Moving On...Changing My Focus

It was on July 18, 2010, 15 years ago today, that I first posted something on my blog site.  I have regularly published posts regarding historical, food, family, travel and restaurant experiences for most of the past many years.  At one point I was posting to the site 3 times every week.   Most recently, it's been twice a week.

I've decided to cease any regular publications/posts to the site.  Not gone...still will publish something from time to time as the spirit moves me, but my focus is moving elsewhere.  I want to spend more time researching our family histories and I've gotten much more involved with a local Knoxville collector's club.  I do enjoy the time spent in that endeavor...even with the work involved. 

What follows are a scattering of the many photos dating as far back as last October...a sampling of those taken near the conclusion of our long road trip through parts of Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York and Virginia.  I'd never completed the Virginia portion of the trip...

This is the entrance to the Reeves Museum of Ceramics at Washington and Lee University in Lexington Virginia.  The Reeves collection showcases one of America's best collections of Chinese export porcelain as well as European and American ceramics made between 1500 and 1900.

FYI, Washington and Lee University is the 9th oldest college in the USA.  Originally known as Liberty Hall Academy, it was renamed Washington Academy in 1796 and Washington College in 1813.  A gift of stocks from George Washington had saved the school from financial ruin.  Robert E. Lee, who had led Confederate forces throughout the Civil War, had previously been the Superintendent of the West Point Military Academy.  A few months after the war, he became President of Washington College and he helped build the university for the future.

In today's highly charged political atmosphere, Lee's name being attached to this University has been controversial.  For the university's outlook on this subject, go to https://www.wlu.edu/about-w-l/university-history/university-namesakes.

During our visit, there was a exhibition of ceramics adjacent to artwork with blank spaces in the paintings that are related to the ceramics.  I still don't get it...but both Laurie and I do love ceramics and this plate was a stunner!

I just had to include this 'fowl' piece of porcelain in my post.  Love the brilliant colors involved!  

Then there was this gorgeous brown and yellow teapot with raised decorations.  This teapot from the Yixing Dynasty teapot dates somewhere between 1725 - 1775.

This stunning hard paste porcelain 'tea pot' from China didn't start its life as a tea pot, but rather as a wine pot.  The English later repurposed it as a teapot.  Note the 'bamboo bundle' shape that was created by a master ceramics maker sometime between 1700 and 1720.

Moving on down the road, it was time to find a place for dinner.  Research had revealed the possibility of a fine German dinner near Staunton Virginia.  The Edelweiss Restaurant is a log structure in the Blue Ridge Mountains.  The family that built it came from Karlsruhe Germany.  The menu is loaded with German specialties, something one doesn't see very often.

While Edelweiss is well rated on the Internet, Laurie and I weren't feeling it... The food was decent but not great and the service was rushed.  This restaurant is popular with long waits for customers so maybe our lack of enthusiasm isn't typical.  Check it out and give Edelweiss a try.  Let us know what you think... Website: https://edelweissvirginia.com/.

I love taking photos like this and imagining what might have been... Located at the eastern foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains on US Hwy. 60 in Amherst County Virginia, Forks of Buffalo refers to the place where the North and South Forks of the Buffalo River come together.

Since I like researching places, I came across this photo from the Forks of the Buffalo area, showing the Myers' Cash Store, United States Post Office and Esso Gas Station.  Perhaps the early to mid-1960s, the store opened in 1937.  Unfortunately, I also came across another photo from December of 2024, only 2 months after I took that first photo, now showing that the front of the old building had fallen down... Timing is everything.

This well preserved and restored railway depot is located at Amherst Virginia.  Amherst was founded in 1807 and it is the county seat for the county of the same name.  The town's population has never been much higher than its current level of about 2,200 residents.

Amherst was first known as Dearborn and the first depot here was completed in the late 1800s for the Orange and Alexandria Railroad.  It was replaced in the late fall of 1913 by the Southern Railway.  As was typical, the ticket booth extended outward from the center facing the tracks, with waiting rooms on each side...one for black folks and the other for white folks.  Three passenger trains stopped at the depot every day until the mid-1940s.  Passenger service was completely discontinued during the 1960s and finally freight service ceased in the mid-1970s.

So...just where is this old structure located?  Our next significant stop was at the Appomattox Courthouse National Historic Park at the village of Appomattox Courthouse...redundant I know.  This is not the original Appomattox Courthouse, but rather a reconstruction.

