Missouri Life August/September 2007 by Missouri Life Magazine

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CONTENTS Features

August 2007

44  Tour of Missouri

A world-class, six-stage bike race patterned after the Tour de France makes its debut on the diverse terrain found throughout Missouri. Feature cities include Kansas City, Clinton, Springfield, Branson, Lebanon, Columbia, Jefferson City, St. Charles, and St. Louis

58  Reading the Rocks

Discover Missouri’s history through the clues hidden in road cuts, sinkholes, and prehistoric ocean beds.

64  A Bumpy Ride

Pole and plank roads in the swampy Bootheel made travel possible before drainage and modern roads.

70  Wiping Missouri's Brow

King of the Road John Robinson visits the Battle of Athens State Historic Site and finds Kahoka, St. Patrick, and Memphis, Missouri.

118  Shepherd of the Hills

For a century, the Shepherd of the Hills has been delighting readers; find a special place celebrating the book and the 1900s Ozarks at The Shepherd of the Hills Homestead and Outdoor Theatre at Branson.

Departments 27  All Around Missouri

Our listing of more than 65 events, plus an antique tractor drive, a rodeo kidnapping, and the Meet in the Middle tango festival. Go to MissouriLife.com for even more great events and the most complete listing in the state!

40  Best of Missouri

5 scenic drives for road HOGs along routes 94, 79, 125, 142, and 106

74  Civil War Series

Father John Cummings and the oath of loyalty

80  Missouri Getaways Hotel Frederick at Boonville

NOTLEY HAWKINS

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Nig Get a different perspective of the local fair through the eyes r: of our featured photograhe Notley Hawkins!

88  Missouri Cuisine

Winemaker’s dinner at Mount Pleasant winery

106  Missouri Artists

Springfield’s Russ RuBert plus Grandview’s Valerie Doran Bashaw, Galena’s Brian Rance, and Clarksville’s Stacy Whitt

130  Musings I fish, therefore, I am

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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

The Settlers Inn is a family-style dining restaurant located in a log cabin. Our meals are all-inclusive and include your choice of drink, spinach salad topped with our “secret recipe” salad dressing, fruit salad, rolls, two meats, green beans, potatoes, and fruit cobbler or apple dumplings for dessert. Open every Friday and Saturday evening by reservation. Two seatings—5:30 PM and 7: 30 PM Reservations for groups of 12 or more can be arranged through the week. Catering available.

The Settler’s Inn

Managing Editor & Web Editor Rebecca French Smith Editorial Assistants Jeremy Goldmeier Aja J. Junior Contributing Writers John Fisher, Doug Frost, Timothy Hill, Dawn Klingensmith, Ron W. Marr, John Robinson, Karen Mitcham-Stoeckley

Art & Production Creative Director Andrew Barton

I-70 and Highway 135 At Exit 98 • Boonville, Missouri 660-882-3125 • e-mail: settlers@iland.net

Art Director Shea Bryant Assistant Art Director Megan Elder

Advertising Senior Account Managers Sherry Broyles, 800-492-2593, ext. 107 Phillette Harvey, 800-492-2593, ext. 104 Bucket Media, 573-817-2825 Calendar Editor & Advertising Coordinator 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. 34, No. 4, August 2007 (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. © 2007 Missouri Life. All rights reserved. Printed in Missouri.

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EMrieOs U RBeIhinM MISg SO d the Sto the Tales Tellin

OF GRACE AND FORGIVENESS By Danita Allen Wood, Editor in Chief

I’m pleased to announce that we have launched Missouri Life Lines, our new e-newsletter.

BUZZING AROUND MISSOURI

We’re starting with only six issues a year, inbetween each regular print issue of the magazine. The newsletter will bring you the best events that come in after our deadline, short stories, Missouri-made products, and more. Managing Editor Rebecca Smith and my former student and good friend Katey Charles, president of Katey Charles Communications, made the newsletter possible. Missouri Life has come full circle working with Katey, as she was the first art director of Missouri Life when we took on the daunting task of reviving the magazine. The first issue of its reincarnation (April 1999) was born during a two-week period of burning the midnight oil in Katey’s living room and kitchen. We had a falling out over what now seems like a small issue to both of us, and shortly after, Katey moved to St. Louis. I’m thrilled that we’ve rebuilt our friendship and that I have her expertise for Missouri Life Lines. I realize how blessed I am to know her. Katey is a woman full of grace and forgiveness. If you didn’t get Missouri Life Lines, please visit our web site. You can sign up there.

Greg and I had a great good-bye dinner for our exchange student at Ruth’s Chris Steak House on the Plaza in Kansas City. There’s one in Clayton, too. We’ll go back!

Katey Charles helped us create an e-newsletter.

Wildwood Springs Lodge hosts great concerts.

Eating in Kansas City

We went to see the Flatlanders at Wildwood Springs Lodge, a restored 1920s resort near Steelville. The show in the old lobby, limited to about three hundred guests, lets everyone get up close to the entertainers. Visit www. wildwoodspringslodge.com for the schedule.

Celebrating at Branson We went to Branson to celebrate the fortieth birthday of the first theater on Branson’s now world-famous Highway 76. The Presley family’s theater opened on June 30, 1967, out in the country at the time. Read more about the family of musicians in our next issue, and watch for the book. Missouri Life is honored to have been selected to publish the story of this hard-working, talented family. The book will be released in August. Visit our web site for more information.

I cross the Missouri River on the Boonslick Bridge twice a day when I go to the office. If you missed our big section on the Missouri River last issue, you can still see it and enter our contest to win a canoe and kayak at our web site. The deadline is August 15.

Meeting You at the State Fair Missouri Life will be at the State Fair again! Find us at the Mathewson Exhibition Center from August 9 to August 19. When you come to see the draft horse or mule contests, the queen competition, cowboy shooting, or team penning, drop by and say hi.

Tasting Wine in St. Louis Come celebrate Missouri’s native grape, the Norton, also sometimes called Cynthiana, at the National Norton Wine Festival at the Missouri History Museum on September 8 in St. Louis, sponsored in part by Missouri Life. See page 98 for details.

Gary (left) and Steve Presley and I choose photos.

KATEY CHARLES: RON KLEIN PHOTOGRAPHY

Rocking at Steelville

Crossing the River at Boonville

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ETTurEStoRrieSs YOUg OpRiniL ons & Yo

Sharin

DON’T EAT THE TURNIPS In the April 2007 issue, there is an article about wildflowers. Is the picture on page 24 of the Indian Paintbrush the same plant that is or was called Indian Turnip? About fiftyfive years ago, the older kids made us eat the root of the Indian Turnip, and it was so hot. I have since wondered what it actually was. Jo Ann Gippner, Raytown

They are not the same plant. The Indian Turnip is also known as Jack-in-the-pulpit, which can be harmful when ingested. –Editor

Dan Marshall, St. James

Merammeecco?r Mara iful -Beautver Howe it’s Spelled Prior to … your December ’06 issue, … I was unaware of your magazine. The well-done Lewis and Clark publication that came with the subscription, highlighting their Missouri River travels, was intriguing. Then just before our family left on our annual outing at the end of May, your June issue arrived with the comprehensive and also well-done article on traveling the Missouri River today by Brett Dufur. A quick contact, and the next thing I know I am in Rocheport overlooking the Les Bourgeois Winery river bluff at sunset with my family, overnighting at the Katy Trail B&B, touring the town, meeting Brett and his family, and launching two Mighty Mo Canoe Rental kayaks into the river. Thank you Missouri Life and Brett for a

fantastic recommendation. You helped create a spectacular and unforgettable Missouri memory for my wife Debbie and I and our two daughters, Kaitlyn and Stephanie. Thomas P. Mahaney, Jr., Fulton

“Lewis and Clark’s Journey Across Missouri” is free with three-year orders or renewals. –Editor

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

COURTESY OF MISSOURI DIVISION OF TOURISM

I have an answer for you concerning the different spellings for the Meramec River and Maramec Spring (Missouri Memo, June 2007). I am the Regional Manager of Maramec Spring Park. According to Lucy Wortham James, the lady who left the Park for the enjoyment of the people, the correct spelling is Maramec. This was the way her ancestors (founders of the Maramec Iron Works in 1820) spelled it. We have a Civil War map in our museum showing the spelling of the river to be Maramec. Mrs. James, who died in 1938, wrote that the name was corrupted by a government official who mapped the region. The incorrect spelling stuck because the map was so widely used. She told her beneficiaries, The James Foundation, that she always wanted it to be spelled the “correct way.” We have abided by her wishes, but it has been difficult. The Missouri Department of Transportation has had to change their signs so many times that they began to regret hearing from us. It has really been a challenge to maintain the spelling, but so far we have weathered the confusion and plan to continue to fulfill her wish even though a lot of confusion would be avoided if we did not. I hope this helps.

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Special Advertising Section • www.visitcolumbiamo.com

COLUMBIA'S

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FESTIVAL FEVER

September in Columbia is known for its wonderful festivals. Yet another reason to visit this fall is to witness the exciting finish of Stage 4 of a world-class professional cycling race — the first ever held in Missouri.

TOUR OF MISSOURI RACES TO COLUMBIA The finish line for Stage 4 of the inaugural Tour of Missouri international professional cycling event is planned for near the Boone County Courthouse on Walnut Street in Columbia – with the racers estimated to reach the finish sometime between 3:30 and 5 p.m. Friday, Sept. 14. Top professional cyclists from more than 20 countries are expected to compete, including the Discovery Channel team owned by seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong. For Stage 4, the more than 120 cyclists will start their 100-mile road race in Lebanon, Missouri, riding north through the countryside at speeds of 35 miles an hour to their destination in Columbia. Stage 5 starts in Jefferson City the next day, taking the racers to St. Charles before

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PHOTOS (EXCEPT BIKERS) REPRINTED BY PERMISSION FROM HOCK’S CUSTOM PHOTOGRAPHY

HERITAGE FESTIVAL BRINGS HISTORY TO LIFE History comes alive at the Heritage Festival & Craft Show, which is marking the 30th year of its own history this Sept. 15 and 16 in Nifong Park, at Highway 63 and AC exit west, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Artisans and tradesmen in 19th-century dress demonstrate their trades and sell their wares – be they woven cloth, straw brooms or hand-carved wood. Also visit an 1859 town with reenactors portraying a schoolmarm, a sheriff, a mortician, shopkeepers and townspeople. You can walk through a replica Lewis and Clark outpost camp, with its extensive exhibit of the expedition and related artifacts. Another camp features cowboys, complete with their chuck wagons. Young people can play and learn in the Fun for Young’uns Area and join their families on a hayride. Stay late on Saturday night and be spooked by ghost stories from 8 to 9:30 p.m. Entertainers from many times and places perform music, dancing and storytelling on three stages during the festival. This year, look for the Haskell Indian Nations Dancers, St. Louis Czech Express, trick roper and yodeler Randy Erwin, Professor Farquar’s Great American Medicine Show, cowboy poets, and a fiddlers’ competition on Saturday afternoon. Bluegrass, blues, soul, jazz and local bands round out the musical offerings at the festival. In addition to the period crafts for sale, modern craftspeople offer unique handmade gifts in a large contemporary craft area. Visitors can tour the historic 1877 Maplewood home and the Walters-Boone County Historical Museum, which includes a repository of memorabilia honoring Jane Froman, Missouri’s “first lady of song.”

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TWILIGHT FESTIVAL TAKES TO THE STREETS In September, every Thursday night is a festival – the Twilight Festival in The District (downtown Columbia). The Twilight Festival fills the streets from 6 to 9 p.m. each week with bands, carriage rides, an evening concert series and a Kids´ Camp at Flat Branch Park with bounce-houses, entertainers and hands-on activities for the little ones. Listen to music on seemingly every street corner and in between, ranging from jazz to bluegrass to string quartets. Enjoy the talents of local artists exhibiting their wares and giving demonstrations of their techniques. Most stores are open for evening shopping.

Have fun with old-time activities and shop for handmade crafts at the Heritage Festival & Craft Show, Sept. 15 and 16 in Columbia.

Special Advertising Section • www.visitcolumbiamo.com

they ride the final circuit race in downtown St. Louis Sunday, Sept. 16. While the race is for world-class athletes, spectators can join the fun and excitement by attending the accompanying Tour of Missouri Health and Fitness Expo that will be set up in Courthouse Square at 1 p.m. on Friday. Learn about fitness, cancer awareness, safe biking and other healthy pursuits while enjoying cycling exhibits, food, entertainment, giveaways and more. Tour promoters hope both the race and the expo will inspire spectators to have healthier lifestyles – a cause dear to the hearts of Columbians, whose PedNet Coalition is dedicated to improving the quality of life through the development of an integrated bicycling, wheeling, and pedestrian network in and around the city. Bring your own bicycles to enjoy the many enjoyable rides in Columbia, including the MKT Nature and Fitness Trail that starts at Flat Branch Park downtown and connects to Missouri’s Katy Trail State Park 8.9 miles away, near McBaine.

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Special Advertising Section • www.visitcolumbiamo.com

COLUMBIA FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS

LATE SUMMER FUN IN COLUMBIA Exploration, Interpretation and the Works of George Caleb Bingham 9 AM-4 PM Tuesday-Friday; Noon-4 PM June 9 through Aug. 19, 2007 Museum of Art & Archaeology University of Missouri-Columbia 573-882-3591 http://maa.missouri.edu Outdoor Cinema: Casablanca (PG) 8:30 PM Aug. 3, 2007 Stephens Lake Park, Broadway Entrance $3 per person; age 6 & under free 573-874-7460 Oklahoma! 8 PM, Aug. 24, 25, 26, 31; Sept. 1, 2, 7, 8, 9, 2007 Maplewood Barn Community Theatre 573-449-7517 http://mbct.missouri.org/ Twilight Festival 6 PM to 9 PM, Sept. 6, 13, 20, 27, 2007 Music: Los Straitjackets Sept. 13; Marching Mizzou Sept. 27 The District (downtown Columbia) www.TwilightFestival.com The Roots ’N Blues ’N BBQ Festival Sept. 7-8, 2007 The District www.rootsnbluesnbbq.com Tour of Missouri Stage 4 in Columbia Sept. 14, 2007 Near Courthouse Square and other locations www.tourofmissouri.com/index.php www.visitcolumbiamo.com Mizzou Tigers Football Sept. 15, 2007 vs. Western Michigan time TBA Sept. 22, 2007 vs. Illinois State 1 p.m. CT Memorial Stadium, University of Missouri 1-800-CAT-PAWS (228-7279) http://mutigers.cstv.com/tickets/miss-tickets.html

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Water, Whiskey and Hogs 1-4 PM, Sept. 15, 2007 Hike and historical program Rock Bridge Memorial State Park 573-449-7402 www.mostateparks.com 30th Annual Heritage Festival & Craft Show 10 AM to 5 PM, Sept. 15-16, 2007 Historic Nifong Park 573-874-7460 www.gocolumbiamo.com Beers and Wines of the World Fundraiser for MU University Concert Series 7 PM Sept. 27, 2007 University Club Ballroom, Reynolds Alumni Center $15 minimum donation Call 573-882-3781 for tickets http://concertseries.org

September 29 and 30 the Columbia Festival of the Arts fills Courthouse Square and surrounding streets with art of all kinds – visual, performing and literary. Truly a community celebration, the free festival gives everyone a chance to take part, with many hands-on stations in the children’s art area and a large poetry wall where would-be poets and writers can choose from 1,700 magnetic words to express themselves. Some 40 live performances are scheduled, including folk, ballet, modern dance, the Teatro de la Rosa Hispanic theater company, the MU Steel Drum band, children’s theater, blues, Celtic, Creole, percussion, swing, jazz, classical, juggling, folk, bluegrass, puppetry, storytelling, opera and more. You won’t be able to miss Bill “Stretch” Coleman from Denver, a 9-foot-tall clown (on stilts) accompanied by giant puppets, dancing and strolling through the crowd all weekend. About 50 regional visual artists have been invited to the festival to exhibit and sell their work – look for your favorite artists and more information about the festival at www.gocolumbiamo.com/Arts/Festival. For more information on any of the festivals and events, lodging, dining and shopping, go to www.visitcolumbiamo.com.

Columbia Festival of the Arts 10 AM to 5 PM, Sept. 29-30, 2007 Boone County Courthouse Square 573-874-6386 www.gocolumbiamo.com/Arts/Festival Boone County Art Show 9 AM to 5 PM, Sept. 29-30, 2007 Boone County National Bank, 8th & Broadway Hosted by the bank and Columbia Art League 573-443-2131 YouZeum Starlight Bike Ramble 8 PM Sept. 29, 2007 Recreational bike ride followed by family street party Starts at YouZeum, 608 E. Cherry St. 573-445-2275 www.youzeum.org

Celebrate art of all kinds at the Columbia Art Festival Sept. 29 and 30 – from free open-air concerts to do-it-yourself art.

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ROOTS ’N BLUES ’N BBQ FESTIVAL

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Columbia Cuisine

From left, Grand Cru proprietor George Liggett, general manager Dan Paulsell, and chef Jason Mooney, with Mooney’s new creation: Shrimp and Gorgonzola Gratin with Fresh Spinach and Marinated Micro-Greens. Find the recipe online at MissouriLife.com under Missouri Life Online Extras. For more great Columbia dining experiences, go to www.visitcolumbiamo.com.

BLEND OF OLD AND NEW AT GRAND CRU By design, the Grand Cru Restaurant in Columbia is many things to many people. Diners come for its steaks, an abundant selection of wines, live music on the weekends in The Grapevine Lounge, stone fireplaces and a décor that mixes 300-year-old armoires with a large collection of original watercolors by award-winning artist Paul Jackson. Proprietor George Liggett takes the name Grand Cru – the “best of the best” – to heart, blending old and new to keep quality and enjoyment high and prices reasonable. Standbys every night include being able to order oysters four different ways or add Alaskan King Crab Legs or a lobster tail to any dinner dish. Customers also can count on favorites like the Mediterranean Brownie dessert and the Brie Salad Almondine. Chef Jason Mooney also offers selections from around the world, with new tastes to try – like his new shrimp and Gorgonzola gratin creation (see photo and recipe at MissouriLife.com). Mooney will tackle any cuisine and has prepared customer-requested menus for wedding receptions and other special events held in the facility, which can seat more than 200 guests. “I like the challenge,” he says. Managing the many venues is general manager Daniel Paulsell, who loves the diversity of the place. Small groups seeking privacy can book the Prime Minister Room or Rombauer Room, the latter named for Liggett’s friends the Rombauers, of “The Joy of Cooking” and Rombauer Vineyards fame. The solarium rooms that bookend the facility hold up to 45 people each, graced by plenty of natural light and, of course, a fireplace. Adorning most

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walls are paintings by Jackson, a nationally recognized artist who also won Best of Show at Columbia’s Art in the Park festival in June with his new work “Fascination.” Originals on display include Jackson’s “Missouri Capitol” and other familiar Missouri scenes. Visitors to Columbia who stay at the Stoney Creek Inn, just south of the University of Missouri-Columbia sports complex, need only cross Providence Road to experience Grand Cru. Liggett still offers wine and cigars for retail sale at Grand Cru but emphasizes that in accordance with the new Columbia city ordinance, both the restaurant and the lounge are completely smoke-free. (Those wishing to smoke are accommodated on a separate outside patio.) “It’s the wave of the future,” he says.

Grand Cru Restaurant

2600 S. Providence Road Columbia, MO 65203 573-443-2600 www.grand-cru.biz e-mail: grandcru@socket.net Monday-Friday 11 AM to late night Saturday 5 PM to late night. Closed Sunday (except first Sunday of month for brunch buffet, 10 AM to 2 PM.)

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STATE ROCK:

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MANY STATES HAVE a state rock, but Missouri is unique in that its state rock is actually named for the state and one of its regions. The term mozarkite is derived from “Missouri” and “Ozarks.” Mozarkite is a form of one of the most common rocks found in the state, chert, which is composed of the mineral quartz. While quartz sometimes occurs as crystals, quartz in the form of microscopic grains makes up chert. Chert is found in a variety of colors and is given different names depending on its color. For example, dark gray or black chert is called flint, red chert is jasper, while chert in which colors occur in bands is agate. Mozarkite is an especially attractive form of chert, which displays shades of red, pink, and purple with some green and gray tints. The Missouri Geological Survey considers any pink chert found in Missouri to be mozarkite. The colors result from various impurities, such as iron, in the chert. All forms of chert were widely used by American Indians for making arrowheads and other stone tools. Today, its hardness, ease of polishing, and beautiful colors make mozarkite a much sought-after rock for making jewelry nationwide. The best mozarkite is found in west-central Missouri, especially around Lincoln, where it weathers out of Cotter Dolomite, a formation dating back about 450 million years. Chert occurs as either beds or nodules in much of Missouri’s limestone and dolomite. It is more resistant to weathering than the limestone or dolomite and thus accumulates in Ozark streams as gravel. It is also found in deposits on Crowley’s Ridge in southeast Missouri and in glacial deposits in the northern part of the state. Lincoln resident Doug McCain, author of Mozarkite: Gemstone of the Missouri Ozarks, credits the late Byron Purteet, a member of the St. Louis Mineral and Gem Society, and Oliver Roskan, with the Show-Me Rockhounds Association, Inc., in Kansas City, with beginning efforts to have mozarkite named the state rock. Another individual, the late Philip Widel, an avid rock collector, also assisted in the effort. Their work paid off with mozarkite becoming our state rock July 21, 1967. Lincoln and Benton counties remain the center of mozarkite collecting. –John Fisher, author of “Catfish, Fiddles, Mules, and More:

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MISSOU RI MED LEY Notewo rthy People an d Places

Tragedy Spawns Musical Legacy Soulful, smooth, and uplifting tones ring through Ivory Perry Park and invigorate life into a once solemn community in St. Louis. More than six years ago, a pack of dogs attacked a ten-year-old boy in the park, which resulted in his death. The Union Avenue Christian Church and the neighborhood of the park, formerly named Visitation Park, present their fifth annual Ivory Perry Park Concert Series. The series boasts three free concerts on the last Sunday of each summer

R-VINO EXPRESS HITS THE ROAD By Glenna Parks

month. Family fun is the focus of the concert series. Storytellers, water sprinklers, and Frisbee decorating contests are a few of the kid-centered activities planned. August’s concert will feature several jazz selections from Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess. For more information, call 314-727-2309.

