MissouriLife Articles

Abracadabra

Wed, 04 Jun 2008 19:30:27 GMT

By Stefani Kronk

THE MAGIC HOUSE, St. Louis Children’s Museum, makes its own
magic—disguising learning as fun. Enticed by activities that encourage
interaction, children can hardly contain their excitement as they enter
a life-size world of make-believe. Water gardens, giant pin screens that
make three-dimensional impressions, and hair-raising moments caused
by touching an electrostatic generator are only some of the things that
children experience; all the while, the museum’s hands-on exhibits
teach them important math, science, and literacy skills.

Started in 1979 by two young mothers, The Magic House was the
first totally interactive children’s museum in the region and is uniquely
located in a Victorian home. The home was built in 1901 for George
Lane Edwards, the first president of the A. G. Edwards and Sons brokerage
firm. After several expansions in the years since the museum
opened, The Magic House is undergoing the largest transformation
to date. This renovation will more than double the museum’s exhibit
space and expand its services. New exhibits will include “whodunit”
capers, inviting children to become a super-sleuth and crack the case
on an art-forgery crime. A stately courtroom complete with judges’
robes and gavels will encourage role-playing and teach participants
how the judicial branch operates. Time tunnels with whizzing gears
transport visitors to a different time and place, bringing history alive.
Kids can pen their own sonnets and verse and attach their leaf-shaped
pieces of paper to a six-foot-tall wire-sculpture tree, blooming with
original poetry. Activities, such as Patriotic Karaoke, conducting water
experiments, or playing the Pandrums (an instrument that creates
music from kitchen pans), take learning from ho-hum to holy cow! An
important feature not open to the public will be the exhibit fabrication
workshop, enabling The Magic House to build and maintain exhibits
as well as launch a traveling exhibit program.

Since opening, The Magic House has been consistently rated as
one of the top children’s museums in the nation. In 2005, The Magic
House received a prestigious award from Zagat Survey as the number
one family attraction in the nation in child appeal. This distinction
elevated The Magic House above every other children’s museum and
family attraction, including the Magic Kingdom, SeaWorld, and the
San Diego Zoo.

The award-winning museum will be open during the renovation,
and visitors will have access to favorite exhibits, says Kim Geminn,
Director of Marketing for The Magic House. Children can work in a
grocery store or pizza parlor, be a bank teller or a construction worker.
At KIDS-TV, the Magic House’s television station, kids can experience
what it’s like to be a news anchor. Visitors can surround themselves
with a giant soap bubble or create a masterpiece in the art studio.

Although this local attraction is big in popularity, it is small in size.
The Magic House is less than half the size of the average children’s
museum, according to the Association of Children’s Museums.
With more than four hundred thousand visitors annually, The Magic House
has more visitors per square foot of space than any of the two hundred
children’s museums that are members of the association.

The small space coupled with the large number of visitors pose
many challenges for the top-ranked museum, Kim says, “On busy
days, there is a line to get in, and once visitors are inside, the space is
very crowded. Children can’t enjoy the exhibits to the fullest extent.
Plus, parents are uncomfortable with large crowds because it is more
difficult to watch their children. Our goal is to create a better atmosphere
for guests while they’re here.”

Launched in June 2005, the So Much More—Right Next Door
fifteen million-dollar expansion project will add a 32,000-squarefoot
expansion. Space for the expansion comes from an adjacent
condominium complex and allows the proposed renovations to connect
to the original historic home. Planned improvements include a
glass Victorian conservatory welcome center, new galleries to house
traveling and permanent exhibits, a Star-Spangled Center highlighting
educational programs on citizenship, and an interactive outdoor
play garden.

This is the feature that excites Kim the most. “In the play garden,
there will be a hopscotch path and a wading pool. It takes you back
to a time when kids played outside and not inside with video games,”
she says. “I hope it will get kids interested in very simple activities
they can do outside.”

Enhanced visitor amenities, such as additional free parking, large
restrooms, and a cafe, will also be added.

The Magic House is located at 516 S. Kirkwood Rd. at St. Louis. Visit
www.magichouse.org or call 314-822-8900 for more information.

December 2007

The One and Only

Wed, 04 Jun 2008 16:51:34 GMT

By B.J. Alderman

THE NATIONAL WORLD WAR I
Museum at the Liberty Memorial at Kansas
City opened its doors almost a year ago to
rave reviews. At the only national World War
I museum in the country, visitors enter the
exhibits via a transparent walkway over a noman’s-
land battlefield filled with nine thousand
blooming poppies. Inside, the collection of
more than fifty thousand artifacts orients visitors
to the World War I era, its causes, and its
lasting effects as well as the personal aspects of
fighting under trench warfare conditions.

Originally funded by donations from veterans
and built immediately after the end
of the Great War, the Liberty Memorial was
dedicated by President Calvin Coolidge in
1921. Captain Harry S. Truman, World War
I veteran and future president of the United
States, served on the decorating committee for
the event. Guests of honor included the victorious
military leaders of Belgium, Italy, France,
Great Britain, and Missouri’s own General John
J. Pershing, the only time these men were ever
together in one place.

In this modern era of museums when history
draws the visitor in by making the past a
personal experience through the use of exhibits,
this museum presents a well-rounded story
of the fighting on all sides, both before and
after the entrance of U.S. troops.

Recently, seventy-eight-year-old Cecil
Chappelow of Kansas City accompanied his
daughter and two teenage granddaughters from
southern California to the museum, and each
generation found the afternoon intriguing and
educational. Cecil says that the exhibits effectively
tell the story of the wartime experience
in a “well integrated manner: the era, people,
uniforms, weapons from different countries.”
His granddaughters enjoyed the photo exhibit
at the entrance and information about the U.S.
Army Nurse Corps volunteers who became
part of the British Expeditionary Force.

