists may ride Hundreds of cyclists choose from fifteen-, thirty-, sixty- or their choice of fifteen-, thirty-, hundred-mile routes through cornfield-lined, winding roads. sixty-, and approximately one museums are free to the public. Other local hundred-mile routes. Last year, the tour attractions include Big Oak Tree State Park, presented donations totaling more than Towosahgy State Historic Site, and the four thousand dollars to both national and Dorena-Hickman Toll Ferry, which crosses local charities. the Mississippi River to Kentucky. The Sweet Corn Festival starts the day Festival hours: 6-9 PM on Friday, June before the big ride, at the Main Street Party 27; 7:30 AM-6:30 PM on Saturday, June on June 27. In addition to the ride, you can 28; Tour de Corn begins at 7:30 AM on shop at the Corn Pickin’ Flea Market and Saturday June 28. Festival resumes 5-9 enjoy the Kiddie Parade on June 28. A Fish PM on Thursday July 3; 11 AM Friday, Fry and Street Dance on July 3 extends the July 4. festival, which culminates with a Parade and Car Show and the community’s Fourth Visit www.tourdecorn.com or call of July celebration. 573-649-3057, ext. 6 for more information If you go, nearby places to visit include on Tour de Corn Charity Ride, the Main the Mississippi County Historical Museum Street Party, or East Prairie tourism informaand the Red Caboose with its collection tion. Call 573-649-5243 for 34th Annual of Cotton Belt train memorabilia. The Sweet Corn Festival information.

State Championship Racking Horse Show June 7, Dexter. Gaited horses from across the state compete. Stoddard County Fairgrounds. 3-7 PM. $2-$5. 800-332-8857

Fly Casting and Fishing Clinic June 7-8, Salem. Fly-fishing and casting techniques demonstrated. Montauk State Park. 1 PM Sat.; 10 AM Sun. Free. 573-548-2201

Spring Music Concert June 7, Jackson. Meet at the park amphitheater for traditional folk concert. Trail of Tears State Park. 7 PM. Free. 573-334-1711

Traditional Music and Dance June 7 and July 12, Cape Girardeau. Christ Episcopal Church. 7-9:30 PM. $1-$5. 573-334-4706

Bob Milne Concert June 7, Rolla. Internationally known ragtime pianist performs traditional and original tunes. Lyric Live Theater. $12. 573-341-9071 Garden Club Flower Show June 7, Shell Knob. Flower design and horticulture competition and plant sale. Community Building. 1-4 PM. Free. 417-858-3300

PBR Rodeo June 13-14, Sikeston. Featuring the top forty-five cowboys. Rodeo grounds. 7 PM. $10-$18. 800-455-2855 French Heritage Festival June 13-14, Ste. Genevieve. Cemetery tour, living history, music, period reenactors, dancing, French cuisine, gumbo cookoff, and historic walking tour. Throughout town. 7:30-9 PM. Fri.; 11 AM-11 PM. Sat. Free (except special events). 800-373-7007

COURTESY OF LIZ ANDERSON

ML

[30] MissouriLife

Calendar Template.indd 30

4/28/08 3:06:48 PM


Where the Current and Jacks Fork Rivers flow This relaxed community resembles the area’s other small farm and mining towns–except for the canoes and paddling gear that seem to be stacked in every corner. The town steps up to a bluff along the south bank of the Jacks Fork River, which flows into the Current a few miles east. Springs feed both of these clear, pristine streams. The two rivers form the 134-mile-long Ozark National Scenic Riverways, which teem with float-trippers. Visitors can rent canoes from outfitters. Limestone bluffs rise 200 feet above the easy course. You also pass flower-laced meadows, where you might spot deer.

www.eminencemo.com

Your Natural Destination for Outdoor Adventure When looking for outdoor adventure and more, Harrison has it all. Situated in the Ozark Mountains along the Buffalo National River, Harrison offers prime swimming, fishing, canoeing, hiking and hunting opportunities. It’s also the starting point for eight motorcycling routes for scenic mountainside rides. Don’t forget to hit Harrison’s historic downtown for shopping, dining and affordable lodging. For more information, call 1-888-283-2163 or visit www.HarrisonArkansas.org

arrison A R K A N S A S

Adventure Awaits You!

[31] June 2008

Calendar Template.indd 31

4/24/08 3:08:44 PM


,

All Around Missouri

Missouri Mines Rock Swap June 13-15, Park Hills. Rock hobbyists from across the United States set up booths to swap and sell rock and mineral specimens, fossils, rock jewelry, and other rockrelated items, and tour the museum. Missouri Mines State Historic Site. 9 am-6 pm Fri.-Sat.; 9 am-5 pm Sun. Free. 573-431-6226 Flag Day June 14, Salem. Celebrate Flag Day by viewing a large display of American flags flying from cabins, the lodge, and in the campground. Montauk State Park. Free. 573-548-2201 French Candlelight Veillée June 14, Ste. Genevieve. Re-creation of an evening social gathering in the garden featuring French folktales, folk dancing, and music. Refreshments will be served on the back porch, and take candlelight tours of the historic home. Felix Valle House State Historic Site. 7-9 pm. Free. 573-883-7102 Antique Show and Sale June 14-15, Ste. Genevieve. Quality dealers show and sell antiques and collectibes such as furniture, glassware, jewelry, and toys. Knights of Columbus Home. 10 am-5 pm Sat.; 11 am-4 pm Sun. $4 (good for both days). 800-373-7007

Solar Picnic June 21, Leasburg. Learn about the many uses for the sun, as well as its effects on the planet. Try solar cooked hot dogs and brownies. Onondaga Cave State Park. Noon. Free. 573-245-6576 Wild Bird Sanctuary June 21, Patterson. Come to the park’s amphitheater for an interactive program featuring Missouri’s raptors. Sam. A. Baker State Park. 7 pm. Free. 573-856-4514 Old-Time Music and Ozark Heritage June 21, West Plains. Celebrate old-time music and the cultural heritage of the Ozarks with performances by The Whites, Big Smith, Tony Booth, and Wil Maring. See artisans at work, and listen to storytellers. Historic Downtown. Free. 417-255-7966 BBQ Contest June 23-28, Kennett. Carnival and state championship BBQ contest. Delta Fairgrounds. Free. 573-888-5825 Black River Festival July 3-5, Poplar Bluff. Crafts, bike race, 5K run, parade, truck and tractor pull, dog shows, BBQ cookoff, Bull Fest, demolition derby, demonstrations, and fireworks. Ray Clinton Park. Free (except some special events). 573-686-6866

Stump Speaking July 27. Political stump speaking and ice cream socials are all big parts of Missouri’s social landscape. This biennial event at the Champ Clark House at Bowling Green begins at 1:30 pm and is free. To prepare for August primaries, the candidates for county, district, and statewide offices will climb on a real stump and drum up support from their party’s faithful while volunteers dish up ice cream. The Champ Clark House is open June through August from 1:30-4 pm Call 573-324-5224. —Amy Stapleton

Courtesy of Nathan Lilly

ML

[32] MissouriLife

Calendar Template.indd 32

4/28/08 11:44:02 AM


Courtesy of Perryville Chamber

ML

All Around Missouri

Fort D Living History July 4, Cape Girardeau. Local members of the Turner Brigade perform rifle and artillery drills; Civil War-era women’s clothing and cooking demonstraions, and a question-and-answer session about Civil War equipment and weaponry. Fort D. 9 am-4 pm. Free. 573-335-1631

Sunday at Montauk July 6, Salem. Tour Montauk Mill and hear special presentations about the history of the community. Also see craft exhibits, arts, demonstrations, bluegrass, folk, and country music and dancers. Montauk State Park. Free. 573-548-2201

Libertyfest July 4, Cape Girardeau. Fireworks, patriotic music, and children's activities. Historic downtown. Free. 573-334-8085

Hand-Me-Down Folk Music July 11, Newburg. Performance by folk musicians Dave Para and Cathy Barton. Lyric Live Theater. 8 pm. $8. 573-341-9071

Fireworks on the Fourth July 4, Kennett. Family activities, games, contests, and fireworks display. Delta Fairgrounds. 9 pm. Free. 573-888-5828

Our Natural Resources July 15-Aug. 16, Salem. Showcasing photography of nature from bugs to flowers, snakes, lakes, and rivers. Ozark Natural and Cultural Resource Center. 9 am-5 pm Tues.-Fri.; 9 am-1 pm Sat. Free. 573-729-0029

Songs of the Patriots July 4-27, Poplar Bluff. Exhibit of World War II cover art from sheet music from 1940-1945. Margaret Harwell Art Museum. Noon-4 pm Tues.-Fri.; 1-4 pm Sat.-Sun. Free. 573-686-8002 Hummingbird Banding July 5, Leasburg. Join a researcher as he captures, bands, and studies the ruby-throated hummingbird. Bring your camera for up-close shots. Onondaga Cave State Park. 11 am-3 pm. Free. 573-245-6576

Crawford County Fair July 16-19, Cuba. Stars and Stripes and Country Nights themed fair featuring parade, bull bash, demolition derby, truck and tractor pull, and main stage performance. Hood Park. 9 am-midnight. $5-$20. 877-212-8429 Fisher Cave Wilderness Tour July 19, Sullivan. Adventurous spelunking trip beyond the normal tour. Meramec State Park’s Fisher Cave. 10 am. Reservations. $4-$6. 573-468-8155

Heritage Day July 25-26. Enjoy a fried chicken dinner and a presentation by an agricultural professional on Friday evening, and pack a picnic and watch the thirty-seven-mile tractor parade on Saturday. The parade starts at 9 am at the Perryville Seminary Grounds and winds its way across the county. The parade will feature tractors of all colors and sizes—meet your favorite at the finish line. Purchase advanced tickets to the dinner by calling 573-547-6062. The tractor parade is free. Visit www.perryvillemo.com. —Amy Stapleton

33RD Annual Sweet Corn Festival Friday, June 27

June 27-July 4

• Main Street Party Huskers 5K Run Crawdad Boil Music, Games, Crafts

Saturday, June 28

• Tour De Corn Charity Bike Ride • Corn Picking Flea Market • Kiddie Parade

Thursday, July 3 • Fish Fry • Street Dance

Friday, July 4 • Parade • Fireworks

www.eastprairiemo.net [33] June 2008

Calendar Template.indd 33

4/28/08 10:02:41 AM


ML

ALL AROUND MISSOURI

Southwest

Ozark Empire Fair |

By Amy Stapleton

Farmers Market and Music June 1-Oct. 17, Ozark. Purchase local produce and products and enjoy bluegrass music and jam sessions. Town Square. 6-9 PM. Free. 417-582-6246 Across the Prairie June 3-July 30, Branson. Exhibit focusing on the life and writings of Laura Ingalls Wilder including artifacts from pioneer days and a vocal recording of Laura. American Presidents Museum. 9 AM-5 PM Tues.-Sat. $3-$10. 417-334-8683 Shakespeare Festival June 5-8, Springfield. Performance of the romantic comedy A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Jordon Valley Park. 8:15 PM. Free. 417-831-5233 Boomtown Days June 6-8, Joplin. Live entertainment, crafts, children’s activities, contests, games, main stage concerts, 5K/10K run/walk, and fireworks. Landreth Park. 5-9 PM Fri.; 9 AM-10 PM Sat.; 10 AM-5 PM Sun. $5 for all three days. 800-657-2534

JULY 25-AUG. 3. The Ozark Empire

Crowds enjoy the many rides and the abundant food vendors at the fair’s Midway.

Garden Club Flower Show June 7, Shell Knob. Flower design and horticulture competition and plant sale. Community Building. 1-4 PM. Free. 417-858-3300

Fair, nestled in the heart of the Ozarks, presents some of the hottest names in entertainment performing on the main stage. There are more than forty rides, street performers, livestock shows featuring beef and dairy cattle, draft horses and ponies, miniature mules and donkeys, goats, llamas, poultry, rabbits, and sheep, thousands of exhibits, unique shopping, games, and fair food.

Wildflower Hike June 7 and July 5, Mindenmines. Join park naturalist on a walk among colorful wildflowers and grasses and learn identification, folklore, and uses. Prairie State Park. 10 AM. Free. 417-843-6711

Foxtrotter Horse Show June 11-14, Ava. Futurity show of three-year-old horses featuring Missouri’s state horse. National Show Grounds. $5-$6. 417-683-2468

Powwow June 13-14, Marshfield. Intertribal singers, vendors, gourd dancing, and Grand Entry. Equine Center. 4 PM Fri.; 10 AM Sat. $2. 217-783-2539

Watercolor USA June 7-Aug. 3, Springfield. National competitive juried exhibition of watercolor painting. Art Museum. 9 AM-5 PM Tues.-Wed., Fri.-Sat.; 9 AM-8 PM Thurs. Free. 417-837-5700

Bushwhacker Days June 11-14, Nevada. Carnival, street fair, crafts, car show, games, contests, live entertainment, and quilt show. Town Square and Community Center. 5-9 PM Wed.Fri.; 9 AM-10 PM Sat. Free. 417-667-5300

Celebrate Neosho June 13-15, Neosho. Live band performances, fireworks, all night softball tournament, carnival, crafts, and duck race. Morse Park. 6 PM-midnight Fri.; noon-10 PM Sat.; 2-8 PM. Free. 417-451-8050

Spring Folk Music June 8, Burfordville. Bring a lawn chair or blanket and enjoy a traditional folk music concert. Bollinger Mill State Historic Site. 4:30 PM. Free. 573-243-4591

A Man Called Peter June 12-22, Joplin. Biographical play based on a classic Christian bestseller. Stained Glass Theatre. 7:30 PM Thurs.-Sat.; 2 PM Sun. $3.50-$6. 417-624-1982

Sheep and Wool Day June 8, Springfield. Sheep shearing, weaving, fiber arts and classes, children’s games, storytellers, and Scottish dancing. Nathanael Greene Park. 1-6 PM. Donations accepted. 417-581-7485

Acoustic Music Festival June 13-14, Carthage. Concerts by the Faris Family and many others and open stage performances. High School Auditorium. 7-10 PM Fri.; 10 AM-10 PM Sat.; $7 (free on Sat.). 417-358-2667

Seussical the Musical June 13-29, Springfield. Musical featuring Dr. Seuss’s characters The Cat in the Hat, Horton Hears a Who, and many others. Little Theatre at the Landers. $15-$25. 417-869-1334

Railroad Day June 7, Chadwick. Parade, pig roast, music, children’s games, booths, and silent auction. Community Center. 10 AM-5 PM. Free (except food). 417-634-3734

The fair is held at the Ozark Empire Fairgrounds at Interstate 44 and Route 14 at Springfield. The fair opens each day at 1 PM and closes at midnight. Ticket costs are $8; children 6-12 years old are only $2. Parking is an additional $4. For more information call 417-833-2660 or visit www.ozarkempirefair.com

Concert on the Square June 13 and July 18, Mountain Grove. Bring a lawn chair or blanket for live music at the pavilion. Downtown. Free. 417-926-4135

COURTESY OF AMY SMITH

Summer Concert June 7, Ash Grove. Performance on the Boone home porch by New Blue Yonder and refreshments served. Nathan Boone Homestead State Historic Site. 7-8 PM. Free. 417-751-3266

[34] MissouriLife

Calendar Template.indd 34

4/28/08 11:37:45 AM


4PNFPOF ZPV MPWF JT BMXBZT QMBZJOH JO #SBOTPO 800-421-1331 • ExploreBranson.com tre

08 ea 20 h in nd T w u Ne So & t h

ig

S

3 pristine lakes 50 theatres 18,000+ guest rooms

400+ restaurants

100+ live shows

200+ holes of golf

300+ retail shops 3 theme parks 220,000 sq. ft. convention center

Mo Life half page.indd 1

Calendar Template.indd 35

[35] June 2008

4/7/08 3:19:37 PM

4/21/08 10:30:26 AM


All Around Missouri

Smok’n In the Ozarks June 20-21, Mountain Grove. KC BBQ Society sanctioned BBQ cookoff with $10,000 in prizes, and concerts. Tri-County Fairgrounds. 7 pm Fri.; all day Sat. $10. 417-926-4135 Outdoor Adventure Show June 20-22, Branson. Event focuses on the outdoors and features information on a wide range of outdoor activities, seminars, and product booths for the casual to the adventurous outdoorsman. Convention Center. 2-8 pm Fri.; 9 am-5 pm Sat.; 11 am-5 pm Sun. 417-334-1200 Ice Cream Social and Craft Fair June 21, Crane. Children’s activities, clowns, crafts, folk and gospel singing, BMW motorcycle rally. Main Street and City Park. Free. 417-723-0031 Heart of the Ozarks Fireworks June 27, Ava. Crafts, vendors, fireworks, and fish for trout. Crestview Street. 6 pm (fireworks at dark). Free. 417-683-4594 Tri-County Fair June 27-29, Mountain Grove. Livestock show and sale, pet idol contest, exhibits, crafts, dairy, and horse and goat shows. Fairgrounds. Noon Fri.; 9 am Sat.; 1 pm Sat. Free. 417-547-2367

Firefall June 28, Springfield. Children’s activities, local musical groups and top Branson entertainers followed by Springfield Symphony performing a live choreographed performance set to the fireworks. Springfield-Branson National Airport. All day (fireworks at dusk). Free. 417-864-1049 Polk County Youth Fair June 28-29, Bolivar. Exhibits, petting zoo, demonstrations, and livestock shows. Diamond S Arena. All day. Free. 417-326-4118

Tintypes July 3-6, 10-13, and 17-19, Springfield. Red, white, and blue musical featuring popular songs from 1890-1917. Vandivort Center Theatre. 7:30 pm Thurs.-Sat.; 2 pm Sun. $10-$20. 888-452-0930 Festival of Freedom July 4, Bolivar. Picnic, patriotic program, and fireworks. Southwest Baptist University. 6-10 pm. Free. 417-326-4118 Fireworks at the Bridge July 4, Cape Fair. Fireworks display shot over the lake and music. Flat Creek Bridge. Dusk. Donations accepted. 417-538-2222

Youth Fair July 6-12. Hot summer days and fairs go hand in hand. The Jasper County Youth Fair hosts a cat and dog show, 4-H and FFA exhibits, livestock judging contest, horse and mule shows, rabbits, goats, and pigs. Enjoy an ice cream social and cheer on your favorite driver in the pedal tractor pull. Park at the Municipal Park fairgrounds; admission is free. Event times vary each day. Visit www.visit-carthage.com or call 417-359-7025 —Amy Stapleton

Courtesy of Kate Massey

ML

[36] MissouriLife

Calendar Template.indd 36

4/28/08 11:38:30 AM

SilverDo MO Life


;OYS BVS CZbW[ObS

Ac[[S` A^ZOaV BOYS g]c` TO[WZg¸a Tc\ ]dS` bVS SRUS bVWa ac[[S` Ob be] U`SOb ^O`Ya

A Silver Dollar City Property ÂŽ

2WdS W\b] b`]^WQOZ ORdS\bc`Sa Ob EVWbS EObS` TSObc`W\U ]c` <3ESab O\R PWUUSab `WRS 9OZO\W B]eS`a be] %# T]]b T`SSTOZZ R`]^a O\R T]c` `OQW\U ZO\Sa ]dS` ! TSSb Z]\U

BVS\ bV`WZZ b] O # ab]`g R`]^ ]\ 1SZSP`ObW]\ 1Wbg¸a <3E @]O`W\U 4OZZa ]\S ]T ]dS` ! `WRSa O\R Obb`OQbW]\a >Zca O[OhW\U <3E ZWdS aV]ea O\R bVS ;WReSab¸a :O`USab :OaS` 4W`Se]`Ya A^SQbOQcZO` SdS`g SdS\W\U ES¸dS U]b g]c` TO[WZg¸a Tc\ Q]dS`SR Pg ROg O\R Pg \WUVb

<3E # Ab]`g EObS` @WRS

A Silver Dollar City Property

ÂŽ

5Sb BVS 0Sab BWQYSb >OQYOUS 4]` G]c` 4O[WZg 0`O\a]\ ;= Â’ & &! "4C< Â’ QSZSP`ObW]\QWbg Q][ [37] June 2008

SilverDollarCity0608.indd Calendar Template.indd 37 1 MO Life.indd 1

3/27/08 4/17/08 3:14:07 3:09:15 PM PM 3/27/08 8:03:18 AM


All Around Missouri

Fourth of July Celebration July 4, Hollister. Fireworks and fun have been presented by the Fire Department for fifty years. Historic Downing Street. Fireworks at dusk. Free. 417-334-3050

Shoal Creek Water Festival July 12, Joplin. Highlights water conservation featuring informational booths and hands-on activities. Wildcat Park. 10 am-3 pm Free (except food). 417-782-6287

4th of July Celebration July 4, Rockaway Beach. Bands, vendors, and fireworks display. City Park. 4:30 pm (9 pm fireworks). Free. 417-561-4280

Oinklawn Downs July 14-15, Cape Fair. Pig races, crafters, motorcycle rally, and street dance. Maple Hill Center grounds. Free ($1 for races). 417-538-4733

Bates County Fair July 4-13, Butler. Youth, 4-H, and open exhibits, livestock shows, entertainment, and carnival. Fairgrounds. Free (except special events). 660-679-3380

Golden Harvest Days July 16-20, Harvest Days. Car show, parade, and horseshoe contest. East Park. 8 am-5 pm. Free. 417-537-4371

Vernon County Fair July 7-12, Nevada. 4-H, FFA, and Boy and Girl Scouts’ exhibits, livestock show, carnival, games, and nightly entertainment. Fairgrounds. Free. 417-667-5300 Country Days Rodeo July 10-12, Bolivar. Rodeo, vendors, and petting zoo. Diamond S Arena. All day. 417-326-4118 Ozarks Truck Show July 11-13, Branson. Show featuring 1948-1952 F-1 and 1953-1979 F-100 pickup trucks and panels. Area ’57. 9 am-7 pm. $7 ($10 weekend pass). 417-332-1960

Picnic and Founders Day July 17-19, El Dorado Springs. 127th annual event featuring a carnival, arts, crafts, antiques, street dance, and Nashville entertainment. Downtown. 9:30 am-midnight. Free (except carnival). 417-876-2691 MDA Ride for Life July 18-19, Joplin. Benefits Muscular Dystrophy Association, featuring cruise night and vendors. Cycle Connection. Donations accepted. 417-781-8600 Art Gone Wild! July 19, Springfield. Hands-on art activities for children. Dickerson Park Zoo. 9 am-5 pm. $5-$7. 417-833-1570

Fiddling Contest June 20-21. Bring your lawn chair and enjoy some foot-stomping fiddling. Snyder Music Park on Route MM in Lawrenceburg hosts two days of music, including a fiddle contest, jam sessions, clogging lessons, craft booths, concessions, and two bluegrass groups. Fiddling contest categories will include Open, Senior, Junior, and Peewee with cash prizes. Enjoy live music and a potluck supper on Friday. Donations are accepted, and camping is available (fee $5-$10). For more information call 417-882-6621. —Amy Stapleton

Courtesy of Earl Rhodes

ML

[38] MissouriLife

Calendar Template.indd 38

4/28/08 3:04:02 PM


Does your community or organization have an event coming up? We want to hear from you! Submit your event at MissouriLife.com or e-mail amy@missourilife.com or write to us at Missouri Life, 515 E. Morgan St., Boonville, MO 65233

[39] June 2008

Calendar Template.indd 39

4/28/08 10:04:30 AM


ALL AROUND MISSOURI

Central

Nature, Man, and Myth |

Blind Boone Festival June 1-3, Columbia. Variety of ragtime and early jazz performances, seminars, and tours. Historic Missouri Theatre. All events pass $80. 573-875-0600

NOW THROUGH NOV. 2. This exhibition of more than fifty stone sculptures from Africa adorns Powell Gardens in Kingsville. The sculptures are the works of artists from Zimbabwe, whose art brings the stories of families, animals, and creatures of legend to life. Carved from rock, the sculptures tower up to eleven feet, weigh from five hundred to five thousand pounds, and are created primarily by artists from the Shona tribe. Programs offered during this exhibit include workshops with Shona sculptors, African music and dance presentations, storytelling, crafts, and sculpture tours. Visit this exhibit from 9 AM to 6 PM daily. Special Chapunga Nights featuring stone sculpting demonstrations and refreshments available for purchase will be held on Thursdays until 9 PM. The exhibition is included in the regular Powell Gardens admission of $3-$7. For more information call 816-697-2600 or visit www.powellgardens.org.