COURTESY OF ST. JAMES WINERY; COURTESY OF IVORY PERRY PARK CONCERT SERIES

ST. JAMES WINERY’S new R-Vino Express is giving the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile a run for its money. The thirty-four-foot recreational vehicle-cum-tasting room, stocked with twelve to fifteen cases of wine, has been fitted with a custom-designed wrap, a decal that covers the four sides of the vehicle with different wine-themed scenes, says Jack Bonar, National Marketing Director for the winery. Inside, the RV is fitted with wine memorabilia such as photos and bottles and is also a fully functioning home for the The Winery has two or three travelers who are currently making their way Won More Than across the country promoting the wines. Two Thousand Samples of the winery’s fifteen most popular offerings Awards and is and promotional gifts such as T-shirts, Frisbees, chip clips, Nationally and handheld computer games bearing the company’s logo Ranked. are being handed out at various festivals, fairs, and special events, such as the St. Louis Wine Festival and the Annual Corvette Festival at Effingham, Illinois. “We’ve found that people around the country don’t realize how many awards we’ve won, about the brand, or even much about the Missouri region,” Jack says. The winery has won more than two thousand awards and is nationally ranked as one of the top ten most-awarded wineries in the country by Taster’s Guild International. For more information, call 800-280-9463, or visit www.stjameswinery.com.

—Glenna Parks

Aaron “Strayhorn” Parker will perform music from Porgy and Bess on August 26.

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BLUE OWL SERVES UP LEVEE HIGH APPLE PIE

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By John Fisher

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MISSOURI MEDLEY

IN THE QUAINT LITTLE TOWN of Kimmswick, located south of St. Louis, Levee High Apple Pie has made a name for itself and its restaurant home, the Blue Owl. Named after the levee that saved the restaurant from the Mississippi River flood of 1993, this thirteen-pound, eighteen-apple pie put the restaurant and its owner, Mary Hostetter, on the nationally recognized map when it was featured on the Food Network’s Road Tasted in January. Mary began her food career in 1983 when she started making pies, pastries, cookies, cheesecakes, and candies in her home kitchen and selling them at craft shows, fairs, and festivals around St. Louis. As demand for her goodies grew, she found herself deluged with orders for thirty thousand cookies and pastries just three weeks before Christmas 1984. In June 1985, Mary met Lucianna Ross, who had spearheaded the effort to restore the deteriorating, historic town of Kimmswick. Lucianna had been buying and restoring historic buildings, some built before the Civil War, and leasing them to individuals interested in starting businesses since 1969. Lucianna suggested that Mary combine her baking business with a country tea room in one of her buildings at Second and Mill streets. The Blue Owl Restaurant and Bakery opened in August 1985 with five employees and the goal of serving thirty customers a day. Mary has since purchased the building and expanded it several times. Today, she employs seventy-five and serves more than ten times her original goal of thirty customers each day. The Blue Owl Restaurant is located at Second and Mill streets in Kimmswick. For more information, call 636-464-3128 or visit www.theblueowl.com.

COURTESY OF THE BLUE OWL RESTAURANT

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The City of Boonville is one of the best kept secrets in the state of Missouri! With more than 350 homes on the National Register of Historic Places and seven historic districts, Boonville is a great place for families to experience the past. Thespian Hall is the oldest theater still operating west of the Allegheny Mountains. The MKT Railroad Bridge is an engineering marvel and well worth the drive to see it at sunset. Ride the Katy Trail as one of our many activities. The Isle of Capri Casino provides an escape from the ordinary with its ﬁne dining and tropical atmosphere. Experience Boonville’s past, present, and future with a great weekend getaway to one of our many overnight accommodations. Come Watch Us Grow! ��

www.boonvillemo.org

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ACE e.com K ETatPL MAiRProdu cts MissouriLif

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Hillbillies and Mills $12.00 Tour and revisit the mills of the Ozarks every month in your own home with the 2008 Historic Ozarks Mills calendar. In the first official collector’s edition, journey through the rustic architecture and history of these water mills, along with “Hillbilly holidays” and authentic Ozark festivals. A map of the location and directions to each mill lets you enjoy and discover the mills in person, too.

Spicy, Sweet, and with Heat $6.00 per bottle or 3 for $15 Tangy, sweet, or with heat, Lutz’s Famous BBQ sauces come straight from the heart of Missouri at California, Missouri. Pick the taste best suited to you. The spicy gives you some sweet and heat through blends of spices, and the sweet mustard adds extra zip to your meat. Named the American Royal’s Best Sauce on the Planet in 2006, the Kansas City-style barbecue sauce is savory and full-bodied. Whatever your choice, you’ll have that great traditional taste of barbecue.

I Was a Kaleidocope $42.00 A kaleidoscope of colors and shapes embodies the fine art jewelry by D.C. Smith. The uncontrolled process of the dichroic glass under intense heat gives appeal and beauty to this and other one-of-a-kind pieces. The glass bursts radiant and vibrant hues similar to the feathers of a peacock. Winding metal around the pendant adds the perfect touch for daytime fun or a night on the town.

Keep Your Cucumber Cool $36.00 Beat the spicy heat of salsa in these dip coolers by Mitch Yung Ceramic Design. From plain and simple to exotic styles, these stoneware, ceramic coolers can fit your style and enliven your party. Just add ice and cold water to the bottom to keep your dip cool.

Now This is a Family Tree Trace your family’s roots through the tree sculptures of Wayne Trinklein. The culmination of copper wire, tin, and lead creates the Gregarious Pleaser piece and signifies a relationship or condition. The tree sits firmly on a rock base along with the signature of its creator. Find these and other fine products at MissouriLife.com. – Compiled by Aja J. Junior

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[25] August 2007

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[26] MissouriLife

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ALL AROUND

MISSOURI

Events in Your Y Area

August & September

This Issue’s Featured Event TAKE ME OUT TO OUR HIGHWAY

The Route 66 Association of Missouri tour celebrates not only Route 66 but also our baseball traditions. The tours will visit baseball great Mickey Owen’s Baseball Camp outside Miller and end at Jim Bottomley Park in Sullivan. There is a stop in Springfield for a BBQ meal at Smith Park. The tour is Sept. 7-9. Additional information on planned

SHERRI CAMP

stops and activities along the way will be available at registration. Visit www.Missouri66.org or call 314-776-7385 for registration and information.

Northeast & St. Louis Area Jungle Boogie Aug. 3, 10, 17, 24, 31, St. Louis. Concert each week in the Central Plaza. St. Louis Zoo. 5-7 PM. Free. 314-781-0900 Prairie Walk Aug. 4, St. Charles. Explore the prairie and discover wildflowers in bloom. August A. Busch Memorial Conservation Area. 9 AM-11 PM. Free. 636-441-4554

Salt River Folk Life Festival Aug. 11-12, Florida. Historic entertainers, crafters, and music. Mark Twain Birthplace and State Historic Site. 10 AM-5 PM. Free ($2 parking donation). 573-565-3449 Paul Stanley Art Exhibit Aug. 17-18, Des Peres. Exhibit by KISS frontman and artist visits. Wentworth Gallery. 6-9 PM. Free. 314-821-8884

Grape Stomp Stomp for charity. Stone Hill Winery. 11 AM registration; 1 PM stomp. $1-$3 ($5 stomp fee). 800-909-9463

Missouri Black Expo Aug. 18-19, St. Louis. Seminars, boxing tournament, music fest, and gospel. America’s Convention Center. 10 AM-10 PM Sat.; 11 AM-9 PM Sun. $8. 314-361-5772

Bug Day Aug. 11, Wildwood. Activities, crafts, concert, and hike. Dr. Edmund A. Babler Memorial State Park. 10 AM-2 PM. Free. 636-458-3813

Big River Days Sept. 15-16, Clarksville. Barge excursions, demonstrations, and reenactments. Riverfront Park. 10 AM-5 PM. Free. 573-242-3336

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Archaeology Day Sept. 22-23, Imperial. Tours, demonstrations, artifacts, and artisans. Mastodon State Historic Site. 9 AM. Free. 636-464-2976

JANE RICHEY

Dancing in the Street Sept. 29, St. Louis. Join the organized dance line to try and break the record for the longest chorus line, multiple dance stages, and Project Bandaloo, an aerial dance/gymnastics group. Grand Center. 10 AM-9 PM. Free (except special events). 314-289-1591

Historic Northeast Fall Festival Sept. 7-9, Kansas City. Celebration of the cultural diversity of the area with children’s activities, drill teams, and recycling education. Concourse Park. 6-11 PM Fri.; 3-11 PM Sat.-Sun. Free. 816-231-3312

Roots and Blues, Sept. 7-8, Columbia. Concerts ranging from blues to folk to reggae, BBQ contest, and vendors. Historic Downtown. Free. 573-817-8642

George Jones Concert Sept. 30, Arnold. Country music legend. Rickman Auditorium. 7 PM. $46-$52. 636-296-2100

Benefit KCCA Corvette Show Aug. 11, Independence. More than 200 cars from the original 1953 model to the modern Corvette. Independence Square. 8 AM-3 PM. Free. 816-254-8612

Chefs’ Wine Country BBQ Sept. 30, Augusta. Watch as top St. Louis area chefs create dishes for sampling. Mount Pleasant Winery. 1-4 PM. $45. 800-467-9463

Trails West! Aug. 17-19, St. Joseph. Fine and folk art, dramatic stage performances, reenactments, and music. Civic Center Park. $7. 800-216-7080

Northwest & Kansas City Area

Irish Fest Aug. 31-Sept. 2, Kansas City. Five stages of traditional Irish music and Celtic rock, heritage displays, comedy shows, children’s activities, and dance competitions. Crown Center Square. 5-11 PM Fri.; 11 AM-11 PM Sat.-Sun. $5-$10. 816-997-0837

John Emerson Memorial Band Concert Aug. 1, Arrow Rock. Local band performs a variety of music. Huston Tavern lawn. 7 PM. Free. 660-837-3330

Pioneer Days Sept. 7-9, Edgerton. Arts, crafts, old-time competitions, classic car and antique tractor show, and street dances. Throughout town. 4 PM-midnight Fri.; 7 AM-midnight Sat.; 10 AM-7 PM Sun. Free. 816-992-3368 Fall Music Fest and Back Porch Jam Sept. 8, Lawson. Performance of original songs and folk music and informal jam. Watkins Woolen Mill State Park and Historic Site. 11 AM-5 PM. Free. 816-580-3387 Vintage Homes Tour Sept. 8-9, Lexington. Tour privately owned Antebellum and Victorian homes. Historic District. 10 AM-5 PM Sat.; noon-4 PM Sun. $15. 660-259-4711 Jesse James Festival Sept. 14-16, Kearney. Championship BBQ contest, arts, crafts, dance, rodeo, and apple pie contest. Jesse James Fairgrounds. Noon-midnight Fri.; 6:30 AM-1 AM Sat.; 10 AM-2:30 PM Sun. $5 parking. 816-628-4229

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Pig Pickin’, Chicken Lickin’ Feast Sept. 15, Independence. Roast pork, fried chicken, silent auction, home tours, and banjo band. Bingham-Waggoner Estate. 4-7 PM. $12. Reservations. 816-461-3791 Toonfest Sept. 15, Marceline. Celebrate Walt Disney’s hometown with cartoonists, parade, original cartoon exhibits, silent auction, museum tour, and crafts. Downtown. 9 AM-5 PM. Free (except special events). 660-376-9258 Oktoberfest Sept. 21-23, Kansas City. Traditional German food, beer, cultural activities, and shows. Crown Center, Washington Square Park, and Union Station. 816-421-2341

Central Devil’s Icebox Wild Cave Tours Aug. 1, Columbia. Experience an adventure-style cave tour. Registration is required. Rock Bridge Memorial State Park. Some fees apply. 573-449-7402 Bats Aug. 4, Camdenton. Presentation on bats and watch endangered gray bats fly out of the cave. Ha Ha Tonka State Park. 8 PM. Free. 573-346-2986

Giddyup Kidnapping | WITH LIGHTS FLASHING, the police cruiser pulls from the median onto Interstate 55 near Sikeston and chases a pickup truck, which stops on the side of the road. The driver has committed no offense. To the contrary, the family is being “kidnapped” to be Sikeston’s special guests. This event takes place on Saturday morning of rodeo week each year at Sikeston. “We are looking for an out-of-state family of four,” says Pansy Glenn, executive director of the Sikeston-Miner Convention and Visitors Bureau. Following their “arrest,” the family is escorted to the Convention and Visitors Bureau office and presented with a large gift basket. The family is then taken to Lambert’s Cafe for lunch followed by a trip to the downtown park. There, they are

By John Fisher

briefly displayed in handcuffs and chains, then they are taken to their hotel to rest before dinner and an evening at the rodeo. The local Jaycees chapter sponsors the annual four-day rodeo from August 8-11. In addition to some well-known cowboys in the world of professional rodeo, top names in country music will perform each night. For more information, visit www.sikestonrodeo.com or call 1-800-455-BULL (2855).

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Old Tractors, New Fun | THE KINGDOM OF CALLAWAY Historical Society at Fulton will sponsor their second Vintage Tractor Drive on September 1 at Mokane. This year’s drive will travel approximately twenty-five miles and will include participation in a parade through town. Spectators will see many different colors and models of vin-

By Lewis Baumgartner

tage tractors. There will be the familiar brands, such as Farmall, John Deere, Allis Chalmers, Ford, and Oliver. The tractors must be at least thirty-seven years old. These drives are not contests to see who has the most powerful or best tractor. They are merely an opportunity for tractor enthusiasts to display their machines and highlight agricultural heritage. The vintage tractor drive is also a part of the Mokane World’s Fair, which the city has held every Labor Day weekend since 1950. The first drive is set to begin at 9 AM at Mokane High School; participants should arrive around 7 AM. For more information, call 573-642-0570.

Pump Boys and Dinettes Aug. 9-12 and 16-19, Jefferson City. Musical dinner theater. Shikles Auditorium. 6 PM Thurs.-Sat.; noon Sun. $30. 573-681-9012 State Fair Aug. 9-19, Sedalia. Big name entertainment, midway, livestock and horse shows, hundreds of exhibits, and food. State Fairgrounds. 7:30 AM-10 PM (midway open until midnight). $7-$8. 800-422-3247 Celebrating Creativity Aug. 14-Sept. 16, Fulton. Best of Missouri Hands artists exhibit arts and fine crafts. Cox Gallery at Kemper Center for the Arts. 9 AM-4 PM Mon.-Fri.; 1-4 PM Sat.-Sun. Free. 800-995-3159 Bridal Fair Sept. 16, Sedalia. Display of the latest fashions and everything needed for planning a perfect wedding. Hotel Bothwell Grand Ballroom. 1-4 PM. 660-827-7388 Missouri River Festival Aug. 18 and 23-25, Boonville. Classical music performances and visual artist Pete Christus. Historic Thespian Hall and Hain House. 6-7:45 PM visual arts; 8 PM performances. $10-$20. 888-588-1477

TODD HARRISON

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Cruise the River! Explore Missouri’s oldest & newest Showcaves!

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Walk in Twain’s footsteps! Family Fun at Sawyers Creek! Tour Rockcliffe Mansion! ��

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[31] August 2007

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Camp Barnabas Burn Benefit Sept. 2, Richland. Cake walk, auctions, and Cricket Alley Band benefit kids with special needs. Gasconade Hills Resort. 5 PM. Donations accepted. 573-765-3044 Life and Literature in Performance Sept. 13-16, Columbia. Student-authored adaptations of poetry, prose, folktales, and performance art. Corner Playhouse at University of Missouri campus. 8 PM Thurs.Sat.; 2 PM Sun. $7. 573-882-7529 Bijou at Bothwell: Stars Under the Stars Sept. 15, Sedalia. Bring a lawn chair or blanket for the 1954 comedy The Long, Long Trailer on the outdoor silver screen. Bothwell Lodge State Historic Site. 7:30 PM. Free. 660-827-0510

Slackville Sept. 15 and 22, Blackwater. Comedy written by local playwright Jay Turley. West End Theatre. 2:30 and 8 PM. $3-$6. 660-846-4411 Capital Jazz Fest Sept. 21-22, Jefferson City. Gala, silent and live auction, dinner, jazz performance, and concerts. Gala at Capitol Plaza Hotel at 6 PM; concerts at Memorial Park at 7 PM. Free (except Gala). 573-635-5301

Old Munichburg’s Oktoberfest Sept. 29, Jefferson City. Authentic German food, music, dancing, parade, car show, crafts, artisan demonstrations, and Dachshund Derby. Historic Old Munichburg at Jefferson and Dunklin streets. 573-636-6603

Fisher Cave: Hugh Dill Trip Aug. 4, Sullivan. Unique opportunity to explore beyond the normal cave tour with strenuous crawling. Call park naturalist for information on what you will need. Meramec State Park. 9 AM. $5-$6. 573-468-6072

Seasons at the Park Sept. 29, Knob Noster. Participate in a hike or video program that highlights some season changes such as tree identification, birds, reptiles, mammals, and fall colors. Knob Noster State Park. Call to register. 10 AM. Free. 660-563-2463

Funke Originals Aug. 4-26, Poplar Bluff. Handmade paper exhibit and on Aug. 4th a hands-on workshop. Margaret Harwell Art Museum. Noon-4 PM Tues.-Fri.; 1-4 PM Sat.-Sun (10 AM3 PM workshop). Free. 573-686-8002

Festival of the Arts Sept. 29-30, Columbia. Fine arts exhibits, demonstrations, hands-on art experiences, and children’s activities. Historic Boone County Courthouse Square at the District. Free. 573-874-6386

Southeast Phelps County Fair Aug. 1-4, Rolla. Bull riding, queen pageant, Collin Raye concert, mud run, demolition derby, gospel singing contest, exhibits, demonstrations, and midway acts. Phelps County Fairgrounds. 4-11 PM Wed-Sat.; 8 AM-noon Sun. $15-$20. 573-364-6364

Tunes at Twilight Aug. 10, 17, 24, 31, and Sept. 7, 14, Cape Girardeau. Bring your lawn chair for an outdoor concert. Lawn at courthouse gazebo. 6:30-7:30 PM. Free. 800-777-0068 Catch a Falling Star Aug. 11, Leasburg. Join a park naturalist for answers to astronomy questions about the Perseids meteors, and a telescope will be set up for night sky viewing. Onondaga Cave State Park. 8:30 PM Free. 573-245-6573 Jour de Fete Aug. 11-12, Ste. Genevieve. Arts and crafts festival with costumed craftsmen in historic settings. Felix Valle House State Historic Site. 9 AM-6 PM. Free. 573-883-7102

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ALL AROUND MISSOURI

BBQ Festival Aug. 24-25, Cape Girardeau. Taste samples at this KC Barbeque Society sanctioned contest. Arena Park. 4-10 PM Fri.; 10 AM-3 PM Sat. Free. 800-777-0068 Hummingbird Banding Demonstration Sept. 1, Leasburg. Join researcher as he captures, bands, and studies hummingbirds. Learn about this tiny bird’s history. Onondaga Cave State Park. 1-7 PM. Free. 573-245-6576 Founder’s Day Sept. 7-9, Cuba. Sesquicentennial celebration featuring performance of Tom Sawyer, on Fri.-Sat. evening, oldfashioned games, parade, displays, and entertainment. Recklein Auditorium and Historic Uptown. 10:30 AM-5 PM Sat.; noon-6 PM Sun. Free. 573-885-2531 Living History Day Sept. 8, East Prairie. Old-time skills demonstrated, exhibits, reenactments, bluegrass music, and food available for purchase. Big Oak Tree State park. 10 AM. Free. 573-649-3149 Trail of Tears Triathlon Sept. 8, Jackson. Participate in a triathlon. Trail of Tears State Park. 9 AM-noon. 573-334-1711

111th Anniversary of Montauk Mill Sept. 8, Salem. Celebrate the historic gristmill with corn grinding demonstrations, antique equipment displays, mill tours, and old-fashioned games. Montauk State Park. 9 AM-4 PM. Free. 573-548-2201 SEMO District Fair Sept. 8-15, Cape Girardeau. Rides, food, displays, antique tractor, hot rod, and truck pull, horse show, antique car show, rodeo, and headliner concerts. Arena Park. 11 AM-9:30 PM Sat.-Sun.; 1-9:30 PM Mon.-Fri. $4 daily; $25 weekly (concerts extra). 800-455-3247 Fall Folk Music Concert Sept. 15, Jackson. Trail of Tears State Park amphitheater. 7 PM. Free. 573-334-1711

Pioneer Days Sept. 28-29, Mountain View. Old-time festival featuringdancing, music, bands, parades, bed race, pie-eating contest, flapjack breakfast, ham and bean supper, and antique car show. Downtown. 6 PM Fri.; all day Sat. Free except food). 417-934-2794 Old Mine Open House Sept. 29, Park Hills. Visit the mining-mineral museum, rock and mining equipment exhibits, demonstrations, and featured guests talk about the good old days in mining. Missouri Mines State Historic Site. 9 AM. Free. 573-431-6226

Southwest

Fall Concert Sept. 16, Burfordville. Bring a blanket or lawn chair for a concert of traditional acoustic music. Bollinger Mill State Historic Site. 4:30 PM. Free. 573-243-4591

Wildflower Hike Aug. 4 and Sept. 1, Mindenmines. View wildflowers and prairie grasses and identification, uses, and folklore information presented. Prairie State Park. 10 AM. Free. 417-843-6711

Battle Reenactment Sept. 22-23, Pilot Knob. Cannons, cavalry, period sutlers, food, music, and 1,000 reenactors demonstrate soldier and civilian life during 1864. Fort Davidson State Historic Site. 9 AM-4 PM. Free. 573-546-3454

Spelunker Spree Aug. 11, Springfield. Adults only explore two caves at Fuson Conservation Area. Inquire about special instructions. Conservation Nature Center. 9 AM-4 PM. Free. Registration. 417-888-4237

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

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Shakin’ in the Shell Fest Sept. 22, Shell Knob. Live music, vendors, car and boat show, climbing wall, and carnival. Behind Bridgeway Plaza. 10 AM-7 PM Free (except carnival). 417-858-3300 Cider Days Sept. 22-23, Springfield. Fall festival featuring more than 100 juried artists and crafters, scarecrow display, pedal tractor pull, and hands-on children’s area. Historic Walnut Street. 10 AM-5 PM. $3. 417-831-6200

MARK NEUENSCHWANDER

Harvest Moon Festival Sept. 28-29, Forsyth. Arts, crafts, car and truck show, car sale corral, cruise-in, children’s activities, and music. Shadow Rock Park. 9 AM-6 PM Fri.; 8 AM-5 PM Sat. Free. 417-546-2741

FREE LISTING ON WEB SITE Submit events well in advance. Visit MissouriLife.com and fill out the form, e-mail Amy@missourilife.com, or send announcement to Missouri Life, 515 E. Morgan St., Boonville, MO 65233. PLEASE NOTE: Event plans sometimes change. Call before traveling.

