History Blog 

In 1895, John T. Boyle, a Civil War veteran, operated a boarding house at 412 S. Third St., the brick house at left. The boarding house catered to railroad men. In 1912, the name of the street was changed to South Main, and the house number ultimately changed to 804. Photo taken circa 1995 by Steve Chou, prior to the building’s demolition. Reprinted with permission. MARY LOU MONTGOMERY For a year or so, circa 1895, John T. Boyle (1834-1919), who attained the rank of Captain d

When Caroline Kleindienst died in 1919, her will stipulated that a marker - not to exceed $500 in cost - be placed upon the grave she and her husband share in Riverside Cemetery, and that she be buried in a metal casket. They are buried in Section D18. Photo, taken in 2026, by Mary Lou Montgomery. MARY LOU MONTGOMERY Palmyra Avenue was a thriving residential and business district in 1870. Living and working along the avenue, as listed in the 1871 city directory, were blacksm

Capt. Steve and Sandy Terry pose behind a bust of Mark Twain created by Dr. Henry Sweets Jr., and his wife, Elizabeth, in the 1960s. Mr. and Mrs. Sweets worked under the name of S&S Art. This 20-inch statue is on display in the barge which leads to the Mark Twain Riverboat, docked at Hannibal’s riverfront. Contributed photo. MARY LOU MONTGOMERY A bust of the legendary author and humorist, Samuel L. Clemens, possesses a position of honor upon the barge which serves as the entr

Shown are the former house, at left, and filling station owned by the J. Frank Cox family for many years on Fulton Avenue, nearby the old Burlington Railroad yards. The properties were torn down following the flood of 1993. Steve Chou photo. MARY LOU MONTGOMERY A 17-year-old who was rabbit hunting atop Lover’s Leap on Feb. 7, 1916, narrowly escaped death when he stumbled and subsequently tumbled part-way down the steep rocky cliff toward the area near the railroad yards below

Five regional women will come together in May 2 in the preparation of a theme-based dinner at Blue Skies Farm. The theme of this dinner will be “She-Fs.” The five participating “She-Fs” include Kristine Russell, Nikki Barr, Ang Brown, Kendall Kurz and Carrie Wilson. Contributed photo. MARY LOU MONTGOMERY On Saturday, May 2, a culinary spotlight will focus upon five area women who are making a name for themselves in the regional food industry. A one-night-only dinner will be s

In 1995, Steve Chou took photos of the buildings still standing in South Hannibal, prior to demolition following the flood of 1993. The brick building at right was the Boedeker building. In 1875, Moritz Boedeker operated a meat market in this building. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, J.T. Fuqua and his wife, Louisa, lived here. Mr. Fuqua, son-in-law of Moritz Boedeker, conducted a paint and wallpaper business here, and was a city alderman. Spooner Creek has been a waterway

Larry Janes, a retired union electrician, remembers the Southside of his youth as “a good place to live.” Photo by his brother, Pat Janes. MARY LOU MONTGOMERY Larry Janes of Hannibal, born in 1940, called the living quarters above the Union Bar on Hannibal’s Southside home for much of his youth. It was in this environment that he gained a respectful perspective on the role played by blue collar workers during the years following World War II. The second of three sons born to

Pictured in front of Owens Drug Store at 509 Union Street are, from left, Charles W. Owens, Henry Owens, Robyn Owens (the little one) and Patty Owens. Photo contributed by Robyn Owens Culp. MARY LOU MONTGOMERY On Friday, Sept. 16, 1910, Frank and Henry Owens, proprietors of the Union Pharmacy, 501 Union St., South Hannibal, hosted a watermelon feast for South School students. According to a newspaper article of the day, the students, under the supervision of their principal,

Historic image of J.J. Cruikshank Jr., as he prepares to trim the vines on his house. Photo contributed by Warren Bittner and Juan Ruiz. MARY LOU MONTGOMERY J.J. Cruikshank Jr., the catalyst and financier behind Hannibal’s famed hilltop landmark, Rockcliffe Mansion, is easily recognizable in a rare photograph recently returned to Hannibal. Titled “Crooky ready to trim the vines,” the image is contained within a scrapbook believed to have been kept during the years of 1908-191

The brick storefront, photo contributed by Archie Hayden, shows the newly built Union Pharmacy at the corner of Fifth (Birch) and Union, (501 Union) completed at the end of 1906. The frame building that is pictured was located to the south of the brick building, on Union Street. One man, with a mustache, appears in both photos. Research suggests that beginning in 1905, John Heavenridge conducted a drug store in the single-story frame building which originally stood on the sit