We Have Landed in Quacker Country

 This leg of our journey was not without a surprise. Our first stop of the day was getting filled up for the rest of the trip, that was not the surprise. Tooling down the road a bit farther, somewhere in the two hour time frame, we pulled into a station/minimart so that I could get food to sooth my agitated stomach; I took medication on an empty stomach. 

Anyway, we pulled into the station behind a truck pulling a horse trailer, one of the ladies came up to my window and asked me if I could help them with their truck.

I walked over to the truck to see what the issue was, and the other lady was on the phone with her husband describing the problem. I was listening to his response, and found the hose he was talking about; it was the air induction hose to the turbo charger. If you have ever owned a diesel engine you know what was happening, the engine loses power, and speed is limited.

Once we found the hose, it took a few minutes for us to get the engine air filter out. The nut I needed to loosen/tighten was directly under it. Now that I have made the short story longer, I'll finish. We fixed the problem, and tightened the retaining collar, and they were on their way. That was our surprise for the day, and it was a happy one.

I went into the minimart to clean up and get food as planned, and that brought a smile to several people's faces, including mine. After getting as much grease and grime off as possible, I walked over to the food counter and asked the woman for the basket of chicken and a breakfast burrito that were on display, and she gave me a funny look, so I explained it to her again... and her response... you can get them yourself. You may be thinking that she was being mean or rude, but that was not the case. You see, I am use to a plexiglass window in front of the food... not the story here... I reached down and picked up what I wanted, and we all laughed.

Our journey today took us through three states:

The real truth is that we did four states, if you want to count leaving Indiana. See that Ohio boarder sign, see the I-70 road underneath it, that wasn't Indiana I-70. My kidney and body were beat up traveling I-70 Indiana. We had only one patch of road similar to Indiana, it was about a 1/2 mile stretch in Pennsylvania.

There is one thing Carol and I have agreed on... I can surely pick some strange campgrounds.

We left the office after registering, and headed on a mountain expedition. The road to the sites is uphill, makes a left turn, and drops into the sites.

This campground looks like it was built on the side of a hill,

which means that the site at the bottom can be unlucky during rainstorms, which I hope we have some relief from for awhile.

With Carol's foot on the mend, we may stay calm during this stop as well.

TIME TO SMILE/LAUGH A BIT MORE.

A man was working for a casket company, and was sent out to make a delivery. While he was driving, the car started acting up, so he got out and tried to find the problem. After about an hour, and covered in grease and grime, he finally called a mechanic. The mechanic told him that it would be an hour before he could get to his location. While the driver was waiting, he called his boss to update him of his status. The boss' response was that his destination was close to where he broke down. 

Frustrated the driver grabbed the coffin and started dragging it down the road. As he was dragging the coffin down the road, a state trooper saw him, stopped him, and asked what he was doing.  Still frustrated, the drivers response to the trooper was... I'm moving, I don't like where they buried me.

OK, YOU CAN BE SERIOUS NOW.

Goody, Goody for me, it was laundry day. My philosophy is simple... if I can dirty it, I can wash it. While down at the laundry I had the opportunity to talk with our neighbor while she was doing theirs. This is their first time on the road, so I shared the Trip Wizard program with her. ... Laundry is done, and so am I until something else comes up.

Something else came up... we decided to take a drive and look for covered bridges. 

HUGHES BRIDGE

This bridge was constructed in 1889 to supposedly replace the previous bridge that was wash away during an 1888 flood.

BAILEY BRIDGE

This is another bridge that was constructed in 1889, by the Bailey brothers. The original bridge suffered fire damage and was restored in 1999. New materials were used except for the Burr arches and central cross timbers of each truss.

DAY BRIDGE

This is one of the older bridges, built in 1875. It was closed down back in 1999 because it could not meet the state-required weight code of three tons. They spent 2002-03 doing a complete restoration; repairs involved a new roof, deck, sidewalls, and the installation of steel support beams.