The Mt. Vernon Tango | PROFESSIONAL TANGO instructors from Argentina, Boston, and Denver will be dancing under the stars in Mt. Vernon this month. More than 130 amateurs from across the country will travel to join them at the fourth annual Meet in the Middle tango festival, August 9-12. Festival director Karen Whitesell understands their commitment; she traveled to Buenos Aires to immerse herself in the tango culture. The festival will take place in a renovated brick building on the Mt. Vernon Square. “We dance upstairs, and meals are catered

By Ann Leach

in downstairs,” Karen says. Festival participants dance the Argentine Tango—a dance that brings a touch of class, sophistication, and beauty to the dance floor. “This is a socially accepted way to show emotions,” Karen says. “You are connected to your partner and you are literally dancing with your heart.” Visitors can enjoy a Saturday evening performance at Gibbs Park. Murray’s Tango Salon is located at 202 S. Hickory St. at Mt. Vernon. For more information, call 417-471-1001.

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[1] June 2007

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P L AY S M A R T AT S E D A L I A E N G I N E E R S S TAT E - O F - T H E - A R T G Y M S |

and all the king’s men would have been of no consequence to Humpty Dumpty had he been romping around on a PlaySmart playground when he had his great fall. PlaySmart playground equipment, manufactured in Sedalia, has soft surfaces that are padded or engineered to absorb impact. Floors and decks are made of woven material that looks and feels like seat belt straps. These surfaces are so forgiving that an egg dropped twenty feet will bounce, not break, when it hits the webbing, says General Manager Gary Boots. “It’s kind of a trampoline effect,” he says. The patented flooring system and heavily padded steel posts make up the basic structure of the brightly colored playground systems, which PlaySmart designs, manufactures, and installs for family entertainment centers, roller rinks, baseball stadiums, and other indoor venues. The decks and posts connect a series of play

features, such as balance beams and slides, that enable kids to climb, jump, bounce, swing, and descend without injuring themselves. The Magic Carpet, for example, is a mat suspended from six springy supports. The mat bounces and tilts to create a floating sensation, but all the while, riders are less than two feet above the flooring. “Our playgrounds are designed in such a way that a kid can’t jump down more than eighteen inches off any level,” Gary says. “They’re also designed so kids are constantly changing elevations and going around turns, which prevent them from going too fast and smacking into each other with too much velocity.” Other safety features include unimpeded sightlines and easy access for adults. “On other types of indoor playgrounds, kids are climbing through tubes and end up in a fort-type of atmosphere,” Gary says, “so the parent below can’t see them and starts wonder-

Hunter Smith spends a Saturday morning romping through the padded maze at Going Bonkers at Columbia. This gym at Going Bonkers is only half of the unit there; the other half is across the yellow bridge to the left.

ing, ‘Is my kid okay up there?’ ” Founded in 1993, PlaySmart does not use plastic tubes, cubes, or panels in its playgrounds, so children are constantly in plain view. And in the event that a small fry needs assistance, wide entrances and pathways allow grown-up supervisors to come to the rescue. PlaySmart systems start at thirty thousand dollars. But elaborate, multi-level designs can cost up to three hundred thousand dollars and occupy more than 4,600 square feet, rivaling a five-bedroom house in size and price. Missouri facilities with PlaySmart equipment include Babe’s Family Fun Center in Warrensburg and Going Bonkers in Columbia. For more information, call 1-800-940-PLAY or visit www.playsmart.com.

ANDREW BARTON

THE INEPTITUDE OF all the king’s horses

By Dawn Klingensmith

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BEST OF MISSOU RI Quality From Every Corner

AROUND THE NEXT BEND

5 S C E N I C B Y W AY S B E C K O N R O A D H O G S |

By Jackie Sheckler Finch

NICOLAS NADJAR; COURTESY OF MISSOURI DIVISION OF TOURISM

MEANDER THROUGH MISSOURI on motorcycle tours that reveal how the ShowMe State can create miles of memories. From rugged mountains to flowering meadows, peaceful valleys to tall-grass prairies, country roads to charming towns, Missouri offers an open road to adventure. “It has everything that I want in a ride,” says Jeff Holland, director of the Greater Kansas City Harley Owners Group (HOGs). “Missouri is filled with wonderful places to ride. It has so much diversity that I can’t think of anyplace else I would rather live.” A motorcycle rider for twenty-five years, the forty-six-year-old resident of Peculiar has steered his bike through all but two states in the continental United States. “The only ones I have not visited on my motorcycle are Washington and Oregon,” Jeff says. “And I’m going to get those two this summer.” But for pure pleasure, Jeff says he likes to head out on Missouri roads and find the treasures that wait over the hill and around the next bend. With the help of Missouri motorcycle riders and dealers, we’ve compiled a list of five scenic rides. So rev your motor, gas up your tank, mark a map, and try these five trips where the joy lies in the journey.

Route 94—Hermann to St. Charles About 70 miles On this ride, sweeping curves and hairpin turns follow the Missouri River through massive limestone bluffs, some of which rise as much as

Hermann four hundred feet above the river. The two-lane road hugs the river and has wonderful views at various points along the route and small towns spaced well for stops to stretch your legs. As a child growing up in Hermann, Suzie Frye remembers going for Sunday drives along Route 94. “There were five kids and two adults,” she says. “And we’d all climb into Dad’s Ford station wagon and go on a drive to visit my aunt in St. Charles.” Now the assistant manager for the Hermann Chamber of Commerce, Suzie says the highway is “still a drive that I like to take. It’s a beautiful drive any time of year with all the farmland and old buildings.”

The route takes you on a tour of the Missouri Rhineland, starting in Hermann where the town’s Old World charm includes more than 150 buildings on the National Register of Historic Places. A good stopping place is Defiance where Appalachian pioneer Daniel Boone settled with his wife and extended family. Five miles west of Defiance on County Road F is the Daniel Boone Home and Boonesfield Village. Remarkable even now, the home boasts a ballroom on the top floor and limestone walls that are two-andone-half feet thick. Behind the house, a living history village features a chapel, schoolhouse, woodworker’s shop, milliner’s shop, general store, mill,

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merchant’s home, and more with costumed interpreters. On September 29 and 30, the annual Pioneer Days features artisans, music, an encampment, and a black powder shootout.

1800s. Held this year on October 20 and 21, the festival features the irresistible smells and tastes of homemade food prepared over wood fires.

Route 79—Hannibal to Louisiana About 35 miles

Route 125—Sparta to Yellville, Arkansas About 60 miles

Hugging the banks of the Mississippi River, this ride offers some spectacular vistas of the river. Well-paved with light traffic, the road also passes through a pretty pastoral setting with park-like wooded areas. Watch the skies around the dam at Saverton, about nine miles south of Hannibal, for bald eagles that migrate south to live on the high bluffs. “They call it the Great River Road because it is so scenic,” says Mary Sexton, tour and travel manager for the Hannibal Convention and Visitor’s Bureau. “You go through small towns, and in the autumn when the leaves are changing colors, it is just drop-dead gorgeous.” Historic homes, great family-owned restaurants, a riverboat cruise, museums, and much more make Hannibal a good place to spend a night before or after the ride. Visit during the third weekend in October for the annual Folklife Festival and stroll among artists and artisans demonstrating lifestyles and folk arts of the mid-

This popular ride has been described as a roller coaster on two wheels. The road is twisty and curvy with a nice smooth tarmac, and the scenery is spellbinding. Small towns along the way offer great places to stop and eat. There’s even an old state-operated ferry to take you across Bull Shoals Lake. It’s a relaxing way to spend forty minutes with a free boat ride across Ozark water. Gas up in Sparta or Chadwick because filling stations aren’t plentiful. Traffic is usually light. The many hills of the Ozarks are beautiful any time of year, and the Mark Twain National Forest can be breathtaking. Below Bradleyville, the ride passes through what some consider the most spectacular part of Missouri—the Hercules Glades Wilderness. Its combination of open grassland, forested knobs, steep rocky hillsides, small waterfalls, and cascades offers unusual beauty and a measure of solitude. Hercules Glades Wilderness

derives its name from the open limestone glades that dot its landscape. “You’ll want to stop at a lot of places along this drive,” says Darla Rein at the Mark Twain National Forest office. “There are some wonderful vistas and glades that you can see off in the distance. You can go just a few miles off the highway and see some unique areas.”

Route 142—Thayer to Doniphan About 60 miles This run has all the key ingredients—low traffic, smooth road surface, sweepers, hairpin turns, and hills. Of course, it could be ridden in a little over an hour, but what would be the point? In Thayer, the Grand Gulf State Park is well worth a look. The 130-foot chasm was left when nearly three-quarters of a mile of cavern roof collapsed. Sometimes called the Little Grand Canyon (see April 2003 cover story), the 165-acre area includes overlooks, hiking trails, and picnic areas. “We have one of the largest natural bridges in the state,” says Ann Price at Grand Gulf State Park. Spanning one hundred to two hundred feet with an opening seventy-five feet high and fifty feet wide, the bridge is a pleasant walk with natural air conditioning during the summer, Ann says. “It’s a wonderful place to stop and

Bull Shoals Lake

Hannibal

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relax. We don’t have any drinking water there so be sure you bring your own.” On down the road around Biltmore is the Irish National Wilderness Area, so named for an Irish Catholic priest, John Joseph Hogan, who founded a settlement of about forty families in 1858. His timing was off. The settlement was raided during the Civil War. When the war ended, Hogan and his Irish had mysteriously disappeared forever. Nothing remains but the name and the stunning wilderness. Sinkholes, disappearing streams that reappear downstream, and Whites Creek Cave, a spacious walk-in with numerous crystalline formations, make the wilderness a nice stop.

COURTESY OF MISSOURI DIVISION OF TOURISM

Route 106—Ellington to Houston About 65 miles The Ozark National Scenic Riverways is the star of this drive. The riverways is the first national park area to protect a wild river system. The Current and Jacks Fork rivers wind through a landscape of rugged hills and towering bluffs. Leaving Ellington going west, the road starts out through a valley but quickly climbs into Deer Run State Forest. It twists and winds along the ridge with numerous curves ranging from tight to sweeping. Hills and trees frame the roadside.

This Run Has All Th Key Ingred e ie Low Traffincts— Smooth Sur , Hairpin Tuface, s, And Hillrsn .

This drive boasts one beckoning stop after another. Six miles west of Eminence just off Route 106 is Alley Spring. With its turquoise water and one-hundred-year-old gristmill, this is picture postcard perfect. Open for tours, the famous Old Red Mill recalls the lives of the Ozarks’ first European settlers. Six miles further is Blue Spring, which flows slowly from a very deep cave shift that is situated at the base of a dolomite bluff. Well-tended campgrounds in Eminence and at Alley Spring are available as well as several comfortable motels. One of Missouri’s most popular floating areas, Eminence has many canoe outfitters in the area to make it easy to arrange a float trip. Drifting along the river in canoes, kayaks, or even inner tubes is a great way to see the Ozark riverways. Eminence is a small old-fashioned town with outdoor activities galore. It also boasts

an assortment of restaurants, antique stores, and craft shops with locally made items. If you like festivals, schedule a ride to include one of Eminence’s many community events—bluegrass festivals, rodeos, street dance, the Ozarks Day Festival, and the Riverways Arts and Crafts Festival. Tracey Berry, communications officer for the Missouri Division of Tourism, isn’t surprised that her state is such a favorite with motorcyclists. “Missouri’s geology and natural beauty make it a favorite destination for motorcyclists and really anybody looking for a scenic drive,” she says. “Wildflowers grow alongside the road in many locations as the pavement winds through some of the oldest mountains in the country in the Ozarks and the St. Francois Mountain range. We also have numerous spring-fed streams, forested bluffs, vineyards, charming small towns, and in the fall, stunning foliage. Add our central location and gasoline prices that are often lower than found in other states, and Missouri emerges as a clear choice.”

TONI MOORE

Ozark National Scenic Ri verways

Grand Gulf State Park

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MISSOURI

LE TOUR DE

ROBERTO ADRIAN

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LE TOUR DE MISSOURI The sport and spectacle of cycling has fascinated Europeans for hundreds of years with iconic races such as the Tour de France and the Giro d’Italia taking cyclists through the countryside on epic journeys of strength, will, and strategy. For days and weeks, riders brave all the elements—physical and mental—to pull into the final town victorious, whether they are declared the champion or not. And now Missouri will join two other states to host a major annual international cycling race on American soil. The state’s landscape will be the backdrop for the inaugural Tour of Missouri beginning September 11 and ending September 16. We’ve got you covered on what you’ll see, what you need to know, and how to be a part of the action.

THE RACE >>> Patterned after the legendary Tour de France, the Tour of Missouri will take cyclists on a sixhundred-mile journey across the Show-Me State in a point-to-point, six-stage race that will cover more than twenty counties and fifty cities and towns. Kansas City, Clinton, Springfield, Branson, Lebanon, Columbia, Jefferson City, St. Charles, and St. Louis will all host starts or finishes. In its inaugural year, the Tour of Missouri makes history as it joins the prestigious Tour de Georgia and Tour of California as the third major international stage race in the United States. The inception of the race and the newly created USA Cycling Pro Tour, which highlights multi-day pro races in America, reveals the expansive growth in popularity of cycling in the United States. “The creation of another major stage race in America is really big for cycling,” says Bill Marshall, who is mapping the routes of the Tour of Missouri. “It really helps to solidify the sport.”

The Tour of Missouri has been sanctioned by USA Cycling and Union Cycliste Internationale, the international sanctioning body for cycling, with a high 2.1 difficulty rating, based on length and prestige. The real significance of the rating is that it allows the sponsors to bring International Pro Tour teams to the race, something few inaugural races get the opportunity to provide. “There are very few sporting events that are this international,” says Steven Brunner, marketing director for the Tour of Missouri. “It will literally bring some of the best athletes from all over the world to our backyard.” The late season race will find many riders in peak position as it falls just before the World Championships to be held in Germany in late September. Event coordinator Mike Weiss sees the timing and location of the Tour of Missouri as a huge benefit for American pro riders. “This is the last race of its kind on the 2007 calendar, so any European-based American pro will

B Y A M A N DA DA H L I N G

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want to prepare for World,” Mike says. He also sees the lack of other late-season American races as a huge benefactor to the Tour of Missouri. The Tour of Utah, a multi-stage race, has been postponed due to lack of sponsorship, and Boston-Montreal-Boston, a non-competition endurance race, won’t be held this year because its sister race, Paris-Brest-Paris, will take place instead. “The Tour of Missouri is emerging as the race in the U.S.,” Mike says. “The attention to bike racing will peak during the Tour de France in July, and as soon as that race concludes, fan focus will be directed toward Missouri.” Missouri’s varied landscape, geographic placement, and scenic beauty made it an easy sale as the next state to host a major cycling event in the United States. Sponsors for the race include Edward Jones, Anheuser Busch, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Monsanto, Drury Inn, Mercy Health, AT&T, and Build-ABear Workshop®, which will have special commemorative Tour of Missouri bears and expo tents in the start and finish communities. The central location of the state gives the Midwest an opportunity to witness something that was once reserved for the coasts and the south. “The terrain here is perfect,” Bill says. “The picturesque roads, small communities, and steep rolling hills will provide a perfect backdrop to the race.” A major cycling race can only be described as a rolling festival of color and pageantry, Steven says, and watching a race is a unique experience. “The spectator side of cycling is different than what most American sports fans are accustomed to,” says Jim Birrell, race director for the Tour of Missouri. “It’s completely free to watch and spectators aren’t stuck in an arena or stadium. They can find their own scenic viewing points for the race.” The biggest benefit for the state and its communities is the economic benefit that such a major event will bring. The Tour of Missouri will attract visitors who come from all over the world to watch the action. One final benefit that organizers hope comes out of the Tour of Missouri is a focus on healthy living. They plan to educate spectators with health and wellness expo tents in the start and finish communities. Medalist Sports will produce a health booklet for elementary

students, which will be available at the race or for download at www.tourofmissouri.com. THE ROUTE >>> For six hundred miles over six days, riders will battle over six stages throughout the state beginning in Kansas City and concluding the race in St. Louis. Visit MissouriLife.com for detailed route information; the basic stage breakdown and route is as follows: STAGE ONE: KANSAS CITY

On September 11, the race kicks off with an out-and-back race around Kansas City. Preliminary routing has the stage beginning and ending on Kansas City’s historic Plaza. STAGE TWO: CLINTON TO SPRINGFIELD

The trailhead of the Katy Trail, Clinton is the beginning for the second stage on September 12. The riders will road race from Clinton to Springfield, Missouri’s third largest city.

MORE LOCAL

INFO >>> Each host city has exciting events in the works, such as Tunes, Treats, and Trikes at Clinton on Tuesday, where they will have a bicycle rodeo and give out free helmets to the kids; the Thursday night Block Party in Lebanon featuring an amateur bike race, barbecue, and local bands; and a Celebrity Race at Jefferson City on Friday, which will feature local politicians on their rides. For more information on events at these locations and other host cities, call or visit the following sites:

STAGE THREE: BRANSON

September 13 will be one of the most decisive days of the tour. The hills around Branson will be the backdrop for an individual time-trial stage that will have all the riders racing against the clock. Time trials often make or break a race for a cyclist, and since the race lacks any real steep mountain stages, this stage will most likely be the biggest factor in deciding the overall winner of the tour. STAGE FOUR: LEBANON TO COLUMBIA

Rural agriculture and small communities set stage four as the riders make their way through another road race on September 14 from Lebanon into the heart of the state, eventually ending up in Columbia. STAGE FIVE: JEFFERSON CITY TO ST. CHARLES

On September 15, the wine region of Missouri will be showcased as the cyclists make their way from the capital city of Jefferson City to St. Charles in the last road race of the tour. STAGE SIX: ST. LOUIS

The final stage wraps the tour up on September 16 at St. Louis with a circuit race around the city. A circuit race is a multi-lap event on a course laid out within the stage. Most tours end with

Branson 417-334-4084 www.explorebranson.com Clinton 660-885-2123 www.clintonmo.com Columbia 573-875-1231 www.visitcolumbiamo.com Jefferson City 573-634-6482 www.VisitJeffersonCity.com Kansas City 816-221-5242 www.visitkc.com Lebanon 417-532-4642 www.lebanonmo.com/tourofmissouri Springfield 417-864-1329 www.springfieldmo.gov St. Louis 314-719-6858 www.stlouiscity.com St. Charles 800-366-2427 www.historicstcharles.com

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LE TOUR DE MISSOURI

a circuit stage. The riders will conclude the cross-state journey near the Arch.

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THE RIDERS >>> The Tour of Missouri will include more than 120 professional riders from all over the world. Fifteen elite professional teams will compete, including both international pro teams and domestic teams. The race will bring some of the top riders and teams in the sport including the Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team, the only American team on the Pro Cycling Tour. The Discovery Channel Team is the team of seven-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong and boasts current top American riders George Hincapie, who is the reigning U.S. Professional Champion; Levi Leipheimer; and rising star Tom Danielson. As with many of the teams featured in the race, Discovery Channel riders will not be finalized until thirty days from the start of the race; however, Team Director Johan Bruyneel promises a strong team featuring U.S. riders. Springfield-native and 2006 U.S. Professional Criterium Champion Brad Huff, who rides for Team Slipstream Powered by Chipotle, will

CYCLISTS BY THE

NUMBERS >>> To get a feel for the amount of work and energy cyclists exert throughout a stage race, a few fun facts can be extremely revealing. 5,900 to 9,000 calories are consumed

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get the rare opportunity to participate in a major cycling event on his home turf. “It’s a dream come true to have a race of this caliber come to Missouri,” Brad says. Brad has raced in the Tour of California. He also knows better than most riders in the Tour of Missouri just what to expect as they travel through the Show-Me State. “Down in the Ozarks, the roads are some of the greatest to ride in the nation,” Brad says. “And even though we don’t have mountains, the hills of Missouri provide constant undulations that are going to make the race very difficult.”

Cyclists are a different kind of athlete than most of the superstars that make the cover of Sports Illustrated. The amount of discipline, endurance, strength, and strategy required to race for days or even weeks is not comparable with any other. “Cyclists sacrifice a lot in training,” Brad says. “We spend an immense amount of hours training to get physically ready and mentally ready. It’s a really big undertaking to ride off at the start and still be there for the finish. You have to have a strong will and be very, very prepared.”

by competitive cyclists per day. 47,200 is the estimated amount of calories a rider will burn during the tour. 12 to 50 bottles of water will be consumed by a cyclist per day. 90 pedal strokes is the average per rider per minute. >>> 185,000 revolutions per day >>> More than 1,000,000 throughout the race

Brad Huff

The Discovery Channel Team

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THE BASICS OF CYCLING

>>> Cycling is not a complicated sport to understand, but if you’re a novice, here are some basics to know before you go to watch a race. First and foremost, there is a common misconception that cycling is an individual sport; that couldn’t be further from the truth. Although big names dominate the press, no one can do it alone. There’s a strategy to setting up the perfect team for a tour, and every rider has a job or specialty for which they are there to perform. “Cycling is literally a chess match on wheels at twenty-five miles per hour,” Steven says. Many team members are known as domestiques, the French word for servant, because they forfeit their individual success for their leader. But the domestiques are a crucial part of the process because they provide support on climbs, chase down breakaways, win bonus sprints, and use whatever their specialty might be to assist the leader to victory. Stage racing is the basic style of racing on the pro circuit. Stage races are held over several days with varying courses between towns each day. Races are scored on time, and the rider who finishes with the shortest time wins the race. The time to cover the course each day is added into a total time for the end of the race. The top three finishers of each stage get a time deduction bonus for finishing first, second, or third. In each race, jerseys are awarded for varying specialties, such as overall general classification winner, best sprinter, best climber, most aggressive rider, and best young rider, among other specialties.