The museum houses the letters of nurse
Florence Edith Hemphill, a native of Chanute,
Kansas, who noted: “We had had quite a good
many Americans in this last week. Some of
them are seriously wounded, some gassed, and
some just slightly wounded. I am so glad we are
getting to take care of some of them anyway.
They are mighty nice boys and they are so glad
to see someone from home.”

Further into the museum, visitors are able
to peek into three different trench setups to
gain a sense of how the French, German, and
British forces lived during much of the fighting.
In like fashion, weapons and uniforms of
many nations are presented side by side.

The museum also documents the war
through film. Film footage taken during the
war captures conditions and provides context
for the artifacts contained in the museum.

Standing at the top (via elevator) of the
Liberty Memorial provides another impressive
exhibit—a spectacular view of the Kansas City
metropolitan area.

The National World War I Museum at the
Liberty Memorial is located at 100 West 26th
St. at Kansas City. Hours are 10 AM to 5
PM Tuesdays through Sundays, closed major
holidays. Visit www.nwwone.org or call 816-784-
1918 for more information.

October 2007

Nature of Art

Tue, 13 May 2008 15:05:42 GMT

The Barbizon School and Nature of Landscape exhibit opens at the Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum of Washington University from May 2 to July 21. Free and open to the public, the show celebrates a natural form of art, popular in Barbizon France between 1830-1880.

In response to what was perceived as highly superficial city life in the nineteenth century, this form used rustic and pure scenes from nature in which man interacted more holistically with nature.

The exhibition features almost forty works including drawings, paintings, and prints by prominent contemporary artists of the era and later American and French artists who had been inspired by the school.

Derived mainly from the permanent collection at the Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum, many of the works were acquired as early as 1881, directly following their creations. Some include Julien Dupre’s In Pasture, created in 1882 and purchased by the museum in 1886, and Dwight William Tryon’s Before Sunrise (Morning Twilight, at Daybreak), created in 1906 and purchased in 1910.

From peasants and flocks of animals standing amidst expanding fields to eerie forests, many of the works embrace simplicity and emphasize light and environment.

“It’s beautiful,” Kimberly Singer, museum marketing manager says. “We have a great space for this kind of work, and it’s great to see some of the works from our collection that we haven’t been able to bring out in a long time that have been restored specifically for this show, and they look fantastic.”

Call 314-935-4523 or visit kemperartmuseum@wustl.edu for more information.

--Lauren Foreman

MissouriLifeLines May 2008

Trails to the Frontier

Wed, 04 Oct 2006 14:56:51 GMT

*By Kate Gilliam* Entering the National Frontier Trails Museum in Independence feels like stepping into a cozy log cabin, with its hardwood floors, wooden beams, and exposed ceiling. A violin track plays old-fashioned tunes. The rustic atmosphere and friendly attendants invite visitors to learn about life on the frontier. About four-hundred-thousand travelers braved the three main trails between 1840 and 1860. Of those travelers, about one in ten died along the way. The National Frontier Trails Museum was completed in 1990 to commemorate this journey by showcasing the exploration and settlement of the American West. “This story is one of the great American sagas in our history,” museum director John Mark says. “It didn’t all just have to happen. Specific decisions were made that opened the doors for incredibly far-reaching effects.” The three principal trails were the Santa Fe, the Oregon, and the California. The Santa Fe Trail, established in 1821, was a nine-hundred-mile foreign trade route unique due to its overland rather than seafaring trade. Settlers wishing to make new homes in the northwest used the two-thousand-mile Oregon Trail, starting in 1843. Gold-seeking travelers used the two-thousand-mile California Trail a few years later. The trails prompted the United States to acquire additional land and resources, and that helped make the United States a major player on the world stage, John says. Independence, founded in 1827, was the jumping-off point for the trails. Every spring, covered wagons and livestock blanketed the town as travelers gathered supplies and prepared for the journey ahead. Directly across the street from the museum, evidence of the migration still exists in the form of swales, or wagon ruts. Curator David Aamodt says they are the set of trails closest to the beginning of the journey. “They’re very subtle, but numerous,” David says. “I like to look at them from the side because they make a corduroy effect on the land.” Once inside, view the award-winning film, West, which presents an overview of the dangers and triumphs involved in the journey. For a more in-depth look, enjoy the Blazing the Way West exhibit that showcases the Lewis and Clark expedition. Lewis and Clark paved the way for future travelers by combining land and water routes. Before embarking on your own journey throughout the rest of the museum, enjoy some hands-on activities. First, carefully decide which supplies to include at the Pack Your Wagon activity. As the load gets heavier, the light on the wagon turns from green to red. Second, learn how to tie bundles to a saddle similar to those used on the Santa Fe Trail at the Pack Your Saddle activity. After stocking up at the outfitting post, settlers followed maps with little more than a line marking the course. Slogans such as “Patience and Perseverance” written on wagon covers encouraged settlers as they embarked on their journeys. Excerpts from trail diaries documented life on the trail, and the distance traveled marks each step of the journey: *315 miles from Independence* Disillusionment on the Platte River marked the first stage of the journey as feelings of frustration replaced the optimistic outlooks once held by many hopeful travelers. “The rain came down in bucketfuls, drenching us to the skin. There wasn’t a tent in the camp that held against the terrific wind,” Mary Elizabeth Munkers Estes said in 1846 at age ten. *460 miles from Independence* The south fork of the Platte River was the most picturesque stretch, described by James Wilkins in 1849 as a horizon “… dotted with the white wagon covers of emigrants, like a string of beads.” *580 miles from Independence* Attractions such as Chimney Rock broke the monotonous landscape. “The singular formation surmounts a conical eminence which rises, isolated and lonely, in the open prairie, reaching a height of three-hundred feet,” Rufus Sage said in 1841. *650 miles from Independence* With one-third of the journey behind them, settlers recuperated at the long-awaited trading post,Fort Laramie, before facing the mountains. *775 miles from Independence* The most dangerous water ford on the trail, the North Platte River, resembled a junkyard as settlers dumped everything they could live without in order to prepare for the journey ahead. *915 miles from Independence* The Culminating Point represented the halfway mark as settlers reached the South Pass in the Rocky Mountains. *1150-1460 miles from Independence* A rumored quicker route called the Hasting Cut-off turned out to be a bust. The Donner party, which left from Independence, fell victim to the supposed shortcut. “The Californians were generally much elated … with the prospect of a better and nearer road … Mrs. George Donner was however an exception. She was gloomy … in view of the fact that her husband and others could think for a moment of leaving the old road and confide in the statement of a man of whom they knew nothing,” Jessy Quinn Thornton said in 1846. *1256-1690 miles from Independence* Settlers coined the phrase “seeing the elephant” that expressed coming to terms with the terrible realities of their long journey. *1770 miles from Independence* Once settlers reached the impassable Cascade Mountains, they were forced to either abandon their wagons or raft them down the treacherous Columbia River to the Oregon settlements. *1932 miles from Independence* Settlers reached their destinations in Willamette Valley. Most visitors tour the exhibits in about two hours. Your last stop should be the library that houses more than thirty-five-thousand rare Western Americana volumes and the gift shop. Before heading back to the homestead, enjoy a covered wagon ride. “The National Frontier Trails Museum serves as a testament to the American character and demonstrates the courage and perseverance of those that ventured west,” John says. _The museum offers combination tickets that include museum admission and covered wagon rides through part of historic Independence. Ages 6-12, $7.50; age 12 and older, $10._ April 2006