In the 1800s the original courthouse gave its name to the village around it.  As many of us know, Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered his army here in 1865.  I always thought that Lee had surrendered to Grant at the courthouse but the courthouse was closed that day so the surrender took place in a nearby home.  In any case the village was already in a state of decline in the 1850s.  The original courthouse burned down in 1892 and the county seat was relocated.  This structure was rebuilt in 1964 and it now serves at the Visitor's Center for the more than 1,700 acre Appomattox Courthouse National Historical Park.

So this is the house...or an almost exact replica of the house...where Lee surrendered to Grant, virtually bringing America's long and painful Civil War to an end.  This is the McLean House at the Appomattox Courthouse National Historic Park and it was chosen for the surrender as it was the most substantial home or building in the Village.

The McLean House was originally built by Charles Raine in 1848.  It had served as a tavern/inn and it was sold to Wilmer McLean in 1863.  In an interesting historical quirk of fate, the First Battle of Bull Run (Manassas) took place on McLean's farm.  Seeking to avoid the war, and too old to serve in the Confederate Army, McLean moved here to 'avoid the war'.

This is a recreation of the setting where Lee formally surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant.  The original furniture is in the possession of the Smithsonian and the Chicago History Museum.

The terms of surrender were: "The officers to give their individual paroles not to take up arms against the government of the United States until properly exchanged, and each company or regimental commander to sign a like parole for the men of their commands,"... neither "side arms of the officers nor their private horses or baggage" to be surrendered; and, as many privates in the Confederate Army owned horses and mules, all horses and mules claimed by men in the Confederate Army to be left in their possession.

As for the McLean house, Wilmer McLean was broke as all his money was in Confederate dollars, which he'd accumulated by running sugar through the Union blockade during the war.  Ownership passed from one person to one scheme or another.  At one point it was disassembled and labeled for possible reconstruction as an attraction in Washington D.C.  That project never got off the ground and much of what was left of the house was pilfered over the years.  The re-built house was opened to the public on April 9, 1949.  Over 5,000 of the home's original bricks were used in the construction.

To learn more about the Appomattox Courthouse National Historical Park and to plan a visit, go to https://www.nps.gov/apco/index.htm. 

This is the Booker T. Washington National Monument near Hardy Virginia.  Booker T. Washington was born a slave on the 207-acre farm of James Burroughs in April of 1856.  Following the Civil War, he became the first principal of  the Tuskegee Normal and Industrial School.  Later, as an advisor and confidant of President Theodore Roosevelt, an author and orator, he became the most influential African American of his era.

Booker T. Washington (1856 - 1919)

To learn more about Booker T. Washington, you can go to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Booker_T._Washington.

This National Monument preserves portions of the tobacco farm where Booker T. Washington was born and where he lived for the first 9 years of his life.  The facility also provides interpretation of Washington's life and achievements as well as an interpretation of slavery and farming in the 1850s through the use of buildings, gardens, crafts and animals.

You can learn more about The Booker T. Washington National Monument at https://www.nps.gov/bowa/index.htm.  

The last stop on our long but interesting and relaxing road trip was of course, dinner on the last night of the trip.  We were tired and looking forward to getting home.  The decision was made that we should go casual for our final meal on the road so we picked JJ's Restaurant and Sports Bar in Abingdon Virginia from my list of dining options.  Laurie stuck to soup and cornbread and I went for fried catfish, beans, coleslaw and cornbread.  The food wasn't gourmet but it was tasty, reasonably priced and satisfying.

JJ's Restaurant and Sports Bar is located at 115 Charwood Drive in Abingdon Virginia.  Open daily for lunch and dinner.  Phone: 276-525-4999.  Website: https://www.eatatjjs.com/.

As I mentioned at the start of this post, I'll be back from time to time and I'll also check in on those who I've been following...

Just click on any of the photos you'd like to enlarge.

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Take Care...and, as the saying from the 50's (the era of 45 rpm records), "I'll see you on the flip side".

Big Daddy Dave

Memorial Day - 2025

 In Memoriam

Ronald Allen Myers

Born on April 2, 1911

Killed in Action on May 6, 1945, 80 years ago this month.

World War II in Europe officially ended on May 8th, 1945. 

Staff Sergeant Ronald Myers in a column crossing Germany just a little over 3 weeks before he was KIA in what was then Czechoslovakia.