All 23 covered bridges are part of a bridge self-guided tour, and are broken into four regions. The three we saw today are in the same region. You may be getting the idea that all bridges look alike, and in this case you are correct. The Washington County Official Visitors Guide kind of mapped routes through each region. They also gave fair warning that many of the roads are narrow, and it was a good warning to heed.

During the scavenger hunt we came across this...

... a mining operation, and the roads around here lead to different mining operation areas. If you look center, left in the picture, you are looking at a conveyor belt delivering mined material to the processing area; we drove under that belt.

While Carol's foot is healing, I was allowed to go on a safari by myself. I mapped out a lengthy journey to Sam's Club first, then the Ford dealer I was taking the car to early next week. This extensive journey found me traveling great distances, totaling about 15 miles round trip. That was my afternoon of fun and adventure.

GODS PROMISE IN THE SKY

Before we had the rainbow, Carol and I went for another drive to find a couple of covered bridges that were different than the rest. 

We succeeded in finding one of our goals in Mc Donald, PA, about a 20 minute drive from the campground. That 20 minutes was almost 45 minutes for us, by the time we found the bridge.

WILSON MILL COVERED BRIDGE

Looks the same from both sides, the front is the side with the trash can by it; the difference here from the others is the interior was painted white.  It is the only one painted this way. 

Originally built in 1889, in a different county. Figure this one out. From 1978 to 2002 it was part of a flood control program, I guess it passed water through quicker than other bridges.  In 2011 the bridge was rebuilt in its current location, and doing so made it even more different than the others, it does not have cross-wise planking for the road. This bridge is now part of a walking, biking, and hiking trail, and the roadway is asphalt.

The next bridge we went to find... didn't happen. We drove everywhere Garmin and Carol's phone told us, but no bridge. I decided to look at the information book... what a hot idea. The book clearly says that it is at Meadowcroft Rockshelter & Historic Village. Have you ever heard of the saying about doing something multiple times expecting a different result each time, I think that was us this day. We drove by the facility, but is was closed, and it was still closed the second time we passed the facility. With this fiasco we headed back home, with our heads held as high as possible, considering the fact we didn't read the book.

The last day of our momentous stay in Pennsylvania was filled with maintenance on the truck, shopping at Walmart and Lowes, getting gas, and prepping for next day departure; just tryin' to stay ahead of the rain, if possible.

Our next leg of the venture will land us on the western side New York for several stops. Hopefully we'll get to Niagara Falls.

We Were Fighting Illini... Now we are Hoosiers

 The drive was an uneventful one, but long again.

We followed that big rig right into Illinois.

Carol drove the last leg of the trip, and pulled us into our site for the first time. Its fun playing games with the rain, we won again, so I thought.

We beat the rain, big deal, it found us. I had a 2"x12" under the steps, the water almost covered it over.

These are the only pictures you will see for Granite City, IL, that's cuz I took them.

While we were setting up, I stepped into the men's room and Carol was taking her usual photos... so I thought. I came out of the men's room and found her sitting on the ground because she slipped on some mud near the site. The resultant injury appeared to be tendon/ligament strain to her foot. With ice, partial immobility, and bed rest, it appears to have gotten better, but it will take some time to heal. This type of injury is going to take several weeks to fully heal. I did not let it stop me from seeing the sights. I found Walgreens, Walmart, and a couple of gas stations.

We'll be back when we get to Indiana; we're only staying for a few days.

I will say one thing about the sign... its new. I wish I could say the same about I-70. I would like to say it was an uneventful long drive... but I would have to lie and say I was asleep at the wheel,,. I felt every jar of the body. 