A City Within a City June 1, 2008-Dec. 2009, Jefferson City. Exhibit outlines the history of Missouri State Penitentiary from 1836-2004 including a reproduction of a cell from the 1930s with an original door and bunk. Missouri State Museum at the Capitol. 8 AM-5 PM. Free. 573-751-2854 Lewis and Clark Monument Dedication June 4, Jefferson City. Bronze figures represent the heroes of the Corps of Discovery including Seaman the Newfoundland dog. Missouri State Capitol grounds. 5:30 PM. Free. 800-769-4183 Something Slimy June 6-7, Pittsburg. Don't miss your chance to taste some well prepared bugs, hear a nature story, and participate in activities. Pomme de Terre State Park. Free. 417-852-4291 Bats June 7, Camdenton. Join a park naturalist at River Cave for a presentation on this misunderstood creature; then watch endangered gray bats fly out to feed. Ha Ha Tonka State Park. 8:15 PM. Free. 573-346-2986 Mimi Blais and Friends June 9-10, Versailles. Nationally and internationally known ragtime musicians perform with Mimi. Royal Theatre. 7 PM. $25. 573-378-6226 Birding June 11, Knob Noster. Bring binoculars, field guides, and insect repellent to a park naturalist-guided birding adventure followed by a stop at the visitors center to make a birdhouse, feeder, or mobile to take home. Knob Noster State Park. 7 AM. Free. 660-563-2463 Jubilee Days June 11-14, Warsaw. Royalty contests, carnival, two tents full of handmade crafts, fiddler’s contest, country music, car show, huge parade, 5K run, and horseshoe contest. Drake Harbor and downtown. 5-9:30 PM Wed.; 3-10 PM Thurs.; 10 AM-10 PM Fri.; 7 AM-10:30 PM Sat. Free (except special events). 800-927-7294

You Can’t Take It With You June 12-14, Jefferson City. Pulitzer Prize-winning comedy about an unconventional family and their eclectic friends and their many adventures. Miller Performing Arts Center. 7:30 PM Thurs.-Sat. and 2 PM Sat. matinee. $10-$12. 573-681-9400 MO Blues and BBQ Festival June 13-14, Sedalia. State champion BBQ contest with cash prizes and multiple blues bands perform. Missouri State Fairgrounds/campground. 9 AM-midnight Fri.; 11 AMmidnight Sat. $8-$15. 800-827-5295

By Amy Stapleton

Sculpture titled Coming of Age is made of springstone and weighs 2,600 pounds.

Hillbilly Days June 13-15, Lebanon. Arts; crafts; bobbing for apples; cow chip fling; country, gospel, and bluegrass music performances; and classic car, truck, and tractor shows. Bennett Spring State Park. 11 AM-10 PM Fri.; 9 AM-10 PM Sat.; noon-4 PM Sun. Free. 417-588-3256

Just Insects June 20-21, Pittsburg. Learn which insects help us and which make food for us. Pomme de Terre State Park. Free. 417-852-4291

Classic Guitar with Chris Davies June 14, Camdenton. Classical guitar concert. Ha Ha Tonka State Park. 7-8 PM. Free. 573-346-2986

Flicker, Flicker Firefly June 21, Columbia. Take an evening walk and learn all about fireflies (reservations required). Bring hiking shoes and insect repellent. Rock Bridge Memorial State Park. 7:30 PM. Free. 573-449-7402

Churchill Art and Jazz Festival June 14, Fulton. Browse the works of painters, sketch artists, photographers, jewelry makers, and mixed media artists while listening to jazz performances. On the Hill at Westminster College. 9 AM-5 PM. Free. 573-220-5743

Renaissance Festival June 21, Jefferson City. Step back in time and enjoy jousting, jugglers, games, and crafts for children. See demonstrations, and artisans display and sell their wares. Binder Park. $2. 573-634-6064, ext. 235

Street Fair June 20-21, Fulton. Music, crafts, carnival, mule auction, and children’s and grand parade. Downtown. 4-11 PM Fri.; 8 AM-11 pM Sat. Free. 573-592-9697

Seasons in Park—Summer June 21, Knob Noster. Watch a video on how the park changes in the summer and take a hike with your camera. Knob Noster State Park. 9 AM. Free. 660-563-2463

COURTSEY OF ALAN BRANHAGEN

ML

[40] MissouriLife

Calendar Template.indd 40

4/24/08 10:22:12 PM


PERRY CHEVROLET Proudly Supporting Columbia/Boone County and the Surrounding Communities

Whether you’re an experienced quilter or have the urge to learn ... visit Appletree Quilting Center for a wide selection, helpful staff, and a fun sewing environment!

Appletree Quilting Center www.appletreequilting.com 2541 Bernadette Drive (Exit 124 off Interstate 70 - North of Columbia Mall)

Columbia, MO 65203

573-446-2655 • 1-800-269-2655

1 BUSINESS LOOP 70 | COLUMBIA, MO | 573-355-9964 888-254-8681 | www.perrychevrolet.com

HOURS:

10–7 10–5 12–4

MON. – THURS. FRI. & SAT. SUNDAY

Where the lake meets the trail

Catch “the big one” on Truman Lake, take in the state’s largest downtown square or cycle the Katy Trail. Visit soon ... an adventure awaits! MISSOURI

Contact us for a visitor’s guide 660-885-2123 www.clintonmo.com [41] June 2008

Calendar Template.indd 41

4/24/08 2:05:51 PM


All Around Missouri

Scoundrels to the Hoosegow June 26, Jefferson City. Author Morley Swingle shares true stories from his legal career and a behind-thescenes look at the justice system with a touch of humor. Missouri State Archives. 7 pm. Free. 573-526-5296

Bear Creek Blues Festival June 28, Slater. Multiple blues bands perform. Food and beer are available, and a guitar signed by the performers will be raffled. City Park. 3:30 pm-midnight. $15-$6. 660-529-2212

Heritage Days June 26-29, Boonville. Parade, art exhibit, arts and crafts, car show, historic sites tram tour, carnival, dog show, quilts, and fireworks. Kemper Military School lawn. 9 am-5 pm. Free (except special events). 660-882-2721

American Barnstormer Tour June 29-30, Jefferson City. Showcase of twenty restored vintage aircraft from the 1920s and 1930s and a salute to the aviators. Memorial Airport. 11 am-6 pm. Free (biplane rides $50). 800-769-4183

Old Time Games June 27-28, Pittsburg. Learn about and play the games from the old days. Pomme de Terre State Park. Free. 417-852-4291

Cabinet of Curiosities July 3-Sept. 27, Jefferson City. Exhibit of a wide variety of unusual and curious objects offer a glimpse of the evolution of the museum. Elizabeth Rozier Gallery at the Union Hotel. 10 am-4 pm Tues.-Sat. Free. 573-751-2854

Night Hike June 28, Camdenton. Nighttime walk on the Spring Trail to see and hear nocturnal creatures. Ha Ha Tonka State Park. 8:30 pm. Free. 573-346-2986

Fireworks July 4, Sedalia. Entertainment and fireworks. Missouri State Fairgrounds Grandstand. Free. 660-826-1050

Sky Hunters June 28, Pittsburg. See wild birds of prey swooping down on Hermitage beach, live flight presentations, children’s crafts and games, and refreshments. Pomme de Terre State Park. 5-7 pm. Free. 417-852-4291

The Dam Experience July 5, Warsaw. Huge professional fireworks display shot from the Dam and viewed from land or water. Harry S. Truman Dam. Beach open all day; fireworks at 9:30 pm. Donations accepted. 800-927-7294

Art in the Park June 7-8. The popular Art in the Park returns to Stephens Lake Park at Columbia for its fiftieth anniversary. The show features more than 120 artists, a great line up of local bands on the US Cellular main stage. Brand new for this year is the Shady Tree Stage, the children’s creative tent, and the new ArtCycle exhibit—working bicycles transformed into works of art. The event is free. 10 am-5 pm. Visit www.cal.missouri.org or call 573-443-8838. —Amy Stapleton

Courtesy of Columbia Art League

ML

[42] MissouriLife

Calendar Template.indd 42

4/24/08 10:16:59 PM


130.23926 MO Life Print Ad

4/11/08

9:59 AM

Page 1

̽ÃÊ> Êà iÃÊ>ÌÊ «iÊ* Ì

At Hope Photo Studio in Boonville, smiles come naturally. They start with Julius Udinyiwe, proprietor and photographer, who greets you with a smile and knows good smiles make good photos. He does it all...weddings, portraits, passport photos, families, children, and pets. His staff even repairs PC computers, PS2, Xbox and DVD players, and he offers one-hour photo processing. Now that’s something to smile about!

ÜÜÜ° Þ «i« Ì °V ÊUÊÜÜÜ°L Û iÌÛ°V " iÊ« Ì Ê«À Ì }ÊÃiÀÛ Vi\ÊÜÜÜ° «i« Ì ° vi« VðV

(660) 882-9797

nä£Ê > Ê-Ì°ÊUÊ Û i]Ê "ÊÈxÓÎÎ

[43] June 2008

Calendar Template.indd 43

4/21/08 10:26:26 AM


All Around Missouri

Best of the Midwest Car and Truck Show July 6, Sedalia. Thirty-six classes from old to new, door prizes, raffle, and auto sound competition. Proceeds benefit ChildSafe. Missouri State Fairgrounds. 11 am-4 pm. Free for spectators. 660-553-8908 Here Fishy, Fishy July 11-12, Pittsburg. Learn how to get ready to fish, what bait to use, and what kinds of fish you can catch. Pomme de Terre State Park. Free. 417-852-4291 Creek Walk July 12, Columbia. Catch aquatic critters in a net, learn all about them, and skip some rocks. Rock Bridge Memorial State Park. 2 pm. Free. 573-449-7402 Robert Woolery Memorial Powwow July 18-20, Sedalia. Authentic gathering featuring Native American culture, dancing, food, arts, and crafts. Missouri State Fairgrounds Agriculture Building. 2-10:30 pm Fri.; 1:30-11 pm Sat.; 1:30-5:30 pm Sun. (10 am Native American worship service). Free. 660-826-5608 Owl Prowl July 19, Camdenton. Join a park naturalist for a short presentation followed by an attempt to call in a live owl. Ha Ha Tonka State Park. 8:30 pm. Free. 573-346-2986

Boone County Fair July 21-27, Columbia. Truck and tractor pull, horse and pony pull, livestock shows, demolition derby, carnival, music, clowns, country ham breakfast, and horse show. Fairgrounds. Most activities are free with ticket to fairgrounds. 573-474-9435 Jr. Naturalist Days July 23-25, Columbia. Children ages nine to eleven can earn the State Parks and Historic Sites Explorer patch by participating in caving, wading in creeks, hiking, hands-on activities, and a service project. Rock Bridge Memorial State Park. Reservations required. 9 am-3 pm. Free. 573-449-7402 Rodeo July 25-26, Warsaw. MRCA sanctioned rodeo featuring calf scramble, queen contest, bull riding, saddle broncs, chariot racing, and barrel racing. Main Street. 7:30 pm children’s events; 8 pm rodeo. $5-$10. 660-438-2063 Bridal Spectacular July 27, Jefferson City. Central Missouri’s largest bridal show featuring fashion show, gift registry, videographers, photography, cake decorators, hair and makeup artists, florists, and banquet hall information. Truman Hotel and Conference Center. Noon-5 pm. $5. 573-636-4094

Salute to America July 3-4. Patriotic music and the boom of fireworks tell us that Salute to America is one of the largest 4th of July celebrations in the state! The celebration will include activities beginning on Thursday with the Grand Ol’ Flag Parade at 6 pm and a concert on the Capitol Main Stage in Jefferson City. Activities will take place throughout the day on Friday and will wrap up with another concert. Fireworks Sky Concert extravaganza at dark completes the evening. Visit www.salutetoamerica.org or call (800) 514-0704. —Amy Stapleton

Courtesy of Jefferson City Convention and Visitors Bureau

ML

Missouri’s Finest SPA Professionals

UÊ Õ« i½ÃÊ >ÃÃ>}iÊEÊ

Õ« i½ÃÊ*>V >}ià UÊ V> Ê >V > ÃÊÜ Ì Ê*ii à UÊ `ÞÊ7>Ý } UÊ-* Ê > VÕÀiÃÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊ EÊ*i` VÕÀià UÊ- i `iÀ+ÕiÃÌÊ `ÞÊ 7À>«Ã UÊ À ÃÊ >ÞÊ"ÕÌÊ-«>Ê*>ÀÌ ià UÊ >ÀiÊ ÃVi ÌÕ> îÊ-«>Ê vi>ÌÕÀ }Ê °`°Ê >ÀiÊÊ Ê iÀ> î

6 à ÌÊÜÜÜ°L `ÞÜ À Ã`>Þë>° iÌ v ÀÊ ÃÌ> ÌÊ vÌÊ iÀÌ wV>Ìið

3111 W. Broadway Thompson Hills Shopping Center Sedalia, MO • 866-827-2452 [44] MissouriLife

Calendar Template.indd 44

4/24/08 10:19:08 PM


Call today - Courses are filling up fast! 1-800-962-7682

“Missouri’s #1 summer camp for high school students!”

Earn up to 6 college credits

or

Earn 1.5 high school credits

DRAMA MARINE BIOLOGY FORENSICS AVIATION and more

Wentworth

Lexington, Missouri • www.wma.edu • 1-800-962-7682 [45] June 2008

Calendar Template.indd 45

4/17/08 3:22:19 PM


ALL AROUND MISSOURI

Northwest & Kansas City Area Kewpie Doll Collection June 1-30, Independence. Exhibit of Rose O’Neill’s famous dolls. Bingham-Waggoner Estate. 10 AM-4 PM Mon.-Sat.; 1-4 PM Sun. $5-$2. 816-461-3491 Living History Demonstrations June 4, 11, 18, 25, and July 9, 16, 23, 30, Arrow Rock. Events include woodstove cooking, housecleaning, needlepoint, and laundry. George Caleb Bingham House. 9-11:30 AM and 1-3 PM. Free. 660-837-3330 Summer Fun Days June 5-8, Brookfield. Queen contest, carnival, car show and cruise, concert, arts, crafts, parade, talent show, lawn mower races, quilts, petting zoo, square-dancers, and fishing contest. Twin Parks and City Lake. 6 PMmidnight Thurs.-Fri.; 7 AM-midnight Sat.; 6 AM-noon Sun. Free ($20 entry fee for fishing contest). 660-258-7255 First Friday Art Walk June 6 and July 4, Kansas City. Visit galleries showcasing local and national artists and grab a bite to eat in local restaurants. Crossroads Community at Downtown. 7-9 PM. Free (except food). Garden Tour June 7, Kansas City. Tour hardscape architecture, collector’s garden, boxwood hedge, and urban cottage garden. John Wornall House Museum. 9 AM-4:30 PM. $20. 816-444-1858 Strawberry Festival June 7, Independence. Strawberry treats, crafts, antiques, music, tours of historic mansion, and carriage rides. Vaile Mansion. 9 AM-4 PM. Free (except tours and rides). 816-325-7430 Heritage Days and Piano Recital June 10-15, Lexington. Living history, family activities, and piano recital. Battle of Lexington and downtown. All day (recital 7 PM, reservations). Free. 660-259-4654

Scottish Festival |

By Amy Stapleton

JUNE 13-15. “Come be a Scot, even if you are not” is a fitting way to invite everyone to this festival at E.H. Young Riverfront Park at Riverside. The festival is filled with all things Scottish, from traditional athletics, including the caber (wood pole) toss, Highland dancing, piping, and drumming, to Celtic music and events just for kids, Scots’ heritage (including free Gaelic language lessons), and Scottish Clans. This nonprofit event kicks off with the “calling” of the clans, followed by a Ceilidh—a Gaelic social dance—featuring the Elders. The National Weight for Distance Championship is new this year. There will be Scottish athletics designed just for kids as well as a Celtic storyteller and face painting. Get your toes tapping to Highland and Scottish national dances. Pipers and drummers will perform throughout the weekend. The sounds of Amazing Grace coming from a bagpipe is awe-inspiring. The pipers and drummers will also be available to explain Great Highland Bagpipes, the snare or ‘side,’ tenor or ‘flourishing,’ and the bass drums. Local and national performers of traditional and contemporary

Scottish honor guards in traditional kilts parade through the park and lead the opening ceremony.

Celtic music will play all weekend. Visit the history and culture tent and the clan booths. You may just find out you have a Scottish heritage. Visit www.kcscottishgames.org or call 816-728-8526 for a schedule of events and more information.

Rhythm and Ribs June 13-14, Kansas City. Jazz and blues festival featuring music and BBQ. Historic 18th and Vine District. 816-474-8463

KidZone June 14, Kansas City. Games, activities, play gardens, and giveaways. Zona Rosa. 10 AM-noon. Free. 816-587-8181

Summer Solstice Gardens June 20-21, Weston. Walking tour of seven gardens, two homes, and plant and herb sale. Throughout town. 9 AM-4 PM. $12. 816-640-5788

Well June 13-July 13, Kansas City. An infectious tale of our ability to embrace the complexities and contradictions of life. Unicorn Theatre. 7:30 PM Tues.-Thurs.; 8 PM Fri.Sat.; 3 PM Sun. $25-$30. 816-531-7529

Divas! June 14-15, Kansas City. All-singing, all-dancing tribute to the divas, from Britney Spears to Barbra Streisand by the Heartland Men’s Chorus. Folly Theatre. 8 PM Sat.; 4 PM Sun. $15-$60. 816-931-3338

Days of Civil War: A What-If Scenario June 20-22, St. Joseph. Live battle reenactments (Union and Confederate each win one), reenactors, and dance with period clothing. Nature Center and Terrible’s Casino. Free. 800-785-0360

Kids Fishing Day June 14, Cameron. Fishing poles and bait supplied to the first twenty-five who register. Wallace State Park. 9 AM-noon. Free. 816-632-3745

Shakespeare Festival June 17-July 6, Kansas City. Performance of Othello. Southmoreland Park. 6 PM gates; 8 PM performance. Free (reserved $20). 816-531-7728

Lake Fest June 21, Blue Springs. Music, water balloon contests, boat rides, and fireworks. Fleming Park at Lake Jacomo. 5-9:30 PM. $5-$7. 816-503-4800

Dragon Boat Festival June 14, Kansas City. Chinese festival featuring hands-on art activities, live music, dance, and dragon boat races. Brush Creek area. 1-4 PM. Free. 816-513-7527

The Drowsy Chaperone June 17-22, Kansas City. Hilarious tale of a celebrity bride and her uproarious wedding day. Starlight Theatre. 8:30 PM. $9-$70. 816-363-7827

Antique Festival June 21-22, Kansas City. More than 150 dealers with a wide variety of antiques and collectibles. Crown Center. 9 AM-6 PM Sat.; 10 AM-4 PM Sun. Free. 816-274-8444

COURTESY OF SUSAN BRAY

ML

[46] MissouriLife

Calendar Template.indd 46

4/24/08 8:42:22 PM


Heart of America Shakespeare Festival’s 2008 production of

Othello Featuring

Damon Gupton Associate Conductor of the Kansas City Symphony

JUNE 17 - JULY 6

Every night (except Monday, June 23 and Friday, July 4)

Enjoy FREE Shakespeare under the Stars in the Heart of Kansas City

Gates open at 6pm • Performance at 8pm Southmoreland Park Oak and Emanuel Cleaver II Blvd. Just two blocks east of the Country Club Plaza, next to the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art

FREE BLANKET AND LAWN CHAIR SEATING

Reserved up-front seats and chair rental available Check out www.KCSHAKES.org or call 816-531-7728 for more information!

2008-2009

Season Tickets on Sale Now! LA BOHÈME by Giacomo Puccini Sept. 13-21 JULIUS CAESAR by George Frideric Handel Nov. 8-16 LA TRAVIATA by Giuseppe Verdi March 14-22 THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE by Gilbert and Sullivan April 25-May 3 4 shows for the price of 3 when you subscribe today!

