Smelterville Book Archives

June 24, 2014June 24, 2014

Arthur Mattingly Brought History to Life

When Jim Stone headed off to Ohio University, he and I would trade audio tapes instead of letters. It’s almost painful to listen to the two of us half a century later, but I was playing part of one the other day and heard myself describing my history prof: “He’s talking when he walks into the room, and he’s still talking when the bell rings and people are walking out.”

That was Arthur Mattingly, one of the best profs I had at SEMO or Ohio University.

Founded historic preservation program with Dr. Nickell

The Missourian had a story in 2006 saying that Dr. Mattingly and Dr. Frank Nickell were being recognized for founding SEMO’s historic preservation program 25 years earlier. A 1973 article he wrote does the best job I’ve ever read in explaining the value of historic preservation and how “old” doesn’t always translate into valuable.

Taught history in present tense

One of the things I liked about him was that he delighted in debunking all those myths about history that we had been taught from grade school on. His accounts of battles were told in the present tense. He didn’t dwell on dates and troop movements, he made you feel like the enemy was going to come up over that rise any minute.

He, John C. Bierk, and Fred Goodwin are three SEMO profs I remember well.

Things are going to slow down here

I got a call from a perky and squealing Curator Jessica this morning. A grant we had applied for to put on a week-long workshop in Athens, Ohio, in August was approved. Since I really hadn’t expected it to get funded, I drug my feet on preparing for it.

I have to pull together an update for my Smelterville project by July, figure out what I’m going to do convince a bunch of amateur photographers that shooting pictures today with history in mind is fun, and knock off my Last Generation project for an Immigration Conference in Altenburg in October.

To get everything done, I’m going to have to throw some babies out of the lifeboat. I can’t give up food, sleep and afternoon naps, so it’ll be blog posts that go splash. I may plug in re-runs so you don’t forget about me.

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April 13, 2014

Cape River Heritage Museum

Friday night was an open house at the Cape River Heritage Museum. I was prepared to say I hadn’t been in there before, but there was a Willard Duncan Vandiver display with a quote I recalled having seen on an earlier visit and had stolen for my office wall.

I come from a state that raises corn and cotton and cockleburs and Democrats,

and frothy eloquence neither convinces nor satisfies me.

I am from Missouri. You have got to show me.

Whenever a new vendor started his spiel, I’d hold up my hand and point to the quote.

Building has long Cape history

Taxpayers approved a $7.000 tax levy in 1907 to build a new police station and jail. After that, the fire department was added to the plans, and the building opened in 1909.

Conveniently located across the street was the Wood Building, which has been described as arguably Cape’s most infamous house of ill repute.The building, if not its former trade, has been restored.

The River Room

One of the most interesting exhibits is the huge Ary Marbain mural “Metrapolis,” donated by The Missourian and restored by artist Craig Thomas. The perspective is a little off, so it’s fun and challenging to identify the landmark buildings, many now gone, that are in the mural. For more information, you can visit the museum’s website.

Museum hours

A recent Missourian story said the building is open from noon to 4 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays and from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays. The museum website says that is from mid-March through mid-December. That must be why I’ve only visited it once in years; it was always closed when I wanted to drop in.

Shameless plug: The gift shop DOES carry my book Smelterville: A Work in Progress. It’s also available at Annie Laurie’s Antiques at Broadway and Frederick.

Lily pond still there

The small lily pond behind the old fire station looks a little rough after the harsh winter, but it still could pass for the one I was photographed with over six decades ago. As always, you can click on the photos to make them larger.

November 18, 2013December 14, 2013

Snapshots of Cape Girardeau

I keep forgetting to pitch my 2013-2014 Snapshots of Cape Girardeau calendar, but I’d better get on the ball if I want enough gas money to make it back to Florida.

Snapshots of Cape Girardeau is a collection of vintage photographs from roughly 1963 through 1967. Some were shot for The Tiger or The Girardot at Central High School; others might have been for The Jackson Pioneer or The Southeast Missourian. Some might have been taken just for the heck of it.

You can’t find a better holiday gift for someone who grew up in Cape Girardeau. (If you want to make it a super special gift, write down all the important family birthdays and special dates in it before you wrap it up. Wife Lila has been doing that for years and it’s always popular.)

How do I get one?

If you are in the Cape area, Annie Laurie’s Antiques at Broadway and Fountain has copies of both the calendar and my work-in-progress Smelterville book for $20 each. I’m even willing to bring one to lunch (Dutch treat) if you catch me in the next few days before I head back to defrost in Florida.

How to shop at Amazon

The gas and motel bills are starting to filter in from my trip and my bank balance is starting to disappear. This is a good time to make a pitche: if you shop on Amazon, click on that big Click Here button (or the one that’s at the top left of every page). It will take you directly to Amazon just like always, but it will contain a code that will give me about 6% of whatever you purchase without adding a penny to your bill. It’s a painless way to say “Thanks” for the stories and photos I send your way almost every day. Here’s more info that Kid Matt wrote.

How to order by mail

If you’d like your calendar or book mailed, press the DONATE button at the top left of the page and make a $25 donation. After you do that, there’s another box where you can tell Wife Lila your mailing address and whether you want a calendar or the Smelterville book.

Sneak peek at the pictures

Here’s what you’ll find inside the calendar. Click on any photo to make it larger, then click on the sides to move through the gallery. I tried to pick photos you wouldn’t mind looking at for a month.

October 29, 2013

Lincoln on KY Courthouse?

Curator Jessica can’t pass a sign that says “Historical” or any building older than me. One of those side-trips took us into downtown Princeton, Kentucky, where we looked at the monolithic Caldwell County Courthouse. Even I could recognize some of the Art Deco features.

I didn’t think the South was fond of Lincoln

One of the interesting touches was that over the entrance on each side was inscribed the compass direction: North, South, etc. Four visages peered out of the east and west walls.

I was surprised to see one of them was Abe Lincoln. I wouldn’t have expected him to be too popular on a Southern courthouse. Maybe his Kentucky roots made them cut him some slack.

Confederate soldier stands guard

A memorial to Confederate soldiers stands facing south. His back is to Lincoln, who is on the northeast wall.

Father of the country

George Washington is on the northwest wall.

Who is this?

This fellow is stuck looking to the west from the southwest wall. Neither Jessica nor I had a clue who he is.

Another mystery figure

This man was on the southeast wall. The dark area under his nose isn’t a shadow. I don’t know if it was mold or if someone had disfigured the image. It was high up on the wall, so I doubt the latter was the case.

Jessica stopped a woman coming out of the courthouse to see if she could be of any help, but she admitted that she had never noticed the figures. It’s a possibility they were local important people.

First Friday

This is a reminder that I’ll be at Annie Laurie’s on Broadway on First Friday, November 1, from about 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Stop by, take a look at my 2013-2014 Snapshots of Cape Girardeau calendars and Smelterville books and give a Southeast Missouri welcome to Jessica who has trouble believing my stories about the region. Laurie says there will be cookies and hot apple cider on hand.