Right out of the gate we had our first issue, neither of us checked to ensure that the refrigerator/freezer was properly secured for the trip. When Carol remembered that she didn't check the frig, she asked me if I checked the frig. I found a place to get off the highway and check the frig. I opened the door and lowered the stairs, and there it was... frozen food everywhere; I put it back and properly secured the refrigerator. At this point we got back on the road, and drove a short distance deciding to stop for lunch. After lunch Carol climbed in the back seat so she could rest her leg. Tooling down the road we pulled into another truck stop to get some ice for Carol's foot. We still hadn't made it to the border.

The truth of the matter was still simple... stinky highways through Illinois to the Indiana border, and to Richmond, IN. 

Let me start with the border, one of many spots of construction with lane restrictions. We barely got into Indiana when a warning light and noise filled the cabin... it was the low tire pressure alert... GREAT. As I was driving I watched my tire continuing to loose air pressure; I managed to get us to a truck stop, and get parked.

I apparently parked the truck just right, and was able to see my problem...

ON TOP OF THE TIRE

This item was collected from the roadside in that construction area. For the DIY person, it is a recognizable item... a screw-in drywall anchor; fortunately it was not hollow, or the tire would have flattened quicker. Anyway, I called a tire service guy, and he showed up to change the tire, and only cost a mere $125.00. With the flat changed out, we were on the road again. 

While driving I was thinking about all the other highways missing pot holes, ruts, and bumps, then I realized that they were not missing, they were shipped off for use on Indiana's I-70.  I am going to contain all my excitement and tell you we made it into Richmond, somewhere around 6pm. We started out at 9:30 this morning.

This KOA is a nice one, partially because it is considered a Holiday, vice Journey. The difference between the two is usually the amount of family activities available. These KOAs with outdoor pools don't open them up until Memorial Day weekend, no different here. Like I said earlier, this is only a two day stop, and we're going to give Carol's foot more time to recuperate, then off to Pennsylvania.

This is one of the shortest posts I've written so far.

Last of the Show Me State

 I told you in the the last post that I would expound on the Confederate uniform a little more, it isn't so much the uniform, as it was the battle.

BATTLE AT CARTHAGE, MO

LOCAL ARTIST ANDY THOMAS

The battle at Carthage occurred before the Civil War broke, but it was the first land battle of the Civil War, preceding First Bull Run by 16 days, ,and lasted for a day. The Union was trying to keep Missouri as a Union state, however, the governor was a southern sympathizer, and was attempting take his 6,000 Missouri State Guard, and meet up with the Confederate forces.

The Union was aware of his plan and sent 1,100 German-American Union volunteers to stop him; they left from St. Louis, under the command of Colonel Franz Sigel.

This land skirmish was considered a "running" battle. Colonel Sigel's forces met the governor's forces 9 miles north of Carthage.

The Missouri Guard broke camp around 4 a.m. and headed south. The opposing forces met just north of Dry Fork Creek about 9 am. on 5 July. There was an artillery duel going on for about an hour when Sigel noticed Rebel Calvary heading south on both flanks. He feared that he may be cut off from his supply wagons, withdrawing across Dry Fork, left his rear guard to hold off the Rebels.

Protecting his supply wagons, Colonel Sigel had his men form up into a European-style infantry square; this would be the only time that this formation would be used on U.S. soil. The Rebels did get behind the Union forces, but a daring bayonet charge led by a Union Lieutenant so astounded the Rebel Calvary and their mounts, terrifying them so much that the Union forces were able to break though and escape to the south toward Spring River.

The battle continued across Spring River. Going across, the Union forces hid two of their cannons, and to this day they have not been found.

The battle was now heading for Carthage, and the Courthouse square; at this point the Union forces had to abandon one of their supply wagons. The mural in the front hall depicts this portion of the battle.

The final major portion of the skirmish took place on the southeastern outskirts of town, at James Spring. The Union forces had camped here the night before. The Rebels were getting the upper hand in this skirmish, and Colonel Sigel had to move his remaining cannon to a bluff overlooking the spring. This was done so that his infantry could escape. As darkness was falling, contact was broken between the forces about two and a half miles southeast of James Spring. The Yanks continued to retreat southeast, leaving the Governor and his men free to meet up the Confederacy.