1-877-673-7252 www.kcopera.org

[47] June 2008

Calendar Template.indd 47

4/24/08 2:55:37 PM


All Around Missouri

Rodeo and Bull Blowout June 26-28, Odessa. Sanctioned rodeo and bull riding. Dyer Park Rodeo Arena. 8 pm. $5-$15. 816-633-4044 Wagon Ride and Swales Walk June 26, Independence. See the swales left behind from the wagon trains. National Frontier Trails Museum. 6:30 pm. Reservations. $9-$12. 816-325-7575 Waterfest June 27-29, Excelsior Springs. Quilt show, bands, parade, pet contest, motorcycle and car show, and Water Dodge. Hall of Waters Historic District. 9 am-9 pm Fri.; 9 am-10 pm Sat.; 10:30 am-2 pm Sun. Free. 816-630-6161 Downtown Art Annual June 28-29, Kansas City. Exhibit of more than 150 artists. Power and Light District. Free. 816-842-1045 Harvard Glee Club June 30, Kansas City. Sixty-voice premier collegiate men’s chorus celebrates its 150th anniversary. Grace and Holy Trinity Cathedral. 7:30 pm. $25. 816-415-5025 RiverFest July 3-4, Kansas City. Fireworks, BrewFest, and a variety of bands. Berkley Riverfront Park. 4-11:30 pm Thurs.; 1-10:30 pm Fri. $5. 816-960-3400

4th of July Parade July 4, Arrow Rock. Join the residents of Arrow Rock in the impromptu parade featuring antique cars, lawn mowers, and golf carts. Arrow Rock State Historic Site. 1 pm. Free. 660-837-3330 Independence Day Celebration July 4, Independence. Music and fireworks. Mormon Visitors Center. Begins at dusk. Free. 816-436-3466 1812 Independence Day July 4, Sibley. Celebrate with civilians and military of 1812 with the firing of cannons, musket, and military drills. Fort Osage. 9 am-4:30 pm. $3-$7. 816-503-4860 Architecture Walk July 5, Liberty. Guided tours of one of the historic districts with information on each site. Downtown. 10 am. Free. 816-792-6000 Family Fun Festivities July 6, Higginsville. Great live entertainment, refreshments, and fireworks display. Fairground Park. 6 pm. Free. 660-584-3030 Art Crawl July 11, Excelsior Springs. Visit an array of galleries and shops. Historic Downtown. 5-9 pm. Free. 816-630-5060

Art of the Car June 28. Cars as art? Interesting idea. See for yourself how true this is at The Art of the Car Concours at Kansas City. The show features more than one hundred vintage, classic, and special interest vehicles belonging to local collectors; the cars will be on display at the Kansas City Art Institute campus, located at 4415 Warwick Boulevard, from 10 am to 4 pm. The cost is $10 per person, $5 for students, and children under 10 are free. Cast your ballot for your favorite car. Visit www.kcai.edu/concours or call 816-802-3426. —Amy Stapleton

courtesy of marshall miller

ML

[48] MissouriLife

Calendar Template.indd 48

4/28/08 11:46:17 AM


[49] June 2008

Calendar Template.indd 49

4/24/08 2:57:40 PM


ML

All Around Missouri

Raptor Awareness July 12, Imperial. World Bird Sanctuary presents interactive program featuring raptors of Missouri such as owls, hawks, and falcons. Mastodon State Historic Site. 1-2 pm. Free. 636-464-2976 Antique and Craft Show July 12, Independence. More than 130 vendors display a variety of antiques and crafts, live music, and entertainment. Bingham-Waggoner Estate grounds. 9 am-4 pm. Free. 816-461-3491 Strotherfest July 18-19, Lee’s Summit. Performances by The Elders and Liverpool, classic car show, “Top of the Summit” idol contest, craft fair, games, variety of live musical performances and children’s activities. Holy Spirit Catholic Church grounds. 8:30 pm Fri.; noon-9 pm Sat. $2. 913-707-4672 Victorian Tea July 21, Lexington. Displays and demonstrations of crafts and gifts from the past such as friendship albums, quilts, silhouettes, and fancy-work. Tea will be served at the Anderson House. Learn about the “language of fans,” and decorate your own fan to take home. Battle of Lexington State Historic Site and downtown. 10 am-4 pm. Free. 660-259-4654

When the Animals Talked July 26, Independence. Storytelling with puppets and puppeteer. Puppetry Arts Institute. 11 am and 2 pm. $5. 816-833-9777 Fresh From the Farm July 26, Lexington. Taste and judge various vegetables from nearby producers, butter making, period games, and produce available for purchase. Battle of Lexington State Historic Site. 10 am-4 pm. Free. 660-259-4654

FREE LISTING AND MORE EVENTS Visit MissouriLife.com for even more great events all around the state. PLEASE NOTE: Event plans sometimes change. Call before traveling. To submit an event: Editors choose events for publication in the magazine, space permitting, but all submissions go onto the web site. Submit events well in advance. Please make sure there is a contact phone number with your event. Visit MissouriLife.com and fill out the form, e-mail amy@missourilife.com, fax 660-882-9899, or send announcement to Missouri Life, 515 E. Morgan St., Boonville, MO 65233

Gooseberry Festival June 19-21. Trenton kicks off this event on Friday at 7 pm with the ATV Drag Races. At 7 am Saturday a 5K/10K Run/Walk is followed by roping hosted by the Saddle Club. A gooseberry cooking contest, boxing tournaments, museum tour, antique and classic machinery show, and golf contest celebrate the one hundreth anniversary of the River Side Country Club. Finish up the weekend with a car and motorcycle show. The festival is free except for some events. Call 660-359-3800. —Amy Stapleton

[50] MissouriLife

Calendar Template.indd 50

4/28/08 11:46:53 AM


LIFE IS SHORT. DRESS WELL. FINE WOMENS’ CLOTHING, JEWELRY and ACCESSORIES

512 Main St. Weston, MO 64098

816-640-2770

Mon.-Thur. 10AM-5PM Fri. and Sat. 10AM-6PM Second Sat. 10AM-8PM • Sun. noon-5PM Online store www.missouribluffs.com

The Hatchery House Have you ever dreamed of owning a Bed & Breakfast?

MLS#1435116 • $470,000

618 Short Street Weston, MO 64098

Marketed by

Clemons Home Team

Tracy Jackson

9601 NE Barry Road, Suite 200 Kansas City, MO 64158

Cell: 816-564-1079

Office: 816-407-5278 tracyj@reeceandnichols.com www.Clemonshomes.com

The Hatchery House was built in 1845. A two story, all brick, Federal style home in a premium location. This turnkey business comes furnished with antiques, guest suites with private bathrooms, and six fireplaces. Innkeeper’s quarters are completely private with a chef’s kitchen, stainless steel appliances, granite counters and so much more!! Established Clientele

[51] June 2008

Calendar Template.indd 51

4/22/08 8:03:15 PM


RI ISSOd U E INBuM MAD g Show-me sinesses an Products

Surprisin

KICKFLIPS AND NOSE GRABS

J O P L I N C O M PA N Y G I V E S S K AT E B O A R D E R S A P L A C E T O R O L L |

“THERE’S A SAYING—if your city doesn’t

Nathan eventually co-founded American Ramp Co. in 1998 with Daman Schuber, whom he met at church, but he first opened an indoor skateboarding facility and retail outlet and then embarked on a short-lived and unsatisfying career in finance. By this time, he had a reputation for building skateboard ramps and figured he could make money at it—especially since municipalities were beginning to see the advantages of opening skateboard parks. At the same time, “parents started seeing skateboarding as a legitimate sport, instead of an act of rebellion and a way for their kids to get hurt,” Jim says. Initially, Nathan and Daman—the company’s president and vice president, respectively— thought their main product would be wooden half-pipes for backyards. But interest from municipalities mounted, and their line evolved to include more durable steel structures. Since 2002, the company has offered three lines of equipment, all made of prefabricated, modular components that are bolted together on-site. The timing was perfect. “They got in right before the playground equipment industry

smelled money and dove in with their deep pockets,” Jim says. “Some of the designs the playground companies were coming out with were dangerous, with collision points where kids could run into each other at high speeds. The advantage we’ve had from the beginning is that Nathan is a skater, so he knows what designs work and what materials work.” Word spread, in part because of the company’s ambitious sales plan that involves maintaining a database of every municipality in the nation with the aim of reaching out to all of them. American Ramp Co. has done business in every state besides Hawaii and in countries as farranging as China, Saudi Arabia, and Iceland. “Sales have gone through the roof in the last couple of years,” Jim says, adding that sales revenue in 2007 more than doubled compared with 2005’s figures. Visit www.americanrampcompany.com or call 417-206-6816 for more information. X Series, like this one in Hutchinson, Kansas, is one of three options American Ramp Co. offers.

COURTESY OF AMERICAN RAMP CO.

have a skate park, it is a skate park,” says Jim Moss, chief executive officer of American Ramp Co. at Joplin, one of the nation’s most reputable designers and manufacturers of skateboard park components. That means skateboarders, lacking alternatives, will ride on public stairways and railings, jump curbs, and speed down sloped concrete lanes in parking garages. Too often, this leads to property damage and injuries. There was a time when skaters were maligned for such improvisation. “No skateboarding” signs showed up just about everyplace kids might be tempted. Joplin skaters had Nathan Bemo to thank for providing an opportunity to engage in their pastime without incurring the wrath of their elders. In his late teens and early twenties, Nathan, now thirty-three, moved to Joplin after a childhood spent abroad. (He was born in Taiwan and grew up in Asia on account of his father’s missionary work.) An avid skater, he built an apparatus called a half-pipe in his backyard so he could perfect his tricks and technique. Local skaters forked over a small fee to use the half-pipe, as well.

By Dawn Klingensmith

[52] MissouriLife

MADE 52

4/15/08 5:19:35 PM


stylin’ALONG

PROMOTION

COLUMBIA’S KATY SPUR

If the People’s Choice Awards honored hiking/ biking trails, this one would

win by a mile!

[53] June 2008

AD.indd 53

4/23/08 6:12:59 PM


C

olumbia’s MKT Nature and Fitness Trail is what all bike trails aspire to be: well-traveled. In fact, it’s the most popular spur along Missouri’s entire Katy Trail, for a whole package of reasons. Sure, it’s a delightful way to exercise in a beautiful setting, completely insulated from vehicle traffic, stem to stern. But there’s so much more to this trail that attracts people from all over the world. Daily, hundreds of bicycle tires and shoe soles touch this nine-mile connector to the mainline, Missouri’s Katy Trail. That’s nothing new for this stretch of real estate, since for much of the last century, thousands of students rode the rails along this route into town. The MissouriKansas-Texas Railroad dropped them off right downtown near Columbia’s three college campuses. Today, the descendants of those students, and residents

and visitors, flock to the MKT Nature and Fitness Trail to immerse themselves in a lush environment, lively entertainment, and, of course, exercise.

New FLAT BRANCH PARK

The trail is easy to find. It starts in the heart of Columbia among shops and restaurants and fun things to do. The trailhead is the newly completed Flat Branch Park, a stunning reversal of urban neglect that has become one of the city’s icons. The park borrows its name from Flat Branch Creek, which will serve as your companion as you launch your journey down the trail. The park is a gem, landscaped with comfort in mind. Benches and bike racks abound. There’s even a gazebo, which comes in handy as a backdrop for events like the encore of Columbia’s wildly successful Roots ’N Blues ’N BBQ Festival. This year’s event hap[54] MissouriLife

AD.indd 54

4/23/08 6:14:10 PM


PROMOTION

pens October 3 and 4, featuring Buddy Guy, Del McCoury, Dale Watson and more. Once again, the trailhead will be the setting for the 2nd annual Roots ’N Blues ’N BBQ Contest, featuring the nation’s best barbecue teams. Saucy background music comes courtesy of blues bands on the trailhead stage.

THE most POPULAR DIVERSION

The downtown trailhead is just one reason the spur is the most popular diversion along the entire Katy Trail. Another reason, of course, is the trail itself. As trails go, this one is a star. Let’s face it, some hiking/biking trails are in the wilderness and hard to reach. Other trails are nice enough, but they’re smack dab in the middle of a city. Well, Columbia’s Katy spur combines the very best of both worlds: A wilderness setting that begins right in the very heart of the city! Runners love it. Cyclists find the 17.6 mile round trip a wonderful workout. And neighborhood folks take their toddlers in strollers and their dogs on leashes down the trail. Indeed, the trail dissects a dozen distinct neighborhoods, residential and commercial. You’ll want to keep an eye peeled for stunning displays of architecture through the forest walls and tree canopies. The pulse of the trail takes you into narrow cuts through hills and across open spaces with lakes, marshes and wetlands. Truly, you’re only blocks from the bustle of city life, but you remain insulated,

as the trail delivers you to the pastoral solitude of farmlands and fields and Department of Conservation lands, including the Hinkson Woods.

Great SERVICE

You’re in the middle of nature, surrounded by forests and fields, fauna and flora, but you’re never far from help. Volunteers, including mounted police (on bikes, of course), patrol the trail regularly. A dozen telephones dot the trail, connecting directly to 911 emergency services. There are four restroom facilities along the route, including two just-completed ADA accessible bathrooms near the Forum Boulevard and Scott Boulevard parking lots. Six water fountains along the route help keep you hydrated.

FLAT BRANCH Creek

You’ll notice you have a companion as you enter the first of seven tunnels along the route. Flat Branch Creek keeps you company as you wind through town, beneath street level, along your completely car-free environment. Don’t worry: the creek has its own tunnels! Down the trail, the Flat Branch joins Hinkson Creek, which flows into Perche Creek as you roll closer to the water’s ultimate destination: the

Missouri River. The creeks braid along your path, crossing under the trail no less than 15 times, as you traverse historic railroad trestles, mixed in with a few newer spans. There are no major hills, since the trail is an abandoned rail bed. The smooth chert surface delivers a gentle sloping path to the river. Conversely, the return trip has a modest uphill grade. Markers every half mile report your progress.

Workout STATIONS

Along the way, there are 20 workout stations for fitness training. There’s a loop trail just for hikers and runners. Scattered along the trail are several displays, identifying the wildflowers, trees and geologic formations along the route. Wildlife is abundant. Geese fly overhead. And the music you hear could be from the songbirds, or the billion tree frogs performing their courtship rituals. The trail’s natural setting makes it an oddson bet you’ll spot deer, especially early in the morning or late afternoon. They like the pastoral setting, too. And they sense that trail users are friendly. You’ll get a glimpse of Mizzou’s A. L. Gustin Golf Course. Don’t worry, you’re far enough away from the golfers that you

[55] June 2008

AD.indd 55

4/23/08 6:23:21 PM


won’t need to perk your ears for that foreboding “Fore!” Farther down the trail, stop and watch a lacrosse game at one of the soccer fields.

MARTIN LUTHER KING Garden

Need a rest? Several dozen park benches await you, donated by local citizens. Or take some time to reflect at the beautiful Martin Luther King Memorial Garden, located on a bend in Flat Branch Creek near the trail’s Stadium Boulevard access.

Adjacent RECREATION AREAS

And if you don’t want to ride or hike the whole spur, there are convenient parking lots along the trail at Stadium Boulevard, Forum Boulevard and Scott Boulevard. Fact is, along the entire trail, you’re always well-connected. Take a diversion if you want, and follow the MU Recreation Trail, which leads to

the Hinkson Creek Trail, which leads to the Grindstone Creek Natural Area. No need to drop bread crumbs; you can’t get lost—everything is well-marked. Since the trail deposits riders into the heart of the city, uninterrupted by traffic, you may notice that commuters use it to bike and walk to work. You might even see Columbia’s mayor, who rides the trail almost every day to city hall.

BIKER-Friendly RESTAURANTS

After you work up an appetite, you’ll discover mealtime is anytime around Flat Branch trailhead. Lash your bike to one of several dozen hitching posts within a block of the park, and visit one of Columbia’s fine eateries nearby. Don’t fret about your attire; several restaurants accommodate the trail crowd. Only a block away, Flat Branch Brewery offers bike racks and an outdoor patio where hikers and bikers can

enjoy a full menu of carbs in both the food and beverage categories. Also nearby sits the legendary Broadway Diner, with a bike rack right out front. It’s a true diner, designed in glorious 50s prefab fashion. It’s open for the breakfast and lunch side of the clock. Sitting right next door to the diner, the Shiloh Bar & Grill occupies the old Katy Depot. There’s plenty of indoor and outdoor seating. The old depot was built in 1909, and in earlier days it ruled a rail yard of seven tracks splayed between the depot and the creek.

Other AMUSEMENTS

Once you refuel, take a look around. Within two blocks is the brand new YouZeum, a fascinating full body experience that’s “all about you.” The YouZeum makes it fun for kids of all ages to learn about the human body. Take the cycle challenge. Test your reflexes

[56] MissouriLife

AD.indd 56

4/23/08 6:24:07 PM


PROMOTION

with virtual reality games. Find out the nutritional value of your food choices at the All Foods Diner and the Snackster. Fortified with new knowledge about your body, it’s time to search out that legendary component of Columbia’s culture: music. Several music venues sit within walking distance. Start with a tribute to Columbia’s own legendary musical genius, John William “Blind” Boone. His home, soon to be a museum, is just 37 pedal revolutions from the trailhead, in high gear. Make plans to check out the Blind Boone Ragtime and Early Jazz Festival on June 1-3, at downtown Columbia’s historic Missouri Theatre Center for the Arts. The theatre has just undergone an extensive restoration!

bicycle Gear and more food

Need to rent a bike, buy cycling gear or make some adjustments? Gotcha covered. Cyclextreme bike shop is only two blocks from the trailhead. And while they’re checking your bike, park

yourself next door in the comfort of Grill One 5, a great place to grab lunch or dinner and a libation. Down the trail, Tryathletics is a healthy pump up the hill from the Forum Avenue access, and they can service your bike, too. While you’re there, wander next door to settle into some red beans and rice or jambalaya at Jazz, a Louisiana Kitchen. Or check out Clover’s Natural Foods for a health food meal along the trail.

Close-TO-THE-TRAIL HOTELS

When those sore muscles call out for a place to rest overnight, try one of Columbia’s three dozen hotels. Many are accommodating to bikers, and several are only blocks from different trailheads. Go to www.visitcolumbiamo.com to find the option that works best for you. No doubt about it, for the best trail ride in the Midwest, with all the amenities before, during and after your ride, catch the MKT Nature and Fitness Trail in Columbia!

Columbia, MO Bike Shops Cyclextreme 19 South Sixth Street 573-874-7044 http://cyclex.com/site/intro.cfm Jim’s Bike Shop 1002 North Old Highway 63 573-442-7011 Tryathletics 1605 Chapel Hill Road 573-447-2453 http://www.tryathletics.com Walt’s Bicycle Fitness 1217 Rogers Street 573-886-9258 http://www.waltsbikeshop.com Klunk Bicycles & Repair 12 North Second Street 573-874-0090

[57] June 2008

AD.indd 57

4/28/08 3:28:54 PM


U RI ISSO OF mM BEST Quality Fro Every Corner

TRUE TREASURES 5 FABULOUS FLEA MARKETS TO SATISFY THE HUNTER IN YOU |

TOOLS AND DISHES and furniture, oh my! There is plenty of each, along with hundreds of other “must haves” at Missouri’s flea markets. We’ve scoured the state in search of the best bargains and chosen five notable flea markets. If you are concerned about gas prices, Rutledge flea market co-manager Joyce Clark says, “The gas may be high, but the bargains are low.” That’s a great reason to fill up the car, pack a cooler of snacks, and head out to find your treasure. There are at least twenty-five flea markets in Missouri, says John Schoen, executive director of the National Flea Market Association. (Visit MissouriLife.com for the entire list.) “It’s a solid business that supports thousands

of families when you consider all the owneroperators, vendors, and others who work to serve the customers.” The NFMA is a membership-based organization that monitors legislative issues pertaining to the flea market industry, such as counterfeiting and sales tax. Interested in launching your own flea market? The organization has two levels of membership: owner-operators who are open at least once a week in the same location and affiliate members who want access to the membership but are primarily vendors, insurance companies, and concessions people. “We help each other,” John says. “We have a two-day conference where owners can come

By Ann Leach

and learn all about managing a flea market. We share a lot of information there.” To learn more about the NFMA, visit their web site at www.fleamarkets.org.

Big Pevely Flea Market Pevely Saturday and Sunday, 8 AM to 5 PM It’s the real deal at this St. Louis area market. “There’s no counterfeit merchandise here,” owner Lynn Parker says. “We’re members of the National Flea Market Association, and we work real hard to keep this a family-friendly place.” And the whole family could find something special in the two indoor buildings or at the outdoor vendors who gather here.

[58] MissouriLife

BestFleaMarkets_AB_1 Copy.indd 58

4/28/08 1:20:08 PM


salon. You can spend the day here. We want you to.”

Nate’s Swap ‘n Shop 8200 E. 63rd Street Kansas City 816-353-1627 Saturday and Sunday, 7 am to 4 pm Nate Shurin is proud of the many years of service his flea market has provided to the Kansas City area. “We are the largest flea market in the area,” he says. “We’ve been attracting people to the flea market since 1954.” Approximately twenty-five hundred people comb the booths daily, in search of gardening tools, clothes, sporting goods, books, furniture, and a host of household items and more. “We’ve got old stuff and new stuff,” Nate says. “There’s a lot of something for everyone

here.” While no paintings by the Masters have been discovered here, Nate does remember a visitor who scored big with one of his items. “He came in looking for a car part and discovered one that ended up being worth hundreds of dollars,” Nate says. “He turned around and sold it at a really good price.”

Picket Fence Flea Market 1050 Cherokee Seneca 417-776-4050 Open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 am to 6 pm Sunday, 1 pm to 5 pm It’s the oldest building in continuous use in Seneca, but Sheila Hill knows “we’re off the beaten path.” That’s why she seeks out vendors (more than fifty of them) who keep their prices low.

“We had a man stop in who was waiting on his wife to finish an appointment,” Sheila says. “He wandered around and then he told me, ‘If you had nothing and wanted to set up a house, you could come here and find what you needed and probably for about two hundred dollars.’” Sheila agrees. From cedar furniture to model trains and their parts and Depression glass to a baby boutique, the Picket Fence attracts town residents and visitors to the area’s surrounding casinos.

Rutledge Dog and Gun auction and Flea Market Just outside Rutledge 660-665-2389 On the second weekend of the month, you’ll find Joyce Clark greeting vendors and tracking sales at the flea market. “Bob and I bought into this about a year ago,

[57] June 2008

BestFleaMarkets_AB_1.indd 57

9/27/11 11:11:45 AM


ML

Best of Missouri

and now we’re wondering what we’ve gotten into; this is so big,” Joyce says. “There are ten of us who are owners.” With one thousand spaces available, it is easy to see why the Clarks could be concerned. “We do have campgrounds here,” Joyce says. “We’re really just a spot in the road; about 140 acres worth. Rutledge still has a post office, but I think we’d be pushing it to say there’s a hundred people here. The nearest town is Kirksville, and it is about forty miles away.”

Wentzville Community Club

Are You Prepared? To assist you in planning your flea market

purchase furniture, and measure the piece

adventure, we asked avid flea marketer and

to make sure it will fit.

Joplin resident, Marti Attoun, for some sug-

Make plans to regroup. Plan to meet

gestions on making the most of your outing.

your party at a certain time and place if

Attoun advises that you:

you’re shopping with friends. It’s easy to

Shop around. Flea markets have mul-

get separated and spend more time look-

tiple dealers, and each dealer sets his

ing for your sister than a yearbook from

own prices, which vary widely and wildly.

Kickapoo High School with Brad Pitt’s

The price may depend more on what the

photo. (A Joplin man bought two of these

dealer has invested than in the actual value

and sold them for three hundred dollars-

of the item.

plus on eBay!)

Make an offer. If the item seems out-

Check

out

the

merchandise.

landishly priced, then make an offer. Simply

Thoroughly inspect your item before you

ask, “Is that the best you can do?”

buy it because everything is “as is” and

Come early and stay late. You want

“buyers keepers.”

first pick at the rarities in the morning,

Take notes. If you’re doing a lot of

but you also want the steals at the end of

comparison shopping, then take notes on

the day when dealers are bedraggled and

items, prices, and their locations. After

would much rather sell their treasures than

checking price tags on a dozen porcelain

pack them up and haul them home.

teapots, it’s hard to remember which booth

Bring a tape measure. Know the dimensions of your space if you plan to

had what. Have fun and wear comfortable shoes.

Wentzville 636-327-6358 Sundays only, 6 am to as long as it lasts Change is coming to the Community Club flea market, and manager David Boland is happy about it. “We’re adding electricity to our outdoor spots and looking at adding wifi for the site,” he says. “We’ve been having this flea market for about thirty years, so it doesn’t hurt to update some things.” What won’t change is the variety of goods for sale by the more than three hundred vendors. “We have sixty-five tables inside and about three hundred spaces outside,” David says. It’s not the first time this flea market has been called the “best.” “We were named the best flea market in the state by the local paper,” David says. “They stopped doing that category a couple of years back. I guess that’s because we always won it.” The flea market is part of the service organization that does a lot of good for the area and all monies made go back into the organization so it can continue providing needed services to community members. “Bingo and the flea market are our biggest money makers,” David says. “It’s a good thing for the shopper and the community.”

