Southern Charm

A few weeks ago we took a little getaway in the motorhome. We were able to spend a couple of days exploring some state parks and historic sites in the southern part of the state, which is something we like to do. We thoroughly enjoyed the Hunter Dawson State Historic Site in the bootheel. The Hunters were a well-to-do family who were successful merchants in New Madrid, MO. In addition to having a store in town, they had a floating store on a boat that sold goods to people in other river towns along the Mississippi River. They were able to purchase various pieces of property and eventually owned a total of 15,000 acres of land in four states!

Construction of their lovely new home was just about finished  when William Hunter passed away from yellow fever which left his wife, Amanda,  and their seven children to move in without him in 1860. She not only settled into the large home, but she and other family members continued to successfully run all of the businesses (the stores, a grist mill and a lumber mill) following her husband's death.

Interestingly, members of the family continually lived in the house for nearly 100 years.  Amanda and William's youngest daughter, Ella, married William Dawson in 1876 and inherited the residence. That is, of course, how the home came to be known as Hunter Dawson. Family descendents occupied it until 1958 at which time it sat vacant for eight years. The city of New Madrid then purchased and donated it to the state to become a state historic site. Today it is a true gem offering a look at the home the way it appeared in its day. Hour-long tours cost $5 and are highly interesting. Since it is a small and quiet town, there are not high numbers of visitors and so most of the time the tours are private. We truly enjoyed having the tour guide to ourselves allowing us a more personalized experience.

You can imagine how drawn I was to the family's gorgeous crystal and china! 

About 80% of the furniture and books on display are Amanda and William's personal pieces. 

The home eventually had its own indoor bathroom.

Wallpaper and flooring throughout the house has been replicated to reflect the original.

There are nine fireplaces throughout the 15 rooms.

On the tour, we were taught that playing cards were actually a teaching tool in the 1800s. At the time, no numbers or letters were included on the face of the cards so that children would learn to count the symbols. 

After our interesting inside tour, we walked around the 18 acre yard with our guide. The mature trees offer shade and beauty! As we were concluding our time, I happened to spot this swarm of bees on the side of the Hunter Dawson Home. This is the time of year to observe these colonies of bees protecting the queen, who is buried beneath the "huddle". They are usually present in a location for a short amount of time since they're in transit and do not present a threat. We considered seeing the swarm a little bonus of our time there!

If you're ever in the area, I would highly recommend a stop at this historic site. You can step back in time to see and imagine how life was in the 1800s by walking through this home steeped in history and accurately representing southern charm in the southeastern corner of MO.