So lets talk about why Missouri appeared to be a highly desired "border state". First, two major rivers ran through it, the Mississippi, which was its eastern border, and the Missouri, running through St. Louis. Second, it was the starting point for traffic heading west to California, north, then west to other states and territories, and southeast to trade business in the Santa Fe area. Third, it contained vital water routes to move troops.

The Union tried very hard to keep a balance between "free" and "slave" states, thus, the Missouri Compromise, resulting in Missouri being considered a "slave" state, while Maine became a "free" state. Here is how the compromise was worded by congress: slavery would not extend in other regions west of the Mississippi River or north of the southern border of Missouri. The usual Congress mumbo-jumbo saying there would be no slavery in Missouri. Later the Kansas-Nebraska Bill and the Dredd Scott decision by the U.S, Supreme Court nullified this Act.

Settlers in the border states had tougher lives than states that were decidedly Union or Confederate. Many families just wanted to live a neutral live, but in many cases were forced into service on one side or the other, and quite often their choice was serve or hang. All too often family members would join opposite sides, and possibly fight each other. Many of the soldiers on both sides were young men, or boys fighting for something they did not understand.

Over the decades before the Civil War, more than 88,000 Germans immigrated to Missouri, mostly around St. Louis. The reason for immigrating from their home country was because it was torn by strife, despotism, and disunity. Congressman Frank P. Blair, who served as a Union General and Senator from Missouri,  made this statement: "I shall always declare that it was the Germans who saved Missouri".

War is never a fair game, no matter what side one is on.

This is what the standard private in the 3rd Missouri Volunteer Infantry may have looked like. This unit was a part of the Union forces, out of St. louis, and primarily made up of Germans eager to prove their patriotism. Notice something different about this uniform... the shirt. In the early stages of the war we did not set up a color code for the sides. As part of the 3rd Infantry, and the 5th Infantry, they made up the forces that fought in Carthage, the sides may have looked like they were fighting each other. Other Union forces in early 1861 wore the gray uniform too. The standard issue for this soldier would have been a canteen, a "haversack" (for rations and personal items), a soldiers belt, cartridge box, cap pouch, and bayonet scabbard. Most of these item were surplus from the Mexican War. You talk about some uncomfortable shoes, his are military issue, called "brogans", and had leather soles with wooden pegs in them; not good for marching, but the were durable.

The battles continued in the area, next was Wilson's Creek in August 1861, and then Pea Ridge in March of 1862. Both of these victories ensured Missouri would be Union.

I mentioned earlier about war not being fair on either side. Both sides used Guerilla warfare, and Carthage was not spared. During this time the North burned down the town at some point. By this time the governor had disbanded the Missouri State Guard, some of the men joined the Confederacy, some went back to their farms, although they found it difficult to stay neutral. The Confederacy took advantage of this and asked several men to act as "partisans", another Southern word for Guerillas. The purpose of these organized Guerillas was to protect Confederate homes from Kansas unionists, defend against Federal advancement in their regions, and to operate in counties that were not controlled by either side. Many of these Guerilla companies served with honor, others had an alternate idea... profiteering.

Here is a name many of us have heard from the movies, and maybe a documentary or two: William C. Quantrill. You might think that it would be hard to go from being a school teacher, to one of the most feared. His group of men were known as Quantrill's Raiders, and was one of the most feared and blood thirsty Guerilla gangs.

Quantrill's gang was best known up and down the Missouri-Kansas border, and throughout the Ozark region. As I mentioned above, they were one of the bloodiest gangs, delivering violence and destruction to wherever they went. This band of no goods were made up of cold-blooded gunmen, the likes of which were: Frank James, Cole Younger, George Maddox, George Todd, "Bloody Bill" Anderson, and many others.