LEAP-FROG THE ROUTE >>> Cycling is a fast-moving sport, but if you want to catch the action in the middle of a route somewhere, make a day of it. Pack a picnic, find a scenic spot along the route, and wait for the massive caravan of cyclists, media, team cars, etc. to come through. Once the caravan has passed you can pack up and head further down the route or to the finish line. The look you get in the middle of a route is a brief one, but it’s an important part of the spectator experience of cycling. FINISH LINE >>> The “rock ’n’ roll side” of the stages is definitely at the finish line, as it is the most climactic and opportune spot for viewing. Spectators not only get to see the riders come in for the big race to the finish, but they also get to see the awards and jersey presentations. Huge jumbo-trons will be set up in all the finish communities, so that fans can see the action on the route as it occurs. The announcers for the Tour of Missouri are also placed at the finish line to spice up the excitement. Live entertainment and expo booths will be present as well to keep spectators busy until the racers arrive. GET CONNECTED >>> Technology can connect fans to the race in a variety of ways as well. Live updates of all the action will be streaming live on www.tourofmissouri.com, and the site will also provide a link for getting updates on your mobile phone. It is also the place to see what teams and riders are the ones to watch before heading out to the race. Radio stations around the state will be providing updates as the stages progress, and a two-hour recap show is scheduled to air September 23 as part of Cyclysm Sundays on the VERSUS Network. SPECTATOR ETIQUETTE >>>

HOW TO WATCH THE TOUR OF MISSOURI

Watching a cycling event is a different experience, but

Here are some tips for watching this unique event for

the etiquette of the fans is pretty straight forward.

those who are new to the sport or just curious.

Cheer on all the riders and whoop and holler as much as you want when they pass, but be respectful of the

STARTING POINT >>>

riders and the race. “Riders come a lot faster than the

Steven makes the analogy that “the start of a stage

fans think,” Brad says. “The worst thing that happens

in the race is like jazz and the finish of a race is like

is when fans get in the way and cause a crash.” Make

rock ’n’ roll.” The jazz side of the stage is a laid-

sure to stay behind the barriers at the start and finish

back, accessible viewing point for the action. Riders

lines, and stay off the actual streets on the routes as

participate in an autograph alley, where spectators

the riders pass through.

can meet and greet some of the greatest athletes in the world, before watching them take off on the

For common cycling terms and up-to-date information on

day’s journey.

routes, riders, and the Tour of Missouri, visit MissouriLife.com.

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[50] MissouriLife

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Ad 53

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NIGHT LIGHTS A

P H O T O

E S S A Y

B Y

N O T L E Y

H A W K I N S

The carnival is a wonderful place to take photos. The lights, the people, and the rides make a fantastic motif. The height of the action takes place in the evening during sunset. The warm light of the setting sun shining on fair-goers against a deep blue sky produces dramatic photos. Taking photographs of the rides is especially addictive. To capture their essence, an otherworldly movement of light, one must open the shutter for an extended period of time. Some shots have a beguiling quality. A lonely spectator situated against the movement of a ride at night is an unforgettable narrative.

Callaway County, August 3, 2006 The sun was past the horizon projecting a wonderful orange glow on the clouds in the background. I wanted to capture the light of the orange clouds and blue sky and contrast them against the artificial light and silhouettes of the riders and the operator.

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State Fair, August 11, 2006 (left)

State Fair, August 11, 2006 (top)

Boone County, July 26, 2006 (bottom)

I was determined to get a picture of the light and motion of this unusual ride. I set up my tripod, and a young woman and her family walked into the picture. I decided to incorporate their presence into the image. I especially love the fact that you can see the light on her cell phone.

The Cliff Hanger is a thrilling ride. The upward movement of the blurred riders in the foreground provides a great contrast against the crowd and lights in the background.

The sunsets at the Boone County Fairgrounds are fantastic when the fair is held in July. I wanted to capture the skyline of the carnival and the colorful blue and red along the horizon. I used a panoramic format to emphasize the vast expanse of the midway.

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Y P M A BU

E D I R S HEEL SWAMP T O O B R E V O tt SSAGE By A. J. Hendersho P R O V I D E D PA S D A O R K N A POLE AND PL

Katydids and blue jays sing in the background as leaves rustle a melody in the humid August breeze. In the distance, there’s a dull thumping noise creating rhythm. The beat comes from mule hooves pulling a wagon, but the rhythm you hear is not mule hooves alone. Additional percussion is courtesy of wagon wheels on a corduroy road. A “corduroy” road sounds odd today, but they were real and had a profound impact on the history of the Bootheel region of Missouri. Traveling through these swamps was not fun or easy. A wagonload of supplies would quickly dig into the mud and get stuck. A map of the 1821 Trail of Tears demonstrates how difficult travel was. One route forced the Cherokee tribe north from North Carolina, then west to Cape Girardeau, then down south, and west to Oklahoma. Those extra harsh miles on an already miserable trip were not for sightseeing; they were to avoid the swamps. Corduroy roads, also known as pole roads, were a pioneer solution for horses, mules, wag-

ons, and foot travelers through the swamp. They allowed for fewer trips because a heavier load was possible with less hassle and drier feet. Early pioneers cut poles from nearby forests to lay down in a neat row, like Venetian blinds unrolled, over the mushy path. The ride was bumpy as well as rhythmic. Early European settlers got around the lowlands in one of two ways: on a ridge or by boat. The lowland definition of a ridge requires some explaining to Ozark hill folk who are used to sixty- and seventy-foot elevated ridges. In “swampeast” Missouri, all you need is five to ten feet of higher ground to call it a ridge. And those few feet make a huge difference. Otto Kochtitzky moved to New Madrid County in 1875 and was an engineer who eventually surveyed the southeast lowlands so a drainage plan could be drafted. Kochtitzky had a smidgen of historian mixed in with his surveying talents, and his family published his memoirs in 1957, The Story of a Busy Life. He indicated that, “Just prior to the Civil War two rough roads, crosslaid with poles and rails in the

COURTESY OF DUNKLIN COUNTY MUSEUM, KENNETT, MISSOURI

***

IMAGINE A PRISTINE emerald swamp.

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A B UMPY RIDE

*Anything

Straight Would Do in a Pinch

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COURTESY OF DUNKLIN COUNTY MUSEUM, KENNETT, MISSOURI

boggy places, had been built across the swamps. One of these roads, known locally as ‘The Pole Road,’ extended from the [Mississippi] river just about ten miles below New Madrid. … It led through the settled land along the dry, upbuilt bank of a bayou known as Portage Bay, to Little River.” The lower areas of the Bootheel were wet up to 50 percent of the year or more. Those small five- to ten-foot ridges were beneficial because they flooded infrequently and provided easier travel. The only difficulty with running a ridge was crossing a slough, river, or swamp to get to the next ridge. Paul Corbin of Advance has seen a lot of changes and remembers the pole roads in Bollinger County during the early 1900s. Corbin says that those corduroy roads were “not very long in most places, just long enough to get to the next ridge. No need to build a pole road on dry ground.” Long time Stoddard County resident and World War II veteran Joe Brown also knows about these roads firsthand. He not only grew up with pole roads but spent time after the war interviewing original Missouri swamp dwellers about life before drainage. “If larger poles were used to make a corduroy road, then smaller poles were cut and placed in the dips created between each log to smooth the bumps,” he says, “… well, a little.” Poles were four to eight inches in diameter and six feet long. They were often made of oak, catalpa, cypress, and ash, which provided better wear and longer life than soft woods, such as silver maple, box elder, and cottonwood. However, anything straight would do in a pinch. Although pole roads were an improvement to slogging through a muddy swamp, they weren’t perfect, and they created other hazards. Rising floodwater made the road rise if the poles were fresh. Poles could wash off or simply stay wedged in place. If the wood had been in place awhile, it might become water-logged and get covered in mud when the waters receded. A flooded corduroy road would give a wobbly ride made with caution, but it was still better than a mired wagon. As if the bumpy ride wasn’t enough frustration, a pole would occasionally rotate when stepped on, causing a hazard to

horses and mules and their riders and drivers. Despite those hazards, pole roads were cheap and easy to build. Kochtitzky wrote that the first organized pole road was authorized by the Missouri legislature in 1855. The West Prairie road company began the work on a road from New Madrid to West Prairie (present-day Malden area). They cost about one-twelfth of what a railway would cost but were still pricey to make. Revenue had to be secured up front from pioneer investors who were as scarce as swamp dwellers in those days. The site had to be cleared and the road made with resources from the site. Pole roads were often built by entrepreneurs, who charged a toll. Road and town names naturally assumed the builder’s moniker. Even with a toll, such roads were lucrative for local loggers and farmers, who could carry larger loads without getting stuck. This also meant fewer trips, so paying a five- to ten-cent toll per wagon horse or even seventy-five cents

Left to right: This plank road across the St. Francis River provided a shortcut from near Cardwell, Missouri, to Arkansas; the wide area allowed pedestrians to get out of the way of traffic. This plank road connected one land road to another in the swamp; short sections were used here and there to join ridge roads.

per two-horse wagon was usually accepted without incident. Not every pole road traveled a long route or had a toll. Joe recalls a number of corduroy roads that were “scattered all over the place.” Short, free pole roads dotted the lowlands, but some free pole roads, such as the one described by Kochtitzky, weren’t always desirable. The road located between the Hickman, Kentucky, ferry across the Mississippi River and Crowley’s Ridge section of Stoddard County was “very poorly maintained at the time I came to New Madrid,” Kochtitzky wrote. But that assessment was not always true; some local landowners had a vested interest in maintaining portions of the roads to suit their needs.

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Poles and Planks Were a Part of the El Camino Royale.

Top to bottom: Pedestrians used the plank bridge across the swamp from Missouri to Arkansas. In the Bootheel, a World War I soldier, circa 1917, stands on a plank road constructed of the cypress trees whose stumps helped support the road.

Besides Stoddard County, corduroy roads were found in every county in southeast Missouri. The Dunklin County Museum has a 1900 photo of a train hauling logs on a line made not of hewn ties but poles. A sub-base can be seen that was made of larger logs to support the enormous weight (at right). The days of the pole roads would sink forever into the mud as plank roads appeared. The planks, also called slabs, were cut by local sawmills. The mill sawed out slabs, which made their material go further. Instead of using a log to make one pole, you could use the same tree for two to four slabs. These planks improved the ride as they eliminated the major bumps of the pole road. Plank roads were laid down in a similar fashion to pole roads, except that the racket generated had a gentler thump to it. Plank roads had one drawback: The increased surface area allowed rot to set in faster, so replacement of the planks was more frequent. Instead of cutting new poles every five years, planks were replaced every two to three years. The plank roads that lasted the longest were the ones elevated above a slough or bayou. Builders made an elevated plank road, much like a boardwalk. Kochtitzky described elevated plank bridges as having a ten foot roadway in the middle of the swamp and bridges perhaps a quarter of a mile long. In the 1910s, there was an elevated plank road near Cardwell in Dunklin County that crossed the St. Francis River to connect with Paragould, Arkansas, on its section of Crowley’s Ridge. Another went from Kennett, again across the St. Francis River, to Holly Island, Arkansas. In essence, when the water got too deep or fluctuated too much to permit a pole road, an elevated bridge or plank road was constructed if it was profitable. Plank roads were not unique to the swamps. Residents and visitors of St. Francois and Ste. Genevieve counties will recognize local names like Plank Road Inn and Plank Road Restaurant, which identify with an Ozarks hill version of the plank road. Their purpose was not to overcome soggy basins but to smooth out rocky bumps. Pole and plank roads were also used in other wetlands states, such as Ohio, New York, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Arkansas. Just like most of the swamps they crossed,

these wooden roads went the way of the ivorybilled woodpecker into obscurity. The canal digging that drained the swamps and the eventual establishment of railroads made poles and planks unnecessary for travel. Instead planks were used to make buildings, railroad beds, and specialty wood items. Through the 1910s and 1920s, canals made straight, non-meandering routes to the Mississippi River. By the 1960s, flooding was under control for the most part, and it eliminated the need for corduroy roads to cross over swampy spots. Local names are still around, though, to intrigue the uninitiated and remind those in the know. Names, such as Old Pole Road in New Madrid County, The Slab Road south of East Prairie, and The Plank Road north and east of Dexter, hint to times seldom remembered. Four-mile Road, a section of present-day Route 62 from Clarkton to Arkansas’s portion of Crowley’s Ridge, was a pole road. The Bluff Road from Cape Girardeau to present day Scott City was a pole road. Poles and planks were a crucial part of the Spanish El Camino Royale, or Kingshighway, which would not have been very regal if a corduroy road had not been used to connect this highland trail from New Madrid to Cape Girardeau. Until completing the eleventh grade in 1967, Sharon Henry of New Madrid County rode a school bus to and from school in each grade level. That bus route ran between Baderville (east of Risco on Route 62) and Lonestar (a small community near the Little River ditch). She recalls with a smile how a rainy period would make the dirt roadbed soft. “You could feel that bumpity, bumpity, bumpity of the pole road sunk down beneath the mud. Only a good rain would make the dirt soft enough to let the tires sink down and touch the buried poles.” Sharon says. “I experienced those rhythmic bumps off and on through my years going to school.” The poles and planks eventually gave way to advanced forms of transportation. But in their time, they underlaid the life and times of a unique part of the state. Imagine what it was like to travel with the rhythmic thumping of wagon wheels laying down a backbeat. It was just one note from the symphony that played daily in the swamp.

COURTESY OF DUNKLIN COUNTY MUSEUM, KENNETT, MISSOURI

A B UMPY RIDE

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From left: Large log poles were used to support the weight of an engine. The train hauled other large logs out of the swamp. An unidentified couple pose in front of a wooden pile driver used to construct the plank bridges. The pile driver drove the support poles into the firm ground beneath the swamp.

Rivaling the Panama Canal of the * Digging more dirt than

drainage canals moved in the building of the

Panama Canal. It is one of the largest drainage projects in the world.

COURTESY OF DUNKLIN COUNTY MUSEUM, KENNETT, MISSOURI

than one million cubic feet of dirt * More was moved in the Little River Drainage District project alone. The district encompasses parts of Cape Girardeau, Bollinger, Stoddard, Scott, New Madrid, Dunklin, and Pemiscot. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s one of more than fifty drainage districts in the Bootheel. one thousand miles of ditches * Roughly were dug, and more than three hundred miles of levees erected.

started in 1910 and was com* Drainage plete by 1920. Levees were still under construction into the late 1920s.

* pleted their job in 1914. They came to

The builders of the Panama Canal comsoutheast Missouri shortly thereafter and found jobs that put their expertise to use.

dredges were set on float* Steam-powered ing platforms to dig the drainage canals known as ditches. after drainage was it possible to build * Only permanent bridges and graveled roads in southeast Missouri.

***

fifty drainage districts in southeast * Roughly Missouri changed the land and permitted the construction of railroads, towns, and farmsteads. most fertile farmland * The resides on former swamps.

in the state

less than 2 percent of Missouri * Today, swamps remain. Less than 10 percent of our wetlands, including swamps, marshes, fens, seeps, and bottomland forests remain statewide. To experience a plank road via boardwalk, visit Mingo National Wildlife Refuge in Puxico or Big Oak Tree State Park in East Prairie.

Sources: Little River Drainage District of Southeast Missouri and Missouri Department of Conservation [69] August 2007

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E RHiOghAwaD OFMiTleH K INiviG y of State ng Every Dr

King of the Road Nobody knows Missouri like John Robinson.

John, who is Missouriâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s former Director of Tourism, is dedicated to driving every mile of state-maintained highways. This makes him King of the Road. To date, he has covered 3,158 state roads, with 747 to go. As he drives each road, he marks it off on his map, which truly has become his treasure.

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WIPING MISSOURI’S BROW

A M E R I C A N I N D I A N S , S O U T H E R N S Y M PAT H I Z E R S , M A R K T W A I N , A N D U LY S S E S S . G R A N T T O G E T H E R I N H I S T O R Y | By John Robinson

Sunset on a pond near Downing is representative of the terrain found in northeastern Missouri.

TONI MOORE

CAN YOU NAME the four rivers that form parts of Missouri’s border? That question is a reliable stumper in a trivia battle about Missouri. Sure, most folks can name the Mississippi and the Missouri. But identifying the other two river borders nearly always requires a lunge for the atlas. One of those rivers is the St. Francis. On a map, it helps outline the instep of Missouri’s fashionable Bootheel. The fourth river flows across Missouri’s sloping forehead, along a county named for the commander of the Corps of Discovery. For about twenty-five miles, the Des Moines River borders the very northeast part of Clark County, in the northeast part of the state. Most folks just assume that when our ancestors carved out Missouri, they drew the state with a flat top, a straight line from the Mississippi across the Show-Me State’s noggin. Look closer. A chunk of Iowa extends sixteen miles south of Missouri’s northern border. That southernmost Iowa appendage looks nothing like a fashionable Bootheel. So the corresponding dent in Missouri’s northeast corner goes mostly unnoticed. The average citizen may know more about the Bootheel than about Clark County. The Bootheel has cotton, catfish, and the world’s

most dangerous fault, poised to ring bells in Boston. Clark County has … well, let’s find out. My car likes Route 15. Less competition. So I let her run. After a wonderful barbecue lunch at Porky’s Smokehouse in Mexico, we headed north and crossed Skull Lick Creek and Crooked Creek, which amplify the Salt River. Route 15 cuts through three distinct watersheds of the Salt River. These three forks of the Salt—north, middle, and south—are the major tributaries to Mark Twain Lake and a major influence on the life of Sam Clemens. Clemens was born along the Salt and spent his wonder years plying its banks before his family migrated to Hannibal. Later, Clemens joined the fight against Union occupation during the Civil War. He roamed along the Salt River with a ragtag bunch of Confederate sympathizers. In an early exhibition of brilliance, Clemens hid, mostly, running from a Union detachment led by an officer named Ulysses Grant. Twain later recalled that after two weeks, he retired from the military due to constant fatigue from excessive retreating. In later life, Twain and Grant would climb the spiral staircase to the Crow’s Nest bar in the Willard Hotel in Washington, D.C. There they plotted Grant’s memoirs, written by Grant and published by Twain. Today, many folks consider Grant’s

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K ING OF THE ROAD

recollections to be the best-written memoirs of any ex-president. The book helped rescue him from bankruptcy, and I imagine Grant and Clemens raised their glasses more than once to toast the good fortune that they did not meet along the Salt River. Resuming speed, my car pointed toward the brick edifices of historic downtown Bethel, then past Plevna and Epworth. At Edina, a short detour east brought me face-to-face with Troublesome Creek, which pours into the Fabius River. Mimicking its multiple encounters with the Salt River, Route 15 crosses three distinct branches of the Fabius. We rolled into Memphis, Missouri, the birthplace and boyhood home of Tom Horn, the most prolific killer in the entire saga of the Wild Wild West. He was a hired gun, a detective for Pinkerton, and an outlaw, with thirty to forty-five notches on his belt. At Keith’s Cafe, the fresh, ground steak burger and homemade fries lived up to its “best in galaxy” status. Not far from there, near Gorin, is the final resting place of Ella Ewing—all eight foot five of her—who traveled with Buffalo Bill and Barnum & Bailey. We joined the state’s northernmost east-

Tom Horn From Memphis Was the Most Prolific Killer in the Entire Wild Wild West west artery, Highway 136, and headed to Kahoka, a two-newspaper town that serves as Clark County seat. It’s a time-honored tradition that when naming towns, Missourians alter the name somehow. In that tradition, Kahoka, spelled phonetically, was named for the Cahokia tribe. Passing the stately old courthouse, I lamented its perch atop the Missouri Alliance for Historic Preservation’s ten most endangered places list. Built in 1870 for less than nineteen thousand dollars, the courthouse remains one of the few examples of Missouri courthouses built in the 1870s. The courthouse needs a benefactor to save

the building from the ravages of time. But Clark County has no extra funds. With a population of 7,400, it’s a challenge to raise money. A mere dozen Missouri counties have less population. Nine of those are proximate to Clark, in a region where hogs outnumber people. Some locals hope the big hog operations in the county, who want to build more farms, will donate money to save the courthouse. Others just wish the hog operations would go away. It’s a battle brewing, and anxiety is high at the Battle of Athens State Historic Site just as it was on August 5, 1861, when Union Col. David Moore and less than five hundred troops held their ground against an invasion of two thousand members of the pro-Confederate Missouri State Guard, led by Col. Martin Green. When Confederate spies reported that a shipment of Union supplies had just arrived in Athens, Green made plans to invade the town, capture the supplies, and liberate the southern sympathizers, called sesesh, a contraction of the word secessionist. The townspeople had advance warning. Many of the sesesh women in the town had baked chicken and pie to celebrate their impending liberation. On the morning of the battle, civilians gathered across the Des

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TONI MOORE

From left to right: This home at Athens was owned by William McKee, a local Union Home Guardsman and was used as the Union headquarters from July through October of 1861. A shelter house built on the site of one of the general stores present at the time of the Battle of Athens provides space for public use; the store was destroyed by fire around 1917. Along the Des Moines River, rubble remains of a mill that produced flour, cornmeal, lumber, cotton, and woolen goods.

