Thursday, September 6, 2012

My header

I changed the header picture the other day and felt maybe an explanation is in order or at least an little information about what your seeing. The header picture is the Mark Twain Boyhood Home in Hannibal Missouri. Three blocks from here is where my boyhood home stood (although it has not been recognized with a plaque...yet). Like many who take their familiar surroundings for granted I took no particular interest in this building even though I passed it at least twice a day during the summer on the way to my job at the boat harbor.



As of matter of fact, my only association with the home was as a place to drop off visiting relatives to get rid of them for an afternoon. The first inkling that this Mark Twain guy might be someone of note came when I was sitting at a Greek sidewalk cafe in Athens with some of my shipmates when a Greek gentleman stepped to the table and asked us where in the States each of us was from. When I related to him I was from Hannibal Missouri I was very surprised he had even heard of the town and was even more surprised when he proceeded to tell me more about this Mark Twain fellow than I was aware of. Needless to say I felt a little ashamed and the next time I returned home I made it a point to begin to broaden my knowledge. 

I was amazed to find that someone as famous as Norman Rockwell had spent time in Hannibal painting covers for the Saturday Evening Post illustrating Mark Twain's books and 15 of those original works of art are on display at the Museum. Not to mention all the other exhibits pertaining to his life and works, including first editions and original manuscripts. A Museum worth spending some time in if you are ever in Hannibal.


Here's a sample of Mr. Rockwell's work.

This began my interest in history which continues to this day and that I pursue while I'm busy enjoying the good life.

17 comments:

  1. It is just amazing what we don't know about our own hometown. When visit a town and do a post, so often some one will say, I lived in that town all my life and didn't even know that was there.
    Hannibal sounds like a neat little town to visit.

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    1. Officially know as 'Americas home town' if you ever get a chance to stop by try to do so over the 4th of July during Tom Sawyer Days when the town swells from its normal 18,000 folk population to over 100,000. Quite a celebration.

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  2. Coming from central IL...love to visit Hannibal - I think that was the festival we went to once. In fact love to take the I72 route to MO and then up Hwy 79 to STL. Have yet to camp at Mark Twain...on our list. Any fav spots for camping that way? Hwy 36 across the state a nice route too to KC so as to miss the traffic of STL.

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    1. I have a sister in Decatur and used to travel I72 a lot. Ray Behrens on MT Lake is my favorite. I've never camped any place on US 36/I72 west of Hannibal because when I get that close I just head for Hannibal. I'm with you on missing the city traffic.

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  3. Oh I love the header pic & meant to comment on it the other day, but forgot to. Now it's even cooler with the history you just tossed into it! It's a really good photo. I think most of us take for granted where we grew up & what history was around us.

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    1. It's so easy to ignore what's around us. In the summer they used to print a Museum report showing all the countries that visited the Home and for the life of me I couldn't figure out why they were coming from all over the world to visit Hannibal.

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  4. That's a wonderful painting of you painting the fence.

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    1. Thank you, I did have to give up my apple to get the privileged to whitewash that fence, but it was worth it.

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  5. I remember a very enjoyable week spent visiting Hannibal a couple of years ago while I camped at a very nice COE park a short distance away.

    Many, many years before that, when I was in my teens, my family stayed at a motel in Hannibal while my step father dragged us to all the Mark Twain stuff around there. Highlight of the trip for me at that time was a swimming pool at the motel, and seeing Robert Preston (of Music Man fame) staying at the same motel.

    Some times it takes a while to appreciate history. :)

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  6. I did a research paper on Mark Twain when at LMC. I was surprised how much a learned about our neighbor at that time. It was really an eye-opener. I am also surprised how many people have heard of Hannibal because of Mark Twain.

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  7. I grew up in Muscatine,Iowa on the banks Mississippi river. Never had a notion the the river was that famous until I was in my late teens and saw the tourist that came to see the great river. Mark twains brother was the editor of the Muscatine journal which is still the local paper. Mark Twain was a writer for the paper for a while and lived in Muscatine at that time. Just a thought that hit me when I read your blog.

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    1. It's amazing what we take for granted when it's next door to us. Muscatine is another pretty little river town.

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  8. Great post John very interesting. I also love delving into history.

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    1. Thanks Jo. Once I got started in history I just couldn't stop.

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