This local memorial for my Dad is located in the Pilsen area of what is now the Czech Republic, near the town of Tesov, where he was killed.

Ronald Allen Myers' final resting place is in the Lorraine American Military Cemetery near Saint-Avold France. (Rest in Peace Dad)

God Bless America and as well the millions of men and women who have fought and died for our freedom!

This flag was used on D-Day at Utah Beach as American forces fought their way ashore.  It is part of the Smithsonian collection.  It stands as a testament to the lives that have been sacrificed for our freedom...

Ronald Allen Myers – Memorial Day 2024

Memorial Day…a day when I always wonder what my life would have been like if my father, Ronald Allen Myers, had survived World War II.  He probably would have returned to his career as a conservation officer in Michigan.  I certainly would have been given more exposure to nature and the great outdoors.  I probably still would have gone to Michigan State University but my major probably wouldn’t have been in Social Sciences – Police Administration.

But, since my dad was KIA in Czechoslovakia while fighting one of the last engagements with German troops, I’ll never know what the future would have been for my mother or myself.  I just wish that I could remember my dad…but I was only about 2 and a half years old when he was killed on May 6^th, 1945.

This photo of my dad and me is from sometime in 1944… It was probably taken in front of my material grandparent’s home on Prospect Street in Jackson Michigan.  I would have been about 2 years old.

Over the past several years I have been in contact with a WWII researcher – David Foud, from Pilsen in the Czech Republic; Andrew Woods, a Research Historian from the First Division Museum at Cantigny Park in Wheaton Illinois, and through Andrew another Czech researcher, Martin Schmid.  They have all provided me with bits of information about my father’s last days… I’m hoping for additional information as their research progresses.

Andrew Woods’s focus is the US Army’s First Division, the Big Red One.  My dad’s unit was part of that famous American fighting force.  David Foud is a civilian who has been working on a project that commemorates fallen American soldiers in Czechoslovakia in 1945 and 1946.  Martin Schmid is specifically researching the battle between German and American forces on May 6, 1945 near Cheb/Eger, in what is now the Czech Republic.

This photo of my dad, with a column of American soldiers and armor, apparently moving toward Czechoslovakia, was taken by a US Army photographer.  David Foud sent the photo to me.  He’s obtained it from the 16^th Regiment Association.  The official label on the photo reads “Sgt. Ronald Myers advances down a road towards the German town of Riefensbeek, 14 April, 1945.

Martin Schmid forwarded a considerable amount of information to Andrew Woods who then passed it on to me.  Martin, a student at West Bohemia University in Pilsen, was writing a thesis on the WWII battle fought near Tesov in the Cheb Region in 1945.  He stated that he is “an avid collector of the American First Infantry Division”. 

I believe that this photo was forwarded to me by Andrew Woods and that it was originally sent to Andrew by Martin Schmid.  It is a local memorial to my father placed somewhere near the location where he was killed in what is now the Czech Republic.  I was very happy to see this local remembrance and that it has been so well maintained.  After the war, my dad was exhumed and then reburied in the Lorraine American Military Cemetery in Saint-Avold, France.

The following information was also forwarded to me by Andrew Woods.  It was apparently sent to him by Michael Rund of the Muzeum Sokolov in the Czech Republic.  The excerpts below were taken from a book entitled “Kveten bez Seriku” or “May without Lilies”.  It was written by Vladimir Bruzenak.

“Companies I, K and L of the 3^rd Battalion attacked from Jesenice and Okrouhai in the Milikov area…near Tesov.  The soldiers of Company L encountered resistance from German soldiers, members of the RAD and Volksstrum.  German machine guns and handguns started firing from the wooded hill above the village.  They were answered by gunfire from the American tanks and fire from infantry weapons.  The entire firefight lasted about an hour.  Only after a platoon of K Company soldiers joined the fight did most of the Germans either scatter into the surrounding woods or surrender.  The body of the German commander was said to have been found only a few days later.  Staff Sergeant Ronald Myers, the last dead of the entire 18^th Regiment in this war, was killed by German fire.”

Many thanks to my father and the thousands of other members of our armed forces who have given their lives to ensure our liberty and freedoms.  God Bless America!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave

Road Trip – Missouri (Part 11)

…continuing with exploratory road trip wandering the backroads and highways of Missouri.  We didn’t have to drive far for our next historical experience, one more that we’ve driven past so many times.  Now we could see what it is all about.