Moines River on a slope that formed a perfect amphitheater to watch the fight; they assumed they would be safe. The battle commenced at daybreak. Green’s Confederates surrounded the town on three sides, leaving the river as the only option for Union retreat. Two Confederate cannons fired on the town but overshot their mark; their shells landed on the opposite riverbank and scattered startled onlookers. Less than two hours later, when the battle smoke cleared, Green’s troops failed to rescue the town, an outcome foreshadowed by Confederate Capt. Moore, the son of the opposing colonel. “I know Dad,” he told Colonel Green, “and he’ll give you all the fighting you want.” True to young Moore’s premonition, his father’s Union soldiers, outmanned but better equipped, repelled the invaders. That night, the Union troops enjoyed chicken and pie. And the sesesh? Well, Athens (pronounced, with a long A) never recovered. The thriving river town in 1861 with five hundred residents and fifty businesses has dwindled to a handful of people and even fewer buildings. By the time my car delivered me to the Battle of Athens State Historic Site, I felt as

tired as Twain retreating. Indeed, in this northeastern-most part of Missouri, we’re closer to the state capitals of Iowa and Illinois than Missouri’s capital city. But descending into the park, a beautiful setting along the Des Moines River, I knew why I came. I saw the Thome Mill ruins and the ThomeBenning House, called the Cannonball House because at least one Confederate cannonball found its mark, crashing through two kitchen walls. Several other buildings survive, including the McKee House, the Thompson-Gray House, and the Widow Jane Gray Home. They stand like cuspids in a mouth of missing teeth. And the park superintendent and staff are eager to show you around and explain the battle. I can understand why people settled here, and I promptly nestled into a secluded campsite myself and explored the Des Moines River Ravines Natural Area. The park enjoys a mile and a half of riverfront and enough hills and woods in which to get lost. The rolling hills and beautiful scenery stand as proof that north Missouri is more than flat farmland. The county boasts five separate conservation areas for hunting and fishing, plus the Great River National Wildlife Refuge along the Mississippi

between Alexandria and Gregory Landing. Driving south from Athens along the Des Moines River, I came upon one of the newest additions to Missouri’s state parks and historic sites, dedicated just last year. It’s a summer village once inhabited by the Indians of the Illiniwek Confederacy. The Illiniwek, or Illinois Indians, were prevalent when Europeans first came to Missouri. The village looks different today than it did back in 1673 when Marquette and Joliet visited the eight thousand villagers. The three hundred lodges along a network of streets are reduced to an archaeological dig. Still, this village is the biggest and best-preserved of the Illiniwek culture. My car doesn’t care that I’m the great grandson of an Irish Catholic priest. Still, it obliged as I took a circuitous route from Illiniwek to the village of St. Patrick. I got a kick out of hanging out in the only place in the world where you can send a letter postmarked with the name of this legendary evangelist. As I put stamps on a dozen letters, I wondered how many people don’t know about St. Patrick, Illiniwek, or the Battle of Athens. There’s a lot tucked under this border river along Missouri’s sloping forehead.

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preach

the right to

Father John Cummin gs Se res The Righ t to Answer to acuH igher Authority

[74] MissouriLife

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Civil War Series

On Sunday, September 3, 1865, Father John Cummings preached to his small Catholic congregation in the Pike County town of Louisiana. It is not recorded what the twenty-five-year-old priest said to his mostly Irish immigrant congregation at St. Joseph’s Church, but the mere act of his giving a sermon that day would change the course of Missouri history.

ROBERTO ADRIAN

Two days later, a grand jury at Bowling Green indicted him. The priest faced up to six months in jail and a fine of five hundred dollars. His crime? Preaching without a permit. Just two months before, the General Assembly had passed a new state constitution. Dominated by the newly formed Radical Republican party, which wanted to punish Missourians who had fought against the government in the Civil War, the General Assembly drafted a constitution that required an “Iron-Clad” oath of loyalty before someone could vote, hold public office, practice law, teach, or preach. A person had to swear he had never fought for the Confederacy or vocally supported it. “Feeling sympathy” for the Confederacy was also made treasonous, as was “admitting dissatisfaction with the Government of the United States.” These were harsh measures, but the state had just been through years of bitter fighting, and the Radicals wanted the rebellion squashed for good. Similar laws were being passed throughout the South, and there was already one in place for federal employees. The other faction of the Republican Party, the Conservative Unionists, tried to get the loyalty oath overruled by an amendment. But they were a minority in the Radical-dominated General Assembly, and their proposal got nowhere. The constitution went to a popular referendum, passed by barely 1,800 votes, and became law on July 4, 1865. Governor Thomas Fletcher declared that people had sixty days to

take the oath or be in violation of the law. The deadline had expired the day before Cummings gave his sermon. Cummings was not alone in refusing to take the oath, and he wasn’t the only clergyman to be arrested for preaching illegally. However, he soon became the symbol of the opposition. When the constitution passed, Archbishop Peter Richard Kenrick of St. Louis sent a letter to all priests in his diocese advising them not to take the oath and pledging his support if they didn’t. Episcopal Bishop C.O. Hawks and Methodist Bishop Henry Kavanaugh told their clergy to act on their conscience but didn’t actively encourage them to refuse. The General Association of the Baptist Church of Missouri met in Boonville in mid-August and declared the oath a violation of the constitution, but many Radical members upheld the oath and formed the Loyal Missouri Baptist Convention. In fact, representatives from every denomination criticized the new law. Lawyers objected to the oath, too, and many prominent St. Louis attorneys refused to take it. It seems the majority of clergy who preached that Sunday flaunted the law. Dozens were arrested and posted bond, but all their cases were held over until the next court session by judges eager to avoid the responsibility of imprisoning preachers. Most preached unhindered for months, especially in rural areas opposed to the Radicals. It appears many officials felt uncomfortable arresting clergy and hoped the whole matter would blow over. But the case of

Cummings vs. State of Missouri (1866) would put the state in the national limelight. The Friday after his sermon, Cummings appeared before Judge Thomas Jefferson Fagg, who had lost a considerable amount of money at the end of the war when his slaves became free. In a touch of irony, the “court” was actually a local Methodist church in Bowling Green that had to perform double duty after the county courthouse was torched during the war. Cummings acted as his own defense and refused to post bond, insisting on being tried immediately. The charges were read and Cummings was asked how he pled. “I am guilty, sir,” the priest replied humbly. This startled the court. When the judge asked if Cummings had anything further to say, the priest launched into an impassioned speech in which he compared the trial to that of Jesus and proclaimed that the state had no right to put conditions on his right to preach, because that came from a higher authority. He declared the law unjust and invalid. Some lawyers watching the trial leapt to their feet when they heard this last statement. Asserting a law was unjust and invalid was actually a line of defense, they said, so his plea should be changed to “not guilty.” Cummings agreed to have one of the lawyers, Robert Campbell, represent him. Campbell was a Conservative Republican opposed to the harsh measures of the Radicals, but his loyalty was unquestioned. He had been a general in

By Sean McLachlan [75] August 2007

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the Union militia during the war. The judge accepted a change of plea and scheduled a retrial for the next day. Cummings refused bond and spent that night in jail at Bowling Green. The St. Louis Daily Missouri Republican reported he shared a cell with two burglars and a horse thief. The trial didn’t last long the next day. Cummings had no defense other than the validity of the law itself, so he was found guilty of preaching without having taken the oath of loyalty and ordered to pay a fine of five hundred dollars. Since he refused, he was sent to jail until he paid. News of the trial spread. As Cummings cooled his heels behind bars, his parishioners camped outside in a show of support, and newspapers across the country took up the case. Northern papers lambasted Missouri for jailing a priest whose only offense was giving a sermon, and opponents within the state made him their symbol of resistance. Campbell and several other lawyers appealed to have the case heard before the State Supreme Court. When this was granted, Cummings allowed some friends to post his bond. He had spent exactly a week in jail. Now it was up to the lawyers. They ignored Cummings’s statement that there was a constitutional right to preach, because the U.S. Constitution does not explicitly state that. Instead, they claimed the oath requirement was ex post facto, or after the fact, because it made someone a criminal for acts done before they were illegal, such as feeling sympathy for the rebellion. Active support for the rebellion had been a crime, but the new law was ex post facto because it added additional punishment. It was also ex post facto because it changed the way loyalty was determined. The lawyers also asserted that the Missouri Constitution was a bill of attainder, a punishment without the benefit of a trial, because it assumed all clergymen to be guilty and put the burden on them to prove their innocence. Cummings and his legal team did not have a sympathetic audience in the Missouri Supreme Court, which included men handpicked by Governor Fletcher. The court ruled that the law wasn’t ex post facto because it didn’t punish a

Robert Campbell represented John Cummings and appealed the case to the U.S. Supreme Court.

past event, but rather was an existing law outlining the qualifications for certain professions. It also ruled the oath didn’t constitute a bill of attainder since it didn’t punish anyone for a particular crime, merely kept them from practicing certain professions. Cummings’s lawyers appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, and at this point they received a powerful ally, Montgomery Blair, a leading attorney and former member of Lincoln’s cabinet. His credentials included representing the slave Dred Scott in his famous suit for freedom. After Lincoln’s assassination, Blair became a close advisor to President Andrew Johnson and urged him to treat former rebels gently for the sake of national unity. Blair brought in another important lawyer, David Dudley Field, who was the brother of one of the Supreme Court justices. Archbishop Kenrick gave financial support. This legal dream team used the same line of reasoning as in the previous trial but to a much more receptive audience. A final decision, however, didn’t come until January 14, 1867, when the court ruled that Missouri had kept Cummings from preaching for committing an act (disloyalty) that wasn’t a crime when it was committed. The oath was a bill of attainder since it presumed guilt without trial and therefore constituted a violation of a citizen’s rights.

This ruling from the highest court in the land killed the loyalty oath in Missouri. An amendment to the Missouri Constitution in 1870 abolished loyalty oaths for voters and jurors as well. Cummings vs. Missouri became a cornerstone of later legislation and has been quoted in Supreme Court cases where the debate centered on loyalty oaths. In a 1952 decision regarding whether public employees had to swear they had never been members of the Communist Party, Justice Hugo Lafayette Black called the Cummings ruling “one more of the constitution’s great guarantees of personal liberty.” While the ruling abolished the loyalty oath, it was already being widely ignored. The Missouri Statesman of May 11, 1866, noted, “Not one of the Catholic bishops, priests, or ministers of any other denomination who preaches in St. Louis has been indicted in that county. Yet they preach every day.” After the initial arrests when the state constitution came into effect, few police officers or judges tried to enforce the law. This was due to the widespread assumption that the Supreme Court would declare the oath unconstitutional and because all but the most ardent Radicals wanted to avoid the embarrassment of arresting a church leader. The Radicals in the General Assembly criticized the decision—one even called for the abolition of the Supreme Court—but their hands were tied. The abolition of the test oath for voting led to a resurgence of the Democratic and Conservative Unionist parties. Within a decade the Radicals would be a spent force in Missouri politics. Considering Cummings’s importance to Missouri history, surprisingly little is known about him. Official sources can’t agree whether he was born in Ireland or Missouri, and little is recorded other than that he attended St. Vincent’s Seminary at Cape Girardeau from 1859 to 1863 and was ordained by Archbishop Kenrick. Cummings continued to preach, first in Louisiana, Missouri, and then Indian Creek, until 1870, when he became ill and retired. He died three years later. Although he had changed the laws of his state and his country, no newspaper ran an obituary for him. Yet his legacy lives on every time someone gives a sermon.

COURTESY OF STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF MISSOURI, COLUMBIA

Civil War Series

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��

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Ad 78

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DREAM HOME S Places We Wish We Coul d Live

SECLUSION AND SECRETS By Dennis McDermott and Jeremy Goldmeier

Live thMe! DREA

St. Charles

Sunrise Beach

Weatherby Lake

$2,495,000

$1,799,000

$1,325,000

Located just off the beaten path of Highway

A bridge brought the Villages at Shawnee

Although Weatherby Lake lies in the

40, this English-style, eleven-thousand-

Bend to life. The Lake of the Ozarks

immediate shadow of Kansas City, it

square-foot home overlooks Chesterfield

Community Bridge, completed in 1998,

operates as a self-contained city, with its

Valley and the Missouri River. To take full

connected quiet Shawnee Bend with the

own police force and trash collection ser-

advantage of the view, you’ll have to find

lake’s bustling east shore and ushered

vice. Such an independent town attracts

the secret staircase leading to the rooftop

in development. One of the initial proj-

independent individuals—and the scenery

hot tub. Our sources remain tight-lipped as

ects from this boom, the Villages have

doesn’t hurt, either.

to the stairs’ whereabouts. Hardly a secret,

become some of the most desirable

however, are the home’s extensive cooking

properties in the Ozarks region.

3 Upper Whitmoor Drive

facilities. The gourmet kitchen, equipped

This four-thousand-square-foot home

7912 NW Barr Lane

Located right on the lake, this luxury home features a private cove and easy access to the green space surrounding

with a Viking stove, Sub-Zero refrigerators,

boasts amenities that make the Villages

Lake Weatherby. The bevy of available activ-

and granite countertops, should make an

synonymous with private luxury. Featuring

ities in the surrounding neighborhood pro-

excellent culinary laboratory.

a four hundred-foot waterfront, lakeside

vides vacation-style living year-round. Inside

patios and decks for relaxation, tiled

lies a one-and-a-half story, blank canvas full

bathrooms, all wrapped up in a traditional

fireplaces, Brazilian cherry wood floors,

of personal design opportunities. Kansas

red brick exterior. The three-acre property

and Oriental-tile bathrooms, the home is

City beckons from only fifteen miles away,

is located in a gated community with a golf

offered completely furnished, so the new

offering nightlife and shopping. Of course,

course, offering both security and ample

owner can beat a trail out to the seclu-

with all that Weatherby Lake offers, new-

leisure activity for newcomers.

sion of the Ozarks without a moving van.

comers might find it hard to leave.

Coldwell Banker Gundaker

Gattermeir Elliott Real Estate

Reece and Nichols Realty

636-936-3463

573-365-7653

913-239-2071

The home features six bedrooms and ten

COURTESY OF THE REALTORS

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[79] August 2007

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[80] MissouriLife

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SHOW-ME GETAWAYS Unique and Unforgettable

HOTEL FREDERICK TURN OF THE (21ST) CENTURY ELEGANCE |

By Jeremy Goldmeier

ANDREW BARTON

SINCE ITS CONSTRUCTION in 1905, the Hotel Frederick in Boonville has been an evergracious host. From the wedding receptions and dinner parties that it hosted during its younger days to its later incarnation as a senior living community, the Frederick provided for its tenants. But during the past couple of years, the hotel’s hospitality has faced its stiffest test. Poking and prodding, tearing down walls and putting up new ones, and cutting trenches in brick and installing pipe, a team of construction workers and other artisans took up residence in the hotel. Passersby on the streets of downtown Boonville could hear the roar of sanding machines and electric drills for months on end. The hubbub was all part of an ambitious renovation plan for the hotel. It had sat vacant for almost a decade, a crumbling beauty perched above the shores of the Missouri River. In 2004, the campaign to restore the Frederick began in earnest. The city of Boonville was considering a series of downtown renovations, to be paid for with revenue from the nearby Isle of Capri Casino. Economic development director Sarah Gallagher brought in Kansas City developer Adam Jones and his business partner Bob Mayer for a tour of the town. The two identified the Frederick as a potential developmental anchor, the kind of building that could not only help revitalize Boonville but draw attention to the whole of mid-Missouri. “I saw a wonderful building,” Adam says. “It hadn’t been horribly destroyed. It had interesting architectural features and a real social character that you could feel.” As consultants, Adam and Bob recommended a full renovation of the hotel. The city’s response?

Above: The Hotel Frederick lobby features the hotel’s original black-and-white tile floors. Many of the hotel’s furnishings are Missouri antiques. Opposite: The hotel was once a senior living center and then sat vacant for a decade. Today, it perches proudly on the riverbank at the edge of downtown Boonville on High Street and next to the Katy Trail. Bikers get discounts.

“Why don’t you do it for us?” After a period of courtship and negotiation with the city, Adam found himself wearing the more familiar hat of a developer. Restoring the hotel to its past glory wasn’t going to be as easy as applying a fresh coat of paint. But ask Adam’s friends about him and they’ll say that he’s one of a select few who could pull off the project. Equipped with more than two decades of design and development experience in the Kansas City area, Adam is a resourceful planner, who has transformed old gas stations into trendy restaurants and unused loft spaces into hotbeds of artistic activity. “He’s a creative genius,” gushes Kansas City

businessman Bill Haw, who replaced Bob Mayer as Adam’s chief financial partner last June. Adam and his team of workers have since gone to the considerable effort of reinvigorating the stately old Frederick for the twenty-first century while maintaining its original warmth and character. The payoff has been nothing short of immaculate. Beginning with the lobby, the Frederick immediately displays an understated air of sophistication. The black-and-white marble tile floor glistens, chandeliers hang delicately overhead, and the wicker furniture invites a long sit. Straight ahead past the reception desk sits Glenn’s Cafe, an import from Columbia. Residents from there still make the twenty-mile

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HOTEL FREDERICK

From left to right: The daily special is posted in front of Glenn’s Cafe. The bedrooms at Hotel Frederick use vibrant color to bring life to the space. Glass walls and floral designs make each bathroom a showstopper. Opposite page: Custom-designed and handmade, walnut doors fill the entryway that leads to the bar.

drive out to Boonville to enjoy Glenn’s cuisine. Just outside of the restaurant, a wooden staircase, lit warmly by a stained-glass window on the wall, curves upward to the second floor. The hallways are spacious, with colorful rugs imported from Iran gracing the wood-panel floor. With a gleam in his eye, Bill calls the Frederick’s twenty-four rooms “the pièce de résistance,” and it’s hard to disagree. Their walls painted in bold, solid colors, the rooms feature unique layouts. Each has its own set of handmade, antique furniture mixed with custom-designed beds, sheets, and lamps. Other amenities include flat-screen televisions, heated towel racks, and the rooms’ original corner sinks. The Hotel Frederick, however, is one of the few places where the bathroom steals the show from the rest of the room. Encased by glass walls with eye-catching floral designs, the bathrooms ratchet up the sense of luxury several notches. They integrate seamlessly with the rest of the room to create a complete, aesthetically appealing sight. Each room also boasts its own collection of artwork. “I said to myself, 'Wow, how could they make this any better?" says hotel manager Parris Johnson. "Then I saw the art and said, 'Yeah, it does look better." As a whole, the building reflects Adam’s sharp attention to detail and desire to preserve as much of the hotel’s past as possible. That stained-glass window above the staircase was a Hotel Frederick original, painstakingly reconstructed after a storm smashed it to pieces. All of the doors are

originals as well, restored, after years of vacancy had warped and eroded them. Several other hotel components were custom-built. Adam also made extensive use of recycled materials. Those, plus the hotel’s efficient water and heating systems, earned it membership in the environmentally friendly Green Hotels Association. Despite the additional effort these methods required, Jones believes it pays off. “Things that are handmade feel and act differently from things that are machine-made,” Adam says. “Old buildings are essentially massive, handmade objects. They exude warmth.” Of course, the detail-oriented approach also kicked up the cost of the renovation, the first phase of which required nearly $3.5 million. The city of Boonville provided $575,000 for initial costs, while Bill—whose cattle ranching business enjoys a national profile—essentially footed the rest of the bill. Bill “invested a lot of money in this project,” says Boonville City Council member Julie Thacher. “He could have invested it, literally, anywhere in the world. It pleases me that he sees the potential here.” Bill readily admits that the scale of his investment represents a sizable risk. “Nobody in their right mind would have financed it,” he says. “The track record of large investments in small towns is daunting. As glorious as it is, if it can’t be successfully operated, it has no economic value.” Bill looked just as carefully at the intangible benefits of restoring the Frederick as at the hard

figures involved. Those calculations included the hotel’s history and its standing in the Boonville community. Of course, he hopes that the hotel proves wildly successful, but for now it’s an “economic footprint” in Boonville, one that will provide respect and acclaim to the city. Future plans for the Frederick include balconies on the second and third floors, and potentially a basement area with a pub, ballroom, and retail space. Still, Bill doesn’t want to jump too far ahead. “We’re totally dependent on renting rooms,” he says. “The potential of that labyrinth of brick rooms downstairs is incredible. You’d have to be blind not to see what it could be. But first we have to make a success out of what we’ve got.” The Frederick’s managers are relying primarily on word of mouth to market the hotel. Taking advantage of the hotel’s proximity to the Katy Trail, they provide discounts for cyclists who are making the statewide trek along the route. Perhaps the best way to sell someone on the Hotel Frederick, however, is to show it in person. Even in photographs, the hotel’s true ambience doesn’t fully translate. The Frederick reflects the rich historical traditions of Boonville, and—its developers hope—will continue to play a significant role in the city’s future. “I’m in awe of what they’re doing,” Julie says. “It has far surpassed anything I had hoped.” The Hotel Frederick is located at 501 E. High Street at Boonville. Rooms range from $100 to $300 per night. For more information, call 660-8822828 or visit www.hotelfrederick.com.

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“Old Buil are Essentdings Massive H ially a Objects. Tnhdmade Exude War ey mth.” —Adam Jon

ANDREW BARTON

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

Swiss Meat & Sausage Co 2056 Hwy 19 S. Hermann, 65041

1-800-793-SWISS swissmeats.com State and National Champion Smoked Meats & Sausages Over 40 varieties of Bratwurst 8 varieties of Smoked Bacon Hickory & Cherry Smoked Hams Retail, Mail-order, Wholesale

HAPPY DOGS HOT SAUCE

314-277-4408 www.HappyDogsHotSauce.com Ten Awards in Three Years!!!

Best Product in Show Two Years in a Row at the Houston Hot Sauce Festival. It’s all about having the most phenomenal flavor! You can’t lose with a winner!

FARMER’S MERCHANT 115 North 1st Street Owensville, MO 65066 573-437-2093 e-mail: amradem@fidnet.com Restored 1913 Farmers and Merchant Bank building, this shop has Missouri Products, serves lunch and Central Dairy ice cream. Lunch and dessert specials are homemade and worth a visit.

AND

ST. LOUIS AREA

Missouri Mercantile, LLC

5555 St. Louis Mills Boulevard, Hazelwood, 63042 314-227-5005 e-mail: info@missourimercantile.com www.missourimercantile.com Wines, cheese, sausage, barbecue and cooking sauces and seasonings, soup and dip mixes, jams, jellies, soaps, candles, candy, gift baskets – more!

HEARTLAND DAIRY & CREAMERY

Rt. 1, Box 78A Heartland Drive Newark, MO 63458 877-HUG-A-COW www.heartlandcreamery.com Artisan cheese—Gouda-style and fresh chèvre—made with Grade A milk from our own herd of cows and goats in northeast Missouri.

COWBOY CHRIS’ BBQ 28842 Highway AA Wright City, MO 63390 636-359-2277 cowboy33_@excite.com www.myspace.com/ cowboychrisbbq It’s so delicious, you almost forget the meat!