National Silk Tapestries Museum

Wed, 04 Oct 2006 04:27:34 GMT

*A National Treasure* *By Diana Lambdin Meyer* While in college and in the Army, John Pottie of Platte County played a lot of pool. He became pretty good at it and even traveled on the professional circuit in the 1970s. He never made any real money, but he enjoyed collecting pool and billiards memorabilia. At a flea market in Milwaukee, he found what he thought was an inexpensive print of Victorian men and women playing billiards. After closer inspection, he realized it was a woven silk tapestry. That fifty dollar purchase in 1981 began a collection of antique silk tapestries that totals more than 150. These tapestries attract visitors from around the world at the National Silk Art Museum in Weston about forty-five minutes from Kansas City. “It’s just amazing watching the reaction of people as they begin to examine each piece and realize how magnificent it is,” John says. “You can look at a particular piece in different light or at a different time of day and continue to see new details.” John admits that some people are initially confused by the images because the tapestries appear to be a photo negative or another medium. Silk tapestry is the art of weaving silk threads into an image for decorative purposes. Many were commissioned by churches, royalty, or upper-class families based on the works of major artists from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Joseph Jacquard, who created the first automatic loom in 1790, was the master of the process. His student Francois Carquillat commercialized silk weaving in the mid-1800s. Prior to the advent of photography, this process was the major means of reproduction. Most of the works in John’s collection measure no more than about eight-by-ten inches and date back to the 1870s. In 2003, John opened his restaurant, Charlemagne’s, at 616 Thomas Street in Weston. The Silk Art Museum is on the second floor of the 1842 building, in addition to several tapestries displayed throughout the dining area. “The art has been the driving force of the restaurant,” says John. “More than half of our guests tell us they’ve come to Weston and to Charlemagne’s because of the museum.” Charlemagne’s, which serves Italian, French, and German cuisine, reflects the regions conquered by Charlemagne’s armies in the eighth and ninth centuries. While researching family history for college scholarship applications for his daughter Adrienne, John discovered that Charles the Great, who lived from 742 to 814, was his thirty-ninth grandfather. A custom at Charlemagne’s results from a legend John uncovered about another famous ruler, Napoleon. As his army moved into battle and were within a few hundred feet of the enemy, John says a soldier’s final act before charging was to slice the top from a bottle of wine with his sword and chug it. When guests orderchampagne at Charlemagne’s, they can go outside or watch through windows while a staff member uses reproduction swords from the era to whack the champagne bottle near the cork. The force makes a clean cut and keeps glass from falling into the champagne, which is consumed in a more civilized manner than chugging. John has flourished in the task of researching Charlemagne-era customs and details about his art collection. Only ten pieces in his collection have not been identified. With so little written on the art of silk weaving and tapestries, John is writing the first textbook on the subject, and Public Broadcasting Service producers have approached him about making a documentary. Representatives from both the Louvre in Paris and the Smithsonian have made significant financial offers for his collection, but for now, the tapestries are not for sale. They remain in the restaurant for Missourians to enjoy. _Charlemagne’s Restaurant is located at 616 Thomas Street in Weston. Hours are 11 AM to 3 PM Wednesdays through Sundays; 5 to 8 PM Wednesdays and Thursdays; and 5 to 9 PM Fridays and Saturdays. Admission to the museum is free; non-diners are also welcome. Call 816-640-2608 or visit www.charlemagnesrestaurant.com._ June 2006