[58] MissouriLife

BestFleaMarkets_AB_1.indd 58

9/27/11 11:12:04 AM


3727 South Campbell Ave. SpringďŹ eld, MO 65807 Phone (417) 889-5750 Fax (417) 887-6348 www.elitemercedes.com

2009 SLK Class

Springfield’s only authorized Mercedes-Benz center! ReliableChevy0608.indd 1

4/21/08 2:19:10 PM


winds topping two hundred miles per hour leveled much of Marshfield and left more than a hundred people dead. According to historians, as John Lange read the account of the tornado to Boone, the sixteen-yearold hammered out what would become his signature piece. Described in Missouri Life in 1979, it “began with chime-like sounds, as if calling the people to church; then followed a soft strain of sacred music, imitating the congregation singing an opening hymn. Then came a loud imitation of thunder and fire bells giving the danger signal as lightning flashed across the imaginary sky. Finally, the storm died away, and Boone played softly, imitating water dripping from the eaves of the houses.” Boone visited Marshfield shortly after the tragedy to perform his cyclonic masterpiece. Eyewitnesses reported that terror tore through the fresh wounds of the survivors who attended the concert. They believed that Boone’s all-tooreal rendition was bringing the twister back. As a matter of fact, among all the extant recordings and piano rolls of Boone’s work, “The Marshfield Tornado” is absent. It seems his performance was so powerful, attempts to record it on piano rolls would destroy the piano roll machine. Even today, many jazz aficionados don’t realize that despite Boone’s personal distaste for jazz, he was likely the inspiration for the creation of a technique called the walking bass line, central to a billion jazz and blues compositions. That invention is attributed to Kansas City jazz legend Walter Page, who attended church with Boone. In retrospect, the talent of John Boone and the genius of John Lange couldn’t overcome timing. As Boone’s life and career were ending in 1927, folks were turning to new forms of entertainment. Talking movies, radio, and phonograph recordings captured America’s collective attention. And in the transition, somehow most folks forgot about John Boone’s music. Well, I have a plan. Take a cue from young Johnny Boone, and put performers back on the train: Kansas City to St. Louis, with music from local legends at every stop. Basie, Bird, Moten, Metheny, Joplin, Terry, and Berry. At what stop would you pick up John Boone’s music? All of them.

Finding Blind Boone

NOTLEY HAWKINS; HISOTRICAL IMAGE COURTESY OF STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY AT COLUMBIA

From left: Boone’s piano was specially made for him by Chickering & Sons in Boston.

in North America and Europe, he played nearly nine thousand concerts. According to his manager, John Lange, they averaged twenty miles per day along an archipelago of concert halls and churches and stayed in 8,250 beds. And Boone’s benevolence wasn’t an idle threat. Lange estimated the entourage left $216,000 in its wake to charities and churches at an average of about $25 per day, big money in that day. A legend in his own right, Lange must be considered the world’s greatest tour manager. He was friend and confidant to Boone. Like Boone, Lange was from a mixture of races. By the time he met Boone, Lange was a successful contractor, who, Batterson reports, built all but one of the roads in Boone County, as well as the first black Baptist church at Columbia, for which Lange first hired Boone to play at a Christmas concert in 1879. The pair bonded into a tour de force that was bigger than the sum of its parts. Notoriety came three months later, with a celebrated battle of the bands at Columbia’s Haden Opera House on East Broadway. Back then, it was called Garth Hall, where musical savant “Blind Tom” Bethune appeared in concert. Lange arranged for Boone to battle Blind Tom, each playing a song the other was challenged to replicate. Boone survived the test by matching Blind Tom’s music note for note. Word traveled fast. So did Boone’s troupe as they toured by train from town to town. His concerts featured a precursor to “stump the band,” and he became famous for his ability to play a piece verbatim after hearing an audience member play it just once. One month after his battle with Blind Tom, a catastrophic event roared through thousands of lives and affected Boone so deeply he recounted the event in nearly every concert until he died. On Sunday, April 18, 1880, a tornado with

Blind Boone touched every part of Missouri. Here are some highlights: Blind Boone’s house sits in downtown Columbia, next to the Baptist Church built by John Lange. Boone is buried just a few blocks away in the Columbia Cemetery. His piano can be seen at the Boone County Historical Museum near the intersection of Highway 63 and Route AC. Attend the Original “Blind” Boone Ragtime & Early Jazz Festival on June 1- 3 in downtown Columbia at the newly refurbished historic Missouri Theatre, and other venues. Some historians think Boone’s mother escaped slavery from the home of Nathan Boone, now a state historic site, north of Springfield on Route V north of Route 160. Stand in the shadow of the Eads Bridge at St. Louis, like young Johnny did as the bridge was being built. Today, people recognize this neighborhood as Laclede’s Landing. The building and many surrounding structures existed when Johnny was on the St. Louis streets, a few blocks west of Laclede’s Landing, in the tenderloin district. The 1875 Pictorial History of St. Louis shows the Missouri School for the Blind at 19th and Morgan streets. Today you can see the school at 3815 Magnolia Street at St. Louis. See the statue of Boone at the Blind Boone Park at Warrensburg.

[65] June 2008

KingoftheRoad_AB_1.indd 65

4/28/08 4:57:35 PM


Fulton FUN: All Summer Long

Enjoy Rebekha’s irresistible homemade desserts along with the outstanding food and wine at Beks restaurant and wine bar.

In the heart of Missouri is Fulton, voted one of the top 10 places to visit in the Midwest and Callaway County’s gem. Named after steamboat inventor Robert Fulton, Fulton has a rich history with exciting sites and sounds all wrapped up in the warmth of small-town charm. Fulton’s downtown, made famous in the Ronald Reagan movie Kings Row, has kept its historic charm with brick streets, elegant architecture, 67 buildings on the historic register, great restaurants, romantic B&Bs, antiques and one-of-a-kind boutiques. Whether you are looking for a handcrafted holiday gift, local art, great food or outstanding museums, you will find that and more in Fulton. The newly renovated Churchill Museum at Westminster College features interactive displays that engage and educate visitors of all ages. In addition, you can walk through actual pieces of the Berlin Wall as you explore Edwina Sandy’s magnificent Breakthrough sculpture for another look back at living history. For those interested in the local art and music scene, Kemper Center for the Arts at William Woods University is a mustsee, and The Lighthouse Theater in nearby Millersburg offers live gospel and bluegrass concerts. Museums offering everything from whimsical to wheels are a draw for visitors to Fulton. The new Backer Auto World Museum displays an impressive collection of 84 historic automobiles displayed in Hollywood-style sets for their era. Capture a sense of local history at the Historical Society Museum or pay your respects at the Missouri Firefighters Memorial. A museum of sorts, the whimsical collections at Nostalgia Ville will also entertain all family members as will the Treasure Hill Doll House Miniatures museum and shop. Crane’s Museum in

The Churchill Museum features interactive displays that engage and educate visitors of all ages.

Watercolor Missouri National exhibition selected by national magazine Watercolor Artist as one of the top 20 water media society exhibitions in the USA. Backer Auto World Museum displays an impressive collection of 84 historic automobiles in Hollywood-style sets.

Callaway0608.indd 2

4/28/08 11:51:28 AM


PROMOTION

Williamsburg has been voted 3rd best in off-beat attractions with over 4,000 square feet of regional history. Before you head out, stop by Marlene’s restaurant. A pulled-pork sandwich and warm slice of pie will put a smile on your face. Whether you prefer down-home country or uptown gourmet, authentic Greek, Cuban or Mexican cuisine, you’ll savor scrumptious dining. Try Beks restaurant for a unique blend of old and new where Internet and espresso meet 1902 architecture. In addition to fabulous food, including amazing Parmesan Artichoke Dip and decadent homemade desserts, Beks has a welcoming atmosphere, and on Saturday nights, there is live jazz. You can even revisit the 1930s by sharing a shake made with locally made premium ice cream at Sault’s authentic soda fountain. For overnight stays, getaway packages, unique weddings and fabulous pampering breakfasts, Fulton has two of Missouri’s top ten inns, the historic Loganberry Inn where Margaret Thatcher stayed, or create a romantic memory at Romancing the Past Bed and Breakfast in the historic Jameson home. For your next getaway or family vacation, visit Fulton and Callaway County, Missouri. Cranes 4,000 square foot museum is a For more information and calendar of one-of-a-kind viewing experience, like this events see www.visitfulton.com. antique barber shop exhibit.

Calendar of Events Traveling Art Exhibits

Winston Churchill Museum Art Gallery www.churchillmemorial.org 573-592-5234

Churchill Art and Jazz Festival

Westminster Avenue, Fulton June 14, 2008, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Listen to fine jazz music as you browse this juried art exhibit featuring the work of painters, sketch artists, photographers, jewelry makers, and mixed media artists. 573-642-4222

Fulton Street Fair

Located on the Historic Downtown Streets of Fulton June 20 and 21, Friday and Saturday Carnival, craft vendors, and great entertainment http://fultonstreetfair.missouri.org 573-592-9697

Girlfriend Getaway Spa Packages

Loganberry Inn Bed and Breakfast First and Third weekends June and July, 2008 www.loganberryinn.com 573-642-9229

Williamsburg Annual Street Fair & Parade

“200 Years on the Booneslick Trail” I-70 to Exit 161 N., Williamsburg, MO June 28, 2008 www.cranesmuseum.org 877.254.3356

For more information, www.visitfulton.com 1-800-257-3554 Romancing the Past Bed and Breakfast, the perfect getaway, is now on the National Register of Historic Places and featured on HGTV’s, If These Walls Could Talk.

Kansas City

128 miles

I-70

St. Louis

100 miles

FULTON

Loganberry Inn is a popular spot for intimate elopement and wedding ceremonies.

Callaway0608.indd 3

Tanglewood Golf Course features 6,883 yards of golf from the longest tees for a par of 72.

4/28/08 2:10:59 PM


By Charles E. Reineke

Both passengers and cargo were picked up at many points along the Missouri River. Opposite: The illustration shows a common fate of several steamboats, victims of boiler explosions or fire.

[73] June 2008

ML0608_Steamboats_v1 Copy.indd 73

4/28/08 4:00:07 PM


perilous

Like much of Twain’s humor, his “sink a steamboat” quip illuminates an uncomfortable truth. Steamboats had terrifyingly short shelf lives—even when loaded with valuable cargo and operated by experienced crews. This was particularly true along the Missouri River, where rocks, bridges, ice jams, high winds, boiler explosions, and most commonly, hullpiercing underwater tree trunk snags, reduced the average life expectancy of a mid-century steamboat to less than six years. A study in the Missouri Historical Review, October 2001, noted that of the 121 St. Louis-based steamboats in 1848, one-fifth did not survive three navigating seasons, generally late March through early December. As for the rest of the fleet, most boats deteriorated and were stripped of useful parts and either demolished or abandoned between four and eight years of age. “Owners fully recognized that their steamboats were disposable,” says nautical archaeologist and historical steamboat expert Annalies Corbin, author of a new book on the steamboat Montana, one of the Missouri’s greatest boats, which was published earlier this year by the University of Florida Press. “It wasn’t the same for Eastern river steamers, but when you’re talking about the Missouri, lots of places on the Mississippi and their western tributaries, these boats were considered disposable.”

Disposability stemmed, in part, from boat-building challenges unique to Missouri River navigation, Corbin says. Because steamboats on the treacherously shallow, snag-filled Big Muddy needed to have as little of the boat below the waterline as possible, typically no more than four feet, steamboats needed wider, lighter, more flexible hulls than those of steamers plying deeper rivers and oceans. “They were very lightly built; they had to be successful on the river,” she says, adding that the average steamboat builder was more akin to a barn carpenter than a professional shipwright. That said, even the most sinkable of steamboats represented an impressive feat of construction and engineering. An average boat during the 1850s would have been about 160 feet long with decks stacked as high as thirty to forty feet above the waterline. Huge paddle wheels were located either on the boat’s sides or stern. Most boats could transport hundreds of passengers in some measure of comfort, along with huge loads of heavy cargo. How were “lightly built hulls” able to support all of this weight, as well as the boilers and wood fuel needed to generate steam power? The answer involved supplementing thinner planking and less-rigid joining techniques with an ingenious system of using “hogging chains”—long, inch-thick metal rods—as trusses for external support. These did a fine job of creating

courtesy of friends of historic boonville; courtesy of steamboat arabia museum

journeys

[74] MissouriLife

ML0608_Steamboats_v1 Copy.indd 74

4/28/08 4:02:47 PM


From top: Steamboats that plied the Missouri River had a river life of four to eight years. The map shows 1879 and 1954 channels of a thirty-six mile section of the Missouri River. Superimposed on the map are thirty-seven wrecks (red) recorded by Capt. H.M. Chittenden in 1897 and forty wrecks (green) recorded by Dr. E.B. Trail before 1962. Both researchers used publications to compile and map projected wreck sites. Chittenden also obtained written information from Missouri River pilots who had historical knowledge of the river.

an enviable length-to-depth ratio, which in turn allowed for ever-larger decks and cargo loads. Unfortunately, these hogging chains provided little protection against snags and other hull-threatening debris. “In the early years, before there was a lot of dredging, the 1840s, 1850s, and even into the 1860s, you have tremendous issues relative to snags,” Corbin says. Later, even more technologically advanced boats, like the massive, 283-foot long Montana, excavated near Bridgeton by a team led by Corbin in 2002, found other ways to sink. The Montana, for example, crashed into a bridge and broke apart on a sandbar. Owners tolerated the risk in hopes of rich remuneration. As visitors to the Arabia Steamboat Museum at Kansas City can attest, even modest Missouri River steamboats could carry a dizzying array of valuable cargo: from frontier necessities such as hand tools, farm implements, guns, medicines, and work clothing to middle-class luxury items such as Wedgwood

china, jewelry, fine furniture, and Kentucky Bourbon. Pioneers rushing west toward Oregon, California, and Utah during the 1840s and 1850s created huge markets for such goods. “All it took was one successful haul, round trip, to be very profitable, especially in the early years,” Corbin says. By these standards, the Arabia was successful indeed. Her number came up after three years of service, when her hull was snagged by a jagged tree trunk protruding from the river bottom near Parkville. Because she sank in shallow water, passengers were able to gather their luggage and wait for rescue on the Arabia’s upper decks. None perished. The Arabia’s cargo, however, was almost a complete loss. A lack of human casualties was typical in steamship sinkings—boats usually settled on the muddy river bottom as stunned passengers scram-

[75] June 2008

ML0608_Steamboats_v1 Copy.indd 75

4/28/08 5:32:36 PM


bled to safety on upper decks. Often much of the cargo could be salvaged. But steamboat disasters didn’t always have a happy ending, especially when boilers were involved. Consider the sad tale of the steamboat Saluda. As the sun rose on the morning of Good Friday, April 9, 1852, the St. Louis-based Saluda, a 179-foot side-wheeler, found herself almost a week behind schedule. Spring ice flows and powerful currents had forced the ship and its passengers, among them some one hundred Utah-bound Mormon immigrants, to lay up at Lexington for five days. According to an exhaustively researched account by historians William Hartley and Fred Woods, some of that time was spent repairing a paddle wheel that had been damaged during a failed attempt to navigate the strong crosscurrents of the infamous Lexington Bend. The steamboat’s captain and part-owner, Francis Belt, was furious at the failure and subsequent delays. After the repairs were completed on April 8, Belt quickly spread the word that his ship, ice and currents notwithstanding, would force its way around the bend the following morning. Townspeople took note, and dozens would eventually line the river bluffs to watch the attempt. At least one of Belt’s peers thought all of this was a bad idea. William Miller, skipper of the steamboat Isabel, had arrived in Lexington a day earlier. He deliberately tied his ship three hundred yards downstream of the Saluda, fearing, according to a newspaper account, that “she was an old boat and it would be unsafe to be near her when she would attempt to stem the strong current above Lexington.” Older boilers made river men like Miller nervous, for good reason. Over time, an older boiler’s complicated system of plates, valves, pumps, and pipes could become dangerously compromised by wear and corrosion. Even minor problems might create a disastrous build-up of explosive steam pressure. Belt had no patience for such concerns. As the Saluda pushed out from the landing, he lustily rang the steamship’s huge cast-iron bell to signal full steam ahead. He shouted to Miller, “I will round the point this morning or blow this boat to hell!” As she cleared the wharf and eased into the current, the Saluda’s paddle wheels worked in tandem to point her bow upriver. So situated, witnesses said, her wheels came to a stop, then made one full revolution forward. At that very moment both of her cast-iron boilers, each thirty-feet long, exploded. Lexington residents said the force of the blast shook their houses like an earthquake. Great chunks of the boat, its machinery, and its cargo were instantly thrown high into the air, as were many of the estimated 175 passengers and 23 crew members on board. Some landed in the icy river and managed to swim to safety. Others were less fortunate. “The shore was covered with the limbs and mangled bodies of the sufferers, their

warm blood trickling down the banks, while the screams and groans of the wounded and dying filled the air, causing the hearts of the beholders to sicken, and the tears of sympathy to gush from their eyes,” read an account in the Richmond (Mo.) Herald on April 16, 1852. The Herald story follows an eyewitness report in the Lexington Express that was widely reprinted. Captain Belt did not escape the consequences of his apparent impetuousness. His lifeless body was discovered on the river bluff, several hundred yards from the wreckage. Hartley and Woods estimate that eighty to one hundred other crew members and passengers also perished. The Saluda disaster was arguably the Missouri River’s worst steamboat accident. But deadly mishaps on a lesser scale were distressingly common. On the same day that the Richmond Herald published its report of the Saluda’s demise, for example, the paper also printed an account of the destruction of the New Orleans-based steamboat Glencoe. According to witnesses, the Glencoe’s boilers burst as she attempted to maneuver into St. Louis’s Chouteau’s Landing. The resulting explosion, the paper said, hurled “between forty and sixty human beings into eternity.” Farther down in the same column, the paper published a description of a “break in the middle boiler” on the Pocahontas, a steamer plying the Arkansas River. Eighteen persons were scalded, the Herald said, “of whom eight died before 11:00 o’clock the next day.” All of this mayhem prompted action. Less than two months after the Saluda explosion, Congress passed the Steamboat Act of 1852 that, among its other provisions, mandated pilot licensing and boiler inspections. To be sure, steamboats remained vulnerable, and sinkings continued. But never did Missouri River travelers suffer a tragedy on the scale of the Saluda. In the end, however, even the advent of bigger, safer, more regulated ships couldn’t save the steamboat trade from an inexorable decline. The reason involved simple economics: As railroads penetrated deeper into the West, overland transport became more cost efficient. Even less “disposable” steamboats could not compete. Early railroads were not offering “floating palaces.” But rail routes did provide relatively safe and reliable service. Industry and the public responded. By the dawn of the twentieth century, the era of steamboat supremacy was over. River towns, once humming with activity, grew quiet. Teeming levies and landings slowly fell into ruin. The mighty Missouri steamboats— some dismantled and scrapped, others left at rest beneath the river’s restless current—gradually passed into memory. Above: This ticket allowed its bearer passage on the War Eagle.

COURTESY OF FRIENDS OF HISTORIC BOONVILLE; COURTESY OF STEAMBOAT ARABIA MUSEUM

80 to 100 Crew Members And Passengers perished When The Saluda Exploded

[76] MissouriLife

ML0608_Steamboats_v1 Copy.indd 76

4/28/08 4:05:46 PM


f f O n e t a e the B Breathtaking beauty and soul-searching solitude on an 800-mile trail lure hikers, bikers, and equestrians. By Traci Angel

[78] MissouriLife

ML0608_Ozarktrail_v1 Copy.indd 78

4/28/08 5:15:47 PM


The Ozark Trail began thirty years ago when trail users, public land entities, and landowners gathered at Meramec State Park to draft the first sections. With more than three hundred miles developed, the route runs southwest from suburban St. Louis into Arkansas and will be eight hundred miles long when completed. The route is determined by the Ozark Trail Council, which is comprised of seven governmental agencies, including the Missouri State Parks Department and the National Forest Service. Environmental groups and private landowners are also represented. Because no act of Congress authorized the trail, but rather it was coordinated by these state agencies and environmental groups, acquiring private land and throughway easements has slowed its building, which could be completed by the early 2020s. But thanks to volunteers such as the Ozark Trail Association (OTA), a nonprofit organization formed in 2001 to help maintain and develop the trail, its completion could be sooner.

such as hiking, biking, or horseback riding, then choose a trip length and activity level. A trip calculator searches for a section that meets the desired criteria. A search provides detailed overviews, maps, and summaries of what to expect, all updated and maintained by the association. For instance, plugging in a half-day, moderatelevel hike reveals three suggestions. Taum Sauk Mountain to Devil’s Tollgate is an out-and-back that goes onto Taum Sauk Mountain and returns the same way. The Council Bluff Boat Launch to the Route DD Trailhead is just five miles and goes between the two points. An easy overnight hike is Bell Mountain, an out-and-back trip of seven and a half miles.

Getting There and Staying There

It might be difficult to find a parking spot close to where you’d like to join the trail. To combat this problem, the association has a new shuttle service. Riders make a reservation and park where they plan to finish their trip. The shuttle picks them up and drives them to their preferred trailhead. One perk the Ozark Trail has over other longer routes in the country, such as the Appalachian Trail, is the relatively unregulated camping— no designated camping spots or busy shelters. Camping is permissible at least one hundred feet from the trail, water, and scenic areas to respect others’ enjoyment. Campers must use a “leave no trace” policy. Camping might be further restricted in areas where it could cause

Visit Missouri's Old Jail Museums

Planning Your Trip

Winter weather might keep you away in the cold months, but spring, summer, and fall bring adventure opportunities. Plan for seasonal challenges, like mosquitoes and humidity. Your first stop in organizing is a stop at the Ozark Trail Association web site (www.ozarktrail.com). At the top of the page is a Planner. This function allows a visitor to select an activity

From left: A collard lizard suns itself on the trail. A Middle Fork section biker enjoys the shade. Hikers enjoy the trail near Trace Creek.

environmental damage or due to private land restrictions. Research sections before you go. Only two-thirds of the trail allows biking and horseback riding.

By Foot

Whether it’s a day trip or a multi-day trek, suggested trail sections, of which there are thirteen presently, vary in length from eight to forty miles. For easier reference, the trail is composed of sections, which are measured by access points, some of which connect to other sections. Some gaps still exist, but using the OTA’s planner can calculate point-to-point treks or loops up to forty-five miles at a stretch. Again, calculate your trip in advance. Various trail sections may be incomplete. For those sure-footed adventurers who want a multiple-day experience, more than two hundred miles of continuous trail begins near Onondaga Cave in Crawford County and snakes to Eleven Point River in Oregon County.

By Bike

The North Middle Fork section (north half of Middle Fork section, trailhead at Route J) is considered one of the best single-track rides in the Ozarks. Recommended for novice mountain biking, its maximum climb grades reach only 10 percent, so climbs aren’t so arduous.

MIKE MCARTHY; THIS PAGE AND OPPOSITE: COURTESY OF OZARK TRAIL ASSOCIATION/SCOTT AVETTA

Carving a Path

[80] MissouriLife

ML0608_Ozarktrail_v1 Copy.indd 80

4/28/08 5:03:07 PM


localsecrets

Ozark Streams Provide a Way to Beat the Heat

Summers in the Ozarks offer plenty of opportuni-

ties to appreciate the unique landscape that makes up this area. With deep valleys, high bluffs, and indigenous wildlife that can be viewed from a canoe, one of the best ways to experience the Ozarks is from the river. But the scenery isn’t the only appeal to the crystal-clear waterways winding through this region. Most of these spring-fed wonders stay at or below a cool sixty-five degrees Fahrenheit, offering the perfect escape from the ever-present Ozark summer heat. Walking along a cool spring that feeds any of these streams will prickle your skin and enliven your senses with a feeling of exuberance. Many of these streams are more secluded than the more popular waterways, so you may find yourself alone in what feels like uncharted territory. Untouched areas provide a sense of peacefulness and wellbeing that can be found in the quiet serenity of nature. Three such streams are highlighted below, but they are just few of many.

[84] MissouriLife

ML0608_OzarkStream_v1.indd 84

4/28/08 5:23:30 PM


Some outfitters provide camping and canoeing opportunities, while others just service customers with canoes. Each outfitter will outfit the canoeist with a canoe, a life jacket, a mesh trash bag, and paddles. Canoeists are allowed to bring coolers, but no glass bottles are allowed. Bring something to strap loose articles down.