VIVIENNE DRESSINGS www.vivienne.com

Tucker Food Products, Inc. P.O. Box 16072, St Louis MO 63105-0772 e-mail: ttucker@vivienne.com

800-827-0778 Romano cheese dressing made from an original family recipe. A St. Louis tradition & Fancy Food Show award winner. The Dressing for people who make their own!

MISSOURI CAJUN PRODUCTS 1082 Highway 100 Morrison, MO 65061 E-mail: NNOLTE@centurytel.net 573-294-6235

Ross Sauce: A Creamy orange sauce that is great with wings. Home Style Ketchup: Made from Granma Ross’s recipe. Ms. Betty’s Sweet Tarragon Peppers: No heat, crisp and sweet.

CENTRAL MISSOURI FULTON FARMERS’ MARKET W. 2nd Street between Hensley & Memorial Ball Fields 573-642-1376 Pork, eggs, fruit, vegetables, jam, baked goods, etc. Shop local, fresh & healthy. We are open May through October. Wed. 3:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. and Sat. 9:00 a.m. - Noon

OZARK COUNTRY FIXIN’S Rt. 1 Box 365C-35 Urbana, MO 65757 417-993-9934 E-mail: pwfrye@positech.net www.ozarkcountryfixins.com Creators of fine specialty foods, we offer soup and chili mixes, red beans & rice, dip & salsa mixes, seasonings and more. Retail and wholesale.

SPICY OZARK MOMS SALSA

51 Bluebird Dr. • Lake Ozark, 65049 573-365-7842 • ozarkmoms@charterinternet.com MOMs Salsa is a chunky yet sweet TREAT that is unlike any salsa you have ever tasted. Available in Spicy and Not-So-Spicy, so you can choose your passion.

•

SHEPHERDSFIELD BAKERY & COUNTRY STORE

Historic Fulton, MO 65251 Call 888-389-1439 Free Brochure Top 10 Mail Order Bakery Breads, Buns, Granola, Waffles, Fruit Pies, and more. Gift Packs, Nationwide Shipping, Handcrafted Gifts. Open M-Th 9-12 & 1-4, F 9-12

COUNTRY ROAD BASKETS

30151 Pony Path Rd Sedalia, MO 65301 Phone: 660-553-1333 Fax: 660-343-5481 E-mail: dspencer3@hotmail.com www.countryroadbaskets.com Handmade by Mennonites with “Quality You Can Stand On” Large Assortment of baskets. Catalogue available upon request.

donandjo@socket.net

OZARK PICKLE PANTRY

573-873-5483 Home of the GOURMET PICKLE! For information visit www.ozarkpicklepantry.com e-mail: eagle2@yhti.net Five varieties of award-winning crisp, gourmet flavored pickles just like Grandma used to make!

LACASITA SALSA AND GOURMET CONDIMENTS

ValRich Foods 215 B Flora Dr. • Jefferson City, MO 65101 573-638-3700 • e-mail: sales@valrichfoods.com LaCasita is a family owned/operated business committed to the support of area Family Farmers to purchase their Fresh Produce during season. —The Loaiza Family

[84] MissouriLife

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AgriMissouri Directory NORTHWEST MISSOURI ANNIE’S ACCENTS BAKERY

408 West Elm Street • Oregon, MO 64473 http://anniesaccentsbakery.vstore.ca/ e-mail: sandra_jstc@yahoo.com 800-238-7357

Old-fashioned bakery with down home flavor! Special orders on request. Gourmet bakery products–cakes, decorating, cookies, jellies, jams, Splenda-made products, etc!

LETTUCE LIZZIE’S Box 30, Arrow Rock, MO 65230 660-837-3324 e-mail: liz@lettucelizzie.com www.lettucelizzie.com All Natural Ingredients! 5 Fabulous Flavors with Multitudes of Uses! Dressing, Marinade, Dipping Sauce or Glaze. Heck, you can just drink it! And remember, “Let us cover your lettuce!”

LIBERTY CORN MAZE 17607 NE 52nd Street, Liberty, MO www.libertycornmaze.com 816-781-9196

1000-ft. by 1000-ft. maze. Hy-vee’s “Li’l Sprouts” maze. Weekends, Aug. 31-Oct. 30. Open Fri. 5 PM; Sat. & Sun. 10 AM; Last adm. 10 PM Fri. & Sat. and 7 PM Sun. Adm.: $9 adults; $7 ages 5 to 13 years; age 4 & under free. FREE Parking.

SOUTHEAST MISSOURI OLDE SETTLEMENT DRESSINGS 447 Parkview Drive Bloomsdale, MO 63627 www.oldesettlementdressings.com 573-701-2612 One of the most popular dressings at the Dew Drop Inn in Ste. Genevieve is now available for you to enjoy at home. Once you taste it, you will not be disappointed.

AMERICAN GRASS FED BEEF

AND

KANSAS CITY AREA

ALMA MEATS, LLC

CAROLYN’S COUNTRY COUSINS

800-693-6320 www.blessingtimes.com Jams, jellies, syrups, raspberry jalapeño medley, and Missouri River Bottom fudge. We ship nationwide with pride.

SOUTHWEST MISSOURI EAST WIND NUT BUTTERS

17607 NE 52nd Street, Liberty, MO www.carolynscountrycousins.com 816-781-9196

50 acres U-Pick pumpkins. Petting farm, playground, shops. Daily 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Sept. 15-Oct. 30. Weekend live entertainment–pig races! Farm train by Hy-Vee. Adm. $8, Train $3, “Gem” Mining $5. Park free. Children two and under free.

SPICEMAN ENTERPRISES, LLC Chef W.G. Lester 4741 Central Street, Ste. 537 Kansas City, MO 64112 e-mail: mo2you@kc.rr.com 816-861-4363 or 816-509-1526 Walt’s Creol’e Season-All in 8 oz. shake and pour or food service-size 1.5 lb. Made with 14 all natural herbs and spices.

www.ewcrafts.com

417-679-4682 HC#3 Box 3370 Tecumseh, MO 65760 All-natural, organic-certified nutbutters. Peanut butter, almond and cashew butter, sesame tahini, and roasted peanuts.

LAHMS, INC.—MEDITERRANEAN LAZEEZ GOURMET PRODUCTS

P.O. Box 10232 Springfield, MO 65808 Phone: 417-869-2226 Fax: 417-869-2288

100% Missouri-made fresh ingredients featuring: Garlic, Tomato, and Eggplant Dip/Salsa or Sauce. Pepper Jam made with sweet bell pepper and a hint of jalapeño. No preservatives, chemicals, or artificial ingredients.

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Happy Dogs Hot Sauce

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HC 4 Box 253 • Doniphan, MO 63935 For more information contact us at: customerservice@americangrassfedbeef.com www.americangrassfedbeef.com Toll Free 866-255-5002 / Local 573-996-3716

TO ADVERTISE YOUR PRODUCTS IN THE AGRIMISSOURI DIRECTORY CONTACT PHILLETTE HARVEY 1-800-492-2593 EXT. 104

BLESSING TIMES JAMS AND JELLIES

113 S. County Rd. Alma, MO 64001 800-535-6810 www.almameats.com e-mail: almameats@almameats.com Premium Quality USDA inspected Beef & Pork, including Smoked Hams, Bacon, Sausages, Cheeses and Primal Cuts. Retail, Wholesale, & Custom Slaughtering.

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GREENWOOD FARMS, LLC

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16800 State Route T Newburg, MO 65550 800-253-6574 www.greenwoodfarms.com We produce chemical-free grass-fed beef & lamb, milk-fed Berkshire pork, pastured poultry, free-range eggs, milk, artisan cheese, & butter.

BECHARD FAMILY FARM 13700 Athens Road Conway, MO 65632 417-589-4152 e-mail: info@bechardfarm.com www.bechardfarm.com Handcrafted Lye Soaps and Ozark Jam Kitchen jams. All made here in our Missouri farmhouse kitchen! Great gifts! Jams & soaps shipped across USA.

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P.O. Box 10232 • Springfield, MO 65808 Phone: 417-869-2226 • Fax: 417-869-2288

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[86] MissouriLife

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Spiceman Enterprise LLC ��

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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

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Meat & Sausage Co. State & National Champion Smoked Meats & Sausages Featured on Food Network's with Jamie and Bobbie Deen

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Mon. - Fri. 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sat. 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. June thru Christmas Sun. 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. [87] August 2007

Ad 87

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E CUstISChIN U RIm the MISst SO efs Be Recipes Fro Be

A PLEASANT PAIRING

A WINEMAKER’S ELEGANT DINNER |

THERE ARE TWO schools of thought when it comes to food and wine—specific pairing and caution to the wind. Certainly trying different combinations will allow you to develop a personal preference when it comes to wine and food. However, there are mini-classrooms around the state at wineries this fall, in the form of winemakers’ dinners, to show you the ropes as well. Wineries that host a winemaker’s dinner serve six-course meals with appropriate wines served with each course. During these meals, the winemaker teaches guests about the pairing process. Because of the commentary diners receive from the winemaker regarding the rationale for why each wine is matched to a particular

By Karen Mitcham-Stoeckley

course, the dinner becomes a pleasant short course in food and wine matching that guests can use in their homes or when dining elsewhere. Mount Pleasant holds the winemaker’s dinners on the deck overlooking the beautiful valley next to the Missouri River at Augusta. In the winter months, the winemaker’s dinners are held in the banquet room that also has a view of the valley. Here we present a menu prepared by Chef Larry Dann of Orlando’s Catering and Special Event Design for Mount Pleasant Winery. Mount Pleasant Winery is located at 5634 High Street at Augusta. For more information or to reserve your seat at a winemaker’s dinner, call 636-482-9463.

From left: Diners at Mount Pleasant Winery at Augusta learn how to pair wine and food. Port wine complements the sweet, velvety texture of the mousse and ganache. Vivid, side-dish colors bring Filet of Beef to life.

The following menu is extensive and designed for those who are comfortable in the kitchen; however, you could use simpler recipes, using the same main ingredient. FRESH CARROT BISQUE

With Asiago Risotto & Grilled Shrimp Cuvee Blanc

GARDEN TOMATO NAPOLEON

With fresh Mozzarella Cheese and Basil, White Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing, Baby Spinach, Saffron Oil & Pistachios Villagio

MOUNT PLEASANT ICE WINE CANTALOUPE SORBET SESAME SEARED AHI TUNA & SEAWEED SALAD

With Spicy Thai Chili Sauce, Pickled Ginger, & Wasabi Horseradish Aioli Norton

FILET OF BEEF WITH MOUNT PLEASANT CABERNET SAUVIGNON MOREL MUSHROOM SAUCE

With fresh asparagus poached in Mount Pleasant Rayon d’ Or, Grilled Eggplant, Augusta Goat Cheese, Sweet Potatoes, Yukon Gold White Truffle Potatoes, Peruvian Purple Potatoes Cabernet Sauvignon

VANILLA MOUSSE WITH WHITE CHOCOLATE GANACHE

Peach Blossom Sauce, Fresh Berries, Chocolate Straws Tawny Port

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ANDREW BARTON

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Garden Tomato Napoleon 1 cup white balsamic vinegar ¾ cup granulated sugar ½ cup water 1 cup olive oil 1 fresh garlic clove, minced 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1 tablespoon dried oregano ¼ teaspoon black pepper, ground 1 good pinch saffron 3 ounces shelled pistachios 5 ripe red tomatoes 3 green tomatoes 4 large balls fresh mozzarella cheese 20 large leaves fresh basil 10 bamboo skewers 8 ounces baby spinach, washed 30 pieces spaghetti noodles, deep fried Dressing: 1 > Blend vinegar, sugar, water, ½ cup olive oil, garlic, kosher salt, oregano, and pepper and let stand for at least 3 hours or overnight. 2 > Heat remaining ½ cup of olive oil in small sauce pan to 160 degrees. Add saffron and allow to steep overnight. Reserve.

– Original Recipe – Orlando Gardens Orlando’s Catering & Special Event Design

Mount Pleasant Ice Wine Cantaloupe Sorbet ½ cup Mount Pleasant Ice Wine ½ cup water 1 ¹⁄³ cup granulated sugar Pinch salt One ripe cantaloupe, peeled, seeded, and cut into about 1-inch cubes Fresh mint leaves 1 > Combine Mount Pleasant Ice Wine, water, sugar, and salt in heavy saucepan. Heat over medium heat until sugar is dissolved and the mixture becomes a simple syrup. Then bring to a rapid boil for one minute. Remove from heat and refrigerate until cool. 2 > Purée cantaloupe in food processor until very smooth. Blend with the simple syrup and freeze in ice cream freezer. Keep covered in freezer. Will hold for one week. When serving, use small scoop and place into dish. Garnish with fresh mint. Serves 16.

Ice Wine Cantaloupe So

rbet

3 > Toast pistachios in 350 degree oven for 5 minutes. Allow to cool and then chop coarsely. Reserve.

– Original Recipe –

Assemble the napoleons:

Orlando Gardens Orlando’s Catering & Special Event Design

1 > Slice red tomatoes and green tomatoes into 4 slices each, removing top and bottom so that you have 4 even slices. Slice mozzarella into 5 slices each.

Iowa Filet of Beef with Morel Mushroom Sauce

2 > Arrange the tomatoes into a stack starting with a red tomato slice, then a slice of cheese, then a leaf of basil, then a slice of green tomato, then reverse the order and end with a red tomato. Skewer tomato napoleons with a bamboo skewer to hold the stack together. Place into a stainless steel pan or glass pan at least 2 inches deep that is just large enough to hold all of the stacks. Pour dressing over tomato napoleons and allow to marinate for 2 to 3 hours. Do not marinate any longer as the vinegar will cure the fresh mozzarella, making it hard.

1 gallon beef stock 1 cup tomato paste 2 cups Mount Pleasant Cabernet Sauvignon 3 or 4 ounces butter roux Kosher salt and black pepper 8 six-ounce, center-cut filet mignons Olive oil 16 morel mushrooms, dried (use fresh if available) 1 ounce butter 1 > Place beef stock and tomato paste in large pot and reduce to 1.5 cups. Skim the stock as needed as it reduces. Place wine in heavy sauce pan and reduce to ½ cup over medium heat. Add wine to reduced stock and simmer. Add roux to desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Strain stock through a fine strainer.

3 > Arrange small handful of the spinach in center of plate and place tomato napoleon on top of spinach. Use a teaspoon and drizzle a couple of spoonfuls of dressing over the napoleon. Remove bamboo skewer and carefully skewer with two pieces of fried spaghetti using hole left by bamboo skewer. The spaghetti skewers are very brittle and may break. The recipe calls for extra to be available. Sprinkle chopped pistachios around plate and drizzle saffron oil around plate. Serves 10.

2 > Brush steaks with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill. 3 > Bloom dried mushrooms in hot water until soft. Remove from water and pat dry. Heat in skillet with butter, salt, and pepper.

oleon Garden Tomato Nap

4 > Place steak on plate and ladle sauce over steak and garnish with mushrooms. Serves 8.

ANDREW BARTON

– Original Recipe – Orlando Gardens Orlando’s Catering & Special Event Design

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Missouri Beef Industry Council [1] August 2007

2306 Bluff Creek Drive #200 Columbia, MO 65201 Ad 1

800-441-6242

beefinfo@mobeef.com 6/29/07 10:23:48 AM

� � ��

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Dining the way it should be! Enjoy a Martini at our Historic Falstaff bar, known as Boonville’s Martini Bar. It’s the gathering place of the past and the future! Established 1945. ��

421 Main Historic Downtown Boonville 660-882-9934

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�� [92] MissouriLife

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Special Advertising Section

A Tribute to Norton...

...a plain, unvarnished name for an extraordinary wine grape with an often debated history that has left its mark on Missouri and continues to garner enthusiastic reviews nationwide. The Missouri History Museum is pleased to host the ﬁrst Norton Wine Festival, for Norton wines have had a starring role in the story of Missouri wine industry. The Norton grape is said to be the oldest cultivated grape in American soil. Although its origins are widely disputed, it may have been discovered growing wild somewhere in Virginia – or perhaps developed by a Richmond physician named Norton in his experiments in viticulture. As historians have always learned to their frustration, much of history is lost to succeeding generations; but we have also discovered that what has been brought into the present is a legacy well worth cherishing, whether it be beauty or burden. Surely the Norton grape is among the former. It appears that the Norton grape was an early arrival in Missouri, with a group of German immigrants who essentially launched our wine growing culture. Setting out from Philadelphia in the mid-1830s, they built the town of Hermann on the Missouri River and proceeded to es-

tablish vineyards that provided some of the finest and most popular wines, many of them from Norton grapes. In 1873 a Missouri Norton won top honors at a Vienna World Exposition, and connoisseurs in America and Europe were praising wines from the beautiful country along Missouri’s Weinstrasse – our “wine road.” The Volstead Act of 1919 thoroughly devastated our wine industry. According to local hyperbole, the streets of Hermann ran red with the destruction of the now illegal treasure. With the appeal of Prohibition in 1933, a valuable tradition asserted itself, and the wine country along the Missouri River began to slowly and steadily recreate its past viticultural glories. Today Missourians can boast of a multitude of vineyards and wineries, recognized for their excellence and celebrated with Maifests, Oktoberfests and events during the other ten months of the year, now to include the Norton Wine Festival, a fine tribute to our official state grape and its palate-pleasing vintage. — Dr. Robert Archibald,

President, Missouri Historical Society

[93] August 2007

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[1] August 2007

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[1] August 2007

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Grape expectations Norton wines on verge of breakthrough | By Barbara Gibbs Ostmann

ou’re familiar with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Pinot Noir. But do you know what Norton is? If you want to be on the cutting edge of wine wisdom, you’d better buy a bottle and find out. Norton is an old grape that is new again. It’s the only native American grape variety that is used to make premium dry red wine. It’s Missouri’s state grape, and it’s on the verge of breakout success nationally. The national media have discovered Norton, and it’s making waves in the wine world. Recent articles in Food & Wine, Martha Stewart Living, and other publications have lauded Norton wine and Missouri Wine Country. Norton has been around for a long time. The grape was introduced in the 1820s by Dr. Daniel Norborne Norton of Richmond, Virginia, who either found or hybridized the grape and named it after himself. Its exact botanical lineage is unclear, although it is believed to have come from a domesticated wild grape called Virginia Seedling. Norton became commercially available in 1830 and soon dominated wine production in the midwestern and eastern United States. In 1873, a Norton wine from Hermann won a gold medal at the World Exposition in Vienna, Austria, and prompted a noted critic of the time to predict that Norton from Missouri would one day rival the great wines of Europe in quality and quantity. If Prohibition hadn’t intervened, who knows what might have happened? Even with the setback of Prohibition, Norton wine has rebounded and is reclaiming its rightful place as a premium American red wine worthy of international acclaim.

“Stone Hill Winery rediscovered Norton in Missouri in the late 1960s,” says Patty Held-Uthlaut, director of public relations and special events, “and we are committed to Norton in our wine program here. Norton, the pride of Stone Hill, has been dominating national and international wine competitions, proving that

Missouri’s state grape, the Norton grape, provides the essence of world-class dry red wines produced by Missouri wineries. Dr. Daniel Norborne Norton of Virginia introduced the grape in the 1820s. Missourians used the grapes in winemaking prior to Prohibition, winning a gold medal at the World Exposition in Vienna, Austria, in 1873.

COURTESY OF STONE HILL WINERY

Norton in Missouri

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BARBARA GIBBS OSTMANN; COURTESY OF STONE HILL WINERY

COURTESY OF STONE HILL WINERY

From Left| Each April, Stone Hill Winery hosts a ten-year vertical tasting of its Norton vintages, an event that is unique in the wine world. It allows guests to compare ten consecutive years of Norton vintages. The event usually books more than a year in advance, but hopeful participants may try for a spot on the waiting list. Most other Missouri wineries also produce a Norton, or Cynthiana, as Norton is also sometimes called. Missouri can produce a big, full-bodied red of world-class stature.” Stone Hill Winery is not alone. Most Missouri wineries produce a Norton, or a Cynthiana, as Norton is sometimes called. (Genetically, Norton and Cynthiana grapes are indistinguishable.) The style of Norton varies from winery to winery, from bold, in-your-face wines to mellow and elegant ones. There are estate-bottled Nortons, Norton blends, Norton rosés, and Norton ports. There are even, from time to time depending upon the harvest, some Norton Old Vines Reserves. Although theoretically all the vineyards were uprooted during Prohibition, a few survived in outof-the-way places. Stone Hill has one-quarter acre of pre-Civil War vines in one of its Gasconade bluff vineyards. Adam Puchta Winery found some pre-Prohibition vines in an old vineyard in the woods alongside one of its current vineyards. And OakGlenn Winery boasts some original Norton vines planted in the early 1800s by George Husmann, one of the fathers of American viticulture. “Norton is Missouri’s flagship wine,” says Jim Anderson, executive director of the Missouri Wine and Grape Board. “It was named the official Missouri state grape in 2003 by the legislature. The Norton grape has been a part of Missouri winemaking history for over 160 years. At present, there are over two hundred acres of Norton grapes in Missouri. It’s the leading variety of grape acres planted in the state.” Work is underway by the board to develop a Norton Wine Trail, which will further enhance the allure of this native grape and its resulting wine. Norton grapes produce a robust, spicy, earthy, full-bodied dry red wine that reflects each winemaker’s skill and preferences. A Mount Pleasant Winery Norton will be different in style from a St. James Winery Norton—you’ll just have to taste them all to see which you

like best. Norton’s berry ﬂavors pair well with red meat, smoked meat, wild game, hearty dishes, spicy foods, full-ﬂavored cheese, and chocolate. Norton is often compared to the great wines of southern Europe; however, this deeply colored, dry red wine possesses a distinctive Norton varietal character. Aging in oak barrels—whether French, American, or Hungarian—is important.

Ten-Year Vertical Tasting

The best way to get to know Norton is via the ten-year vertical tasting held each April at Stone Hill Winery. This outstanding event is unique in the wine world—and oﬀers an unparalleled opportunity to taste and compare ten consecutive years of Norton vintages. However, those already in the know have this event all sewn up; the next year’s tasting is always sold out before the end of the current year’s event. Norton hopefuls can call the winery and ask to be put on the waiting list; miracles do happen. At this year’s event, winemaker Dave Johnson, who has been at Stone Hill since 1978, led participants through the tasting. “This is a great way to see how a wine ages and changes, and to note vintage variations,” he said. “It’s also a chance to see how you like your Norton—younger or older—although that might depend upon what you’re serving it with.” First, Johnson said, you start by looking at the wines, noting the range in color from grapey purple to brick red. Then you smell the wines, noting diﬀerences in grapes and fermentation, time in oak, and bottle aging. Then you taste, and hopefully you’ll discern the changes from old to young wines. “Stone Hill is responsible for bringing Norton back and making it what it is today,” Johnson says. Let’s drink to that.