The General John J. (Blackjack) Pershing Missouri State Historical Site is in Laclede Missouri, just about 13 miles west from the Walt Disney Hometown Museum in Marceline.  So, who is General Pershing and why is he memorialized?

John Joseph Pershing (1860 – 1948) was commander of the American Expeditionary Forces during World War I, from 1917 to 1920.  It was called the ‘war to end all wars’.  In addition to leading the AEF and its allies to victory in the war, he later served as a mentor to many generations of U.S. Army generals who followed him.  They included George C. Marshall, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Omar Bradley, George S. Patton and Douglas MacArthur.  It is an impressive list for sure! 

In addition to General Pershing’s statue, the garden area features a Wall of Honor with the names of veterans who served in various wars...

John J. Pershing was born on a farm outside of the town of Laclede Missouri.  However, the Pershing family moved into this 9-room Gothic-style home when he was six.  He lived here from six to adulthood. 

The home was built ca 1857 and it was purchased by the Pershing family in 1866.  Pershing lived in the home even after completing high school.  He took a teaching position at nearby Prairie Mound School until he left to attend the First District Normal School, now Truman State University, in Kirksville Missouri.  After he graduated from that school with a Bachelor’s degree, he returned to teach at the Prairie Mound School, where he taught African American students.

The Pershing home has been well preserved and maintained.  It features period-specific furnishings from the mid to late 1800s as well as a small museum which chronicles General Pershing’s life.  I love that Eastlake style desk!  Of course, there is also a small gift shop…where we invested in a pin for Laurie’s collection and I bought a book entitled “Pershing – General of the Armies” written by Donald Smythe. (309 pages of fine print)

  

There are several stoves in the Pershing home.  This one, made by G.F. Filley in St. Louis back in 1865 is quite handsome.  I love these old stoves.  They have so much character… These stoves were the heating system back in the day.

So, allow me to digress… Giles Filley founded Excelsior Stove Works in St. Louis Missouri in 1849.  His family had the financial resources to back him and he didn’t exactly have to invent the business.  He bought the patterns the company used rather than having to deal with product design.  The name “Excelsior” suggested a New York pedigree…at a time when that state produced almost 40 percent of the nation’s stoves.  Excelsior hit the ground running with 25 molders and 20 other employees.  Capacity quickly hit 60 stoves a day and the company built 6,000 stoves in 1850, his first full year of business.  Then he went into the cooking stove business…but that is yet another story...

The tour of the Pershing home is self-guided.  While the home itself is substantial and historic, the story is all about the man who grew up here.

Back to General Pershing and his history.  After graduating from West Point, he was assigned to the 6^th US Cavalry in New Mexico in 1887.  He was involved in several military campaigns against Native American tribes and was recognized for his bravery fighting with the Apaches. 

In 1891, he was assigned to the University of Nebraska – Lincoln where he taught military science and tactics until 1895.  While he was the university, he also earned his law degree.  In 1895 he took command of a troop of the 10^th Cavalry Regiment, one of the original Buffalo Soldier regiments comprised of African American troops commanded by white officers.

The first photo above shows General Pershing in the back ground with related Army photos included in the display.  The photo immediately above is of the General in 1906. 

Pershing fought in Cuba during the Spanish American War where he caught the eye and earned the admiration of Teddy Roosevelt who was also fighting with his “Rough Riders” at the Battle of San Juan Hill.  Pershing commanded the American expedition in the pursuit of Pancho Villa. He also fought in the Philippine-American War.

President Theodore Roosevelt promoted Pershing to the rank of General but it was President Wilson who put him in command of the American Expeditionary Force in Europe upon America’s entry into that war.  By a stroke of fate, Pershing’s commanding officer who would have been given this challenge, died suddenly of a heart attack.

The American forces were thrust into WWI with little preparation or training.  To speed up their arrival in France, they boarded their ships quickly, leaving heavy equipment behind.  Upon arrival they used French and British equipment and munitions.  In September 1918, under General Pershing’s command, the First Army overwhelmed the German encroachment into Allied territory, which the Germans had held for 3 years.  Then Pershing shifted roughly 600,000 American soldiers to the heavily defended Argonne area, keeping his forced engaged in hard fighting for 47 days alongside the French. 