Beaver Creek

Beaver Canoe Rental Ava 417-796-2336

www.beavercanoerental.com

Bryant Creek

Riverside Canoe Rental Caulfield 417-284-3043 www.riversidecanoe.com

Dawt Mill Tecumseh 888-884-3298 www.dawtmill.com

Twin Bridges Canoe & Campground, Inc. West Plains 417-256-7507 www.twinbridgescanoe.com

Jacks Fork

Windy’s Canoe Rental Eminence 573-226-3404 www.windyscanoe.com

Akers Ferry Canoe Rental Eminence 800-522-5736 www.currentrivercanoe.com/jfrinfo.html

Harvey’s Alley Spring Canoe Rental Eminence 888-96-FLOAT www.harveysalleyspring.com

walking in the ice-cold water to find the origin is required. Don’t be surprised when all that hard work leads to a dead end, as many of them spring forth from the ground. For fishermen, the upper Bryant may offer better fishing, but the lower stretches offer action as well. Whether fly-fishing or spinning, several types of fish await, including smallmouth, rock bass, and bluegill. It’s possible to catch a stray trout that has traveled from the Rainbow Trout and Game Ranch located at Rockbridge or from the North Fork of the White, which has wild trout. May and June are excellent times for smallmouth fishing when these fish travel from Norfork Lake for their annual spawn. For those looking for a little adventure along a relatively calm stream, there is a section of white-water rapids created by an underwater ledge on the North Fork of the White just above the Tecumseh take-out point. Bryant Creek floaters can use the upstream eddy, which runs along the edge of the ledge and carries the water above the ledge, located where these two streams converge, to access the rapids.

upperjacksfork

The upper portion of the Jacks Fork River, a tributary of the Current River, is a Class I to Class II float in the spring. While many people have floated the more popular stretch below Alley Spring, Missouri’s fifteenth largest spring, the portion above this area runs as wild and deep as it did one hundred years ago. While Alley Spring might be the largest spring along this river, several smaller springs feed the crystal clear waters of the upper Jacks. Aptly named, Blue Spring, which can also be accessed from Route OO near Teresita, is a popular “watering hole” with locals. The spring exits from the bottom of a shallow cave and is easily accessible by canoe. For those who enjoy exploring caves, Jam Up Cave is only accessible by river. Easily missed because of huge boulders that hide the entrance, this cave reaches upward of eighty feet or more. Carved by a creek that exits into the Jacks Fork, the cave offers a challenge and requires shoes with good traction. The climb over and under the large boulders is well worth the trouble, as a pool of water with a small, sandy beach sits in

the farther stretches. Take a flashlight to view the pool and the small waterfall that pours through an opening in the cave’s roof. Further downstream, Ebb and Flow Spring is deserving of its name. It lives by its own rules and is unpredictable at best. Springs are not the only sights to behold along the upper Jacks Fork. Meeting House Cave, said to be used by guerrillas as a meeting place during the Civil War, is one such natural attraction. This stretch is also home to Bee Bluff, Chalk Bluff, and Fish Trap Hole, with huge bluffs, several springs, and some of the best smallmouth fishing in the Ozarks. Several outfitters service this stretch of stream. Camping is available along the upper reaches, but these sites do not have canoe services and most, such as Rymers Access, are primitive. Many canoeing enthusiasts use these campsites as a place to stay for the night before loading up their canoes to continue down to Alley Spring the next day. For those looking to experience the wilderness of the upper Jacks while also being able to take out at their destination, Alley Spring has more accommodating camping with bathrooms, showers, and electrical hookups. Beaver Creek, Bryant Creek, and the Upper Jacks Fork River are not the only untapped waterways in the Ozarks. Many beautiful rivers, streams, and creeks are waiting to be traveled, including the following: n Shoal Creek near Joplin is known for its fast, rocky riffles and falls. n Swan Creek near Bradleyville offers great smallmouth fly-fishing opportunities and, after a hard rain, offers some of the best white water in the region. n James River above Springfield Lake is a great day float with clear water, easy access points, and good fishing. n Flat Creek, which flows into Table Rock Lake near Jenkins, has been relatively untouched and offers great floating, even in the winter. n North Fork of the White has gained in popularity, but sections of land on each side are privately owned, so fewer crowds are possible. Whether you’ve canoed over the course of a lifetime or you’re new to the sport, paddling any of these rivers and streams is sure to steal your heart.

courtesy of missouri division of tourism

outfitters

[88] MissouriLife

ML0608_OzarkStream_v1.indd 88

4/28/08 5:25:18 PM


Friendly Owners ! & Staff “Butterfield Gardens is a unique concept for active adults over 55 years old. It is one of Missouri’s fully planned active lifestyle and gated communities built specifically to cater to the active adult over 55 years old.”

So Mucho Do! t

That statement came from Governor Matt Blunt in a recent visit to Farmington, a wonderful Missouri town nestled in the Ozark’s premier vacation country. This pristine community is surrounded by 13 of Missouri’s most awesome state parks, including Elephant Rocks and Taum Sauk, four golf courses, six wineries, and it’s only a short hour drive on four lane 67 Highway from St. Louis. Nearby are the towns of Ste. Genevieve and Cape Girardeau. Butterfield Gardens offers a complete array of home plans in very modest price ranges starting at about $150,000. Each home is built to exact specification for comfort, security and healthy living. This includes handicap accessibility, lots of natural light and very low maintenance living. Owners of Butterfield Gardens, brothers Bret and Matt Burgess, saw a unique opportunity when this tract of land came up for sale. “This ground was actually the first rose nursery in the state of Missouri,” explains Bret. “The Butterfield family started this over 100 years ago, and their name became synonymous with the development and production of quality and unique roses.” And the Butterfield legacy has been preserved and incorporated into the planning and development of Butterfield Gardens. For starters, the historic log house has been immaculately renovated into the Community Center Clubhouse for Butterfield Gardens. Chris Engler, who acts as the social director for the community, says, “We have events here all the time. It is such a great place to gather and play games, watch special events like the Super Bowl and Kentucky Derby. In addition, residents don’t have to worry about driving. If they prefer, we have our own shuttle service. And we are on the go constantly,” Chris says. “We have so much fun here. Everyone just loves it!” Chris says, “Everyone here is completely on their own, but we check in on you to make sure you know about our social activities that are coming up.” “What we have here is our own town within the town of Farmington,” Bret says. “We want all our residents to enjoy life to its fullest, and that’s why we put so much emphasis on the fact that we are a complete active lifestyle community.”

Easy Living!

200 Butterfield Drive • Farmington, MO 63640 573-747-0428 ButterfieldGarden0608.indd 1

4/28/08 11:49:41 AM


Waverly Historic Civil War Festival June 28-29

Capturing the S.S. Sunshine on Saturday by Confederate units led by General J.O. Shelby and the return of goods through Union seige on Sunday. Based on true, living history events. Located on the streets and wharf of Waverly, MO. For more information visit www.waverlyarts.org

Filling Leisure Hours: Essays from the Missouri Historical Review, 1906-2006 Edited and with an introduction by Alan R. Havig, professor emeritus of history and archivist at Stephens College, Columbia This 278-page anthology contains thirteen articles that highlight the various ways Missourians have spent time away from the workaday world. The book provides a great escape for anyone seeking opportunities to relax!

The State Historical Society of Missouri To order a copy, call the Society at 800-747-6366 or visit shs.umsystem.edu.

Support provided by Missouri Humanity Council

+ĒĞĖĤ $Ä ÄŚÄ&#x;ÄĽÄŁÄŞ .ĖģĔĒÄ&#x;ÄĽÄšÄ?Ä–

/ .BJO -JCFSUZ .0 t t 'BY XXX KBNFTDPVOUSZ DPN t KBNFTDOUSZ!BPM DPN

$BSSZJOH B $0.1-&5& -*/& PG $JWJM 8BS -JWJOH )JTUPSZ /FFET GPS -BEJFT (FOUMFNFO $JWJMJBO .JMJUBSZ

'&"563*/(

1BUUFSOT t 8FBQPOT t "DDFTTPSJFT t 3FTFBSDI 0VS 4QFDJBMUZ ‰ 5IF #03%&3 8"34

(& .& 5IF /" % 41 IPN 0 5IF #&45 JO )JTUPSJDBM "DDVSBDZ 6/ F P 53 *"5& 1" G 1" 5 5 %Ä Ä”ÄŚÄžÄ–Ä&#x;ÄĽÄ’ÄĽÄšÄ Ä&#x; t 7Ä’Ä?ÄŚÄ– t 4Ä–ģħĚĔĖ 63 3&$ &3 :0 "11 /4 * 4

)0

Every War Has a

Beginning

Missouri saw the first Civil War battle, was the site of more battles than all but two other states, and saw some of the most vicious guerrilla action along our border with Kansas before the war ever began. For novices and Civil War buffs alike, The Civil War’s First Blood: Missouri, 1854-1861 outlines in great detail Missouri’s role early in the war from the first battle at Boonville to the battles at Carthage, Wilson’s Creek, Athens, Lexington, and Belmont, all in 1861. The authors introduce all of the early Missouri Civil War figures, such as Nathaniel Lyon, Sterling Price, and a young Ulysses S. Grant through 143 photographs and illustrations.

By James Denny and John Bradbury Missouri Life, Inc., 144 pages, 143 illustrations, softcover, $29.95 plus $2.24 tax, $7.50 shipping & handling. To order, call 800-492-2593 or visit MissouriLife.com. [91] June 2008

AD 91

4/24/08 7:03:11 PM


Civil War Series

FLAMBOYANT &FABLED

With a black plume flaring from his soft felt cavalry hat, J.O. Shelby, referred to as one of the best cavalry generals of the South, took part in every major in the war, reached the rank of brigadier general, and did not give up. Ever. Joseph Orville Shelby was born in Kentucky in 1830 and attended Transylvania University there, the same school Confederate President Jefferson Davis had attended twenty years earlier. Shelby later manufactured rope at

Lexington, Kentucky, before moving to Missouri in 1852, settling first at Berlin and then at Waverly, where he became a manufacturer of rope and a planter. He led pro-Southern forces during the Kansas-Missouri border

By Chuck Lyons

troubles, and when the Civil War broke out, thirty-year-old Shelby refused a Union commission and entered the Missouri State Guard as a captain of Confederate cavalry. Known for his flamboyant language as

STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF MISSOURI AT COLUMBIA

campaign in Arkansas and Missouri after 1861, led the longest cavalry raid

[92] MissouriLife

CIVIL WAR 92

4/24/08 10:36:57 PM


well as his flamboyant appearance and behavior, Shelby once described a successful raid as ending with his men “driving frightened Federals before them like chaff before the winds of heaven.” Without any military training, Shelby fought at Carthage and at Wilson’s Creek, near Springfield, in August 1861; led a cavalry brigade in the Confederate defeat at Prairie Hill; fought at Pea Ridge; and returned to Missouri, where he raised one thousand men in four days at Waverly, a company that became the core of his unit and the 4th Missouri Cavalry. Joined with other units, it formed the Missouri Brigade, nicknamed the “Iron Brigade of the West,” a twenty-five-hundred-man troop. The men of the Iron Brigade, though undisciplined by military standards, wore red sumac in their hats and fought Indian style, keeping themselves supplied through harassing raids deep behind enemy lines. Shelby fought in every Missouri and Arkansas campaign, earned the rank of colonel in June 1862, and was wounded in July 1863 in his sword arm. A month shy of his thirty-third birthday and despite his unhealed wound, Shelby led his men on the longest cavalry raid of the war between September and November 1863 when they rode fifteen hundred miles in forty-one days, raised the Confederate flag over the Missouri statehouse at Jefferson City, tore up track of the Missouri-Pacific railroad at Tipton, inflicted some one thousand Union casualties, and destroyed an estimated two million dollars worth of Union property. During the raid, Shelby’s command suffered 150 casualties but had been joined by so many recruits that he returned with more than twice as many men as he had started with—and with forty stands of captured Union colors. In late 1864, Shelby and his men fought alongside Maj. Gen. Sterling Price when Price led twelve thousand ill-equipped men and fourteen pieces of artillery north from Camden, Arkansas, on an unsuccessful raid into Missouri. The raid again reached as far as the Missouri River before being turned back by Federal forces at Westport near the Kansas border. Price and his men retreated South, with Shelby and a regiment of cavalry protecting his retreat by fighting numerous rear guard actions—including house-to-house fighting at

Independence and a cavalry charge against Union Gen. Alfred Pleasanton. Historians have credited Shelby with making Price’s escape possible. Price nonetheless lost half his command, and his operation all but ended organized Confederate operations in the Trans-Mississippi, although guerrilla activity continued. In a report after that raid, Shelby with typical hyperbole—and incredible self-delusion— called the disastrous raid “a beacon-light of hope and help reared in the dark night of despotism and oppression.” And in his official report following the raid, Price wrote, “I consider (Shelby) the best cavalry officer I ever saw,” ironically echoing the statements made by Union General Pleasanton. With the war winding to a close in 1865 as Gens. Robert E. Lee and Joseph Johnston surrendered in April and Gens. Richard Taylor and Kirby Smith were about to surrender in May, a clandestine meeting of officers, including Shelby and Magruder, was held at Shreveport, Louisiana. These officers were determined to fight until the end and to overthrow Kirby Smith, commander of the Trans-Mississippi Department, to maintain the struggle. Smith, however, became aware of the plan and let the cabal know that they would have to kill him to take his command, a reaction that seemed to undermine their determination, and the conspiracy was abandoned. Shelby realized it was too late to continue fighting and, vowing he would never surrender, led some two hundred of his veterans from their camps near Shreveport in late May and marched south through Waco, Austin, and San Antonio, Texas, which they found to be towns full of “fugitive generals … fugitive senators and fugitive governors and fugitive desperadoes as well.” The desperadoes had taken over the towns and were carousing in the old-fashioned way—drinking French wines, looting shops, and sacking and burning a commissary train. The chaos at the end of the war was in full flower. It was in this atmosphere that Shelby’s column moved south, picking up recruits and refugees as they traveled—including former Confederate Gens. John Magruder, Kirby Smith, and Sterling Price as well as Texas Gov. Pendleton Murrah. At five hundred men, the group paused to weigh Shelby’s battle flags

down with stones and sink them in the Rio Grande before crossing into Mexico, an incident that has become known as the “Grave of the Confederacy.” Kirby Smith, wearing a calico shirt and a silk scarf around his neck and riding a mule with a revolver in his belt and a shotgun across his saddle, led the way. Many of the dignitaries who had joined Shelby left him in Monterrey, scattering to Brazil, Cuba, and the like, while Shelby and his remaining troopers continued on to Mexico City, where they offered their services to Emperor Maxmilian in his continuing struggle with the rebel Benito Juarez. Politically savvy enough to refuse their military aid, Maxmilian instead offered the men land near Vera Cruz. Shelby and some of his followers accepted the offer and began farming in a settlement they called Carlota in honor of the Mexican empress. But when Maxmilian fell in 1867 and faced a firing squad, Shelby returned to Missouri where he farmed until his death in 1897. Shelby also served as a U.S. Marshal for Missouri’s western district for the last four years of his life. He is buried in Forest Hill Cemetery at Kansas City but not forgotten at Waverly where he resided for thirty years. In addition to its walking tour and its annual Civil War Festival, the city, which also calls itself the Apple Capital of Missouri, soon will be remembering its local hero with the dedication of J.O. Shelby Park, which will contain the only statue of J.O. Shelby in the country.

Civil War Festival Waverly’s festival, June 28-29, will headline a re-telling of the story of the U.S. Sunshine, a 354-ton Union side-wheeler that was heading up the Missouri River to Kansas when it was captured by Shelby and his men in September 1861. Also taking place will be the annual muster of the J.O. Shelby Iron Brigade Association as well as a few secessionist speakers, some military drills, and what is being billed as “the usual 1861 fare.”

[93] June 2008

CIVIL WAR 93

4/24/08 10:39:04 PM


U RIe YoPuRShoOuldFIKnLowE MmaISrkaSO ble Peopl Re

LAST MAN STANDING

WHAT A STRANGE and unique coincidence that both Harry Richard Landis, 108, of Sun City Center, Florida, and Frank Woodruff Buckles of Charles Town, West Virginia, who turned 107 in February, the last two U.S. veterans of World War I, were born in Missouri, the state that also produced two of the most iconic characters of the war, Harry S. Truman and John Pershing. Sadly, Harry Landis passed away on February 4, leaving Frank as the living legacy of the millions of U.S. citizens who made up the military might of our country in the Great War. A little more than a decade ago, the United States had approximately sixty-eight hundred World War I survivors, with Missouri claiming about two hundred. Frank Woodruff Buckles was born in Harrison County, a few miles south of Bethany, on February 1, 1901. His birthplace was about fifty miles from the rural Laclede childhood home of Gen. John Pershing, commander of all U.S. forces in Europe in World War I. Moving later to the small community of Coffey in Daviess County where Frank started school, the Buckles family then bought a farm in Vernon County near Walker in 1910. At Walker, Frank was only twenty-five miles from Lamar, birthplace of Harry S. Truman. Frank attended school in the Walker District until December of 1916, his sophomore year, at which time the family made another move. Oakwood, Oklahoma, then with a population of about three hundred, became the new home for the Buckles clan. During the move, Frank escorted a boxcar load of draft horses and farm equipment, riding in the boxcar with the horses. Frank attended school and worked at a bank in Oakwood until the summer of 1917. The United States had entered the European conflict in April, and the ambitious, patriotic Frank Buckles did not intend to miss out on the adventure. After a series of failed attempts to join the Marines and Navy, the determined sixteen-year-old was able to squeak past the scrutiny of the U.S. Army recruiting office at Oklahoma City and enlist on August 14, 1917. Until this time, Frank Woodruff Buckles was known only by his birth name, Wood Buckles. He meshed his name with that of a relative, Frank Woodruff, to satisfy the U.S. Army’s requirement of three names for each soldier. An old sergeant advised that the fastest way to the action in France was in the Army Ambulance Service, so Frank signed up and was sent to Fort Riley in Kansas for training in Ambulance Service and Trench Retrieval. His 102-man unit was titled the First Fort Riley Casual Detachment. They set sail for Europe from Hoboken, New Jersey, in December 1917, aboard the HMS Carpathia, the ship that sailed to the rescue of the White Star Liner Titanic’s survivors in 1912. Several who

By Mike Shores

had participated in the rescue were still aboard the Carpathia. The unit was eventually based near Winchester, England, where Frank served as a driver for an ambulance as well as for visiting dignitaries. Frank finally garnered the opportunity he coveted when he was assigned to escort an officer to France. Once there, he was given various assignments at several locations in the war-torn country. After the Armistice on November 11, 1918, he was assigned to a POW escort company, whose job it was to return German prisoners back to their homeland. He returned home in January 1920 on the USS Pocahontas. After business school and a postal job, he was hired by the White Star Line Steamship Company at Toronto, Canada, as well as the Great NorthWest Telegraph Company. In 1921, he took a position with the prestigious Bankers Trust Company at Fifth Avenue and Forty-Second Street at New York City. He eventually returned to the shipping business, working several years with passenger and cargo ships around South America. In 1940, a new shipping position took him to Manila in the Philippines. Unfortunately, the Japanese invaded in December 1941. As a result, Frank was held prisoner for three and one-half years, first at the Santo Tomas prison camp and then the Los Baños prison. He and his fellow prisoners were rescued in a daring raid on February 23, 1945, by the U.S. 11th Airborne Division. Frank married in 1946 and eventually moved back to the area near Charles Town, West Virginia, where his ancestors settled in the 1730s. His wife, Audrey, passed away in 1999, but Frank still helps manage his 330-acre cattle farm with his daughter and son-in-law. For a man of 107 years, Frank still has a very sharp mind and memory. He enjoys discussing events in his life and answering his mail. While Frank has led a full life, he still enjoys each day as it comes. In our cell phone and computer age of jet travel and space shuttles, it is difficult to imagine the different world Frank Woodruff Buckles grew up in, being born two years before the Wright brothers’ first flight at Kitty Hawk. It is hard to grasp the thoughts of a man who crossed the Atlantic with rescuers of the Titanic survivors and conversed with World War I German prisoners as they trekked toward their homeland across the muddy, alien moonscape of 1918 France. Frank, and others like him who came from rural Missouri, made unimaginable contributions and sacrifices that they willingly gave toward a noble cause. From top left: Frank Buckles attended a reception for Gen. John Pershing at the Skirvin Hotel in Oklahoma City in 1920. Frank enlisted at sixteen and was stationed in Ft. Riley, Kansas. He was awarded the medal of French Legion of Honor in 1999. In 1917, Frank shipped out to England aboard the Carpathia, the same ship that rescued stranded survivors of the Titanic.

COURTESY OF FRANK WOODRUFF BUCKLES

H A R R I S O N C O U N T Y N AT I V E I S T H E L A S T W O R L D W A R I U . S . V E T E R A N |

[94] MissouriLife

PROFILE 94

4/24/08 5:20:38 PM


Ten Years There WeAgo, 6,800.r足 e Today, There Is Only On e.

[95] June 2008

PROFILE 95

4/24/08 5:21:16 PM


TASTEFU L TRAVELER Our Un ique Culinary Culture

THE “NEW”

ORGANIC

C E L E B R AT E R E G I O N A L F L A V O R S B Y E AT I N G L O C A L F O O D S |

KELLY CLINE

I DECIDED TO TEST the idea of eating local in the winter, when farmers’ markets are closed. After two weeks, I said “uncle.” But I was pleasantly surprised by the possibilities, and with a little more planning in the summer when produce is plentiful, it can be done. Some say, as a nation, America has food issues. Grocery stores have shelves full of diet products and aisles devoted to chips and dips, freezers with healthy meals perfectly portioned to lose weight next to full-fat ice cream. Product messages in these aisles always have exclamation points. It is apparently exciting to eat new and larger-sized versions of foods. Peering down rows of canned tomatoes, beans, soups, packages of cereal, and salad dressing bottles, I find myself ready to remember what fresh foods, grown in my yard or nearby, taste like. I want a taste of home. This sentiment is shared when children want Aunt Susie’s apple pie or Grandma’s jam or sip the nectar off a honeysuckle flower in the backyard. There is power in this connection—power in the deep traditions of region, in its songs, and stories, and yes, its foods. Just what are the flavors of Missouri, and significantly, can they be found year-round? I wanted to see if I could eat locally in the winter, without the aid of farmers’ markets and fresh produce from our gardens. There’s an old saying that digestion begins

in the kitchen (coined before our modern food system), but Jean-Francois Revel’s response in Culture and Cuisine is, “No—it begins in the garden, in the fields, in the poultry yard.” I learned much about the bounty of Missouri fields, even in February. I was pleasantly surprised that Missouri farms provided me with dried beans—both black and pinto—and rice. I was relieved to learn of the Marco Polo exemption for food products traded for centuries. Localvores accept buying these items, like imported coffee beans, roasted locally. That still supports community vendors. However, after two weeks of eating local, I found I needed the bulk-bin world of grains and lentils; I craved the leafy promise of spinach, of fresh green beans, squash, and tomatoes, available in the colorful produce sections of grocery stores all winter. Fostering the idea of Missouri bounty, Elizabeth Barham of the University of Missouri Department of Rural Sociology with the Mississippi River Hills launched the Missouri Regional Cuisines Project in 2003 as a pilot region. The pilot area runs along the Mississippi River encompassing Ste. Genevieve south through Cape Girardeau.