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Dedicated to the Art & Craft of Making Wine . . .

There are few places on earth where the marriage of soil and climate is blessed by great wine grapes. The vineyards of Hermannhof are among them.

A visit to Hermannhof Winery is like a step into small-town German traditions. In addition to fine wine, Hermannhof is also proud to offer fine, locally made German sausages. Hermannhof offers quaint, intimate settings perfect for a small, quiet lunch by a crackling fireplace, or a spring picnic in the shade of the grape arbor. Hermannhof’s Festhalle is available for wedding receptions or other family events. Tour the stone wine cellars and building (both are on the National Register of Historic Places). Our winery is open daily. We are located on Highway 100 at the eastern edge of Hermann, near the Missouri River, with easy access to Amtrak and antique shops.

Hermannhof remains a small winery dedicated to quality rather than quantity. The quality is apparent as America’s only two-time winner of the Brown Forman Trophy. Our wines have also won medals and honors at these distinguished competitions: San Francisco International Wine Competition Taster’s Guild International Wine Competition National Orange Show-Pacific Rim International Wine Competition New World International Wine Competition San Diego National Wine Competition Riverside International Wine Competition InterVin International Wine Competition International Eastern Wine Competition Missouri State Fair Wine Competition World Wine Championships Grand Harvest Awards There are few places on earth where the marriage of soil and climate is blessed by great wine grapes. The vineyards of Hermannhof are among them. The soil and climate of the Hermannhof vineyards distinguish them as one of those unique pieces of the earth’s surface capable of producing fine wines.

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330 East First Street • Hermann, MO 65041 Toll Free: 800-393-0100 www.hermannhof.com 7/6/07 2:40:38 PM

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Something New from Someplace Old

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�� By Cory Kleinschmidt and Chris Ruess

Despite the spring freeze that wiped out much of the wine grape crop in Missouri, we’re happy to report that Missouri Wine Country is flourishing. New wineries are springing up in all regions of the state, wine awards keep rolling in, and more wine events are being held than ever before. Here is our guide to what’s happening in the seven wine regions of Missouri and the types of events they host on a regular basis. With new sites to explore, new wines released in the spring and plenty of winery events, there are so many reasons to plan a summer vacation in Missouri Wine Country! AUGUSTA REGION New & Notable: Chandler Hill Winery (586 Defiance Road, Defiance MO 63341; chandlerhillwinery.com) will open later this year. HERMANN REGION New & Notable: The Tin Mill microbrewery is now open in downtown Hermann. Later this year, a “living history farm” will open on a bluff above the Missouri River. Hermann also has seen a rise in lodging options, most notably Hermannhof’s historic stone cottages. Getting to Hermann will become more convenient this summer when the new Missouri River bridge opens. OZARK HIGHLANDS REGION New & Notable: St. James is expanding and modernized their tasting room while increasing their wine-making capacity dramatically in response to strong growth throughout the Midwest. Stop in to see their new digs!

OZARK MOUNTAIN REGION New & Notable: Mount Pleasant Winery in Augusta will open a second winery by fall 2007 in Branson. A new winery, Williams Creek (310 S. Hickory St., Mount Vernon, MO 65712; williamscreekwinery.com) has opened. SOUTHEAST REGION New & Notable: Crown Valley Winery has opened a Champagne House in Farmington, and a Port House in Clarksville. Chaumette Winery will open an upscale day spa in summer 2007. See and feed big cats at the National Tiger Sanctuary in Bloomsdale, MO (nationaltigersanctuary. org) and Crown Ridge in Ste. Genevieve, MO (crown-ridge.com). New wineries include: Twin Oaks (6470 F Highway, Farmington, MO 63640; twinoaksvineyard.com); and Vance Vineyards (1522 Madison 212, Fredericktown, MO 63645; vancevineyards.com) CENTRAL REGION New & Notable: A new winery, Rolling Meadows (212 Eden Trail, Warrenton, MO 63383), has opened. WESTERN REGION New & Notable: New wineries include Riverwood Winery (22200 Highway 45, North Platte County, MO 64098; riverwoodwinery.com); Jowler Creek Winery (16905 Jowler Creek Rd., Platte City, MO 64079; jowlercreek.com); and Linwood Lawn Estate Winery (13845 Higginsville Rd., Lexington, MO 64067; linwoodlawn.com)

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NO AGING NEEDED I’VE SPENT MORE than a couple of decades trying to convince wine consumers that the grapes that are grown in the center part of the United States, including Missouri, are unknown but worthy grapes. The vines that thrive in Missouri’s tough climate, with names such as Norton, Vidal Blanc, Seyval Blanc, Vignoles, and Chambourcin, survive our harsh winters and offer fruit that can, in the hands of skilled winemakers, make lovely and tasty wines. Most consumers assume that the great winemakers of the world make great wine because they are great winemakers. But many of my friends who should be counted among the world’s great winemakers will, in candor, note that they are little more than caretakers of great grapes. And those who understand what it is like to make wine in difficult climates, such as sunny (and wintry, soggy, hailstone-laden, and sometimes drought-ridden) Missouri know that it is harder to make good wine here than in states with better climates for grapes (in other words, California). So it’s with no small amount of discomfort that I admit that even the best Missouri wines (and there are many first-rate, world-class wines) tend not to age particularly well. This may be a function of grape reality; it may be that our winemakers are still moving up the learning curve. But for the moment, forewarned is forearmed. You may love dry Vignoles, barrel-fermented Seyval Blanc, off-dry Vidal Blanc, rich and juicy Chambourcin, and powerful Cynthiana and Norton (and I love all those wines and more), but don’t assume that ten to twenty years in your basement is going to make them taste like old Bordeaux. Someday, our best might grow into those kinds of wines, but not at the moment. On the other hand, who cares? As tasty as our best can be in their first five years of life, they don’t need to age beyond that to be world-class wines. –Doug Frost, one of three people in the world who is both a Master Sommelier and a Master of Wine, lives in Kansas City.

ALESSANDRO CONTADINI

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S U RuitI yA& CrRTeatIiviST MISunSO ty dant Ingen Ab

INTERACTIVE ARTIST

GEARS CLICK , springs stretch, and other loud mechanical noises emanate as a five-yearold child turns a handle at the base of K-Man, a huge, interactive robot-like sculpture made of steel located in Springfield’s Jordan Valley Park. As K-Man’s arms and legs move and his head turns, the child’s expression changes from surprise to awe, and finally to a big grin. Springfield artist Russ RuBert has become identified as the artist who created K-Man. “This isn’t really made just for kids—any age audience will enjoy it,” Russ says. “However, kids especially feel empowered, to be able to move a twenty-three-foot sculpture all by themselves.” Russ was commissioned to create the piece for the 1994 Walt Disney Children’s Arts Festival at Jefferson City. K-Man then toured Missouri for a couple of years before winding up in storage. But local citizens started a movement to get KMan returned to Springfield, Russ says. “In some ways, K-Man has become my favorite sculpture, because of its impact on our local community.” K-Man is now on display year-round.

Springfield residents also know Russ for his EchoSphere sculpture, located at the corner of National and Grand, in front of Missouri State University. “I was interested in the way that light moves across the sculpture,” Russ says. “Since people drive by the sculpture in their cars, people are also moving as they view the sculpture.” Part of the sculpture includes four disks on the ground, where people can sit and spin around as they look at the sculpture. “I’m interested in the interaction between art and the viewers,” Russ says. “Sometimes my pieces are kinetic. Sometimes the viewer moves through the art—the viewer is kinetic.” The Eternal Flame at St. John’s Mid-America Cancer Center at Springfield stands twenty-threefeet tall and weighs more than four thousand pounds. It is one of the largest uncast brass sculptures in the world. “I made it from naval brass, which was imported from Japan,” Russ says. He built it for cancer patients and their families and has received amazing testimonials about how it gave them comfort during a difficult time.

By Sylvia Forbes

Earlier this year, Russ received the prestigious Missouri Individual Artist Award, the state’s highest honor in the arts, given each year to one artist by the Missouri Arts Council. “I was so surprised to be nominated, and even more surprised to win,” Russ says. “I think I’m the first sculptor that has received this award, which is for all the arts. I was blown away by the ceremony and how many people are involved.” Russ has enjoyed art all his life. During his school years, he realized he had a knack for visualizing objects three-dimensionally. He also had a talent for math. Art scholarships allowed him to attend the Kansas City Institute of Art, where he worked with mixed media and ceramics. At forty-six, Russ is just hitting his stride and is able to choose his projects. “I’m still playing—making art and doing what I love.” For more information, visit www.rubert.com. From left: K-Man, Curvaceous Kiss, and Neon exemplify Russ RuBert’s skill at involving people in an interactive art experience. Russ sits on the board of the International Sculpture Center.

COURTESY OF RUSS RUBERT

S P R I N G F I E L D A R T I S T E N C O U R A G E S P L AY F U L I N T E R A C T I O N |

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MISSOURI ARTISTS

TOY SOLDIERS ON THE STRIP By Clinton Moore

By Aja J. Junior

OPENING THE DOOR, Valerie Doran Bashaw revisits the era of tie-dye with the ancient technique of Shibori. This Japanese art form explodes onto cloth when the artist wraps fabric around a pole, binds it with string, and lets the dye do the rest. Valerie’s current use of Shibori technique did not just fall into her lap; it was placed there. While studying at the Kansas City Institute of Art, where she earned her Bachelor’s of Fine Arts degree in fiber, Valerie encountered a woman that would become her favorite teacher as well as an inspiration. Shigeko Spear introduced Valerie to Shibori. Originally from Japan, Shigeko taught her students about Shibori and other fine art techniques of Japan through a slide collection she composed. Fifteen years ago, Shigeko died, and Valerie inherited Shigeko’s slide collection. She has used those slides to become a sensei of sorts, a teacher of the art form to others. While pursuing her Master’s in Fine Arts in fiber at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, she began teaching students as a graduate assistant. Upon completing her master’s, she returned to Missouri to continue her art and teaching. In addition to her position as an artist in residence for the Kansas City chapter of Young Audiences, Inc., which sends professionals of the arts into Kansas

City schools to teach topics ranging from aboriginal art to papermaking, she creates fiber art utilizing resist techniques, which is binding cloth and dyeing it. She also designs printed silk scarves, where she dyes the scarves and stamps metallic pigments. “Every kind of artist has particular kinds of sensitivities,” she says. “Fiber artists are passionate about color and texture.” For the future, Valerie aspires to continue her artwork not just for regional art shows and fairs, but in commercial buildings like hospitals and schools. Although she has set her sights on becoming a full-time artist at her studio, Woven Wind Fibres Studio at Grandview, the twenty-year teacher hasn’t abandoned her first vocation completely as she continues to teach summer courses for The Barstow School at Kansas City. “I try to phase out being a teacher,” she says, “but I love it so much that I keep a bit around.” For more information, call 816-838-2368 or visit www.bestofmissourihands.com/valeriedoranbashaw.htm.

From left: This mixed media collage is made of natural materials, such as bamboo, mica, and feathers. This resist-dyed silk scarf was made by binding the silk then dyeing it.

diers stand guard outside the Toy Museum on Highway 76 at Branson, also known as The Strip. The soldiers were created from a mixture of fiberglass, Bondo, and paint, all put together by artist Brian Rance. This Galena, Missouri-based artist has been making strange objects appear all over Branson for the last decade. Brian, age sixty, has also created the world outside Yakov Smirnoff’s theater, hung the moon for magician Kirby VanBurch, and built the Oscar statues that stand outside the Hollywood Wax Museum. Not only does Brian build these eye-catching exterior pieces that have changed the landscape of Branson, but he also creates props and paints massive backdrops for some of Branson’s more popular shows, such as The Promise, which retells the life of Christ. Over the last twenty years while living in southwest Missouri, he has worked for such performers as Andy Williams, Todd Oliver (who is the ventriloquist for the Branson Belle), and Dolly Parton. Brian has come a long way since graduating from Cornerhall School for boys in England. He studied art in Yorkshire and Watford, then worked for a London newspaper in the advertising department. As a young man, he created a series of paintings called The Falcons, which still adorn the dining room of the prestigious Churchill Hotel in London. This began a profitable career in the art world, where he has remained in constant demand. His work adds color and class to establishments all over the globe. Brian’s journey and eventual residence

COURTESY OF THE ARTISTS

SHIBORI SENSEI

GIANT TWENTY-FOOT-TALL toy sol-

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in the United States occurred when Lowe’s Hotels in New York City commissioned him to do a series of paintings for their rooms and lobbies. When he had completed the work for the hotel chain, he decided it was time to see his adopted homeland. So with paintbrushes and easel in hand, Brian set off to see every state in the country by bus and on foot, often hitchhiking. He paid for his rides by dashing off quick sketches in charcoal and pencil. When he had visited every state, he decided that Latin and Central America should be his next destination. He spent the last of his money on a bus ticket and journeyed through the rest of the Americas, eventually getting work with circuses in Colombia and Mexico, painting their colorful backdrops, tents, and advertising posters. Although Brian has worked in such metropolises as Las Vegas, Chicago, and New York, he chose rural southwest Missouri for the natural beauty, abundance of wildlife, and the work opportunities an ever-expanding Branson presents. For more information, call 417-357-6168.

Top: A versatile artist, Brian Rance created the moon that hangs at the Kirby VanBurch show at Branson. He settled in southwest Missouri after traveling through every state in the country and Central and Latin America.

THE BEAUTY IN BAGS By Aja J. Junior

ENTERING THE Bent Tree Gallery at Clarksville full of ideas and excitement, Stacy Whitt begins another day. Cutting her leather piece sends her imagination running. She folds, lifts, and examines how to shape her swatch of leather until she finds the design she wants. Next, she sews her vision, designs a strap, and inserts her label. Stacy Whitt adds another creation to her custommade Stacy Leigh collection. For more than a year, Whitt has been creating handbags of different sizes, ranging from a neck pouch for money and keys to a large tote for folders and magazines. Each handbag is unique. Her handbags stand out due to her use of elk, deer, and cowhide leather. The thick and soft elk leather adds a textured and organic look to her handbags, while mixtures of black and white or brown and black cowhide leather create a colorful variety to her collection. A trip to St. Louis to local leather shops every couple of months provides Stacy with four or five hides of leather, the sizes of floor rugs, for her creations. For a finishing touch, she might embellish her

handbags with antler buttons, pins, vintage buttons, or layers of leather reminiscent of ocean waves. “Handbags have so much personality, and it’s a way to accentuate your personality,” Stacy says. As her talent and handbag line flourish, they open doors for expansion. In fact, a major fashion designer has shown interest in her handbag line, but Stacy is unsure of joining forces with them. “It sounds good to my pocketbook, but not to my creative side,” she says. She wants to stick to her one-of-a-kind purses, instead of mass-producing the same one, and aspires to take her handbags to family-owned or one-of-a-kind boutiques nationwide. Stacy’s purpose remains the same—one-of-a-kind purses for one-of-a-kind style. For more information, call 866-519-4984 or visit www.stacyleighdesigns.com.

From left: Stacy Whitt’s handbags can be found at art exhibits around the state and at the Best of Missouri Hands show at the Missouri Botanical Garden at St. Louis in October.

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TRIVIA Questions an

d Answers

LAURA INGALLS WILDER By Timothy Hill

1. This year is the seventy-fifth anniversary of the publication of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s first book. Name it. 2. The book describes Jack the dog, who growled at the wolves outside the Ingalls’ cabin. What breed was Jack? 3. Visitors to Laura’s home at Mansfield can see what instrument played by “Pa” Charles Ingalls? 4. Name Laura’s three sisters. 5. Who did Laura marry on August 25, 1885, and what color was her wedding dress? 6. What nickname did advertising brochures use for the Ozarks at the time the Wilders settled there? 7. By what name is the Wilders’ Mansfield farmstead known? 8. Before writing her famous books, Laura was a frequent contributor to what farm publication? 9. Name Laura’s daughter, who helped edit her mother’s famous books.

COURTESY OF LAURA INGALLS WILDER HOME ASSOCIATION MANSFIELD, MO

10.How old was Laura when she died in 1957?

Today, Rocky Ridge Farm, Laura Ingalls Wilder's home at Mansfield, is a museum.

(Answers on page 123)

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Log onto MissouriLife.com/free_info.html or circle the number and return the order card or call 800-492-2593. 1. 1000 Hills/Cabins in Branson 2. AgriMO 3. Alma Meats 4. Alsbach-Art.com 5. American Grass Fed Beef 6. ASL Pewter 7. B & L Baskets 8. Baltimore Bend Vineyards 9. Bechard Family Farm 10. Bella Casa 11. Bemiss Nature Photography 12. Bent Tree Gallery 13. Best Western of Branson 14. B. Linde Art 15. Blue Stem 16. Bodyworks Day Spa 17. Boonslick Group 18. Boonslick Trail Inn 19. Boonville Tourism Commission 20. Branson Convention and Visitor’s Bureau 21. Callaway County Tourism 22. Camerson’s Crag 23. Cape Girardeau Convention and Visitor’s Bureau 24. Captivations Jewelry 25. Christy Collins Sawyer Art/Plank Road 26. Chrysalis Vineyards 27. Clinton Convention and Visitor’s Bureau 28. Cobblestone 29. Coffman Design 30. Columbia Convention and Visitor’s Bureau 31. Columbia Orthopaedic Group 32. Columbia Regional Airport 33. Cooper’s Oak Winery 34. Country House 35. Country Road Baskets 36. Crown Valley 37. Cyclone Promotions (Happy Dogs Hot Sauce) 38. Dahlias 39. Designs in Gold 40. Eagle’s Nest 41. Economic Development of St. Charles 42. Excelsior Springs Chamber 43. Foundry Arts Centre 44. Friends of Historic Boonville 45. Fulton Convention and Visitor’s Bureau 46. Garden Stones Art of Catharine Magel 47. George Denninger Gallery 48. Guest Haus 49. Hampton Inn Clinton 50. Hannibal Convention and Visitor’s Bureau 51. Heartland Dairies 52. Hermann Tourism/Chamber 53. Hermann Vintners 54. Hermannhof Winery 55. Holiday Inn Select 56. Hotel Frederick 57. Huber’s Ferry 58. Inn at Harbour Ridge 59. Isle of Capri Casino 60. J Brick Pottery 61. James Country Mercantile 62. Jansen Clocks 63. Jefferson City Convention and Visitor’s Bureau 64. John Knox Village East 65. Keokuk Area Convention and Tourism Bureau 66. Knit and Caboodle 67. Lahms, Inc 68. Lee’s Summit Tourism 69. Les Bourgeois 70. Lettuce Lizzies 71. Lodge of Four Seasons 72. Louisiana Visitor’s and Convention Bureau 73. Lyceum Theatre 74. MACAA/Missouri’s Art Connection 75. Magpie’s Restaurant 76. Margaret Harwell Art Museum

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U RPlaNcesAL I JO U ROu SOing MISMe r Special an of The

SHEPHERD OF THE HILLS

OUTDOOR THEATER CELEBRATES CENTURY-OLD STORY |

AT FIRST THIS column sounded simple enough: Write about The Shepherd of the Hills. That means the incredibly popular novel about Ozark hill country by Harold Bell Wright that is one hundred years old in 2007, right? Or is it the longest-running (nearly fifty years old) outdoor play in the world? Or do I mean the historic cabin, old mill, and 230-foot Inspiration Point, the second-highest site in Missouri? The Shepherd of the Hills reminds me of the rings created by throwing a stone in a pond. The experience begins with the stone itself, but over time the ripples become just as important to the experience as the original event. The Shepherd of the Hills experience begins with the novel. Around 1900, Harold Bell Wright, a minister and novelist living in Chicago, sought relief from tuberculosis in the desert southwest. The flooded White River forced Wright to abandon his train bound for New Mexico and seek shelter with the J.K. Ross family in the hills of southern Missouri. Like President Theodore Roosevelt, Wright found himself rejuvenated by the tonic of wilderness. Returning to his cornfield campsite each summer for eight years, Wright attempted to capture the experience of daily life in the Ozarks. He drew heavily upon local people for his characters, often blurring the lines between fact and fiction. The novel lay unpublished for several years until a physician friend of Wright’s financially backed the novel, which quickly became

Above: Harold Bell Wright left the ministry to pursue a career in writing. He felt he could do the greatest good for mankind through the pen. Right: This 1940s cast performed the story told in The Shepherd of the Hills for owner Lizzie McDaniel, who bought the original homestead from John and Anna Ross, Wright’s muses.

one of the most popular books of all time. Often described as a “timeless classic,” the novel is also very much of its time. In 1893, American historian Frederick Jackson Turner presented his famous Frontier Hypothesis. Turner maintained that the frontier had shaped American culture, and now the frontier was closing. Americans anxiously looked backward and forward to make sense of their experience. Like novelists Willa Cather, Sherwood Anderson, and Sarah Orne Jewett

By W. Arthur Mehrhoff

in the early twentieth century, Wright tried to capture a unique rural way of life being transformed by railroads and urbanization. “We who have lived in the cities see but a little farther than across the street,” observes Dad Howitt, Wright’s alter ego and the shepherd in the novel. Wright feared that Americans were now hypnotized by big city glitter and forgetting their timeless, frontier values of neighborliness and self-reliance; “The city” lurks menacingly throughout the novel. Ironically, Wright’s wildly popular novel accelerated the very changes he feared. Historians Lynn Morrow and Linda MyersPhinney observed in their wonderful book Shepherd of the Hills Country: Tourism Transforms the Ozarks, 1880s-1930s: “Recreational excursions into [the Ozarks] began over one hundred years ago as urban Midwesterners, many of them captivated by Harold Bell Wright’s novel The Shepherd of the Hills, sought the outdoors for spiritual and physical regeneration.” Completion of the White River Railway in 1906 opened the area for tourism; impoundment of Lake Taneycomo in 1913 brought another flood (of tourists). The twenties, when wealthy Springfield banking heiress Lizzie McDaniel purchased the old Ross homestead and mounted a restoration effort, brought automobiles and mass advertising to the region. By the Great Depression, however, the novel no longer gripped the national