A Zeal for Wheels Car Museum

Tue, 03 Oct 2006 19:19:59 GMT

When Fulton’s Kmart closed its doors in 1994, Bill Backer saw his opening. An avid car collector with more than 100 vehicles, he lacked the space to store them in one location. So he bought the 37,000-square-foot building and set about opening a car museum to share his collection with others. Bill, 75, had wanted to open a car museum for years. His collection was stored in garages and barns around Fulton. To help with the project, Bill hired Carmen McIntire to be the director of the museum. Carmen, 79, had retired from her job as a chairwoman at the Fulton Chamber of Commerce but was excited to go back to work. She, along with Bill, Bill’s wife, Marge, and Harris Lee Wallace, a friend of Bill’s, all worked on cleaning cars and preparing the displays. “None of us had any experience with running or setting up museums,” Carmen says. “We were learning as we went along.” They learned well. Now the museum is filled with 90 vehicles, ranging from an 1895 Haynes to a 1987 Jaguar. Amid all the cars Bill has collected over 44 years, one car stands out as his favorite. It’s a 1926 Pierce Arrow, which has classic straight lines. Bill prefers straight lines to aerodynamically styled cars. “Starting in 1933 and ’34, cars were restyled,” he says. “Instead of straight lines, they used curves and streamlined cosmetics.” All but one of the cars in the museum have been restored to working condition. “What’s the use of having a car if it doesn’t run?” Bill asks. His hobby is expensive, yet he didn’t open the museum to make money. In fact, Bill says the museum doesn’t generate enough profit to pay the bills. “I didn’t expect to make money off of it,” he says. “It’s my contribution to the community.” His business, Backer Potato Chips, employs about 45 people at the plant in Fulton and allows him to indulge in his hobby. Bill would like to build an addition onto the museum to house the cars that still aren’t on display and for future purchases. Bill also wants to create a reference library inside the museum for visitors who want to learn more about the cars. One car that usually intrigues visitors is one of Bill’s most prized possessions: the 1895 Haynes automobile. It is the oldest privately owned vehicle in the United States. Only three of these vehicles, which resemble buggies, were made in 1895. One is in the Smithsonian, and another was wrecked. Bill became the owner of the third Haynes by accident, he says. The car was found in a demolished building in Boston. After being restored, the car was offered to Haynes collectors in Kokomo, Ind., where the cars were built. A faulty answering machine prevented that offer from reaching the collectors. An advertisement was then placed in a magazine for car collectors. Bill told his wife, “This is something we’ve got to have,” and answered the ad. While the Haynes is the oldest car in his collection, Bill also displays cars of the future. The College of Engineering at the University of Missouri at Columbia loaned its Sun Tiger I and Sun Tiger II for display. Both cars operate on solar energy. The two cars are squeezed in between the 1895 Haynes and a Studebaker farm wagon. With a slight turn of the head, visitors can view both the past and the future of personal transportation. For more information, contact the museum at: Auto World Car Museum 1920 N. Bluff, Fulton, MO 65251 (573) 642-2080, or visit www.automuseumbybacker.com. Admission is $5.50 for adults, $4.50 for seniors, $2 for children.