By Nina Furstenau

Labels of origin for winemakers, vegetables, fruit, cheese, and meat producers work well in Europe, and the Missouri Regional Cuisines Project promotes the link between distinct landscapes and flavors. A local farmers’ market was not an option for me until a full week into my own personal food challenge. Then, I was delighted to discover the City Market at Fifth and Walnut in downtown Kansas City opened on March 1. I had not prepared last fall by freezing sliced local peaches, or apples, or fresh spinach, or by canning tomatoes. I quickly acknowledge a simple life takes planning. There is a growing food divide in the country. Mega food suppliers have gone after the 25 percent (some sources say 50 percent) of consumers willing to pay a premium for pesticide-free foods. This, of course, causes concern and more murmuring among the small organic producers. Big organic firms use the same industrial-sized farming and long-distance shipping methods as conventional agribusiness. Thus the divide: “Local” is the new “organic.” And, in fact, “local,” far from being radical, is the oldest way to eat, as well as the most diverse. I trend toward older varieties of foods

There Is Power in the Deep Traditions of a Region, in its Songs, Stories, and its Foods.

[97] June 2008

TastefulTravel Copy.indd 97

4/28/08 2:08:16 PM


TASTEFUL TRAVELER

You Can Buy Food from ow People YouurKi’ns at Misso ity 29 Commund Supporte Farms.

anyway, coming to us as they do like a shoulder squeeze from the past. Today, varieties of foods have been whittled down by large agribusiness, chosen for characteristics like tough skin to handle shipping and better appearance for longer time on a shelf and for an ability to ripen simultaneously with thousands of others planted at the same time. As you see at the grocery, only a few hybrids can pull this off. Seeds, however, and their constituent genetics are sifted from hundreds of years of human selection. Juicier pulp? Deep red color? Extra large size? Small and sweet? Grandma put-by her favorites, and they may provide needed varieties that will thrive in a changing climate. Most local farms grow a huge number of varieties to provide a long season of harvest instead of a long shelf life. Most local producers also select for an array of color and the best flavor, and they tend to avoid bioengineered foods.

Then, there is the idea that foods frozen or canned soon after harvest might actually have more nutrient value than some “fresh” produce that has been on a truck or a supermarket shelf for a week. David Kamp says in The United States of Arugula that there is much evidence that Americans enjoyed a range of flavorful food early in our history. Mary Randolph published The Virginia House-wife in 1824 with offerings ranging from polenta to that perfect salad with “lettuce, pepper grass, cherbil, cress,” which should be “gathered early in the morning, nicely picked” and served with a tarragon vinaigrette. Kamp lists President Jefferson’s record of produce available at Washington’s vegetable market during his presidency, 1801-1809: sorrel, broccoli, strawberries, peas, salsify, raspberries, Windsor beans, currants, endive, parsnips, tomatoes, melons, cresses. Today, local food aficionados are reclaiming our earlier food abundance.

Canned vegetables are one way to make winter and early spring menus “locally” possible.

A key part of the eat-local trend is Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farms. In Missouri there are twenty-nine listed farms, mostly centered in five regions: Kansas City area, Central Missouri, St. Louis area, Southwest, and West Central. It occurred to me as I scanned the CSA farms in the state that I have spoken with counter clerks at mall stores more over the years than to my food providers. To put a face on your food supply, sign up for membership and pick up fresh, local, chemical-free produce weekly for the season, typically twenty-five weeks starting in mid-May. The CSA crop list in Missouri is broad and varied: asparagus, arugula, beets, broccoli, carrots, mesclun, cilantro, snap peas, mustard greens, radishes, bok choy spinach, kale, collards, celery, leeks, lettuce, turnips, Swiss chard, fennel, scallions, potatoes, onions, cucumbers, zucchini, peppers, summer squash, cantaloupe, green beans, roma beans, heirloom tomatoes, shell

ELENA RAY

ML

[98] MissouriLife

TastefulTravel Copy.indd 98

4/28/08 5:41:42 PM


Slow Food There are three slow food groups in Missouri. Italian journalist Carlo Petrini organized a protest against the building of a McDonald’s at the Spanish Steps in Rome in 1986, and the Slow Food movement began. The unrushed group rallied against the increasing homogenization of the world’s food and against fast-food culture. The movement has grown to 850 chapters worldwide, including Slow Food Kansas City, Slow Food St. Louis, and Slow Food Katy Trail, Columbia, in Missouri. Slow Food groups aim to remind us that food should be about pleasure, not convenience. They celebrate regional food traditions, heirloom fruits and vegetables, artisan foods, and the biodiversity of the world’s food supply. Slow Food memberships ($60-$75, $30 for students) are available at www.slowfoodusa.org. Benefits include subscriptions to a magazine and a quarterly newsletter.

beans, cherry tomatoes, eggplant, okra, pumpkins, winter squash, strawberries, and more. Your CSA might also offer cut flowers, herbs, eggs, free-range chicken, and mushrooms. Pierpont Farms at Columbia offers memberships for thirty dollars a week for full shares for a twenty-five week season. Milsap Farms at Springfield offers full-share membership for eighteen dollars a week for twenty-five weeks, and Herb ’n Gardener at Kansas City offers fullshare memberships for not quite sixteen dollars a week for twenty-two weeks. Some farms offer partial-share memberships, too. Some farms are also building new greenhouse-type structures that stretch the greenleafy, eat-local season into winter. Many CSA farmers appear at local farmers’ markets as well, so if you’re not a member, you can still get a taste of produce grown locally. Local producers, in addition to providing variety and freshness, are good for taxes. According to Georgia Organics, a group dedicated to local foods, sustainable farms, and

health, farms contribute more in taxes than they require in services. On average, for every dollar in revenue raised by residential development, governments must spend $1.17 on services, thus requiring higher taxes of all taxpayers. For each dollar of revenue raised by farm, forest, or open space, governments spend only thirty-four cents on services. Next, put a check mark by the economy: Eating local supports local farm families. Less than ten cents of the retail food dollar goes to the farmer in conventional agribusiness, whereas buying locally gives the full return to the family that produced the food. Plus, food purchased locally builds community and the time-honored connections to the people who work so hard to feed us. Locally raised food also preserves the open space we all like to have near, benefits wildlife, supports a clean environment by absorption of carbon emissions, and promotes fertile soil and clean water. It ensures that there will be farms in our communities in the future. Plants selected to grow well in local conditions create a regional food flavor—distinctions you can taste easily in Italy with regions of the country known for special sauce flavors, or in France with its distinctive wine regions. I long for this connection in my Missouri kitchen. And yet, there is that Fuji apple. It has had a journey of epic proportions to get into my grocery cart in February. What about the cost of the oil to transport it to my table, the average fifteen hundred miles it takes

before it reaches my dinner plate, the strain on the nutrient value and taste of the fruit because it was picked early, vacuum packed, and freighted? In fact, the American food system itself is in question because of that apple. With such weighty matters in the balance, I find myself more contemplative of fresh foods. When local is not available, I choose organic at the grocery store. I choose small farmers over large agribusiness. Food tastes better, even with the compromises and limited vegetable options of late winter in Missouri. I find the cost of this privilege about the same for most items, milk and cheese as worthwhile exceptions, as small-dairy, locally produced milk and cheese taste better to me. All this reinforces the notion that food is more about culture than it is about cooking, and that there is magic in the unrushed meal. David Kamp says the buzz term du jour, “sustainable’’ can be trying, but we’re getting somewhere. Chefs are celebrities, and farmers might yet be as well. In this food milieu, the best bet seems to be an old one: Protect your turf and eat local. As Gary Paul Nabhan says in Coming Home to Eat, love the flavor of where you live. For more information, visit extension.missouri. edu/cuisines/ for the Missouri Regional Cuisines project, localharvest.org or foodcircles.missouri/ csa.htm for Community Supported Agriculture farms, www.agrimissouri.com/buyersguide.html, and agebb.missouri.edu/fmktdire/index.htm for a Missouri farmers’ market directory.

[100] MissouriLife

TastefulTravel Copy.indd 100

4/28/08 1:33:44 PM


www.mobeef.org [101] June 2008

AD 101

4/18/08 7:14:28 PM


MISSOU RI RECIPES

– Missouri MissouriLife Life –

From The Vegetarian Epicure by Anna Thomas, 1972

Vegetable Crepes

Gourmet Baked Trout

(I used non-local oil, green peppers, flour, spices, and tomatoes. I used Harrisburg Goatsbeard Farm Walloon cheese and skipped the onions and scallions.) Original Recipe: 3 tablespoons olive oil ¾ cup onion, chopped ¾ cup scallions, chopped 2 cloves garlic, pressed 1-1/2 cups green pepper, diced 2 cups tomatoes, peeled and diced 1 teaspoon basil, crushed 2 teaspoons parsley, crushed Salt and black pepper to taste 1/3 cup milk 1/3 cup flour 2 eggs 1 tablespoon butter, melted 3 ounces Swiss or Gruyere cheese, grated 2 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated

– MissouriLife –

From Emeril’s New Orleans Cooking by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch, 1993

Black Beans & Rice (I adapted Emeril’s Red Bean Sauce recipe to Black Beans and Rice to fit available Missouri products. I used non-local spices, onions, and green chilies and skipped the jalapeño peppers. I substituted Hillsboro’s Bellews Creek Farm black beans and served the sauce over Jasmine rice from Martin Rice Co. at Bernie.) Original Recipe: 1 tablespoon olive oil 1/3 cup onion, chopped 2 teaspoons jalapeño peppers, seeded and minced 2 bay leaves 1 cup dried red kidney beans, soaked overnight and drained ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped 4 cups chicken stock 1 teaspoon salt Ground black pepper Directions: Heat the oil in a saucepan over high heat. When the oil is hot, add the onions and jalapeños and sauté for 1 minute. Add the bay leaves, beans, and cilantro and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the beans are tender, for about 2 hours. Stir in the salt and pepper and simmer for 5 minutes. Serve immediately, or store, refrigerated, in an airtight container for 2 days. Reheat in saucepan over low flame. Serves 2 to 4.

– MissouriLife –

From Sassafras! Ozarks Cookbook Junior League of Springfield, Missouri, Inc., 1985

Gourmet Baked Trout (I used non-local parsley and skipped the shallots. Pinot Noir from Crown Valley Winery in Ste. Genevieve worked well with the trout.) Original Recipe: 2 10-ounce trout, cleaned Salt and pepper to taste 4 tablespoons butter, softened 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, minced 1 tablespoon shallot, minced ¼ cup dry white wine or vermouth Lemon and fresh parsley for garnish Directions: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Sprinkle trout with salt and pepper. Combine butter, parsley, shallot, and salt and pepper to taste. Spread mixture in cavity of trout. Place fish in a shallow baking dish just large enough to hold them. Pour wine around fish and cover loosely with buttered wax paper and foil. Bake 20 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork. To serve, spoon pan juices over fish. Garnish each with lemon slices and parsley. Serves 2 to 4.

Vegetable Crepes

ANDREW BARTON

Black Beans & Rice

Directions: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet and sauté the onion, scallions, garlic, and green pepper in it until the onion is transparent. Add the tomatoes and increase the heat. Stir in the herbs, and salt and pepper to taste, and continue cooking and stirring until the water from the tomatoes is nearly evaporated. Correct the seasoning and remove from the heat. Blend together batter ingredients: the milk, flour, eggs, butter, and a little salt. Put the batter aside for about ½ hour. When the vegetable mixture has cooled, stir in the batter. Melt some butter in a heavy-bottomed skillet and pour out a little less than ¼ cup of batter for each crepe. Fry both sides to a golden brown. Arrange the crepes on cookie sheets and sprinkle a heaping tablespoon of the mixed grated cheeses on each. If crepes are still warm, pop them under the broiler for a few minutes. If they have been allowed to cool, place them in a 350-degree oven for about 7 or 8 minutes. Serves 4 to 5.

[102] MissouriLife

TastefulTravel Copy.indd 102

4/28/08 1:30:13 PM


tasty food and fun destinations Visit the AgriMissouri Buyer’s Guide to ďŹ nd local foods and destinations www.agrimissouri.com • 1-866-466-8283

Ozark Pickle Pantry

Found at Danna’s BBQ 15 Hope Way Branson West, MO 65737 417-332-0046

Home of the GOURMET PICKLE!

Ingredients: JalapeĂąos, sugar, spices. Net Wt. 10 oz., 280 ml

Handmade in the heart of the Ozarks.

Romano Cheese Dressing from an Original Family Recipe. A St. Louis Tradition & Fancy Food Show Award Winner. The Dressing for People Who Make Their Own! Tucker Food Products, Inc. P.O.Box 16072, St Louis, MO 63105-0772

1-800-827-0778 • www.vivienne.com e-mail: ttucker@vivienne.com

Five varieties of award-winning crisp, gourmet avored pickles just like Grandma used to make!

53$! $RY !GED 'RASS &ED "EEF 3INCE

$FMFTUJBM #PEZ /BUVSBM "SUT

ĂŠ{ĂŠ ÂœĂ?ĂŠĂ“xĂŽĂŠ

ÂœÂ˜ÂˆÂŤÂ…>˜]ĂŠ "ĂŠĂŠĂˆĂŽÂ™ĂŽx

www.ozarkpicklepantry.com

1-573-873-5483

ÂœĂ€ĂŠÂ“ÂœĂ€iĂŠÂˆÂ˜vÂœĂ€Â“>ĂŒÂˆÂœÂ˜ĂŠVÂœÂ˜ĂŒ>VĂŒĂŠĂ•ĂƒĂŠ>ĂŒ\ VĂ•ĂƒĂŒÂœÂ“iĂ€ĂƒiĂ€Ă›ÂˆViJ>“iĂ€ÂˆV>˜}Ă€>ĂƒĂƒvi`Liiv°Vœ“ ĂŠĂœĂœĂœ°>“iĂ€ÂˆV>˜}Ă€>ĂƒĂƒvi`Liiv°Vœ“ /ÂœÂ?Â?ĂŠ Ă€iiʇÊnĂˆĂˆÂ‡Ă“xx‡xääĂ“ĂŠUĂŠ ÂœV>Â?ĂŠxĂ‡ĂŽÂ‡Â™Â™ĂˆÂ‡ĂŽĂ‡ÂŁĂˆ

Where quality goes in before our name goes on!

State & National Champion Smoked Meats & Sausages Br at enthus wurst i apprec asts will iate ou r 49 var ieties!

"SPNBUIFSBQZ t /BUVSBM 4LJO $BSF 8FMMOFTT ÉŠ FSBQJFT t $MPUIFT BOE 5SFBTVSFT GSPN *OEJB

.BJO 4USFFU t #PPOWJMMF .0 t XXX DFMFTUJBMCPEZ DPN

MISSOURI MADE Village Hollow Gifts

;^Znmb_ne AZg]\Zko^] <Zg]e^l Zg] @b_ml

Located 12 miles south of Hermann on Highway 19.

1-800-793-SWISS

Order online at www.swissmeats.com

<hf^ pZm\a ZkmblZgl \Zko^ ma^ \Zg]e^ Zg] l^^ ma^ `ehp h_ ma^ \Zg]e^ labg^ makhn`a ma^ \Zkobg`l' Hbe&Ă– ee^] bgl^kml d^^i rhnk \Zg]e^ eho^er'

Eh\Zm^] Zm FZkd MpZbg <Zo^ <hfie^q Apr 02 Lhnma Â? AZggb[Ze% FH /,-)*

1))&.+0&),)-

ppp'fZkdmpZbg\Zo^'\hf Ăˆ ebgd mh \Zg]e^l

[103] June 2008

AD 103

4/21/08 9:51:51 AM


Pairing t‫ה‬

Possibilities 6 MISSOURI WINE TRAILS BLEND WINE, FOOD, AND FUN

ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR ways to visit wine country is via a wine trail, and Missouri has several. The trails offer a user-friendly way to explore wine areas, with tips on top sights and attractions in each area. Most wine trails sponsor special themed events throughout the year. Patty Held-Uthlaut of Stone Hill Winery at Hermann is the state’s wine trail diva. After hearing a presentation about wine trails at a national marketing conference several years ago, she came back charged up and ready to roll. She spearheaded the Hermann Wine Trail, and her presentations on the topic at industry conferences have helped launch several wine trails in Missouri and other states. “What’s really nice about the state’s wine trails,” Patty says, “is that they expose visitors to the wineries in our wine regions. We show them how versatile Missouri wines are by pairing the wines with foods. The wine trails have resulted in increased visits to the wineries throughout the year because people have such a good time during the trail events that they come back on their own.” Most of the trails have some sort of passport program, by which visitors get their passports stamped at each winery and can enter prize drawings.

GREG WOOD; COURTESY OF STONE HILL WINERY

By Barbara Gibbs Ostmann

[104] MissouriLife

AD 104

4/28/08 11:03:54 AM


Vignoles

A MISSOURI PAIRS WONDERFULLY Berry Streusel Bars WITH

AD 105

4/28/08 11:04:39 AM


Pairing t‫ה‬Possibilities Hermannhof Winery, Hermann 573-486-5959; www.hermannhof.com OakGlenn Vineyards & Winery, Hermann 573-486-5057; www.oakglenn.com Röbller Vineyard, New Haven 573-237-3986; www.robllerwines.com Stone Hill Winery, Hermann 573-486-2221; www.stonehillwinery.com

ROUTE DU VIN

Passports, or punch tickets, like this one from the Chocolate Wine Trail on the Hermann Wine Trail, are used at some events to enter prize drawings.

HERMANN WINE TRAIL

French heritage flavors the Route du Vin, or wine route, which meanders through the rolling hills of Ste. Genevieve County. This wine area features a bevy of new wineries and focuses on local foods and purveyors. The wine route sponsors special events, including a progressive dinner paired with wines from each winery in June; the Wine Diva Weekend in November, which offers a girlfriend getaway while the guys are deer hunting; the Jour d’Amour weekend for Valentine’s Day in February; and the Jour de la Terre weekend in April, which focuses on cooking with herbs. Prices vary but are generally twenty-five dollars per person, including a complimentary wineglass, plus a discount on wine purchases that day. There is no Route du Vin web site, but each winery has brochures and trail maps. Most of the participating wineries have a Ste. Genevieve address, although many are outside the city limits.

One of the best organized Missouri wine trails is the Hermann Wine Trail (www.hermannwinetrail.com), which encompasses seven family-owned wineries in Hermann, Berger, and New Haven. The web site boasts that these wineries are the heart and soul of Missouri Wine Country, producing about one-third of the state’s total wine production. They are situated along the Missouri River, in what is called Missouri’s Rhineland. The German influence is strong, and the history is deep. Participating Wineries: The trail organizes four main events each year, plus a bike ride. The Cave Vineyard, Ste. Genevieve next event will be the second annual Seven Hills of Hermann 573-543-5284; www.cavevineyard.com Bike Ride on June 29. This ride started last year in Charleville Vineyard, Ste. Genevieve conjunction with the first Tour of Missouri cycling 573-756-4537; www.charlevillevineyard.com CH N E race; this year it is being held separately from R Chaumette Winery, Ste. Genevieve F GE A T the Tour. On the Very Berry Wine Trail, July I 573-747-1000; www.chaumette.com HER 26-27, each winery will pair one of its wines Ste. Genevieve Winery, Ste. Genevieve with a special berry dish. Participants go from 573-883-2800; www.saintegenevievewinery.com E H winery to winery, tasting and experimenting. Twin Oaks Vineyard & Winery, Farmington T The twenty-five-dollar ticket price per person 573-756-6500; www.twinoaksvineyard.com includes a souvenir wineglass. Other events include the Holiday Fare Wine Trail in November, the Chocolate Wine Trail in February, and the Hermann Norton Wine Trail in May. For the holiday trail, each winery pairs a festive dish with a wine, creating a memorable way to usher in the holiday season. The chocolate trail ties in with Valentine’s Day; the wineries pair their wines with chocolate dishes. The Norton trail offers participants a chance to taste Norton (also called Cynthiana) wine from each winery and to talk with the various winemakers. Detailed information about each event can be found on the web site closer to the time. The trails tend to sell out, so be sure to book early.

vors a l F

Vin u d te Rou

Participating Wineries:

Adam Puchta Winery, Hermann 573-486-5596; www.adampuchtawine.com Bias Vineyards & Winery, Berger 573-834-5475; www.biaswinery.com Bommarito Estate Almond Tree Winery, New Haven 573-237-5158; www.bommaritoestatewinery.com

Travelers sample wine and food at Summit Lake Winery at Hartsburg at the Missouri River Wine Trail’s first official trail event in March.

[106] MissouriLife

AD 106

4/28/08 4:12:06 PM


Show-Me Wines

Crown Valley Winery no longer participates in the Route du Vin but has developed its own wine trail, linking its outposts. There’s the main winery at Coffman, the Champagne House at nearby Farmington, and the Port House up north at Clarksville. Crown Valley Winery 573-756-9463; www.crownvalleywinery.com

For the most up-to-date information about wine trails, visit the Missouri Wine and Grape Board’s official web site, www.missouriwine.org, and click on “wine trails,” or call 800-392-WINE and ask for a copy of the new Missouri Wines brochure. There are more than seventy wineries in Missouri.

MISSOURI WEINSTRASSE The Weinstrasse, which roams along the Missouri River in the Augusta area, was the state’s first wine road, long before the wine trail concept blossomed nationwide. Originally more a sense of place than an organized trail, the Weinstrasse has been reorganized and is up and running again as an official wine trail, with two special events each year in May and September. The purpose of the Weinstrasse is to educate visitors about wine and how to pair it with foods—as well as to offer a pleasant day’s outing with visits to some or all of the wineries along the route. The scenic Weinstrasse runs through the heart of the country’s first designated American Viticultural Area. Augusta received that distinction in 1980—ahead of Napa Valley, California. For the latest information, visit www.moweinstrasse.com.

Participating Wineries:

Augusta Winery, Augusta 636-228-4301; www.augustawinery.com Balducci Vineyards, Augusta 636-482-8466; www.balduccivineyards.com Montelle Winery, Augusta 636-228-4464; www.montelle.com Sugar Creek Winery & Vineyards, Defiance 636-987-2400; www.sugarcreekwines.com

COURTESY OF STONE HILL WINERY; COURTESY OF LES BOURGEOIS WINERY

MISSOURI RIVER WINE TRAIL The central part of the state boasts the scenic Missouri River Wine Trail (www.missouririverwinetrail.com), which runs from Rocheport to Jefferson City, with stops in Hartsburg and Holts Summit along the way. This trail started last year and is still developing its annual events. Check the trail’s web site or any of the wineries for more information.

Participating wineries:

Les Bourgeois Winery, Rocheport 573-698-2133; www.missouriwine.com Native Stone Winery & Bull Rock Brewery, Jefferson City 573-584-8600; www.nativestonewinery.com Summit Lake Winery, Hartsburg and Holts Summit 573-657-0467 or 573-896-9966; www.summitlakewinery.com

OZARK MOUNTAIN REGION WINE TRAIL Inaugurated in August 2007, the Ozark Mountain Region Trail is Missouri’s newest—and most of its wineries are new, too. At present, six wineries participate in the trail, which roams from Joplin to Seymour in the southwest corner of the state, with one or two more wineries expected to join soon. Although the wineries are fairly spread out, it’s possible to do the entire trail in a day, depending on how long you want to spend at each winery. Fairly close to Branson, the trail offers a fun side trip during a Branson vacation.

The wineries offer tastings, tours, and special events, including an Octoberfest. There is no trail web site yet, although one is in the works. For events information, call Beth White at Le Cave Vineyards.