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COURTESY OF SHEPHERD OF THE HILLS

imagination, and construction of the Lake of the Ozarks shifted the course of Missouri tourism once again. Then in the late forties, Dr. and Mrs. Bruce Trimble (Dr. Trimble was a history professor, from the University of Kansas, no less!) purchased and began restoring the Ross homestead, eventually opening the outdoor theater and play in 1960. In 1985, Gary Snadon, a former cast member (who played villainous Wash Gibbs in the play) changed roles to purchase and operate The Shepherd of the Hills Homestead and Outdoor Theatre. Many paths lead to The Shepherd of the Hills Homestead and Outdoor Theatre, but the Ozark Mountain High Road appropri-

ately sets the stage for a visit to old Mutton Hollow. The scenic road is elevated with large stone outcroppings and offers glimpses (keep your eyes on the road!) of the Wright stuff. That experience deepens further once you arrive at your destination. The Shepherd of the Hills Homestead and Outdoor Theatre includes many original and period buildings that evoke Ozark life and events depicted in the novel. The pre-Civil War home of Lizzie McDaniel now serves as the ticket office. Sue Stanphill will sell you tickets but banter with you for free, quickly drawing you into the friendly, homespun spirit of the place. A tram tour of the site includes Old Matt’s Cabin (the home of the Ross family) that’s listed on the

National Register of Historic Places; a simple yet elegant old country church that was rescued from demolition and reconstructed on the site; the tower at Inspiration Point that lifts your eyes to the hills; and Matt’s Mill and Theatre, the steam-powered sawmill and gristmill that serves as the backdrop for the play. That’s just the beginning, and don’t be surprised to encounter more unusual aspects of Ozark life along the tour. Today’s visitors to The Shepherd of the Hills need much more background explanation of traditional Ozark life and culture than the crowds that thronged there at the beginning of the twentieth century. Freeman Tilden’s famous principles of interpretation,

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SHEPHERD OF THE HILLS

“Many Will Come, and the Beautiful Hills Will Become the Haunt of Restless Idlers.”

in Interpreting Our Heritage, a sacred text of the National Park Service, emphasizes relating sites to the interests of your audience rather than just conveying information. On that basis, docent Cecil White was an outstanding museum interpreter. Like any good interpreter, Cecil possessed a wealth of knowledge about the region, which he readily shared in response to my numerous questions but thoughtfully related them to my interest in what’s happened to Missouri’s special places. For example, at Inspiration Point Cecil showed me all the major settings of the novel, such as the Old Mill and the Ross Homestead as well as Harold Bell Wright’s favorite writing spot, but also pointed out where subdivisions had replaced old-growth forests. Like an Ozark character with his lively stories and good humor, Cecil made the magnificent collection of landscapes, buildings, and artifacts “speak” so that they, too, became another circle in the ever-widening Shepherd of the Hills experience. Another example: Cecil recounted how he once discovered a preacher exhorting his followers in the old church, like Wright himself, and respectfully waited until the old gentleman finished before gently shepherding them

back into the tour. You can spend an entire day The exploring Shepherd of the Hills Homestead, but the evening play performed under the stars has earned pride of place among the site’s many attractions. Performances at this venue date back to 1960, and stage manager Keith Thurman has been involved in some capacity with the play for almost all of that period. Keith abandoned a highly promising music career because “the place kept calling to me.” He recounted how, unknown to him, Harold Bell Wright had reportedly consulted his ancestor and namesake, J.W.A. Keithley, a Taney County official, for information about the novel’s sites and people. Like most of the cast and crew, Keith grew up in the region with long and strong connections to the play, the place, and the people. Even the best traditions change, however, and Keith acknowledged that the play itself has had to evolve over its five decades. For example, fewer visitors each year have actually read the novel before attending the play, a trend Cecil also confirmed during our tram tour. In fact, the homestead and the play now promote sales of the novel rather than

the other way around. Because of that trend, Keith had to both tighten the script (people are more time-conscious now) and provide more background information about the characters. Consequently, the play has been compressed to “an evening in the Ozarks 1900,” but it still contains the novel’s main story lines. Although The Shepherd of the Hills play competes with Branson’s dizzying array of big-name shows, it has become an annual event for many visitors, passed down through generations like a family heirloom. In fact, a traditionalist like Shakespeare would clearly understand this play because it contains many of the best elements of his own dramas. Like classic Shakespearean theater, the play employs just about every dramatic device imaginable: powerful lighting effects, including the stars themselves; haunting cries and ghostly apparitions; stock characters who make you laugh or hiss; period costumes; racing horses and thundering wagons; stage combat (Keith chronicled his many injuries, including a broken neck in 1981); the burning of the Shepherd’s cabin; Ozark music that reinforces mood or story; idiomatic language ranging from silly to sublime; and powerful story lines of jealousy, love, deceit, death, and redemption. Did I mention the flock of sheep? In the ever-widening rings of The Shepherd of the

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COURTESY OF SHEPHERD OF THE HILLS; ANDREW BARTON

Hills experience, “the play’s the thing…” that brings them all together. Enormous public curiosity overwhelmed John and Anna Ross (Old Matt and Aunt Mollie) after the novel was published in 1907. People peered through their windows, constantly requested that they pose for pictures, even took chunks of their cabin for souvenirs. The old couple could no longer display traditional Ozark hospitality to all their visitors, so they felt obliged to sell their beloved farm and move further into the backwoods. Dad Howitt, the shepherd of the hills, predicted that “many will come, and the beautiful hills that have been my strength and peace will become the haunt of restless idlers and a place of revelry.” The bright lights and glitzy shows now make Harold Bell Wright seem more of a prophet than a preacher. Tourist-oriented Branson differs considerably from the self-reliant Ozark hill country depicted in the novel; the pace and scale of development feels overwhelming. Many cast members express deep ambivalence about the rapid growth of their region, sharing Harold Bell Wright’s concerns about urbanization, limits, and values. In most key respects, the changes caused by the novel have rendered its old-fashioned world obsolete. Except one… It’s very difficult to look clearly at our own way of life. Dr. Rachel Gholson, acting

director of the new Ozark Studies Institute (established to look clearly at Ozarks culture) at Missouri State University at Springfield, observed that her students typically lack knowledge and interest in the history and culture, such as traditional mountain music, of their own region. Harold Bell Wright makes the same point about always pursuing the shiny, new thing and failing to value the heritage of our own special places. He quotes Shakespeare in the introduction to his novel: “That all with one consent praise new-born gawds, Tho they are made and moulded of things past, And give to dust that is a little gilt More laud than gilt o’er-dusted.” –Troilus and Cressida. Act 3: Scene 3

Just like Shakespeare creates an imaginary world of theater to show us a timeless ideal, The Shepherd of the Hills blows the dust of time off the self-reliant but closely-knit community of Mutton Hollow in 1900 and brings it to life once again, holding up a mirror to our own lives. Folks who work at Shepherd of the Hills form their own real Ozark community, deeply loyal to the place and to one another. Sue at the ticket office treasures her view of

From left to right: Trading punches for Wash Gibbs and Young Matt has been a mainstay in the play for decades. The Shepherd of the Hills celebrates its one hundredth birthday this year. The Shepherd of the Hills is the longest-running outdoor drama ever performed.

the beloved hills from Lizzie McDaniel’s old house. Many of the actors and staff have been involved with The Shepherd of the Hills Homestead and Outdoor Theatre for decades; some even have children and grandchildren carrying on the tradition. They have used the same classic DeWitt automobile in the play for over two decades. Many actors play multiple roles, adapting at a moment’s notice to requirements for that evening’s performance. Most work full-time jobs in addition to the demanding play. For example, the lead actor Clinton Caperton, who plays Young Matt in the play, spent two days on Army reserve duty but dragged himself in to play the physically demanding role. Cecil says he could hardly call what he does work since he enjoys it so much. In Wright’s own words, “Here … are those who pause in the hurried rush to listen to the call of a life that is more real,” even if it’s an invented world. The Shepherd of the Hills experience—the novel, the homestead, and the play—becomes a touchstone by which to measure changes in Missouri life and America itself.

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UM USE SOUandRShoI winMg Ou MIS r Culture eserving Pr

M U S E U M AT P I E R C E C I T Y H O N O R S H A R O L D B E L L W R I G H T |

A SMALL BUILDING perches atop a hill in a small Ozarks town. It began its life as a church circa 1882, evolved into a public library in 1933, and in 2006 opened its doors as the Harold Bell Wright Museum in honor of the preacher who once taught inside. For six years, volunteers from the Pierce City community contributed hundreds of hours to the renovations and the preservation of Harold Bell Wright’s contribution to the town. One volunteer and former Harold Bell Wright Board of Trustees president, Kristin Nama, discovered the writings of Wright when she moved from southern California to Pierce City in 1999. “My husband accepted a job here,” she says. “I had a bachelor’s degree in English, but I had never heard of HBW until we got to Pierce City from California.” Kristin found a similar spirit in Wright. “He wrote about what my California friends and I had been discussing before I left,” she

says. “We talked about religion and what we believe in and why do we believe it and what was the real purpose of the Christian church? And here was Harold Bell Wright writing about the same things.” According to Wright scholar and author of Harold Bell Wright Books and Collectibles Gerry Chudleigh, “Wright believed a religion that mattered involved personal and community social services. Wright’s heroes tend the sick, take in the homeless, build youth centers, teach the ignorant, and use their wealth for the good of society. And they usually do this while making the established churches and religious people look hypocritical and irrelevant. Wright calls for people to rise above denominational issues and competition and to serve individuals and society.” Kristin was enthralled. “I loved him and what he had to say,” she says. “I tell people about him whether they want to know or not!” Millions of people around the world know

By Ann Leach

the works of Harold Bell Wright. He is believed to be the first writer to pen a novel that sold one million copies, according to his obituary published in The New York Times in 1944. Six of his nineteen books appeared on bestseller lists, and he also authored plays and magazine articles. Wright was a writer and a minister, who moved to the Ozarks. He began his service as pastor to the First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Pierce City in 1896. He rode by horseback to the church from his Mt. Vernon home and received eight dollars a week. Later, he answered the call to serve churches in Pittsburg, Kansas; Lebanon, Missouri; and Kansas City before moving farther west. Volunteers worked to renovate the church where Wright served into the museum with a little additional help from a professional. They refinished flooring; set up display cases of Wright memorabilia that includes first edition copies of his books, photographs, and letters of endorsement from the Harold Bell Wright

MARK NEUENSCHWANDER

SEEKING THE SHEPHERD

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MISSOURI MUSEUM

From Left: On exhibit is a collection about William A. Raupp, a local boy who became Adjutant General in the National Guard for all of Missouri and promoted Charles Lindbergh to colonel after the historic 1927 trans-Atlantic flight. This organ is original to the church. The church survived a 2003 tornado that destroyed much of downtown Pierce City. An exhibit of Pierce City artist Grace Tinker’s work stands in front of the organ and chandelier that date to the 1800s.

MARK NEUENSCHWANDER

“Wright Calls for People to Rise Above Denomination al Issues and Competition.”

family; and other historical documentation. “We even have a first edition of Wright’s book, To My Sons,” Kristin says. “It’s hard to find and can get anywhere from $800 to $1,500 on eBay. We got it for free, thanks to a donation of several items from an Arkansas couple, who just arrived at the museum with a whole box of things to do with Harold Bell Wright. It was quite a gift.” The museum’s collection also includes items of historical interest to the town, such as a large scrapbook created by ragtime composer Theron Bennett, journals from area artist Grace Tinker, and other pieces from Pierce City’s history. More history was made in May 2003 when Pierce City was devastated by a tornado that severely damaged and destroyed most of the downtown area. The museum building was unscathed save for a few shingles and became the gathering place for community members to meet with

Federal Emergency Ma nagement Agency representatives, get updates from city government and the Chamber of and Com merce, receive support from fellow citizens. Community events such as an open house during the Howdy Neighbor Days, an art signing day, and a visit with Santa Claus after the annual Christmas parade were all held at the museum while the city worked to rebuild itself. Kristin sees the museum continuing to help Pierce City grow and prosper. “There are people who remember Harold Bell Wright and come here who want to know about him and what he did here,” she says. “He wanted to help people, and he is still helping Pierce City.” The Harold Bell Wright Museum is located at 404 N. Walnut Street at Pierce City. Hours are 1 to 4 PM on Saturdays and by appointment. For more information, call 417-476-2323 or visit www.freewebs.com/piercecitymuseum/.

www.stjomo.com

TRIVIA ANSWERS 1. Little House in the Big Woods was first published in 1932. 2. Jack was a brindle bulldog. 3. Pa’s fiddle is displayed. 4. Laura’s sisters were Mary, Carrie, and Grace. 5. Laura wore a black dress when she married Almanzo James Wilder. 6. The Ozarks region was called “Land of the Big Red Apple.” 7. The Wilders lived on Rocky Ridge Farm. 8. Using the byline Mrs. A.J. Wilder, she wrote for Missouri Ruralist. 9. Rose Wilder Lane, also a successful writer, helped edit her mother’s books. 10.Laura, who is buried in Mansfield Cemetery, died three days after her ninetieth birthday.

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U RderI neCathAVYYoEur Feet MIStheSO State Un

Exploring

R I V E R B L U F F C AV E N E A R S P R I N G F I E L D P R O V I D E S T I M E L I N E I N F O S S I L S |

EVERYONE WILL REMEMBER the day Riverbluff Cave near Springfield was discovered. It was discovered on September 11, 2001, when we were all glued to television sets to learn what was happening to our country. One of the little-known consequences of the bombing-by-plane of the World Trade Towers is that an instant ban on any dynamite explosions was immediately sent around the country to the construction industry. A road crew in Springfield received the alert and immediately delayed planting any more charges. That morning, they had begun planting a planned dozen dynamite charges in a rock outcrop where they were lengthening a rural road. But they had a problem. They had already planted two charges. Leaving them in the ground would be dangerous, but they could not be safely retrieved, either. So the road crew sought a special exception to explode the two charges already planted. If all twelve charges had been exploded, the cave would have been lost. As it was, the two charges blew a hole forty feet wide and twenty feet high but did not destroy the cave. The highway department called Matt Forir, the Springfield-Greene County Parks naturalist, to investigate. “I knew almost immediately it was a big one,” he says. Two hundred feet from the entrance, he saw claw marks from the extinct giant short-faced bear. “I told them, we need to save this cave.” “But it’s difficult to delight in the day of discovery,” says Matt, now the lead paleontologist of the Riverbluff Cave and executive director of the

Above: Riverbluff Cave was a bustling place in its prime; this claw mark of a saber-tooth cat or an American lion was found on the walls along with marks from the claws of a short-faced bear. Right: The otherworldly landscape of the cave remains unaltered except for a few lights, walkways, and the bench. The people at the top right corner give a sense of scale of the cave.

associated Missouri Institute of Natural Science, which houses specimens from the cave. Following the cave’s discovery, workers had just five days to seal the entrance before the outside environment would have begun altering the humidity level of the cave. Even the slightest

If All Twelve Charges Had Been Exploded, The Cave Would Have Been Lost.

By Danita Allen Wood

alteration in humidity could forever change what had been sealed for at least fifty-five thousand years, according to several dating techniques. So they sealed the cave, and no one went in for another six months to allow time for the cave to heal from the exposure it had already experienced. The two-thousand-foot long cave and its two side passages are remarkable for two more reasons. First, the fact that the cave has been sealed for at least fifty-five thousand years, maybe even longer, preserved the cave environment in the exact state as the day a rock slide or other tumultuous event closed its entrances. This gives researchers an unprecedented opportunity to study a prehistoric cave. Just one minute example: researchers can sample the preserved clay for pollen, which doesn’t survive well in open caves, to learn more about the plant life of the time. Claw marks on a cave wall made by an American lion look like they were made recently. Hair stuck in clay looks like it could have been deposited by a bear scratching its belly against the cave wall yesterday. Humidity stays at almost 100 percent in the cave, meaning nothing has dried out, including some bear dung that remains in the cave. Research on the dung has already shown the short-faced bear was eating small rodents, indicating its winter diet. Second, the cave has also gained national notoriety because it could potentially change what is known about the migration of the mammoth in North America. A set of mammoth bones discovered in the cave could rewrite previous

COURTESY OF RIVERBLUFF CAVE

THE OLDEST ICE AGE CAVE

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DANITA ALLEN WOOD

COURTESY OF RIVERBLUFF CAVE

theories about two mammoth species that once roamed the Midwest. Researchers have dated the sediment in which the bones were found as being about 660,000 years old. This date falls in the interval between the last known wooly mammoth and the first appearance of its successor, the Meridian mammoth. That means these bones either belong to the oldest wooly mammoth or the youngest Meridian mammoth. Or, it could be yet an entirely new species of mammoth. The scientists need to find more bones before they can make a definitive identification. Another discovery is the only known hoof prints of pecarries in the world. The extinct peccary, an ice-age pig, used caves for shelter. Previously, scientists thought peccary bones found in caves had been drug in by predators. Specimens from the cave are housed at a new museum near the cave, which will also house

Some of the Discoveries *

turtle shells of extinct species

a 660,000-year-old wooly or meridian

that ever lived, standing six feet tall on all

or new species of mammoth (which

fours, and stretching ten feet in length.

has not been determined yet; they need

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Being attacked by one of those bears

teeth or more definitive bones from the

would have been like being hit with a

skeleton to make the identification)

Buick with teeth,â&#x20AC;? Matt says.

2-foot-long claw marks from a shortfaced bear, which was the largest bear

a juvenile mammoth

25 beds where the bears hibernated

a giant 3-foot-long armadillo

No human habitation of the cave has

a 350-pound ice-age pig

a 700-pound American lion

been found. The cave was sealed at least 55,000 years ago, maybe longer, and there is no evidence of humans in the area until 15,000 years ago.

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MISSOURI CAVES

GREG WOOD; COURTESY OF RIVERBLUFF CAVE

From left: Rodent jawbones, a juvenile mammoth cheek bone, and a mammoth tibia are just a few of the bones already retrieved from Riverbluff Cave. In the cave's front room, many formations are still growing, including columns, stalagmites, and soda straws.

the Missouri Institute of Natural Science, the only natural history museum in Missouri. Small school groups and others can arrange visits to the current small museum. Construction of a new five-thousand-square-foot facility is planned. The researchers go in only about once a month to limit human impact on the cave, says Nicole Ryan, operations director of the cave and museum, and visitor access is limited to scientists and the occasional journalist. Researchers conduct only about three or four major digs in a year. To get into the cave, they climb down a sixteen-foot ladder in a manhole, then crawl through a thirty-foot-long culvert to get into the main portion. Even years after the caveâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s initial discovery, fossils are still rolling in by the hundreds. Matt says that the cave will continue to serve as a research initiative for the foreseeable future, though he wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t rule out eventual public visits, perhaps a decade down the road. Until then, it will be in the hands of the experts, working to uncover the secrets of the past and creating some small good from a national tragedy. The museum is located at 2327 W. Farm Road 190 in Springfield. Hours are 10 AM to 4 PM Mondays through Fridays, and 10 AM to 2 PM Saturdays. For more information, call 417-8830594 or visit www.riverbluffcave.com.

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GREG WOOD; COURTESY OF RIVERBLUFF CAVE

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READY OR NOT? M I S S O U R I G E T S A “ B ” I N E M E R G E N C Y P R E PA R E D N E S S | AFTER BOUNCING BACK and forth a

“Ready or Not? Protecting the Public’s Health from Disease, Disasters, and Bioterrorism” 10 Key Indicators 1. Achieved “green” status for Strategic National Stockpile Delivery. 2. Has sufficient level three biosafety labs to meet bioterrorism preparedness needs as outlined in state plan. 3. Has enough lab scientists to test for anthrax or plague. 4. Has year-round, lab-based influenza surveillance. 5. Has hospital bed surge capacity for two weeks in moderate pandemic. 6. Increased or maintained seasonal flu vaccination rate for adults sixty-five

couple of times, Missouri’s emergency preparedness ping-pong game might finally be coming to an end. In a study conducted by Trust for America’s Health, a non-profit organization working to better Americans’ health, Missouri scored eight out of ten points in 2006 for its emergency preparedness. Previously, Missouri received five out of ten in 2005, and seven out of ten in 2004. The lone state to reach a perfect ten in 2006 was Oklahoma. Each state was measured by ten key indicators; see the list at left. Nancy Bush, director of Missouri’s Center for Emergency Response and Terrorism, which is a part of the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, credits the changing criteria from year to year for the changing scores. When comparing 2005 and 2006, seven of the ten questions used in grading states were completely different. The changing criteria are not released until states’ evaluations are completed. The varying scale has not stopped the department from improving over time. Between 2004 and 2005, more lab capacity and more hospital equipment boosted Missouri’s score.

By Aja J. Junior

The Strategic National Stockpile Program, which provides medicines and medical supplies within a twelve-hour period after an emergency, earned a better rating, too. In past years, Missouri and surrounding states have participated in a full-scale drill for the program, which requires state and local health agencies and hospitals to practice the reception and distribution of medicine in a time of crisis. This year, the department added a twist to the exercise by working in conjunction with a statewide earthquake drill in June. Spreading the word to communities and Missouri residents about preparedness has been one of the main goals of the center. Missouri achieved this goal through a program, Ready in 3, launched in 2004. The program encourages businesses, schools, families, and communities to take three steps to prepare for emergencies ranging from a tornado to a terrorist attack, by 1) creating a plan, 2) preparing an emergency kit, and 3) listening for accurate information. After the recent harsh winter storms and tornadoes here, perhaps more communities and individuals will create emergency plans, Bush says.

or older. 7. At or above national median for adults sixty-five or older who have ever received a pneumonia vaccination. 8. Is compatible with the Center for Disease Control’s National Electronic COURTESY OF TRUST FOR AMERICA’S HEALTH

Disease Surveillance System. 9. Does not have a nursing workforce shortage. 10. Increased or maintained level of funding for public health services from fiscal year 2005 to fiscal year 2006. For more information, visit www.dhss.mo.gov. Source: Trust for America’s Health 2007 “Ready or Not?” criteria not yet released.

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