In 1861 and 1862, his band was familiar with the Carthage area, and fought along side regular Confederate forces in several skirmishes. August of 1863 found them ravaging the town of Lawrence, KS, killing 150 Union civilians and setting the town a blaze. Six weeks later this gang, now ranging in size from 300 to 400, head south to the safety of the Confederacy. Sometime in 1864 Quantrill was found on the dead side of a bullet, in Kentucky. "Bloody Bill" Anderson, the most ruthless of Quantrill's lieutenants found death in Richmond, MO; this occurred after a merciless attack on Union soldiers in Centralia, MO.

What happened to some of the other Quantrill gang? The Younger brothers, the James brothers, Jim Reed, and a few others. They found a life robbing banks, trains, and institutions owned by Union interests. Eventually the Younger-James gang was brought to justice. Cole Younger did his time in a Minnesota prison, got out and traveled the country as a speaker, making speeches on "What Life has Taught Me"  Cole died of natural causes in 1916.

Frank James originally served in the Confederate Army, he was captured and forced to pledge allegiance to the Union Army, and released, he found Quantrill's Raiders and joined up with them. As for Jesse, he was to young to join the Army, and chose to join Quantrill's Raiders. Apparently Jesse and the Youngers went one way, Frank went another, because in 1865 Frank surrenders at Samuel's Depot in Kentucky. He leaves there, heads back to Missouri, and joins the Younger-James gang.

During their thieving days, it came to a point when a young reward thirsty person killed Jesse. With Jesse's death, Frank turned himself into the Missouri governor. He was tried and acquitted of all earlier crimes. He died of natural causes in 1915.

THE HANGING OF MOSES POWERS

This painting depicts the hanging of a white man because he only had Confederate money. Many times when the Confederate would forage for food, they would leave Confederate money, which was worthless. His wife comes out with a knife to cut him loose. After this hanging Moses carried his head to one side the rest of his life. My impression is that Union Guerilla riders did this, and didn't have a clue what his alliance was with.

The Civil was also a "civilian war". For the town of Carthage, and the county of Jasper, the civilians were being plundered from both sides. Livestock was being slaughtered to feed the troops, troops were foraging in the houses, taking a families winter supplies, and horses and mules were being taken from families. Many families lost their bread winners to the armies on both sides. Mothers and children found themselves homeless, walking the roads. In 1860, the census showed over 6,300 residents lived in Jasper county, by war's end, only 30 called it home.

As I said before, no war is fair.

THE PETTICOAT FLAG

Before the war really heated up, there were Northern sympathizers living in Carthage, one such family was the former sheriff's family, the Hoods. The Hoods had nine children, and lived in a large log house on the west side of the square.

There were probably more Southern supporters than Northern, so it was necessary to be careful displaying our national emblem. The Hood daughters secretly made a flag and hid it under several of Lucy's petticoats because they feared its destruction, or their destruction.

When Colonel Sigel's troops came through Carthage in 1861, Lucy stood up on the fence stile, she removed the red, white and blue petticoat flag, waving it while the troops passed by.

How many of you have heard the name Belle Star? Her given name is Myra Maebelle Shirley. She is was number four of seven children, and the daughter of a Kentucky horse breeder. Her daddy was John "Judge" Shirley, was a horse breeder and political philosopher. Her mama was Eliza Pennington, a relative of the Hatfield clan. You have heard of the Hatfield/McCoy feud.

Anyway, the family moves to Carthage, Missouri, the judge acquires the hotel/tavern on the square. The Shirley's are big time Confederacy supporters. After the assault on Carthage, Belle cared for the wounded soldiers at the courthouse. She encouraged any young man that would listen, to join up with Quantrill. One day her brother John, "Bud", joins up with Quantrill. Unfortunately in 1864 her brother is killed by a Union soldier. It is said the in her anger and suffering, she vowed revenge for her brother's death. She said that she would marry the man that killed the man that killed her brother. Against the wishes of her family, she marries Jim Reed, who supposedly shoot the boy that killed her brother.

