Antiques sleuth finds missing slips for library’s light fixture
Steven Stuenkel of the Hannibal Free Public Library’s staff inserts one of two replacement “slips” into place int the library’s historic Guthfan Conditionaire fixture. The slips were missing. Jenifer Barta of Hannibal was able to facilitate a transaction between the library and an Arkansas antique dealer to return the fixture to proper functionality. MARY LOU MONTGOMERY Hanging inside, near the Hannibal Free Public Library’s original main entrance - for both beauty and functi
Furrier did business on North Main Street for more than half a century
Bob Allen painted this mural on the south side of the building at 308 N. Main St. Photo from the City of Hannibal website, “City of Murals.” This is the building where Phillip H. Kornder conducted a furrier shop for many years during the mid to late 1800s. MARY LOU MONTGOMERY A mural painted on the south side of a building located at 308 North Main Street, Hannibal, in 2019, draws visitors’ attention back toward an era when a unique variety of commercial businesses - includ
Clayton to lead SHSM for a three-year term
Hannibal native, Robert Clayton III. has been elected to a three-year term as president of the State Historical Society of Missouri. Contributed photo. MARY LOU MONTGOMERY In November, Hannibal native, Judge Robert Clayton III, who has served as a trustee for the State Historical Society of Missouri since 2013, was elected to the role of president of the state agency. He will serve a three-year term in this capacity. Clayton is a judge on the Missouri Court of Appeals for the
During the Season of Joy, voices will unite in song
Inside Hannibal’s First Christian Church, the sanctuary is decorated for the Christmas season, and will provide the backdrop for “All Disciples Sing,” congregational singing, at 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 14. The event is open to all. Jeff Hickerson will accompany the singers on the church organ. Photo contributed by Stephanie Himmel. MARY LOU MONTGOMERY The time-honored sanctuary of Hannibal’s First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) will serve as the backdrop for a regional ev
Wilson’s patriotism leads to American Legion affiliation
Clipping from the Kansas City Times, July 30, 1962. Newspapers.com MARY LOU MONTGOMERY Seven “colored men” left Palmyra at noon on Friday, Sept. 27, 1918, en route to Camp Funston, an army training camp at Fort Riley, Kan. The canteen committee furnished well-filled lunch boxes for each of the men as they left via rail for their journey across Missouri. The seven, all from Hannibal, were: Maceo Wilson (1896-1974), French Henderson (1897-1965), Charles Doolin (1897-1957), Ezra
On the circuit with the original Virginia Ravens
MARY LOU MONTGOMERY Maceo Wilson was pictured in the “The Call” newspaper on July 20, 1956. newspapers.com Maceo Wilson, born in November 1896, was but a wisp of a man, standing just a tad over 5-feet-4 at his maturity. But the Hannibal native was none-the-less considered to be a musical giant during his day, his talents shining far beyond his hometown of Hannibal, Missouri. In March 1916, during the months leading up to his graduation from Hannibal’s Douglass High School, he
Building owners tap into underutilized second-story for business expansion
Decorated for the holidays, Mississippi Marketplace offers a variety of kitchen gadgets for the most selective holiday cook. All kitchen gadgets are tried and true. Photo contributed by Lauren Jackson. MARY LOU MONTGOMERY It has been nearly a year since Linda Studer and her daughter, Lauren Jackson, made the decision to blend their business talents and resources in order to invest in downtown Hannibal. In January 2025 they purchased the building at 217 North Main, where the f
‘Quincy House’ a long standing South Hannibal ‘bed and board’
This 1903 panoramic photo, credited to local photographer Anna Schnitzlein, shows a clear view of South Main Street, as it stood directly to the west of the Burlington Railroad yards. The Quincy House was on the west side of South Main, in the 200 block, as numbered from the Bear Creek Bridge south, located to the north in this photo. The 2 1/2 story frame building was been torn down by 1913, and replaced by a single-story brick building. Photo from Steve Chou’s collection, r
First-grader alerts mother to 2 a.m. fire, allowing family to escape safely
Korbyn Hudson, 6, is being credited by his family for awakening his mother when he noticed that the ceiling in his bedroom appeared to be “melting” at 2 a.m. Nov. 14. Once awake, his mother, Cierra, said that she called 911 and escaped the burning house at 1250 Broadway with her two young sons. Korbyn is pictured with a Lego camera that he constructed himself. He has aspirations of becoming a blogger. Photo contributed by Cierra Thomas. MARY LOU MONTGOMERY Six-year-old Korbyn
1877’s ‘Great Upheaval’ impacts Hannibal’s rails
Stephen Emmerton lived in south Hannibal from pre-1860 until the early 1880s. He worked as a porter for the Hannibal and St. Joseph Railroad. Photo shared by Gale Cottrell, who identifies Mr. Emmerton as her three-time great-grandfather. Reprinted with permission. MARY LOU MONTGOMERY The dawn of 1877 found Stephen Emmerton and two of his sons, Edward and Walter, working for the Hannibal and St. Joseph Railroad. All three made their homes in South Hannibal, in the vicinity of