Get Your Kicks

Tue, 03 Oct 2006 17:55:06 GMT

It’s been called “The Mother Road” and “The Main Street of America.” In its heyday, Route 66 carried millions of travelers, many chasing dreams of a better life in the expanding West. The pavement of its 2,448 miles stretched from Chicago to Santa Monica, California - the first single road linking the Midwest to the West. Three hundred of those miles bisected Missouri from St. Louis to Joplin. Decommissioned in 1985 - replaced in Missouri by Interstate 44 - the old road no longer appears on maps. But remnants of the road and its attractions still dot the landscape. In some places, you have to hunt to find the old road, which travels through large cities and small towns. In other places, the road is visible from Interstate 44. Brown-and-white markers along the highway help modern-day travelers navigate their way to the windy route. Possibly as much as eighty percent of the old highway is still in use, and some of the small establishments that served travelers remain in business. Other businesses or attractions have opened that cater to the memory of the old highway, and in isolated places, the scenery is not much different from when the road was commissioned in 1926. *On the Road* The Red Cedar Inn in Pacific has faithfully served hungry travelers along Route 66 since 1934. Seventy years after opening, the cozy restaurant remains in the same family. It is operated by Ginger Smith, granddaughter of the people that cut and hauled the logs that are the predominant feature of the popular eatery. “One dessert on the menu is called Grandma’s Brownies, and they are still made by Katherine, who was a waitress here and married [restaurant owner] James Smith in 1940,” says head chef Wes Karna. “At eighty-nine years of age, she is almost original equipment.” In June 2003, the unique eatery was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. “We have also been honored with resolutions passed in both the Missouri House of Representatives and the Senate,” Wes adds. “They acknowledge our importance to the community and the history of the highway.” The many curio shops along the road used clever marketing to capture a traveler’s attention, such as advertising an unusual attraction like “the world’s largest prairie dog” or shaping their buildings like tepees. Such a shop is perched atop a hill just outside Union. Beneath two large tepees, Lisa and Bob Atkinson sell American Indian merchandise at their Indian Harvest Trade store. The shop is filled with wool rugs, moccasins, saddle blankets, and jewelry. “Tourists and news media have been here from all over the world,” Lisa says. “Lately, we have even started getting into Native-American groceries. Need any buffalo steaks?” Route 66 was once the main street in Cuba, Missouri, and now large banners depicting the old Route 66 road markers fly from the town’s light poles. The state named Cuba “Route 66 Mural City” for its series of colorful building murals begun in 2001. Eight murals detail a historic event in Cuba’s history, some of which portray what life was like when the highway was in its prime. By 2007, the town plans to have twelve murals. One mural recreates the front of a 1940s car and tractor dealership. Complete with gas pumps, showroom windows, and a 1940 automobile and tractor, the mural is so realistic a visitor has to walk around it before realizing the trompe l’oeil art is painted on a flat, free-standing wall. Just outside Rolla, the Route 66 Motors and Nostalgia Gift Shop is dedicated to Mother Road memorabilia and the sale of vintage cars that traveled the road. Though the business opened the same year the last portion of Route 66 was decommissioned, it operates out of two original buildings that served travelers. “Our 1940 diner houses the Nostalgia Gift Shop, selling every imaginable collectible associated with Route 66 from T-shirts to books to coffee mugs,” says Patricia Bales, who owns the business with husband Wayne. “Next door, a 1950-era gas station is the office for our Route 66 Motors, specializing in the sale of antique and classic cars once serviced in the same building when the highway was passing just thirty feet away.” Near St. James, stands the large brick-and-wood building of the Rosati Winery. The winery is a landmark business that originated in 1898 when Italian immigrants migrated to the area and planted grape vines in the rocky Ozark soil. By the 1930s, more than 250,000 vines were producing grapes along Route 66. Today, Rosati produces approximately 175 acres of grapes, with some vines more than eighty years old. A free tour includes viewing the subterranean wine cellars. “Rosati Winery was opened by a co-op of farmers in 1934, not too long after the birth of Route 66,” owner Donna Rippelmyer says as she serves one of the vineyard’s eight wines and a plate of cheese, crackers, and fruit. “We are one of the first bonded wineries west of the Mississippi, and the only winery that has always been alongside the highway since in was first commissioned.” Undisturbed Scenery Stretches of the original highway remain isolated from the modern world. The undisturbed scenery allows travelers to imagine what it was like to pass through Missouri in the 1930s and 1940s. East of St. Robert, part of the old road - now called Route Z - runs parallel to Highway 44 between exits 169 and 163. The two-lane divided road passes through Hooker Cut, once the deepest highway rock cut in America. Today, cascading vines cover the high stone walls of the pass. Farther along Route Z, another section of the original 66, now named Teardrop Road, leads to the Devil’s Elbow. The overlook above the elbow, named for a sharp turn in the Big Piney River, was a popular stop. Vegetation shrouds the 1923 gray truss bridge leading to the overlook. It is one of the least changed and most scenic spots on old 66. Motel Memories East of Lebanon, a cluster of 1950s-era motels remains in business in defiance of the modern highway interchange and franchise motels nearby. Look for a twenty-foot neon sign proclaiming, “Here yesterday, today, and tomorrow.” The sign announces the Munger Moss Motel, a group of brick buildings encircling a pool - a popular period configuration for motor courts along Route 66. The tidy complex remains largely unchanged since it opened in 1945. “The mattresses and carpets are new, but the furniture and everything else, including the small sink and pink tile in the bathroom, is original,” says Ramona Lehman. Ramona and her husband, Bob, bought the property from the original owners thirty-two years ago. “We have several theme rooms dedicated to each state along the old highway,” she says. One room is adorned with photos of well-known sights along the old route. “You don’t need to travel the road if you just stay in this room,” Ramona says. The room is a favorite among European travelers, many of whom journey along Route 66 each summer. *Birthplace of Route 66* Springfield played several important roles in Route 66 history, but none more significant than the telegram sent to Washington, D.C., from the Woodruff Building on April 30, 1926. In that message, Missouri and Oklahoma highway officials stated their preference for “66” as the official number for the new route. Among the eight states through which the route would travel, the road's number had been bitterly disputed. The Missouri and Oklahoma group selected “66” because that number had not been assigned to any existing route. It was the first recorded reference to the famous designation and earned Springfield the nickname “Birthplace of Route 66.” Next door to the Woodruff Building, the Gillioz Theatre opened on November 11, 1926 - the same day U.S. Highway 66 was officially commissioned. “Even then, people understood the importance of a Route 66 address,” says Bob Bryant, a member of the theater board of directors. “Although the twelve-hundred-seat theater is a block away, the owner acquired a twenty-five-foot corridor of land and built a narrow but elaborate entrance facing Route 66.” Currently undergoing renovation, the ornate movie house decorated in a Spanish Mediterranean theme is on the National Register of Historic Places. Between exits 49 and 18 off Interstate 44, the old road is two lanes and almost perfectly straight for thirty-one miles. If you look carefully, you can find hints of businesses that once flourished along the thoroughfare. A motor court office remains in use as a home, but its surrounding cottages are nearly unnoticeable, roofless and covered in thick vegetation. Near the westbound end of Route 66 in Missouri is the tiny town of Avilla, where a small city park once was a popular rest stop. Today, the neatly kept spot is a perfect place to reflect on the history and importance of The Mother Road, along whose path towns thrived, families vacationed, and thousands escaped the Great Depression to a better life in The Golden West. Save a Landmark The St. Louis Route 66 landmark Eat-Rite Diner got a free facelift. The sixty-year-old restaurant offering dining at its nostalgic counter is part of the Explore the Highway with Hampton Save-A-Landmark campaign. Last summer, volunteers re-lettered the diner’s massive sign and gave the exterior a new coat of paint. Sponsored by Memphis-based Hampton Hotels, the program identifies landmarks in need of repair and enlists employee volunteers in refurbishing efforts, including painting, landscaping, and cleaning. Since April 2000, the campaign has poured $1.5 million into refurbishing nineteen sites nationwide. To nominate a landmark for the campaign, visit www.hamptonlandmarks.com/HamptonLandmarks. -Susan Achurch *Learn More About Route 66 In Missouri* Route 66 State Park, Lewis Road, Eureka 636-938-7198 toll free 800-334-6946 www.mostateparks.com/route66.htm The park, located along the original Route 66 corridor, includes a visitors center in the former Bridgehead Inn, a 1935 roadhouse. The center houses Route 66 memorabilia and historical displays. Route 66 Re-Commissioning Initiative www.bringbackroute66.com The initiative seeks to preserve the old road through an official highway designation that would return its presence to maps and atlases. Route 66 Association of Missouri 1602 East Dale Street, Springfield, Missouri 65803 417-865-1318 www.missouri66.org The association is dedicated to preserving the legacy and history of Route 66 in Missouri.The association will hold its fifteenth annual motor tour “Trippin’ to the Trolley” September 10 through 12. The tour starts in downtown St. Louis and ends in Carterville, just east of Joplin. Registration fee is $25 per vehicle. For more information, contact Kip Welborn at 314-853-7385 or r.welborn@worldnet.att.net or Jane Dippel at 314-843-7132 or vestaon66@cs.com. New Museum of the Mother Road Beginning in September, travelers on Highway 44 can relive the history of that road’s predecessor: Route 66. The grand opening and dedication of the Route 66 Museum and Research Center is scheduled for September 10 at Lebanon. The 3,500-square-foot museum will have several re-creations of familiar sights from the historical road, including representations of an old filling station and diner, says museum founder Bill Wheeler. Visitors also will be able to view a picture gallery and browse books, videos, and maps in the research center.“You can’t talk about the history of central Missouri without saying something about Route 66,” Bill says. “It’s very historically significant. If we hadn’t have gotten Route 66, we wouldn’t have Interstate 44.” For more information, call 417-532-4642. Susan Achurch The Road to Infamy Route 66 has been immortalized in books, television, and song. John Steinbeck dubbed it “The Mother Road” in 1939 when the fictional Joad family followed the route west in his Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Grapes of Wrath. From 1960 to 1964, CBS aired the television series Route 66 about the adventures of two young men on the road. Nat King Cole was the first to record the song Get Your Kicks on Route 66, written by Bobby Troupe in 1946. Two hundred different artists have since recorded the tune. Free Information On Sale Now Only $16.95 Take a trip along the Missouri with Lewis & Clark. Give a Gift of _Missouri Life_ and Get a Gift! … Your friends and family will think of you and thank you all year long. Beautiful photography; surprising daytrips and getaways; our fascinating past; unique Missouri homes, artists, cafes, bed and breakfasts and inns. The most complete Calendar of Events in the State. August 2004

