Missouri Life

August 2008

FEATURES

Fossil Foraging  52
Missouri river bluffs, highway cutouts, and abandoned quarries are perfect hunting grounds for fossils. Discover Missouri’s top ten sites and what to look for.

Carefree Comfort  60
King of the Road John Robinson found comfort near Branson at six lodges, both rustic and luxurious.

Bridge Over Troubled Water  68
Photographer Notley Hawkins explores the Katy Bridge, an old railroad bridge at the center of a state debate.

Missouri Orchards: A is for Apple  74
Meet some of the last remaining commercial fruit growers in Missouri and let them convince you the state of Washington has nothing on us, plus where to go to pick your own fresh apples and peaches.

Block Party: K.C.’s Power & Light  80
Turn on to new food, fun, art, shows, boutiques, and music, at Kansas City’s revived downtown.

Missouri’s Journalism Fame  84
Our state claims the first newspaper west of the Mississippi, the world-renowned Journalism School, the first issue of Stars and Stripes, a hall of fame for photojournalism, and the founder of the Pulitzer Prize.

Civil War Series: Indian Regiments  90
American Indian regiments were rare but fought on both sides of the Civil War in one battle here.

Walking the Line  94
Olympic hopeful Patrick Stroupe from Armstrong hopes he can walk the distance at the Olympic Trials

ON THE COVER: Katy Bridge at Boonville by Notley Hawkins

DEPARTMENTS


Missouri Memo  8
We find our way to Branson, in preserving cultural heritage, in the immense digital world, in school, and in politics, we hope. Our managing editor begins a blog.

Letters: Another Old Jail  14
You tell us about another old jail in Keytesville, praise Boonville and also Missouri’s first poet laureate, elaborate on mozarkite, and add information about Confederate Gen. J.O. Shelby.

Symbol: The State Insect  17
Along with 15 other states, Missouri chose the honeybee.
 
Missouri Medley  19
Celebrate the 40th Gospel Sing at Lebanon, the sixth journey of a stagecoach on the Butterfield Overland Mail Company’s old route, and a new sculpture commemorating Lewis and Clark at Jefferson City, near where they camped.

All Around Missouri  25
Choose from 188 events around the state, including  Jour de Fete at Ste. Genevieve, the Missouri State Fair at Sedalia, and Dancin’ in the Street at St. Louis.

Made in Missouri  46
Band uniforms get bling at Brookfield.

Healthy Living  98
Discover why Missouri is a retirement Mecca, new innovative services for the elderly at Kansas City, where we rank among the nation’s depressed, and a new global grief support group based at Joplin.

Welcome Home  106
See the lovingly preserved home purchased in the mid-1800s by one of the Pony Express owners at Lexington.

Tasteful Traveler: Tomato Tales  134
Our food editor finds tasty tomato recipes.

Missouri Wine  142
Our columnist continues with the second of two parts on why Missouri oak is becoming recognized for barrels.

Show-Me Sound  145
Springfield spawned Big Smith and MayApple Records.

Missouri Artists  146
Makers of naturally dyed pottery, whimsical musical instruments, and a plein-air painter from Chesterfield, Falcon, and Kansas City share their stories.

Books: Romances  152
Missouri authors from St. Charles and Lebanon steal your heart in Catch a Rising Star and Wanted! The Half-Breed.

Missouri Journal: Bethel  154
Envisioned as a Utopian community, Bethel Colony was a refuge and hope for the people who settled there. Descendants of the colonists still call the area home.

Trivia: Food for Thought  160
Test your knowledge of Missouri’s claims to food fame.

Musings  162
The Ozark philosopher won’t jump on the green bandwagon. He thinks it’s a marketing ploy.

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

California: Small Enough to Know You, Large Enough to Serve You  109
California is perhaps the only small town in Missouri to have both an uptown and a downtown. It’s progressive in its preservation of the past and creation of beautiful parks, and it’s seeing significant job growth.