Name: Washington
Brand: Dianna Graveman
SKU: 9780738578200
Price: 24.99 USD
Availability: InStock

Washington

9780738578200

$24.99

Washington Landing, as the settlement was called in the early 1800s, was a popular river port along the Missouri River. Many German immigrants were attracted to the rolling hills and valley reminiscent of their homeland, and other settlers saw potential as well. The settlement grew quickly, and by the time the town of Washington was officially established in 1839, it was the most prosperous town in Franklin County. John B. Busch established a brewery in Washington in 1854 and produced the first Busch Beer. Franz Schwarzer began manufacturing what would become his world-famous zither (a German, stringed musical instrument) in 1866. Henry Tibbe began making corncob pipes around 1869, and Washington later became known as the "Corncob Pipe Capital of the World." Today Washington holds the state record for the most buildings on the National Register of Historic Places and hosts four museums, including the Missouri Photojournalism Hall of Fame. Nestled in the heart of Missouri wine country, Washington draws thousands of visitors to the area each year.

Webb City

9781467113571

$24.99

Agriculture--not mining--brought the first pioneers to Webb City. In 1856, John C. Webb moved his family from Tennessee to southwest Missouri. On the first day of June in 1859, he purchased 240 acres at the General Land Office in Springfield, Missouri. He farmed this land until 1873, when he found lead on top of the ground while plowing his cornfield. Webb City soon became part of the greatest lead and zinc mining district in the world. In September 1875, Webb platted the township of Webb City on part of this same land. His journey from farmer to wealthy mine owner may be a unique story in the world, but it was common in southwest Missouri. Like any boomtown, Webb City grew quickly, and businesses seemingly emerged overnight to meet the needs of the community, making many early founders rich. This book covers the changes in the community as it transitioned from farming to mining, as well as the influence of Route 66.

Webster Groves

9781467113656

$24.99

Drive down almost any street in Webster Groves and one is filled with a sense of timelessness. Entire neighborhoods are in the National Register of Historic Places, and there are lovingly preserved century homes, beautiful old churches, avenues lined with gardens, and shopping districts more reminiscent of small-town America than a thriving suburb next door to the city of St. Louis. History runs deep here, as it is home to the first chapter of the Red Cross and the first Boy Scout Troop west of the Mississippi, the oldest women's organization in Missouri, the first professional fire department, and the first public library in St. Louis County. North Webster once held the only accredited high school for African American students in St. Louis County. Beginning as a site of country homes for St. Louis professionals, growing through a post-World War II boom that expanded into new neighborhoods, Webster Groves has remained true to its heritage and history.

Wentzville

9781467128230

$24.99

Wentzville, Missouri, was founded in 1855 by William M. Allen, a tobacco farmer and state senator. Allen knew that the new railroad would run through Missouri, so he used his senatorial influence to convince railroad engineers, particularly chief engineer Erasmus Livingston Wentz, to lay the tracks through his farmland and build a station with a promise to name the town after Wentz. The tobacco industry became a driving force for Wentzville's early growth. Since 1983, when General Motors built its plant on the outskirts of town, the population has exploded. Yet the Wentzville historic area maintains a small-town feeling that charms anyone who takes the time to explore.

West Plains

9780738560236

$24.99

The Great Depression hit West Plains hard, but people were resilient and bounced back during World War II. The postwar years brought rural electrification, television, and paved roads. As the economy began to move away from agriculture to new industries, a flooring mill and shoe factory came to town, accompanied by a community hospital. Big band slipped into rock and roll, radio to television, and iceboxes to refrigerators. In 40 years, people went from Ford Model Ts to Mustangs and from silent films to the big screen at the 63 Drive In. By the end of the 1960s, the Beatles had arrived, and everyone was looking in their world atlas for a place called Vietnam. This is a pictorial journey through a small town in the Ozarks from the 1930s to the 1970s.

West Plains

9780738531595

$24.99

On the eve of the Civil War, West Plains was a sleepy county seat with a population of 150 and a wood-frame courthouse in its town square. During the war, this Southern Missouri town was burned, abandoned, and eventually reconstructed. With the arrival of the railroad in 1883, West Plains turned boomtown, and photographers were among the first entrepreneurs to arrive. This volume of vintage photographs documents the town as it grew, struggled, and prospered over the next 50 years. Pictured here are the washwomen and the bankers, the circuses and the fires, the schools and homes that helped build the West Plains of today.

Whiteman Air Force Base

9781467128124

$24.99

Whiteman Air Force Base is located two miles south of Knob Noster. The base was activated following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, becoming Sedalia Army Air Field in November 1942 to train glider pilots and paratroopers. In August 1951, the base was assigned to the Strategic Air Command, with the 340th Bombardment Wing flying the Boeing B-47 Stratojet bomber and KC-97 tanker. The base was renamed in honor of 2nd Lt. George Whiteman, US Army Air Corps, who was killed in his P-40 by a Japanese Zero during the attack on Pearl Harbor. In June 1961, the Department of Defense chose Whiteman to host the nation's fourth Minuteman ICBM wing, with 150 missiles. Before completion of the missile field construction, SAC activated the 351st Strategic Missile Wing on February 1, 1963. The missile wing made history when it fielded the first female missile crew. In 1990, the base became part of history with the activation of the 509th Bomb Wing flying the Northrop B-2 "Stealth" Spirit bomber. Throughout its continuous military presence since 1942, the base has always been at the forefront of national defense, especially now with the B-2 able to strike any target in the world at any time.

Wilson's Creek National Battlefield:

9780738591063

$24.99

The Civil War claimed over 620,000 lives from April 1861 until the last major battle in June 1865. Neighbor fought neighbor, while families were divided over the issues of states' rights, secession, and slavery. Few people realize that Missouri was the war's third most violent state with over 1,500 battles and skirmishes. Wilson's Creek National Battlefield, southwest of Springfield, commemorates the Battle of Wilson's Creek, which was the first Civil War battle west of the Mississippi River, the second major battle of the war, and where the first Union general was killed in combat. The Wilson's Creek National Battlefield Civil War collection is an outstanding compilation of artifacts, documents, and photographs primarily related to the Trans-Mississippi theater. Items include Arkansas Confederate general Patrick Cleburne's sword belt and sash, abolitionist John Brown's telescope, a Confederate "Cherokee Braves" flag, and an original print of General Order No. 11, which forced evacuation of several western Missouri counties in an attempt to eliminate safe havens for guerrillas.