Connie

Tue, 03 Oct 2006 17:22:27 GMT

Only four Constellation airplanes in flying condition remain in the United States, but Missourians don’t have to travel far to see one. The Save-A-Connie Airline Museum at Kansas City’s downtown airport is home to one of these planes, which were first used during World War II. After the war, the Constella-tion airplanes, known as Connies, were used as passenger planes by several airlines. A Connie was the first plane to fly passengers nonstop from Los Angeles to New York. The planes were also used in the first international flights. “The Connie put most of the ocean liners out of business,” says Dick McMahon, president of Save-A-Connie. “Then the jets came in 1959 and did the same to the Connies. That’s the evolution of transportation.” Dick, a retired Air Force pilot who flew Connies during the Korean War, is a founding member of the organization. He and his friend Larry Brown gathered a group of retired aviation enthusiasts to form a nonprofit organization dedicated to restoring, preserving, and exhibiting propeller-driven commercial aircraft. The group’s first challenge was restoring a Connie that had once hauled supplies to Vietnam before being converted into a sprayer. The Connie was in Mesa, Ariz., and had sat idle for 11 years. The group’s goal was to make it flyable. After three years of labor, the Federal Aviation Administra-tion recertified the aircraft as safe to fly. On Nov. 9, 1989, the Connie flew to its first air show. Since then, the aircraft has appeared at numerous air shows and has even appeared in the motion picture Voyager. Flying a Connie isn’t cheap; fuel alone costs $1,000 for a one-hour flight, Dick says. To offset expenses, the group accepts donations at air shows. Since finishing work on the Connie, the group has also restored a Martin 404 and is currently working on a DC-3. These three planes are parked at the museum, along with exhibits featuring airline memorabilia, such as hostess uniforms and photos. The museum is supported by the organization’s 600 worldwide members, with most of the Kansas City members doing the restoration work. However, Dick says some members who live in other states have been known to fly to Kansas City for a weekend to work on the planes. “We’re just a bunch of aviation nuts,” he says. _The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Saturday at 480 N.W. Richards Road, Kansas City. Admission: $2. 1-800-513-9484. _

Elvis Is Alive Museum

Tue, 03 Oct 2006 17:19:46 GMT

Bill Beeny opened the 50’s Cafe in 1981 with the intention of attracting travelers along Interstate 70 who would enjoy his extensive collection of fifties-era celebrity photos and memorabilia. By 1991, Beeny says, “the cafe was ninety-nine percent Elvis.” By association, Beeny was seen as an Elvis authority and found himself fielding the same question over and over: “Is Elvis alive?” “I thought it was absurd,” he recalls, “to think he could still be alive, that anyone would believe that.” Still, he wanted to know why the rumors just wouldn’t be squelched, so he launched an independent investigation. Now he’s a believer. In 1992 he opened the “Elvis Is Alive” museum to display government documents, pathology reports, DNA testing results, three thousand photographs, and transcripts of interviews with Elvis’s relatives and former employees—all proving, Beeny says, that Elvis is alive. So next time you’re on I-70 around Wright City, you might want to stop at the 50’s Cafe, order a Hound Dog Hot Dog or two and find out for yourself if Elvis has really left the building. _The Elvis Is Alive Museum and 50’s Cafe are located off of Interstate 70 at Wright City. exit 199. Open everyday but Tuesday, 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Free admission. Call 636-745-3154_ February/March 00