This offensive contributed to Germany’s call for an armistice…which was agreed to.  General Pershing was convinced that the war should continue and that Germany should be totally occupied.  He wanted to totally destroy German militarism...

The building in the first photo is the Prairie Mound School where John Pershing taught.  It was built in 1874.  The building traces much of Pershing’s life for visitor’s to follow and read about.  But again, I’ll digress just a little bit…

The bicycle shown in the second photos is an “Iron Rider Bicycle.  In 1897 the US Army wanted to determine how effective it would be to move troops by bicycle.

I’m not making this up!  After all, this is the same military that tried to institute a camel corps, experimented with hiding missiles under the ice in Greenland and, tried developing flying aircraft carriers, actually big dirigibles.

So the all-Black 25^th Infantry Regiment Bicycle Corps took on an epic bicycle ride from Fort Missoula Montana to St. Louis Missouri, a 1,900 mile virtually road free journey.  The heavy duty one speed “Military Special” bicycles were built by A.G. Spalding and Brothers.  The bikes weighed 32 pounds and the average weight of a packed bicycle was 60 pounds.

Yes, the Bicycle Corps did complete their journey.  Riders carried only 2-day’s rations with stops scheduled every 100 miles, so riders had to cover 50 miles every day.  They completed the journey in 40 days, faster than they could have covered the distance on horseback.  But, by the time the Corps riders reached St. Louis, the government had lost interest in the project…

I’m assuming that this display was included in the Pershing State Historical Park because of the General’s connection with the Buffalo Soldiers

As the verbiage with the photo above states, this is General Pershing in 1944 sitting for a photo in his suite at the Walter Reed Military Hospital in Washington D.C.  He looks tough and unyielding…and ramrod straight.

John J. (Black Jack) Pershing is the only American to be promoted in his lifetime as General of the Armies, the highest possible rank in the Army.  From time to time his tactics were criticized by other commanders and modern historians.  He relied on costly frontal assaults, long after other Allied armies had abandoned these tactics.

There are two different stories as to why he was given the nickname, “Black Jack”.  One is that the name came about because he commanded black troops during the American-Native American Wars.  The other possibility…and my belief…is that he got the nickname due to the harsh, unforgiving way he applied discipline during his time as an Instructor at West Point. 

Factoids:

         ·         Pershing won the 1932 Pulitzer Prize for history with his memoir, “My Experiences in the World War”. 

         ·         General Pershing’s wife and 3 daughters perished in a fire at San Francisco’s Presidio while the General was preparing to take command of US forces in Texas to pursue Pancho Villa.  He’d been making arrangements to move the family down to Texas…

General Pershing died at the age of 87 at Walter Reed General Hospital in Washington D.C.  Walter Reed Hospital had been his home after 1944.  Upon his death, he lay in state at the United States Capitol rotunda, then was given a state funeral and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery. To learn more about this historic site in Laclede Missouri, go to https://mostateparks.com/park/gen-john-j-pershing-boyhood-home-state-historic-site.  To read more about General Pershing, just go to John J. Pershing - Wikipedia.

Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them…

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave

Road Trip – Missouri (Part 7)

 Road Trip – Missouri (Part 7)

…continuing north along MO Hwy 5, after crossing US Hwy 50, we came to Versailles Missouri.

After a little time, we came to Versailles Missouri, the county seat of Morgan County.  This 2-story, 85 feet by 85’ Second Empire style brick building was constructed on a limestone block foundation in 1889.  That cupola is quite different than most with some decorative features done in cast iron.  The mansard style corner towers or pavilions are eye-catching as well. 

Morgan County’s first courthouse in Versailles was log building that was purchased, taken apart and then rebuilt on the town square in 1836.  It served the purpose for about 7 years, at which time it was removed and a more permanent brick courthouse was completed in 1844.  The newer building was the courthouse for about 40 years.

Actually, a major fire in October of 1886 almost wiped out the town.  Then only 5 months later, in March of 1887, a second fire destroyed all the businesses on 2 sides of the town square…as well as the old 1844 courthouse.  The new replacement courthouse was already under construction when the fire occurred but legal issues regarding the property tied up its completion, so it took about 2 years to complete it.