What made Belle Star famous was her efforts supplying information regarding Union troop movements to the Confederates, though this is not documented. Living in the area of Carthage, and knowing the terrain, made it easy for her to escape capture.

After the war, her and Jim headed to Texas. After Jim was killed in 1874, she moved on and married Sam Starr, another outlaw. Belle did do some time for a crime, and the time was done in a Detroit prison. In 1887 Sam was killed in a gunfight with one of his cousins that was a law officer. Belle didn't live much longer, she was murdered in 1889, and the case is still unsolved. There is speculation as to possible suspects.

This local museum had a great deal of information to share. Carol and I spent several hours looking and reading, I don't count the 5-minute video. There were other sites to visit in Carthage, several of them were structures that survived the fire. We followed Google's directions for one of them, and couldn't find it, oh well.

I wasn't going to miss out on my Rte.66 pin opportunity, so we headed to the shop recommended by the museum docent.

Many prominent actors and actresses stayed at this motor lodge. The hotel is still active, and the day we came by, a corvette club was driving through the hotel. If you look real hard, behind the police car is the souvenir shop I bought my pin at. The souvenir shop was a gas station. They added a mural on one side of the parking.

If you travel Rte. 66, you will learn some of the sale pitches. In the case of the Boots Court, "they have radios in every room." Now they offer 100% chilled air, better known as air conditioning. Some of the motor lodges did not have this luxury. Also in this town is the Rte. 66 Drive-in Theatre.

When Carol and I go on our Rte.66 trip we plan to get a picture of it, along with as many other attractions and sights as possible. This trip requires some planning, so it may be down the road a year or two... hey that was a pun "the road"...

Our next stop will be in Illinois... remember, don't pronounce the "s". See you later.

Livin' Life in Missouri.. Still

 We were not letting the rain stop us, especially since its not raining, only threatening. Off to the Joplin History and Mineral Museum we go.

The mineral portion of this museum was established in 1972. There was a group of men back in 1931 that had the foresight to collect samples of the minerals mined.

Missouri is known for its large amount caves. No this is not one of the cave, its just the entrance to the mineral wing of the museum. 

GALENA

Galena is a natural mineral of lead sulfide, and is the primary ore of lead. It can often be found in association with sphalerite, and calcite. Collectors like to obtain samples of galena that comes from the tri-state because of their forms, even though galena can be found worldwide.

SPHALERITE

Sphalerite is a sulfide mineral, and the primary ore of zinc. The name is derived from a Greek word meaning "deceiving". This mineral can be misdiagnosed as galena.

CERUSSITE and GALENA on CHERT

BRECCIATED CHERT with JASPEROID

That black portion of the stone is the Jasperoid; it can be brown also. Jasperoid is a form of chert that has penetrated the older, lighter, fractured chert, cementing the pieces together. The dark color is due to organic impurities.

QUARTZ on CHERT

Chert is chemically similar to flint, and acts as a major host that minerals can deposit themselves on. Chert itself is normally opaque and dull in color. They are commonly found as rounded nodules once the limestone around them is washed away. Chert has a conchoidal fracture which made  them valuable to the indigenous people; they used them to make stone tools.

In the Tri-State District quartz crystals can be found up to an inch in size. Usually quartz crystals are tiny, and found on other area minerals. This coating is called "Drusy Quartz".

Lesson of the minute:

Conchoidal Fracture: a smooth conical fracture resembling the lines of a shell.

Drusy: druse is a coating of tiny crystals on the surface of a mineral.

Just gaze at the wonders God created in the caves.

These samples are the reason I enjoy going into caves to explore their beauty.

As we venture upstairs to a model of a standard mining site, we pass by the fossils. Many fossils have been found in this region.

MAMMOTH MOLAR, LOWER LEFT

Have you really read some of the labels of the products you buy? Let me peak your interest to look at labels closer.