Eye Museum

Tue, 03 Oct 2006 17:16:53 GMT

At the Optical Science Center and Museum, fifth- and sixth-graders take turns trying on eyeglass frames from the ’50s. They giggle as they peek at their reflections in a mirror. Others intently stare at a white wall with black sketches in hopes of uncovering the optical illusion. Linda Berry, a teacher at Christian Outreach School in Hillsboro, looks around the room at her busy students and laughs. “I could hardly get them here because they were griping and complaining about coming, but now that they are here, I can’t get them to leave,” Linda says. This is exactly the reaction the owners, opticians Tom Baltrusaitis and Todd Bridgeman, hoped to achieve. They opened he museum five years ago in the same building as their clinic in downtown Hannibal. “This center is one of a kind,” Tom says. “It’s so unique because it’s the only museum dedicated to optics in the country.” All profits from the museum are used to fund mission trips taken by both the doctors. They have traveled to Honduras, Mexico, and Bolivia to provide people with vision care. “We have the opportunity to share with others what we do and what we believe,” Tom says. “So the museum almost becomes a mission in itself.” _The museum, located at 214 N. Main in Hannibal, is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. Admission: $3.50 for adults, $2 for children. For more information, call (573) 221-2020._

Loyalty Oaths

Tue, 03 Oct 2006 17:13:43 GMT

When archivist Becky Carlson began sifting through documents at the Andrew County Courthouse, she uncovered more than the usual records. Tucked away in a cabinet was Missouri’s largest collection of loyalty oaths that date back to the Civil War. During the 1860s, Missouri-ans who wanted to vote or serve in any public or church-related office were required to sign a loyalty oath that stated their allegiance to the Union. The 1,067 oaths that were uncovered in the courthouse mostly have men’s signatures. But some women, who at that time didn’t even have the right to vote, were required to sign if they were going to serve in a leadership position, such as a teacher. The rare documents have remained intact for more than 130 years because the courthouse hasn’t suffered fire or tornado damage. Betty Williams, county clerk, says the finding is significant for genealogists and historians. “Many of the names were here when the county started,” Betty says. _Those wanting to research the oaths can view the original documents at the courthouse or access a microfilm at the state archives in Jefferson City._ August/September 1999

Mideast Meets Midwest

Tue, 03 Oct 2006 17:11:51 GMT

It's an unlikely setting for a museum devoted to Bedouin culture and Arab life, but just outside the little town of Lone Jack, surrounded by gardens of Missouri wildflowers and native flowers from China, Greece, and parts of the Middle East, is the Nance Museum, an extensive private collection that reveals details of life halfway around the globe. Museum owners Paul and Colleen Nance returned to Missouri in 1983 after Paul worked thirty-two years as an engineer and executive with an American oil company in Saudi Arabia. He brought back a deep appreciation for Saudi culture and a sizable accumulation of Middle Eastern artifacts, clothing, jewelry, and religious objects. The museum's centerpiece is a Bedouin tent home, used for forty years in the northern Saudi desert. Lightweight household tools show the Bedouins's ingenious use of recyclable materials. A gazelle carcass becomes a water bag, with the legs used as handles. A World War I fifty-five-millimeter French artillery shell turns into a portable coffee cup holder, with the cups nesting inside. Coins turn into jewelry, palm fronds into baskets, strips of wool into rugs, and scraps of wood into camel-milk bowls. Despite the harshness of the desert sun, skin cancer is practically unknown among Bedouins. A display of their traditional dress shows why. Outer garments worn in the desert regions are made of many yards of lightweight, flowing fabric that drapes the body, blocks the sun, and keeps air moving in between the multitude of soft folds. _The Nance Museum in Lone Jack, south off Highway 50, is open from April through October by appointment. Admission is $3 for adults and $2 for children. For information, call 816-697-2526._

Mothers Monument

Tue, 03 Oct 2006 17:10:18 GMT

What's in a name? All the love in the world if it's your mother's name. A special retreat at Laurie, in the heart of the Lake of the Ozarks region, gives families from all over the world an opportunity to immortalize their mothers. The Mother's Wall of Life is a focal point of the Mary, Mother of the Church Shrine at Laurie. Built within a natural grotto and surrounded by twenty landscaped acres, the shrine includes a fourteen-foot, stainless-steel sculpture of Mary that towers above a three-tiered sanctuary with fountains, quiet pools, and waterfalls. "We want to show our love for Mary as mother of the church, and to honor mothers everywhere," says Rose Vander-beck, marketing director for the shrine. Families from thirty-three states and thirteen countries have arranged to have the mothers' names etched into the granite wall that surrounds the base of the sculpture of Mary. The names of more than sixteen hundred mothers adorn the wall, and the shrine also displays flags from more than a hundred countries. A terraced amphitheater bordered by more than twenty-five thousand flowers surrounds the shrine, providing a natural worship area where services are held each weekend during the summer. _The Mary, Mother of the Church Shrine is located on Highway 5 near Laurie. Names can be engraved at the shrine for $250. Call 573-374-6279, or visit www.mothersshrine.org._ -Robin Garrison Leach

Peace Pavilion

Tue, 03 Oct 2006 17:09:23 GMT

Parents wanting to teach their children how to get along with others can take advantage of fun, interactive exhibits at Independence’s Peace Pavilion. The museum uses puppets, building blocks, and dolls to teach lessons in cooperation and tolerance. For example, children making masks are taught that people sometimes use masks to hide their true feelings. A heat sensor that changes color when touched is a reminder that people leave their mark upon the world. _Although the museum relies upon support from the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ, it is non-denominational. The museum attracts about 15,000 children each year. Admission is free, but donations are encouraged. For more information, call (816) 521-3033._ August/September 1999