Participating wineries:

Keltoi Vineyard, Oronogo 417-642-6190; www.keltoivineyard.com Le Cave Vineyards, Billings 417-744-4122; www.lecavevineyards.com OOVVDA Winery, Springfield 417-833-4896; www.oovvda.com Whispering Oaks Vineyard &Winery, Seymour 417-935-4103; www.whisperingoakswinery.com White Rose Winery, Carthage 417-359-9253; www.whiterosebed-breakfast.com Williams Creek Winery, Mt. Vernon 417-466-4076; www.williamscreekwinery.com

MARAMEC TRAIL Not a wine trail per se, the Maramec Trail (www.maramectrail.com) includes wineries along with bed-and-breakfasts, restaurants, shops, recreation, and entertainment. Centered in and around St. James, the Ozark Highlands viticultural area reflects the early Italian heritage in the state’s wine-making industry. Today, the area celebrates its proximity to the Ozarks, with its rivers, springs, fishing, floating, hiking, and other recreational opportunities. The spelling of the trail’s name comes from the spelling of Maramec Spring Park, which is often confused with the spelling of the Meramec River and Meramec State Park. The Maramec Trail sponsors a bicycle ride in May and September.

Participating wineries:

Heinrichshaus Vineyards and Winery, St. James 573-265-5000; www.heinrichshaus.com Meramec Vineyards, St. James 573-265-7847; www.meramecvineyards.com Peaceful Bend Vineyard, Steelville 573-775-3000; www.peacefulbend.com St. James Winery, St. James 573-265-7912; www.stjameswinery.com

[107] June 2008

AD 107

4/28/08 11:10:10 AM


Missouri Wine Wine Valley Inn and Glory Bees Wine & Gift Shop

Schiller Guest Suites

INFINITELY INVITING, DISTINCTIVELY DESIGNED THE LIBRARY

offers beautifully appointed two- and three-room suites. Guests enjoy all the charm of yesteryear with all the comfort & convenience of today. All 12 suites uniquely decorated Full breakfast

5 suites with Jacuzzi tubs Kitchenettes

Cable TV, DVD players Conference room

SGS

-ARKET 3TREET s (ERMANN -ISSOURI s WWW WINE VALLEY INN COM s EMAIL WINEVALLEYINN CENTURYTEL NET

ts of Wine Contr y

EN-SUITE DINING AVAILABLE WWW.HERMANNLODGING.COM

2

FREE

ART: WALKS & TALKS October 19-20: Sat. 10-5, Sun. 12-4

LUDWIG’S LOFT

Y S ICK

#HOCOLATE "

O

X

Artis e h T

314.808.1493

ALSACE

.OW YOU CAN BUY YOUR FAVORITE CANDY FROM THE COMFORT OF YOUR OWN HOME

Award-winning artists, galleries & studios showcasing unique artwork: glass, clay, metal, watercolor, oil and pastel in Hermann, MO. Pick up event maps at 315 Schiller St., Hermann, MO

For more information call 1-800-932-8687 or 573-486-2444 Email: camahoney@ktis.net

-ARKET 3TREET s (ERMANN -/

WWW RICKYSCHOCOLATEBOX COM

Tasteful Travels in Missouri Wine Country

T

reat yourself to a romantic Wine Country getaway. Discover picture-postcard villages as you wind down country lanes to seven charming family-owned wineries for tasting & tours. Then snuggle in for the WINE TRAIL EVENTS 7 Hills of Hermann Bike Ride ........ June 29 night at a delightful Very Berry Wine Trail................. July 29-30 Wine Country inn. Holiday Fare Wine Trail .............Nov. 18-19

800-932-8687 www.hermannwinetrail.com [108] MissouriLife

Ads 108

4/24/08 3:11:03 PM


Daisy & Digger –

Home of the Murder Mystery...

A Great Children’s Gift

Birk’s Gasthaus

This beautiful book tells the story of a Red Heeler, a Blue Heeler, and a little boy named Tommy–for the child in all of us!

The only mansion in Hermann was completed for Mr. Herzog in 1886 and is furnished with antiques including brass beds and claw foot tubs. Celebrating 25 years as a B&B, the mansion has nine guest rooms with private baths, central heat and air, and we serve a delicious gourmet breakfast. Stay in an award-winning B&B. Voted guest favorite in 2007 and a five-star property of distinction!

Written by Kathy Meyer and illustrated by Catherine Mahoney, both of Hermann, Missouri.

$20 each (includes shipping and handling) Orders: camahoney@ktis.net For phone orders/information call: 573-486-2444 or fax 573-486-2164

2007 NATIONAL NORTON COMPETITION BEST OF CLASS 2002 NORTON PORT HOURS: SAT 10 AM-5 PM, SUN 11 AM-5 PM

700 Goethe Street Hermann, MO 65041

573-486-2911 or 1-888-701-2495 www.birksgasthaus.com

PHONE NUMBER 573-237-5158 OR CUSTOMER SERVICE 314-249-5287 3718 GRANT SCHOOL RD NEW HAVEN, MO 63068 ON THE HERMANN WINE TRAIL WWW.BOMMARITOESTATEWINERY.COM

[109] June 2008

Ads 109

4/18/08 7:12:50 PM


Missouri Wine

)BWF B

(3"1&EBZ Â…%BJMZ 8JOF 5BTUJOH 5PVST %BJMZ 8JOF 5BTUJOH 5PVST Â…-VYVSJPVT 0WFSOJHIU "DDPNNPEBUJPOT Â…4QFDJBMUZ (SPVQ &WFOUT Â…4QFDUBDVMBS 8FEEJOH 7FOVF

Country Club Plaza 604 W. 48th Kansas City, MO 816-561-8204

Prairie Village Shops 71st St. & Mission Rd. Prairie Village, KS 913-362-7575

3*7&3#*3% -"/& ] $".%&/50/ .0 ] '"9

888 $"4"%&-0$08*/&3: $0.

[110] MissouriLife

WINE 110

4/17/08 6:36:15 PM


MISSOU RI W IN E A Conn oisseur’s Evaluations

GOT WOOD?? G IT WAS ALMOST two decades ago that I wandered into Independent Stave Company at Lebanon, Missouri. I had called to request an interview, but no one returned my call. I was escorted out of the building. No one, it seemed, was to know that Missouri oak barrels were being used with increasing frequency by California wineries. To this day, Independent Stave (or its barrel exporting arm, World Cooperage) is a bit secretive. But in the 1980s, some consumers believed that nothing more sophisticated than fully charred Bourbon barrels were made at Lebanon. The next time I visited, about a decade ago, the logos of many wellknown wineries were emblazoned on the side of World Cooperage’s facility. Missouri oak no longer operated in the shadows, nor should it ever have. The Australians and Spanish had proven decades ago that Missouri oak could bring delicious aromas, flavors, and textures to wine and, if air-dried properly, could even offer gentility and subtlety. Bourbon barrels have never been good vessels for wine, but burning the inside of a barrel gives Bourbon its characteristic aromas. Wine barrels are more gently toasted, and that’s better for wine. And while American oak wine barrels bring different smells and tastes to the wine than European barrels, that doesn’t make them less good for wine. It simply makes them different. Of late, there are fewer aroma and flavor differences between French and American barrels; both smell like vanilla. But American oak tends to be a more herbaceous version of vanilla—vanilla bean, as opposed to France’s vanilla extract. American oak has dill and coconut notes. The oak species are different in European and American barrels, but historically American oak staves have not been air-dried for as long as European oaks. Only a few decades ago, buyers could assume that the European barrels were created from staves that had been dried outside (in the rain, snow, and sun) for two to three years. American oak barrels were aged more briefly and, consequently, retained some of the harsher tannins and lignins that would otherwise have been leached from the wood by the weather. But that has changed. American oak producers, such as World Cooperage, will routinely age their staves as long as any European cooper. And some European coopers have shortened their air-drying times. With fewer differences in aging regimes, barrels show fewer differences in aromas. In truth, the simplistic view of American oak barrels as cheap and coconut-laden and European oak barrels as expensive and more elegantly spicy is passé. Missouri’s oak industry can and does make barrels to rival any from Europe. Next issue, wood—part two.

For great Father’s Day gift ideas, give a gift of Missouri Life magazine or visit Missouri Life Marketplace at MissouriLife.com

Experience the Difference

Baltimore Bend Vineyard offers great wine without intimidation and pretense. Come experience a welcoming, fun environment, whether you’re a novice or a connoisseur. Learn more about Missouri wine, and find your favorite.

—Doug Frost is one of three people in the world who is both a Master Sommelier and a Master of Wine. He lives in Kansas City.

Open: Mon.-Sat. 11-6, Sun. 1-6 Located at 27150 Hwy. 24, Waverly, Mo. Join our mailing list at www.baltimorebend.com or call (660) 493-0258.

[111] June 2008

WINE 111

4/23/08 7:46:21 PM


RTiviIStyT U RuitI yA SOIng MISundan & Creat t en Ab

AH HEART FOR WOOD

K I R K S V I L L E W O O D W O R K E R A P P R E C I AT E S T H E N AT U R A L E D G E |

buy that from out west—in Oregon and California—and the wood itself really possesses a top line of beauty,” Charles says. “So I take the kind of piece I have and try to match the artwork to bring out the beauty of the piece and to show off the wood as best I can. The wood itself kind of dictates what I’m going to do.” Though inspired by the natural elements, Charles is also inspired by other artists. His favorite is the Australian wood-turner who trained him, Richard Raffan. “He’s inspired me to be a better woodturner and to make it not so much work,” Charles says. “The training that I got from Richard was always special to me.” Teaching him more than art, Richard passed on to Charles his respect and commitment to nature and renewable woods. Some people dangerously over-cut areas of

the world, Charles says, “so I try not to support those kinds of things.” We are over-cutting and burning the Amazon, Charles says passionately. “The more exotic the wood perhaps the more rare it is, but the more dangerous it is.” Charles says that his pieces are pieces of nature that should be cherished. They are special because they are works of art before he touches them. He is in the business of displaying, preserving, and sharing nature’s beauty. “The piece has to fit into your life,” he says. His works are like puzzle pieces borrowed from nature and placed with the right person. Call 660-665-1905 for more information. Charles Pritchard, a cardiologist by day, turns wood on a lathe in his workshop. Opposite from top left: Charles’s bird sculpture, bowls, and plates exhibit the rough edge natural beauty that already exists in the wood he uses.

COURTESY OF CHARLES PRITCHARD

STETHOSCOPE IN HAND, Kirksville cardiologist Charles Pritchard spends most days patching broken hearts, but when he has time to breathe, his hands set to turning a wood lathe. “As a physician, you have some tough times dealing with patients,” Charles says. “It’s uplifting to be able to come home and create a thing of beauty. I’m a firm believer that hobbies like this prolong your life.” Charles’s twenty-year woodworking passion came from his dad, who worked with wood before he passed away. As a Best of Missouri Hands artisan, Charles continues his dad’s lifework and finds gratification in natural woods. He appreciates the oddity in natural-edge pieces, which contain the bark and the outer portion of the tree and compose an unusual, interesting, and natural design. “Usually I

By Lauren Foreman

[112] MissouriLife

ARTIST 112

4/24/08 10:26:49 PM


[113] June 2008

ARTIST 113

4/24/08 9:05:00 PM


Great Missouri Art

visit MissouriLife.com

For information on great Missouri artists and more,

CALLING ALL ARTISTS‌ wants you! The Missouri Artisans Association d.b.a. The Best of Missouri Hands was founded in 1989 as a nonprofit corporation “dedicated to the development and recognition of Missouri’s arts and artisans through education, interaction, and encouragement.â€? Our Mission: â?–Educating the public about Missouri’s arts and crafts â?–Educating its members and the community at large through an annual conference, a newsletter, and a web site â?–Offering networking opportunities regionally and nationally â?–Rewarding excellence through its jury process â?–Preserving cultural heritage through public education, display and other projects

$DI@ÂąC<I?>M<AO@?ÂąAPMIDOPM@ AMJHÂą@SLPDNDO@Âą+DNNJPMDÂąC<M?RJJ?NÂą AJMÂąOC@Âą?DN>MDHDI<ODIBÂą=PT@M www.martinratermann.com 573-698-2192

Join the Best of Missouri Hands today! The opportunities are endless! 4HE "EST OF -ISSOURI (ANDS s 7EST "ROADWAY #OLUMBIA -/ s 0HONE "/-( WWW BESTOFMISSOURIHANDS ORG E MAIL INFORMATION BESTOFMISSOURIHANDS ORG

Meet the Artists and Purchase their Wares July 12 & 13

10 AM to 5 PM daily Don’t miss this opportunity to purchase fine reproduction crafts. Featuring guest artisan American craftsmen from Missouri, Illinois, Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, Iowa, Kansas, Arkansas, and Indiana! Folk Art, Windsor Chairs, Textiles, Pottery, Furniture, Historic Lighting, and Much More!

ASL Pewter

123 S. Third St., Louisiana, MO 573-754-3435 • www.aslpewter.com [114] MissouriLife

AD 114

4/21/08 11:43:15 AM


2C@

@IOÂą2M@@Âą%<GG@MT

ELIZ

HISTORIC CLARKSVILLE MISSOURI

A RT S Elizabeth Brown 417-683-3010 Ava Town Square P.O. Box 611 • Ava, MO By appointment or luck

0PNOD>¹$PMIDOPM@¹ <I?¹ >>@ION *@<OC@M¹ <BN <NF@ON¹ ¹$D=@M¹ MO Mon.–Sat. 10–5 • Sun. 12–5 • Call for our workshop schedule. 573-242-3200 • www.thebenttree.com • www.stacyleighdesign.com

Overland Trail Gallery Oil and Pastel Originals and GiclĂŠe Prints by Maren Schenewark SEND A “NOTEâ€? TO SOMEONE SPECIAL Bookmark features original, hand-etched scrimshaw on a recycled, antique, ivory piano key with genuine leather and handmade paper accents. $21, plus $2 shipping/handling -!#!! !D PDF 0-

Check/Money Order/Visa/MasterCard 31 High Trail, Eureka, MO 63025 • www.stonehollowstudio.com

21843 N. Lincoln Road • Cole Camp, MO 65325 • 660-668-3993

#

-

9

#-

-9

#9

#-9

+

[115] June 2008

AD 115

4/21/08 11:31:55 AM


ML

Missouri Artists

Family Road Trip Your mom and dad had one—a blue, brown, black, or green station wagon with faux-wood paneling—and your family vacation memories took place inside of it. Kemp Auto Museum at Chesterfield and artist/explorer Stuart Morse are coming together to join the station wagon, and other vintage to modern family cars, with a unique family adventure as told through art. From May 27 through August 31, the exhibit, On the Road in America: The Great American Family Road Trip, will showcase the premiere of the Discover America Project, based on the Morse family adventure that followed in Lewis and Clark’s footsteps from Missouri to the Pacific Ocean. The Morse team consisted of Stuart, his wife Stacey, daughter Merill, and son True. The Morses undertook the three-year project as a way to reconnect with the history, people, and landscapes of America. The Discover America Project includes ten, five-by-ten foot landscape paintings, many of which have been on display throughout the

Window Of Hope By Dan R. Manning

country, but never all together in one exhibit. While traveling more than three thousand miles, the Morse family documented their trip by taking more than nine thousand photographs, which aided in creating the paintings. The partnership between Kemp Auto

recently completed a unique stained-glass window. Commissioned by St. John’s Hospital at Springfield for installation atop an eight-story tower, it is the central feature of a new addition. The window, fourteen feet in diameter, features a modern Mercy Cross symbolizing the order of Catholic nuns—Sisters of Mercy— who founded the healing facility in 1891. In a collaborative effort, Olof and Jennifer Pierson, who met at college, labored in a studio connected to their home on Main Street at Fair Grove, ten miles north of Springfield. Since their postgraduate years, they have used various media, exhibiting works throughout the United States and the Netherlands. The third member of the group, Frank Renn, with nearly three decades in his trade, completed his portion of the project at a black-

smith shop across the street from the Piersons. Using Jennifer’s enlarged design for a pattern, Olof hand-cut more than four hundred pieces of blue, green, orange, and yellow glass varying from fifteen to thirty-six inches in length. He stretched and formed H-shaped channeling material around each piece to allow it to connect with another before soldering joints to form quarter sections of the whole. Frank fabricated a framework for holding the glass sections securely in place. His past experience includes custom metal crafting for Bass Pro Shops at Springfield. However, his true love is hammering out armor and weaponry for use by medieval reenactors. Installed in March, the back-lit creation will be viewed for many years to come as a sentinel of encouragement for those seeking medical and spiritual help at St. John’s Hospital.

Museum and the Morse Discover America Project is meant to engage the community through programs tied to the history of the automobile and the mission to inspire families and communities to embrace our rich cultural heritage, make discoveries, and celebrate our diverse nation and the American landscape. Call 636-537-1718 or visit www.kempautomuseum.org or www.morsefineart.com for more information. —Rebecca French Smith

Courtesy of Ryan McDowell; courtesy of kemp auto museum

A team of three Missouri artists

[116] MissouriLife

ARTIST 116

4/28/08 10:08:35 AM


Let your house reflect the beauty of the great outdoors. Bark and rough-edge siding from Cedar Creek.

Wholesale Only. Inquire at your local lumberyard for an appointment.

Visit our interactive home online. www.cedarcreeksgf.com www.cedarcreekshowroom.com

CedarCreek0608.indd 1

4/24/08 2:26:30 PM


OLD BRICK HOUSE Daily luncheon buffet Dining Steaks & seafood Corner Third & Market

573-883-2724

a place to linger

199 North Main, Ste. Genevieve t XXX JWZBOEUXJHT DPN

Belle Haven, the Spa at Chaumette ~ a special place where indulgence and well-being come together!

24345 State Route WW www.BelleHavenSpa.com 573-747-1900

Hotel Ste. Genevieve

The Stained Glass Shop Custom-designed leaded windows, sun catchers, supplies, and repairs. -ERCHANT 3TREET s 3TE 'ENEVIEVE -/

s STAINEDGLASS SHOP SBCGLOBAL NET

Microtel Inn & Suites UĂŠ{Ă“ĂŠ`ÂœĂ•LÂ?iĂŠ Ă€ÂœÂœÂ“ĂƒĂŠĂœÂˆĂŒÂ…ĂŠ ¾ÕiiÂ˜Â‡ĂƒÂˆâi`ĂŠ Li`Ăƒ UĂŠĂˆĂŠ-Ă•ÂˆĂŒiĂƒ UĂŠ*…œ˜iĂƒĂŠĂœÂˆĂŒÂ…ĂŠ “œ`i“ÊÂ?>VÂŽ UĂŠ ÂœÂ“ÂŤÂ?ˆ“iÂ˜ĂŒ>ÀÞÊ Â“ÂœĂ€Â˜ÂˆÂ˜}ĂŠVÂœvvii ÂœV>ĂŒi`ĂŠÂ˜i>Àʓ>Â˜ĂžĂŠ>Ă€i>ĂŠ>ĂŒĂŒĂ€>VĂŒÂˆÂœÂ˜ĂƒĂŠ >˜`ĂŠĂŒÂ…iĂŠ ÂˆĂƒĂŒÂœĂ€ÂˆVĂŠ ˆ˜ˆ˜}ĂŠ ÂˆĂƒĂŒĂ€ÂˆVĂŒ°

Ó£™xnĂŠ ˆ}Â…Ăœ>ÞÊÎÓÊUĂŠxÇ·nn·nnn{ /ÂœÂ?Â?ĂŠ Ă€iiĂŠvÂœĂ€ĂŠĂ€iĂƒiÀÛ>ĂŒÂˆÂœÂ˜ĂƒĂŠnnn‡ÇÇ£‡Ç£Ç£

Somewhere Inn Time

STEIGER JEWELERS INC Diamonds s Watches Jewelry s Gifts

2EMOUNTING s !PPRAISALS s %NGRAVING 0RECIOUS -OMENTS s *EWELRY 2EPAIR

573-883-2372

-ERCHANT s 3TE 'ENEVIEVE /PEN -ON 3AT AM PM

The Anvil Saloon &ULL 3ERVICE 2ESTAURANT "AR Open Daily 11 AM-8 PM Weekends 11 AM-9 PM Sunday 11 AM-8 PM Third Street On the Square In Historic Ste. Genevieve, MO s -ADELINE *ETT /WNER

Rosemary & Thyme Cooking School Offering a variety of specialized classes. Maximum of 8 seatings by reservation only. Next to the Show Me Shop. 3OUTH -AIN 3TREET s yvonnelemire@sbcglobal.net

ĂŠ-/, /ĂŠ

Bed & Breakfast -iÂ?iVĂŒi`ĂŠ iĂƒĂŒĂŠ E ĂŠĂ“ääÇ LÞÊ,i>`iĂ€ĂƒĂŠÂœvĂŠ INSIDERxÇÎ life&style magazine

Set in the dÊcor of yesterday is one of today’s finest restaurants.

Award-winning two-story colonial home possesses the charm and beauty of the 1920s along with the comfort of the present.

Steaks & seafood since 1901

*EFFERSON s www.somewhereinntime.info

Corner Main & Merchant • 573-883-3562

ÂœV>ĂŒi`ĂŠÂˆÂ˜ĂŠ ÂˆĂƒĂŒÂœĂ€ÂˆV -ĂŒi°ĂŠ i˜iĂ›ÂˆiĂ›i

£°nää°Â™ÂŁn°Â™ÂŁÂ™Â™

ĂŠĂœĂœĂœ°Â“>ÂˆÂ˜ĂƒĂŒĂ€iiĂŒÂˆÂ˜Â˜LL°Vœ“

[118] MissouriLife

AD 118

Bed & Breakfast

4/28/08 3:28:02 PM


Bolduc House Museum Shop ĂŠ1Â˜ÂˆÂľĂ•iĂŠ-Â…ÂœÂŤĂŠĂœÂˆĂŒÂ…ĂŠ >ĂŠ Ă€i˜VÂ…ĂŠ Â?>ÂˆĂ€ vi>ĂŒĂ•Ă€ÂˆÂ˜}ĂŠ iÂ˜Ă€ÂˆÂœĂŒĂŠ +Ă•ÂˆÂ“ÂŤiÀÊv>ˆi˜Vi]ĂŠ Ăƒ>Â˜ĂŒÂœÂ˜Ăƒ]ĂŠĂƒÂœ>ÂŤĂƒ]ĂŠ LÂœÂœÂŽĂƒ]ĂŠÂ…iĂ€LĂƒ]ĂŠ}>Ă€`iÂ˜ĂŠ >VViĂƒĂƒÂœĂ€ÂˆiĂƒ]ĂŠ>˜`ĂŠ ÂœĂŒÂ…iĂ€ĂŠĂŒÂ…ÂˆÂ˜}ĂƒĂŠ Ă€i˜VÂ…

ÂŁĂ“xĂŠ-°ĂŠ >ÂˆÂ˜ĂŠUĂŠ-ĂŒi°ĂŠ i˜iĂ›ÂˆiĂ›i]ĂŠ "ĂŠĂˆĂŽĂˆĂ‡äĂŠUĂŠxÇ·nn·Σäx

Taste our farmstead artisan goat cheeses: Available at Soulard Market and Clayton Farmer’s Market in St. Louis, and many wineries and ďŹ ne stores in the St. Louis and Sainte Genevieve area.