NOT MY TWINKIES!!!

YEP, YOUR TWINKIES

OK, we'll move on. The upstairs area is dedicated to the miners that went down under to mine the minerals we so crave today. 

It all started when man decided to search for new horizons, which in some cases meant hauling up dirt and rocks below the topsoil. Phase one started with man doing all the muscle work...

Someone would be underground making piles of rocks to be hauled to the surface, where two men would be winching up the bucket of rocks and dirt. As time went on, someone realized there was another way to accomplish this task with fewer men, this would be phase two. 

Oxen. They were more powerful than two men, but rather single minded. It was easy to get the oxen to go forward to raise the bucket, it was backward that was the problem. The oxen would try to turn around instead of backing up. The issue with them turning around is the yoke being pulled off them as the bucket was going down.

Now we see phase three moving towards us.

Now we have added machinery to the work force, and the animal doesn't have to work as hard. 

The final step was the addition of steam, then electricity to the machinery. With each phase more and more product could be brought out of the ground. With more product coming out of the ground, bigger structures and new methods were needed, hence, the model of and average mining operation.

On the right is the first step, get the rocks out of the ground. Step two was crushing the rocks down to smaller pieces.

From the crusher it is sent down the line for further processing.

EARLY DAYS, MOSTLY MAN POWER

Before we head downstairs again, we'll look at those special rocks.

I bet your thinking, those don't look special...

Different minerals react different when they're subjected to high-frequency light, or low-frequency light. Same rocks, different light wavelengths.

Ok, downstairs.

What, another rock.

SEPTARIA

OUT OF A MINE IN WEBB CITY

We are almost ready to exit the mine, but I have one last question for this wing; how did these minerals get their names... well, you find it, you name it.

You made it out of the mine, and you deserve a break... be back in 5 minutes so we can move over to the Joplin history side.

Back on the bus, its heading for Joplin.

The first exhibit you see walking into the history museum, is a tree.

OLD OAK TREE

As you look around you see a lot of items that have seen better days. These items you are looking at are relics from an F-5 tornado that tore through the city of Joplin one Sunday, in May 2011. Imagine yourself leaving your house and driving a mile and a quarter down the street, this was the width of the tornado. Now drive 7 miles in your neighborhood, and imagine all the structures destroyed in that 7 mile drive. That's right, this tornado was on the ground for 7 miles changing peoples lives. Fortunately, the loss of life was less than it could have been if it were during a work day.

Why am I showing you this picture? Look at that seven-story building in the background, that WAS a hospital, until the tornado lifted that entire structure off its foundation. Fortunately there was a second hospital that only received minor damage. Oh, I forgot to tell you that before it got through the city, the winds were clocking over 250 MPH.

While we were in Joplin, we visited the Elks lodge. I was talking with one of the members, and he shared with me that the lodge was leveled, and they lost a bartender and four members that day. The silver lining on this story, the almost 80 women playing bingo had left before the tornado hit.

Moving on to happier places.

The bottom three photos are a single circus that one gentleman owned. The gentleman was a circus enthusiast, and belonged to a circus club. Speaking with the docent, the owner had much more memorabilia, he knew this because that gentleman was his relative.

FROM THE CIRCUS

Leaving the circus we come to a place that was requested, and that would be...

This museum was chocked full of cookie cutters, and visitors could take one home, free of charge.

It was wild how many cutters there were, and some of them are handmade. Apparently you have to make one to be part of the cookie cutter club.

I don't know how many of you remember the shootout with Bonnie and Clyde, but they stayed here in Joplin before that shootout. They left in such a hurry that they left some of their belongings behind, in the apartment they rented. One of the photos that became famous, was Bonnie smoking a cigarette/cigar, foot up on the car bumper, with a gun in her hand.

The only reason we got to see that picture was because Clyde left the camera behind. The camera proved even more valuable when it provided pictures of their accomplices'.

