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“Our Grim History”By Roz Plotzker
In this buckle of the Bible belt, the rhythm of small towns exhales a sigh of the past, like an old war veteran. While the ground is level, Missouri is also the cave state; beneath the calm of cattle are caverns and grottos. Likewise, underneath the steady cadence of rural America is an erratic story of outlaws, wars, gangs, and rebellions, along with the inevitable social responses: books, industry, faith, and (in the long run) even cartoons.
Touring with a car and a little patience, it’s easy to dip your foot into the shadows of Missouri’s past. Mark Twain is one of the state’s most visitor-friendly historic figures. Like his books, the Mark Twain Boyhood Home & Museum in Hannibal weaves truth with fiction. The 7-Propoerty museum includes Samuel Clemens’s actual home, with a life size statue of him as an adult in each room. The Newly remodeled museum brings his stories to life for his younger readers. They have a chance to see the prizes Tom Sawyer earned by letting his friends whitewash a fence. For the more adventurous family’s, tours of the fantastic Mark Twain Cave, which was the model for the cave in Tom Sawyer, are available everyday. On a much smaller scale, the Laura Ingalls Wilder Home is an enchanting preservation of the past. While Twain’s sites are remakes of his home, the Laura Ingalls Wilder Society has managed to preserve almost every detail of her tiny home, as if she were still living there today. The birthday cards on the kitchen table are just as they were when she passed away. Even the upright organ still works.
Or, if you crave more war heroes instead, see the home of Black Jack General John Pershing in Laclade. The house is matched with a new section dedicated to Black Jack’s military career, and the tour guide is top notch. He will convince you that Pershing was the big bang that invented the universe. After so much history, one might crave an escape. Marceline Missouri – home of Walt Disney, and the inspiration for Main Street USA – has just the right atmosphere to whisk the mind away to a picturesque America of antique stores, movie theaters, and beautiful sunsets. A very Happy Ending. For more information: Laura Ingalls Wilder Home, located at 3068 Mansfield Highway, Mansfield, Missouri 65704. Phone: 417-924-3626, Fax: 417-924-8580 George Washington Carver, visit www.nps.gov/gwca or call 417-325-4151 Jesse James Sites, and St. Joseph – www.stjomo.com, or call 1-800-604-4600 Truman Sites: General John Pershing, www.mostateparks.com, or call 660-963-2525, ask for Denzil Heaney Marceline, home of Disney, contact Kaye Malins at tourmarceline@shighway.com, olinsk@shighway.com, or call 660-376-2653. Also visit www.marceline.com Photos by Roz Plotzker |
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Missouri
is a state of flat grassy landscapes, dots of livestock grazing off the show-me
state ground. It is serene, pastoral, with the types of scenes that help you
gaze out the car window and hum Aaron Copland melodies. You can’t help but fall
in love with America for a moment. You begin to crave hamburgers and a malted
milkshake.
As
an east-coaster, I have very little background on the local history of the
Mid-West. My local American history goes back to the American Revolution, and is
driven by our struggle against the British. Missouri’s history, on the other
hand, is driven by steam engines and slavery. Their antique celebrities – Jesse
James, Mark Twain, Laura Ingalls Wilder, George Washington Carver – each had
their own responses.
Not
far from the Wilder estate is the George Washington Carver National Monument and
park. While I wish I’d had more time to explore the park, the museum left me a
Carver, science, and peanut enthusiast.
Jesse
James is Missouri’s most infamous figure. His remnants are mysteriously
scattered around the state. You might find yourself chasing his trail just as
the law did when he was alive. Many of the sites are still not certain if it was
the real Jesse James, or an imposter. Start with his birthplace in Kearney, at
the Jesse James Farm and Museum.
Set
against the backdrop of woods and fields, the musty house is creepy at best. It
includes the home, Jesse’s grave, and small structure – a hut passed as living
quarters – that is the only remnant of slavery on the property: evidence of “our
grim history,” explained the guide. Next, the Jesse James Bank Museum is a short
drive away in Liberty, on the Historic Square. Visitors can see into the actual
bank vault the James boys robbed. And While the Patee House Museum in St. Joseph
does not focus specifically on James, it does a wonderful job of capturing his
time period… not to mention the indoor carousel crafted by one of the nation’s
best carousel designers. 
After
a tour of Missouri’s worst outlaw, why not delve into the life of its most
upstanding citizen, Harry Truman. The James legacy is cloaked in the Civil War.
Presidential Truman sites explore the controversial terms during WWII: from his
entrance into office as a relatively unknown vice president, to the monumental
impact of the atomic bomb. The Truman Library and home, both in Independence,
are well guarded so plan ahead. Tours are available. For a glimpse into Truman’s
childhood, see his birthplace in Lamar, a small home decorated for the period.