573-483-9021 baetjefarms@earthlink.net

8932 Jackson School Rd. • Bloomsdale, MO 63627

First Settlement Country Store Quality antiques featuring primitives, glassware, jewelry, toys, and much more. 233 Merchant Street

573-883-8002

Pizza • Pastas • Samiches

Ste Genevieve

MODOC Ferry 800-373-7007

573-883-5749 261 Merchant Street Ste. Genevieve, MO

Family Dining, Children’s Menu, Carry Out Available

March – November Monday – Saturday 6 a.m. – 6 p.m. Sunday 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.

SWEET THINGS of Sainte Genevieve, LLC

Your Ol’ Time Candy and Gift Store! 'JOF $IPDPMBUFT t %JFUFUJD $BOEJFT /PTUBMHJD $BOEZ t (JGU *UFNT www.stegensweethings.com .BSLFU 4U t

MĂŠlange

123 Merchant Street, Suite A 573-883-7919

www.inkleinedtostamp.com e-mail: pam@inkleinedtostamp.com NATIONAL AWARD-WINNING STORE

WoodWick Candles & Reed Diffusers, Jim Shore’s Heartwood Creek, custom stone plaques & crosses, monogram coasters, dip chillers, home dÊcor, and other gift items; Ste. Genevieve souvenir magnets, mugs, and t-shirts; 1000s of art rubber stamps & supplies.

Home of InKleined To Stamp

The

3outhern (otel

“A few of our favorite things�

Lunch Cafe Homemade desserts Truly unique gifts • Antiques

198 North Main

573-883-3078

“The Best of Missouri� Wines, cheeses, sausages, gifts, gift baskets, and gourmet foods.

573-883-3096 10 South Main • Ste. Genevieve, MO 63670

Le Pavillon Old World Elegance

Banquets, receptions, events, weddings (bride’s boudoir and groom’s room) Tea Garden and Cocktail Cove Adjacent to Catholic Church on the Historic Town Square.

Here the past is carefully blended with modern comforts to make your stay a very special experience.

305 Merchant Street

A Historic B & B 3 RD 3T s www.southernhotelbb.com

314-497-5432

donnacharron@sbcglobal.net [119] June 2008

AD 119

4/18/08 3:16:12 PM


SOuthoUrsR, LoIcaBtionOs,OorKTopiScs MioIS nal A

Reg

OZARK NOVELS By Rebecca French Smith and Danita Allen Wood

Fiddler’s Ghost

of five women—each strong in her own

By Mitch Jayne, Wildstone Media, $15, 402

way—who live alongside the river, starting

pages, softcover

with Annie Lark, trapped in her own house during the 1811 New Madrid earthquake.

In 1951, Steve Clark was having a tough

Annie is rescued by and marries the French

time deciding what he wanted to be when

fur trapper Jacques Ducharme, who builds

he grew up. A University of Missouri col-

the house at his landing that the other

lege student of undecided major and

women come to live in, as well.

newly married, he figured he needed to

The story makes terrific use of the river,

settle on something. His quest landed him

area history, and the botany of the area.

a teaching position in a one-room school-

But the rich character studies and the dark

house in Medley Springs, a rural town in

currents of crime, intrigue, and hidden

the Missouri Ozarks.

treasure are the real reward for reading.

On their first night in their rented home, Steve and his wife, Lacey, met Benjamin Springfield, the ghost of a Confederate soldier and fiddler from Tennessee. Their education about music and the supernatural began. Former Dillard’s bassist Mitch Jayne paints a beautiful picture of the Ozarks and the folks who call the hills home. From the all-enveloping humidity to skillfully mastered Ozarkian dialect to a plotline filled with humor, music, and magic, Fiddler’s Ghost is sure to bring goose bumps to your skin and your heart.

The River Wife By Jonis Agee, Random House, $24.95, 395 pages, hardcover Jonis Agee, author of Strange Angels as well as two other books chosen as The New York Times Notable Books, returns to Missouri and scenes from her childhood for this novel. She spent most of her childhood familiarity with the Ozarks shows in this novel set alongside the Mississippi River at a landing somewhere north of New Madrid. The tale stretches through the lives

TINA WHEELER

summers near Lake of the Ozarks, and her

[120] MissouriLife

BOOKS 120

4/24/08 10:47:58 PM


Riverside Sweets Handmade candy, seasonal home décor, and old-fashioned ice cream parlor. Open daily. 416 South Main Street St. Charles, MO 63301 636-724-4131

Knit and Caboodle • Full-service yarn shop in Historic St. Charles

Finishing Touches

by Charlotte

w Ahf^ = \hk w w @Zk]^g w w C^p^ekr(AZg][Z`l w

• Local hand-dyed yarns • Uncommon variety and selection

w <aZfbebZ w ;khpl^ makhn`a lbq khhfl h_ ZfZsbg` `b_ml'

330 South Main Street St. Charles, MO 63301

636-916-0060

www.knitandcaboodle.com

/,/&2-0&/,,)

1+. Lhnma FZbg Lmk^^m w Lm' <aZke^l% FH /,,)*

ESPRESSO-ETC! Want to serve delicious, coffeehouse-style drinks at your location?

Espresso Regular Coffee Chai Latte Café Latte Hot Chocolate French Vanilla Cappuccino Cappuccino Café Mocha French Vanilla Mocha Chai Tea French Vanilla Latte Chai Mocha

We have a program for you! Call now, let’s talk! Espresso-Etc! of St. Louis 314-732-4343 www.espresso-etc.com [121] June 2008

AD 121

4/25/08 11:01:47 AM


REVOLUTIONARY

EVERY DAY I WALK to work through historic Francis Quadrangle on the University of Missouri campus at Columbia, so I decided to explore what this special place reveals about Missouri life. Francis Quadrangle Historic District is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, our nation’s official list of cultural resources worthy of preservation. The oldest, most monumental example of the campus quadrangle form in Missouri, it signifies the University of Missouri as the first state university west of the Mississippi River. That’s the official version, anyway. If we look closely enough at Francis Quadrangle, however, we see Missouri’s Revolutionary roots are showing. The bronze statue of Thomas Jefferson on Francis Quadrangle by sculptor George Lundeen signifies the revolutionary quality of Jefferson’s

vision that radically transformed Missouri life. Jefferson believed political independence depended upon good citizens with the information and knowledge needed for wise decisions. Therefore, in drafting his Northwest Ordinance for land subdivision (1785), Jefferson set aside land for a public university in each new state like Missouri entering the Union. Following the Missouri Compromise, Jefferson wrote in 1822, “I [still] look to the diffusion of light and education as the resource most to be relied on for ameliorating the conditions, promoting the virtue and advancing the happiness of man.” The 1839 legislative act that established the University of Missouri embodied that bold vision. Thomas Jefferson envisioned an academic village of faculty and students designing the future through open, honest research and

[122] MissouriLife

MISSOURI JOURNAL 122

4/24/08 9:16:58 PM


MISSOU RI JOU RNA L The Mea ning of Our Specia

l Places

Y ROOTS

THOMAS JEFFERSON’S VISION A N D I M PA C T O N M I S S O U R I L I F E | By W. Arthur Mehrhoff

NOTLEY HAWKINS

discussion. He implemented his ideas at the University of Virginia, where the buildings symbolized traditional knowledge and wisdom, and the green mall represented the openness of the new nation. The University of Missouri imitated that plan, and here, I am daily reminded we need our extraordinary heritage to balance the relentless demands of growth and progress in our communities. G.K. Chesterton said tradition is the democracy of the dead; they, too, share in this dialogue.

The Columns The limestone columns on historic Francis Quadrangle anchor this dialogue. They once supported the portico of Academic Hall, the first building on the University of Missouri campus, in the Classical Revival

style Jefferson advocated for American architecture. Old Academic Hall was built between 1840 and 1843 from plans by A. Stephen Hills, who also designed the first Missouri State Capitol at Jefferson City (also known as the City of Jefferson). The limestone was obtained from nearby Hinkson Creek Valley and hauled to the building by ox-drawn carts. On January 9, 1892, fire destroyed Old Academic Hall except for the massive limestone columns. In August 1893, the Board of Curators voted to remove the Columns, which they considered unsafe and unsightly reminders of the past. However, supporters of the Columns rallied to their defense (a fight actually broke out between one such zealot and a curator). After inspection showed the foundations were safe, the Board voted in December 1893 to retain them. The rest is more than history.

[123] June 2008

MISSOURI JOURNAL 123

4/24/08 12:05:27 PM


MISSOURI JOURNAL

In William Faulkner’s words, the past is never really finished. It’s never even really past. The classic architectural order specifically chosen for Old Academic Hall was the ionic style because it symbolizes wisdom, and preserving the Columns has proven a wise and very Jeffersonian choice. Over a century later, they still connect passing generations of students and faculty. Incoming freshmen and graduating seniors mark their university days by passing through the Columns, a venerable tradition that began in 1995 and adds new layers of meaning for Missourians with every

passing year. One of the best ways for Missourians to keep their heritage meaningful, it appears, is simply to keep it. Time will tell. Faulkner’s dictum certainly applies to Jefferson’s tombstone. When Jefferson’s heirs decided to replace his vandalized original tombstone at Monticello, they received numerous requests for it. They selected the University of Missouri’s petition as the first state university in the Louisiana Territory. The limestone marker, a national icon, now located near the Chancellor’s Residence, arrived in July 1883. This obelisk on a

NOTLEY HAWKINS

ML

[124] MissouriLife

MISSOURI JOURNAL 124

4/24/08 9:39:30 PM


From left: The bronze sculpture of Thomas Jefferson signifies Jefferson’s vision that political independence depended upon educated citizens making informed decisions. On the west side of the Chancellor’s Residence, Jefferson’s Garden features a wide variety of flowers. Jefferson’s heirs chose the University of Missouri to receive his original tombstone in 1883.

rectangular base recalls in his own words Jefferson’s role as founder of the University of Virginia and author of the Declaration of Independence and the Virginia Statute of Religious Freedom. Interestingly, though, the inscription ignores his momentous presidency. Jefferson’s tenure witnessed two landmark events that transformed our country and Missouri life: the Louisiana Purchase, this country’s greatest territorial acquisition, and the legendary Corps of Discovery led by Lewis and Clark. However, deeply troubled by the intense public outcry about his trade embargo to curb British and French violations of American shipping and to promote American self-reliance, Jefferson declared his presidency a “splendid misery” best forgotten. In so doing, however, Jefferson excluded a big piece of our Revolutionary puzzle. To his dismay, few Americans even then would sacrifice consumer choice for self-reliance, a building block of economic independence. Many Missouri communities now struggling with lost jobs and declining tax bases face the same choice. We may be forced to rewrite Jefferson’s epitaph with our own choices about the economics of the American Dream.

Jefferson’s Garden We Missourians still struggle with the Revolutionary question of how we should live on the land. Fortunately, Francis Quadrangle also contains another piece of our Revolutionary puzzle. Jefferson Memorial Garden on the west side of the Chancellor’s Residence features a wide variety of flowers, such as cardinal flowers, columbine, Virginia bluebells, sweetshrub, and Rose of Sharon found in his

experimental gardens at Monticello. Jefferson’s Garden is the heart of Missouri’s Revolutionary landscape, an heirloom seed itself awaiting transplantation. Jefferson’s Garden recalls nature’s importance in Jefferson’s worldview. He wrote, “No occupation is so delightful to me as the culture of the earth and no culture comparable to that of the garden.” Jefferson argued the best thing one could do for the new Republic was add a new plant to agriculture, like the grapes and eggplant he introduced at Monticello. Like many Enlightenment philosophers, he argued that “only agriculture produced real wealth, and those who labor in the earth are God’s chosen people, if ever He had a chosen people.” Agriculture meant much more than food for Thomas Jefferson; it meant American culture itself. As I sit in Jefferson’s Garden, that future seems long ago. But his dream landscape comes alive each October at the Chestnut Roast hosted by the University Center for Agroforestry. The Center focuses on the very Jeffersonian idea of finding productive new uses for plants like chestnut trees, which are well-adapted to Missouri’s demanding environment. Thousands of Missourians attend this annual event overlooking the beautiful Missouri River valley to learn about sustainable agriculture, sample Missouri food products and wines (Jefferson himself was a renowned viticulturist), view progress on restoration of the 1818 Hickman House, and enjoy Missouri folk arts (Jefferson was a fine country fiddler himself). It’s as if Mr. Jefferson’s garden sprang to life. Jefferson regarded gardens as the middle landscape between nature and society, as well as the elusive balance between the past, present needs, and the desired future. Today, Missourians are asking the same questions about nature, work, and food that the Jefferson Revolutionary generation once asked. Jefferson’s Garden, at the heart of historic Francis Quadrangle, silently poses a Revolutionary challenge to Missouri life. The past, you see, is never really finished.

[125] June 2008

MISSOURI JOURNAL 125

4/28/08 10:11:21 AM


TRIanVdIAAnswers

Questions

MISSOURI RIVER TRIVIA MISSOU By Lauren Foreman

What is the name of the river system

which war in which the Spanish took

with which the Missouri River converges, making it the fourth longest

control of the Missouri River? 7.

1.

American

explorers,

along with their dog Seaman, trav-

3.

Why has the river been nicknamed “Big

eled the length of the Missouri River

4.

Who were the first Europeans to see the Missouri River?

which opened in 1869, that crossed

5.

What is name of the American Indian

the river at Kansas City?

In length, the Missouri River is

tribe on the Missouri River that Joliet

comparable to one-sixth of which con-

and Marquette referenced, which was

tinent, making it the longest river in

later adapted as the state name?

the United States?

two

river in the world? Muddy� and “Dark River�?

Missouri River at Hermann

Which

6.

The Treaty of Paris in 1763 ended

on their Corps of Discovery journey? 8.

9.

What was the name of the first bridge,

How many major cities does the river flow through?

10. What percent of the river remains uninfluenced by human activity?

1. North America. 2. The Mississippi River. 3. Its high silt quantity. 4. Louis Joliet and Jacques Marquette. 5. The “Oumessourita,� also known as the OuMissouri. 6. The French and Indian War or the Seven Years’ War. 7. Meriwether Lewis and William Clark. 8. The Hannibal Bridge. 9. Five: Bismarck, North Dakota; Pierre, South Dakota; Omaha, Nebraska; Kansas City and St. Louis, Missouri. 10. 1 percent. TURN-OF-THE-

(21ST) CENTURY ELEGANCE

HOTEL FREDERICK

COURTESY OF MISSOURI DIVISION OF TOURISM

2.

INDULGE IN THE FLAVORS OF THE MISSISSIPPI DELTA

501 %!34 ()'( 342%%4 s "//.6),,% -)33/52)

INVESTIGATE PRODUCTS FROM MISSOURI ARTISANS

The Hotel Frederick is bike-friendly for the KATY Trail, and we offer great discounts. For more information contact us at s 777 (/4%,&2%$%2)#+ #/- s (/4%,&2%$%2)#+ 9!(// #/[126] MissouriLife

TRIVIA 126

4/22/08 10:50:19 AM


RETIREMENT LIVING AT ITS BEST

Choice of apartments to meet your individual lifestyle Freedom from daily household responsibilities and worries No more worries about lawn care or snow removal No utilities to pay Free local phone and transportation Housekeeping Now leasing one-bedroom units with loads of amenities. Call today and schedule a complimentary tour and lunch.

660-584-4416

John Knox Village East 1201 W. 19th Street Higginsville, MO 64037

[127] June 2008

AD 127

4/21/08 11:04:59 AM


VINl G HYBodLI HEAToLT y And Sou Nourish Tips

Save Gas– Share a Ride WITH GAS PRICES

at an all-time

high, the idea of sharing a ride to work is

T TRAINER SHOPPING

W H AT T O L O O K F O R I N A F I T N E S S G U R U |

By Stefani Kronk

looking pretty appealing. Twelve percent of Missourians shared a ride to the daily grind, according to the

MORE THAN THREE THOUSAND

2000 Census. However, 2.1 million people

personal trainers work in Missouri, according to the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center, and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics expects the number of trainers nationwide to increase by 27 percent by 2016. Within the occupation, there are Arnold Schwarzenegger types that are going to “pump you up” or perky women in spandex urging you to “feel the burn.” But for those searching for sound advice and informed guidance to getting fit, look beyond the biceps and review the alphabet soup of credentials that personal trainers boast. ElRoy Carr, Expert Rating certified trainer, at Gold’s Gym in north Kansas City with eight years of training under his belt, believes that education along with experience is the key to selecting a personal trainer. “It is important to have that certification and stay current with where the industry is going, but you also have to train,” ElRoy says. “I can read ten cookbooks and then tell you how to cook, but if I’ve never cooked personally, it won’t be the same experience.” Certified personal trainers are people that have met the standards of a particular certifying agency—they will have “CPT” after his or her name. But dig deeper behind those initials. There are hundreds of personal trainer certification organizations; not all CPTs are created—or educated—equal. Only a handful of organizations are recognized by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA). This third-party organization accredits certification programs based on quality and current standards of practice within a particular industry. In addition, some international notables such as

drove to work alone, highlighting the need for a shared-ride community. The American Automobile Association finds that the average monthly cost for a ten-mile commute drops from $142.50 driving alone down to $35.63 in a four-person carpool. The Missouri Department of Natural Resources makes it easy to find a program online that fits you with other drivers in your area

(www.dnr.mo.gov/energy/transporta-

tion/ridemap.htm). You can also contact the organizations directly. All provide commutermatching services free of charge.

KANSAS CITY www.marc.org/rideshare/ or 816-842-RIDE MID-MISSOURI www.dnr.mo.gov/energy/transportation/ ride.htm or 573-522-RIDE SPRINGFIELD www.ozarkstransportation.org/ Ridesharing/ or 417-831-RIDE ST. LOUIS www.ridefinders.org/ridematch/ or 800-VIP-RIDE —Stefani Kronk

the International Sports Science Association and the International Fitness Professionals Association are recognized within the industry. To take the guesswork out of decoding certifying agencies, most gyms only hire trainers with the higher-tier certification, but ask a potential trainer about their background and education. ElRoy also suggests being selective about potential trainers and conducting an interview and informational session during the first meeting. “Trainers should ask a potential client a lot of questions, such as, ‘What are your goals, and why do you have those goals? What is your exercise and health history? Do you have any preexisting injuries or limitations?’ ” A trainer should take time to get to know his or her clients and what motivates them. A strong relationship is the best way to see results,” ElRoy says. Visit MissouriLife.com for NCCA accredited certification organizations.

[128] MissouriLife

HEALTH 128

4/28/08 3:34:59 PM


Keeping our warriors on the fields of battle

B

ring us your weary, your Indianapolis Colts, Houston Texans, worn, your tattered and torn. Philadelphia Phillies and others. Or just bring us your little Whether your specialty is a highknocks and nicks. flying dunk in front of thousands of fans or a T-ball infield single in front At University Orthopaedics, our sports medicine doctors have served of Mom and Dad, our specialty is keeping you at your best. on the physician teams of the

Don’t be stuck on the sidelines. Call University of Missouri Orthopaedics at (573) 882-BONE. We’ll get you back in the game.

www.muhealth.org/ortho [129] June 2008

AD 129

4/23/08 9:23:13 AM


NGS U RI YoMurUCoSI MISCoSO nsideration gitation for

Ozark

FLIRTING WITH DISASTER THE REDBUDS have just started to appear as I put these words to paper; the white blossoms of dogwood are emerging from slumber, brightening the rutted path to my cabin. It’s about time. Although we are well into springtime, with full-blown summer just over the horizon, my blood is still chilly from what felt like the longest winter on record. I say “felt,” because it was not in fact the longest winter on record. That occurred one awful season in the town of Elk City, Idaho, where I spent six months surrounded by thirty-foot high mountains of snow. To add to the hilarity, I was also surrounded by a passel of folks who could only be described as somewhere between happily homicidal and crazy as loons. Elk City doesn’t really count, not in the grand scheme of things. It’s something of an epicenter of weirdness in a state with some strange people and customs (not to mention politicians). I don’t want to speak ill of the dead-end road, but Elk City is where Hell vacations when it decides to freeze over. Here, in the friendly and laid-back Ozarks, winter isn’t supposed to be so harsh. We’re not supposed to have a bevy of hundred-year floods in a sixweek span. We’re not supposed to have twisters in January and February. I think I blew through about five cords of wood last winter, and my electric bill was still higher than a kite off the Mount Everest base camp. And still, the winter of 2008 was better than the 2007 version. It’s a tough call, granted. How does one decide if a slew of killer ice storms are preferable to killer floods and unseasonable tornados? Makes you sort of wonder what’s behind door number three, doesn’t it? I can’t advise anyone on how to keep a good attitude when the elements turn hostile, but I can tell you what is making Mother Nature look us over with bared fangs, drooling jowls, and a hungry eye. It’s not the much-ballyhooed theory of global warming, climate change, or whatever Al Gore and the Chicken Littles of the world are calling “weather” this month. It’s not a punishment from the Almighty. It’s not too many rain dances, too few human sacrifices, or too much ozone. It’s not a rise in carbon dioxide, a drop in solar activity, or an overabundance of internet activity and Cherry Coke consumption. Nope … you can blame it all on me. I’m the weather curse. I’m a magnet for natural disasters; they flock to me like June bugs to a back porch light. I swear this is true. Everywhere I’ve ever lived, conditions began going haywire about five minutes after I arrived. Florida? I entered the state on

the very day of the infamous “No Name” storm of the 80s and split about two weeks before Hurricane Andrew. Montana? Drought officially began the minute I crossed the border, which of course led to the largest forest fires in recorded American history. Idaho? I already told you: the most snow in decades, of course followed by conflagrations, which came close to surpassing the Montana mark. The Ozarks? Well … perhaps I best keep my mouth shut on that front. I look absolutely dreadful in tar and feathers. Still, I just read that Missouri has endured more organic calamities over the past five years than it has in something like the previous twenty. Guess when I moved back? Let me tell you, it’s starting to creep me out a bit. My unwanted ability to attract meteorological mayhem and catastrophic cacophony is not something of which I’m proud. I’ll brag about a lot of things—I can string words together fairly well, get along with most any dog, witch water with a willow branch, build a dandy guitar, and catch loads of catfish. I’m nice to old folks, don’t hardly ever shoot at strangers, and try to never tell a lie. I’m really not a bad fellow, but I’m a smidgen embarrassed about my blind dates with disasters. Seriously, it got so nasty last winter that I went so far as to check my scalp for a trio of tiny sixes. Luckily, I found nothing but thinning hair, sawdust, and some dandruff. That was a relief. In the future I’ll try and give everybody a break, take a few precautions. Maybe I’ll wear a tin-foil hat (shiny side out), sport a necklace of garlic, or just spend as many hours as possible asleep. I’m good at sleeping, almost professional really. But I keep having dreams about earthquakes. Somehow I don’t think the New Madrid Chamber of Commerce will be inviting me to pay a visit anytime soon. Though they might pay me Ron Marr to move to Kansas.

ILLUSTRATION BY BRAD RENO

By Ron Marr

[130] MissouriLife

MUSINGS 130

4/23/08 5:18:40 PM


Neither rain, nor snow, nor the occasional blackout shall keep him from cooking your mac-n-cheese. No matter when a craving hits, a propane stove can satisfy any appetite. Propane offers precise temperature control and unbeatable reliability. So you can pan-sear to perfection, sautÊ flawlessly and bake like nobody’s business. To learn more about the instant-on, instant-off heat of propane or to find a retailer, visit usepropane.com.

MISSOURI PROPANE EDUCATION AND RESEARCH COUNCIL s -issouriPropane.com [1] April 2008

MoPropane0608.indd AD 1 1

3/27/08 4/17/08 4:53:30 3:29:38 PM PM


BransonCreek0608.indd 1

4/18/08 5:23:21 PM


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.