You think of these two as hardened criminals, and they were, Bonnie died at the age of 23, and Clyde, age 25.

Bonnie Parker, born in Rowena, TX, appeared to have a good childhood until her father died unexpectedly. Her mom moved the family down towards Dallas. Her grades were good in school, she excelled in english, and wrote poetry. Her ambitions were to be an actress or model. Unfortunately she dropped out of school and got married at age 15. The marriage went south after her husband got pinched for a robbery, and was sent to prison for five years. A year later while staying with a friend, she meets a neighbor... Clyde Barrows.

In 1932 she left her mom's house and strayed off with Clyde. Bonnie told her mom that she was headed to Houston to demonstrate cosmetic products. Her first experience as a criminal was a robbery, in which she was arrested and sent to jail. She only spent two months in jail, claiming that she was kidnapped by the two guys (Clyde Barrows and Jack Sherman), and that she was not connected to the robbery. Again she lies to her mother, telling her that she is done with the criminal life, then she runs off with Clyde... again.

Clyde is a different story. He was born in Teleco, TX. His childhood would find him growing up in poverty. He was one of those that lived "on the other side of the tracks", in a shanty town. When he turned 16 he tried to join the Navy, but was rejected due to a childhood illness. His first brush with the law was in 1926 when he and a brother were caught stealing turkeys from a neighbor. Clyde got off lucky, and was released, his brother had to do time, a week in jail. Because Clyde hated the thought of being poor, he dressed in style. He could have made a choice to follow his musical ability, playing a variety of instruments, including the saxophone, and guitar.

1929 was when he met Bonnie; they both concluded that it was "love at first sight". The bloom did not stay on the vine very long. Bonnie learned that Clyde had a likin' to thievery, auto theft to be exact, which got him sent to jail in Waco, TX.

Bonnie's mom thought that this separation would be a good thing... wrong, it only drew them closer.

Clyde found himself in a heap of trouble in Ohio in 1931, arrested for robbery. After sentencing, he was sent to a prison in Weldon, TX. This was not your run-of-the-mill prison, this place was a brutal place to do time. Because the prisoners were housed in a dormitory environment, there was violence you wouldn't believe, and some of it resulted in death. The guards often enjoyed inflicting pain on the prisoners. One incident was a boy being stabbed to death by a "lifer". Another incident involved Clyde himself, his body was sold to an inmate for three packs of cigarettes. This violence was a turning point in his life. These two incidences led to his first killing, and his later refusal to be taken alive by law enforcement. 

His first killing, was the "lifer" that bought him for three packs of cigarettes. What he did was befriend an inmate that would never see the light of day again, and after killing his abuser, convinced the "lifer" to take the wrap. The beating was so brutal that another inmate witnessing it said Clyde went from a "schoolboy" to a "rattlesnake".

We know he gets out of prison and meets up with Bonnie in 1932. Their spree saw a lot of law enforcement killed in the pursuit of these criminals, ending in their deaths in 1934.

Too much... lets move on.

ASSAYER'S OFFICE

BLUE PRINT MACHINE

USED TO COPY MINE MAPS AND MACHINE DRAWINGS

SCHIMMEL-NELSON PIANO

Mr. Schimmel, a German piano maker, came to America in 1893. He closed his business during WWII, because he could not get the delicate parts and strings. He created 12 pianos, five were lost in a fire in Minnesota. The whereabouts of only four are known, one in California, one in Minnesota, one in Germany, and this one.

NEED I SAY ANYMORE

We have made the turn and headed to the exit. On the way we spy a Confederate uniform.

CONFEDERATE UNIFORM

THEY NEEDED THEM QUICKLY, SO THE UNIFORM IS NATURAL WOOL COLOR

I will talk a bit more about this uniform during our next stop.

How many of you played with one of these at a restaurant?

I did.

We have made it through a bit of Joplin history.

See you at our next stop.