The Bank of Versailles was definitely built to impress the area’s citizens and to assure them that it was a good place to put their money.  I like the fact that they’ve preserved that solid “bank” exterior image.  The Bank of Versailles opened for business in November of 1882 and it has always been locally-owned and operated.  It was started by 5 shareholders with $5,000 between them.  The interior of this building, the bank’s main facility, was remodeled in 1958.  So…let’s see.  The remodeling took place a mere 65 years ago and the bank has been operating for 141 years…not bad!

I included this handsome old red brick building in downtown Versailles, just because I liked the almost unaltered look of it.

Versailles History: Morgan County was established in 1833, at a time when Native Americans from the Osage Indian tribe still lived in the area.  Versailles was platted/founded only 2 years later.  The town was named after the Palace of Versailles in France, possibly by county residents who were of French descent.  

By 1940, the village had grown and it had a population of 70 and it included 25 buildings!  There was a 3-room tavern and inn, a livery stable, a stagecoach stop, a blacksmith shop, boarding house, a general store and a carpentry shop all built around the town square.  By 1894, Versailles had gas lights and by 1904 it had electric lights.  In 1909 the town even had an ice plant!  The Rock Island Railroad was completed from St. Louis to Kansas City through the city in 1903, just in time for folks from Morgan County to attend the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis.  Today Versailles has a population of 2,539 and Morgan County has just a little over 21,000 residents.

In 1908, a Sanborn Insurance Map showed that a theater was operating in the southern half of the brick addition to Versailles’s Martin Hotel.  They also disclose that the Royal Theater had opened by 1914.  I love seeing old small to medium size towns maintaining or reutilizing old ‘opera houses’ or movie theaters.  The Royal Theater has been reconfigured inside and its former balcony is gone.  These days, the theater is very much alive, now featuring live plays and other entertainment.  This coming October, the theater will present 8 performances of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Play, “Cats”.  To learn more, go to The Royal Theatre.

Note: I was unfamiliar with the Sanborn Map Company until I ran across the note on the Royal Theater.  Back in the early days and well into the latter half of the 1900s, maps were created to allow fire insurance companies to assess their total liability in urbanized areas of the USA.  These maps contain detailed information about properties and building for about 12,000 American cities over many, many years.  They are an important resource for historical research as they document changes over the decades.  Sanborn had a virtual lock on this business for many years...

The Martin Hotel was built in Versailles in 1877, with a brick 2-story addition being added in 1884.  Some guests would arrive via the Jefferson City t0 Springfield MO stagecoach line that passed through town.  The hotel also had a stagecoach the connected with the Missouri Pacific Railroad in Tipton Missouri.  Civil War soldiers and famous people such as P.T. Barnum and the outlaw Jesse James.

The rooms in the Martin Hotel had the necessary bedding, a washstand with a water pitcher and a bowl as well as a chamber pot to serve as a toilet.  Also, each room had a wood stove and they had a heavy rope that was attached to the floor.  In case of a fire, the rope could be tossed out the window and used as a fire escape.  An early Sanborn map showed that as of 1894, the room that eventually became the early theater, was used as a sample room.  Electricity was installed in 1908 and by 1923, interior plumbing was added. 

The Martin Hotel was operated by the same family until 1967 or 1974, (depending on the source of information), when it was purchased by the Morgan County Historical Museum.  The old hotel registers include signatures of Civil War soldiers who stopped for room and board.  The museum also features a barbershop; a weaving/quilt room; Civil War relics; an early rural school room, a carbide chandelier, 2 folding covered-wagon rockers and much more.

The museum is open from May through October.  To learn more, their website is at Morgan County Historical Society and Museum (morganmomuseum.org).

As we came to the town of Tipton Missouri, we stopped to take a picture of the Harrison School National Historic Site.  Harrison School is not only listed on the Register of Historic Places but it’s also on the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of African American History and Culture’s Community website.  It is the last remaining school in Moniteau County Missouri from the 1800s that was built for black students.

The school’s stone foundation was cut, quarried and laid by some of Tipton’s formerly enslaved black citizens.  This 2-room brick schoolhouse opened in the fall of 1890.  It initially only taught students from the first to the sixth grades.  From 1890 until 1936 and then from 1942 until 1954, black students who wanted to continue to high school had to enroll in high schools in Sedalia, Kansas City, Jefferson City or St. Louis Missouri.  Of course, such a decision required transportation, self-funding and finding somewhere to live while at school.