Small Things Considered

Tue, 03 Oct 2006 17:08:13 GMT

From 200 spectators enjoying a race at the St. Louis Gateway to soldiers singing in a bombed-out tavern, models on display at Miniature World capture historical, fictional, and everyday moments — and all are only a few inches tall. The St. Charles museum has more than 100 dioramas housed in an 8,000-square-foot building. The collection began in December 1996 when Ralph Koebberman, a retired businessman, and Bob Letterman, the owner of a scale model manufacturing and distributing company, decided to put their collections together so the public could enjoy them. The museum owns about 95 percent of the items with the remaining on loan. “To get your piece displayed in here, it has to be superior,” says Tom O’Dell, the museum’s manager. No kits are used to create the pieces; all of the intricate buildings, cars, people, and other parts in the scenes are original. Some scenes took hundreds of hours to complete, and one, a recreation of a Bavarian city at the beginning of World War II, took seven years. Each year, the museum attracts more than 40,000 people of all ages, from children on field trips to senior citizens on bus tours. Tom says most visitors are amazed to see the details included in each scene, and he’s so confident that they will enjoy their visit that he makes a promise. “I tell people, if you don’t like it, it won’t cost you,” Tom says. “But that’s never happened.” _Spring and summer hours for Miniature World are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. The museum is at 132 N. Main St., St. Charles. Admission: $5.50 for adults, $4.50 for seniors, $3 for children, and $12 for two adults and up to four children (family package). For more information, call (314) 916-0550._

St Joseph Museum Going for the Gold

Tue, 03 Oct 2006 17:07:07 GMT

Getting an Eyeful--Eye Museum At the Optical Science Center and Museum, fifth- and sixth-graders take turns trying on eyeglass frames from the ’50s. They giggle as they peek at their reflections in a mirror. Others intently stare at a white wall with black sketches in hopes of uncovering the optical illusion. Linda Berry, a teacher at Christian Outreach School in Hillsboro, looks around the room at her busy students and laughs. “I could hardly get them here because they were griping and complaining about coming, but now that they are here, I can’t get them to leave,” Linda says. This is exactly the reaction the owners, opticians Tom Baltrusaitis and Todd Bridgeman, hoped to achieve. They opened the museum five years ago in the same building as their clinic in downtown Hannibal. “This center is one of a kind,” Tom says. “It’s so unique because it’s the only museum dedicated to optics in the country.” All profits from the museum are used to fund mission trips taken by both the doctors. They have traveled to Honduras, Mexico, and Bolivia to provide people with vision care. “We have the opportunity to share with others what we do and what we believe,” Tom says. “So the museum almost becomes a mission in itself.” _The museum, located at 214 N. Main in Hannibal, is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. Admission: $3.50 for adults, $2 for children. For more information, call (573) 221-2020._

Tuned In To Radios

Tue, 03 Oct 2006 17:04:09 GMT

When Jasper Giardina was ten years old, he and his four siblings would crowd around the family's 1938 Philco radio every afternoon after school to listen to the latest episode of Jack Armstrong All American Boy, Tom Mix, The Lone Ranger, and The Shadow. One day, after being elbowed a few inches farther from the speaker, Jasper made a vow. "I told my brother and sisters, ÔOne of these days we'll have a radio in every room." Take one step inside Jasper's Antique Radio Museum in St. Louis, and you can see he took his promise to extremes. With floor-to-ceiling shelves and row upon row of radios, Jasper has only a handful of rooms to put them in. His collection of more than ten thousand radios is the largest in the world, he says, and includes sets from the late 1800s all the way up to modern times. From homemade crystal sets to his prize 1928 Atwater-Kent breadboard, Jasper has amassed what amounts to a tangible history of radio communications. The breadboard, he explains, is a radio without a cabinet, with the exposed components mounted on a flat board. The most valuable radios in the museum are the wireless sets from the 1920s. A radio that draws a lot of interest, Jasper says, is the Westinghouse model designed to sit atop the rounded frame of a Westinghouse icebox. At the age of seventy, Jasper is still collecting. _Jasper's Antique Radio Museum, located at 2022 Cherokee Street, is open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $1.50. For more information, call 314-421-8313._ April/May 2000

Undertaking Museum

Tue, 03 Oct 2006 17:00:48 GMT

Understanding Undertaking The wicker basket that carried the body of Jesse James from his house to the funeral parlor in 1882 is among the unusual collection of funeral industry artifacts displayed at the Heaton-Bowman-Smith Funeral Museum in St. Joseph. In addition to chronicling the history of the Heaton Undertaking Ware Rooms from its beginning in 1842 to its present-day identity as Heaton-Bowman-Smith, the museum presents a historical perspective on the funeral industry in general. Stephen McElduff, funeral director at Heaton-Bowman-Smith, says the Smithsonian contacted him at one point to verify the museum’s possession of an 1800s-era viewing box. In the days before embalming, a body that lay in state was placed in a rectangular wooden box equipped with metal ice trays concealed at the head and foot. A glass plate covered the top of the box. These boxes are now very rare, Stephen says. Even the Smithsonian doesn’t have one. The museum is located at 3609 Frederick Boulevard in St. Joseph. Hours are from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., seven days a week. As Stephen says, “Death doesn’t take a vacation.” For more information, call 816-232-3355. A tour lasts about 45 minutes. This Article originally appeared in the Oct/Nov 2000 issue of Missouri Life Magazine