While away, we also visited Marshall, MO. Another tiny town on the trail
(but not as small as Arrow Rock with their whopping population of 57!), it's
home to two museums, both of which are gems. For one, they have an outstanding
aviation museum which, in part, outlines the lives of two local residents. Mr. Nicholas
and Mr. Beazley were both instrumental in aviation construction. Buying
surplus propellers after WW1 for 50 cents, they refurbished and resold the
pieces for a $2.50 profit. Their business was operated from the garage and became a successful mail-order company. Their
parts were used in the building of the Spirit of St. Louis plane, for example.
In the second picture below is Mr. Nicholas' pilot license signed by Orville Wright. Many real, rare
airplanes are on display in the hanger building. Since no one else was there,
we benefited from being the only two on the tour and our guide was excellent.
We're so glad we stopped!
Secondly, do you know about Jim the Wonder Dog? We did not
before going through his garden and museum there in town. He was a local
Llewellin Setter who was an amazing canine. He could, seemingly, understand
commands in several languages (although his owners only spoke English), understood
the spelling of words and even Morse code. He could seek out specific items and
identify cars by their license plates, for example. Jim successfully acted on
commands from people other than his owners. A veterinary team from the University
of MO in Columbia examined him. Although they affirmed his unique abilities,
they could not explain the medical reason for his gift. His family loved him
and shared his wonders with the world to a certain point. When they were
offered an enormous sum of money for him to appear in a movie, they declined
because they didn't want him to be sensationalized. He died in 1937and is noted
in Ripley's Believe It or Not. His little garden is peaceful and informative
with its storyboards and was a great place to visit. We bought his book and are
enjoying reading it. :)
As we drove the country back roads in that Santa Fe Trail
region, it was fun to see several of the painted quilts showcased on barns. The
eight foot square replicas are visible from the road and celebrate the
traditions of American rural life. Each is named and has a story behind it.
There are 40 spread throughout three counties at this time. It was tough to get
pictures since they stand on private property and are off the road, but a
couple were close enough that I could jump out of the motorhome to capture
their beauty. It was so interesting!
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| Indian Maize This quilt pattern is appropriate since the farm is in close proximity to Van Meter State Park. That park hosts Native American displays in a cultural arts center, but after driving 14 miles down the two-lane country road we found it to be closed for the season. |
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| Santa Fe Quilt This quilt pattern was selected since the farm sits on the old Santa Fe Trail. I think I've bored you with enough details! Enjoy your weekend! |