Tipton’s high school was integrated in 1954 but elementary students weren’t integrated into Tipton Public Schools until 1957, and the Harrison School was closed.  This historic school could use a little tender loving care…

This handsome mansion is also located in Tipton Missouri.  The Maclay Mansion, aka the Rosehill Seminary was completed in 1860 and it was briefly used as a female seminary until the beginning of the Civil War, at which time it became a private residence.  During the war it is thought that General John Fremont used the home as his headquarters during his stay in town in 1861.  It is also claimed that Confederate leaning ‘bushwhackers’ attempted to burn the house down during the war.  Since Confederate soldiers under General Joseph Shelby did burn down the railroad depot and a number of railcars in 1862, there may be some credence to the claim about trying to burn down this big home.

This 3-story, 17 room brick home served as a private residence until about 1920.  When the home was purchased by the Maclay/Gleim family in 1865, it wasn’t long before 3 bachelor brothers, 5 widowed sisters and their children were all living in the home.  After 1920, Maclay family descendants used the property for special events and as a summer home.  In 1983, the mansion was given to the Friends of the Maclay Home, Inc.

The mansion is a great example of antebellum brick architecture in Missouri.  It is filled with original furnishings and clothing that belonged to the Maclay family over the years.  It’s described as a time capsule of life during the second half of the 1800s.  To learn more, go to Maclay Home | Tipton MO | Facebook.

History: William Tipton Seely founded the town of Tipton.  He was a veteran of the War of 1812 and he’d been awarded with the land for his service.  He set up a general store on the Butterfield Overland Stage Line route.  Then he arranged for the Pacific Railroad line to cross through his property.  The town was surveyed in March of 1858 and Seely was selling off his lots to build the town.  By the time the railroad was completed, more than 25o people called Tipton home.  Today the town has a population of a little over 2,900 people.

I followed MO Hwy 5 north to MO Road B and then on to Bunceton Missouri.  My goal was the former Missouri Pacific Depot at 111 East Main Street.  I am not sure when the depot was built but I do know that it was constructed by the Osage Valley and Southern Kansas Railroad probably sometime between 1870 and 1880.  It was shortly after 1880 when the Missouri Pacific Railroad took over the Osage Valley railroad.  The MoPac caboose next to the old depot is a model M930 with a wide vision cupola.  It was made by the International Car Company and it’s about 38 feet long.  The old depot now serves as the Bunceton City Hall.

Bunceton was laid out and platted in 1868.  It was named for an early county resident and a post office has been in operation in town since the year the town was platted.  In 1980, Bunceton Missouri’s voters elected the United States’ first openly gay mayor.  The town has 334 residents.

Bunceton and its immediate area has experienced a bit of history.  The Civil War Battle of Lone Jack was fought nearby.  It was an intense battle with over 200 soldiers killed.  In the 1800s, Bunceton was a stop along the famous Santa Fe Trail.  The Trail of Tears, with the ‘removal’ of Native Americans from their ancestral homes, also passed through the town. 

From Bunceton we followed MO Road J back to MO Hwy 5 north.

When MO Hwy 5 intersected with I-75 we followed it west to US Hwy 65 north to the City of Marshall Missouri.  We had several historic and/or strange sites to visit in Marshall…

The Buckner House, a historical 2-story, 3 bay Classic Revival home was built in 1906.  This 48 foot square home sits on a cut stone and concrete foundation.  We love that fantastic double porch!  It is considered to be representative of the level of prosperity and taste achieved by an elite family prior to World War 1. 

The home is in excellent condition and almost completely unaltered.  It was presented to the Saline County Missouri Historical Society by the Buckner family in 1982.  A little research revealed that the interior of the Buckner home is documented via a series of photographs posted on Zillow.  The interior is fabulous and it looks pristine.  You can check it out at ^{https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/125-N-Brunswick-Ave-Marshall-MO-65340/239599258_zpid/.}

The Chicago and Alton Railroad Depot, aka the Illinois Central Gulf Depot was built in 1906 for the Chicago and Alton Railroad.  This brick and stone structure with both Jacobethan Revival and Mission Revival style elements is about 113 feet long beside the tracks, which are still in use.  Other sources simply list the design style as Spanish Revival.  It served as both a passenger depot and freight depot for Marshall.  Unfortunately, it is now abandoned.

That’s about it for now… Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them.

Thanks for stopping by and patiently following our road trip through Missouri!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave