Name: Route 66 in Missouri
Brand: Joe Sonderman
SKU: 9781467102667
Price: 13.99 USD
Availability: InStock

Route 66 in Missouri

9781467102667

$24.99 $13.99 Save 44%

Route 66 is the "Main Street of America," heralded in song and popular culture. It took a maze of different routes through St. Louis before slashing diagonally across the "Show-Me State" through the beauty of the Ozarks. In between, there are classic motels, diners, tourist traps, and gas stations bathed in flashing and whirling neon lights. Natural wonders include crystal-clear streams, majestic bluffs, and wondrous caverns. Roadside marketers concocted legends about Jesse James, painted advertisements on barns, lived with deadly snakes, or offered curios such as pottery and handwoven baskets. That spirit is alive today at the Wagon Wheel and the Munger-Moss, the Mule, Meramec Caverns, and Ted Drewes Frozen Custard, just to name a few. Their stories are included here.

Route 66 in St. Louis

9780738552163

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In 1926, highway planners laid out a ribbon of roadways connecting the nation. One of the most important wove its way across eight states, from the cities of the heartland to golden California. In The Grapes of Wrath, John Steinbeck calls it "the Mother Road." Route 66 has become a legend, celebrated in books, movies, works of art, and popular music. The interstates could not kill it. As "the Main Street of America," Route 66 had to pass through "the Gateway to the West," St. Louis. Crossing the Mississippi River, the road took many different paths through the busy city and then united to travel into the rolling hills of the Ozarks. Along the way there were mom-and-pop motels, tourist traps, roadside restaurants, a man selling frozen custard, one living with snakes, and another who claimed to be Jesse James. Their stories are here.

St. Louis

9781467104616

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Founded as a humble trading post along the Mississippi River 250 years ago, St. Louis has since grown into a thriving metropolis. It appears to be a calm city, but like the mighty Mississippi, it has powerful undercurrents. Known as the "Gateway to the West," St. Louis was a port city and home to many manufacturing businesses making everything from shoes to ships. St. Louis, though, is perhaps best known for its breweries and distilleries. St. Louis: Out and About in the Gateway City captures the energy of people bustling along the street, dining out and going to movies, hopping a trolley, swimming, picnicking, clip-clopping along in horse and carriage, ice skating, or driving an automobile. It also touches upon issues of the day that had to be overcome-suffrage, the Great Depression, and civil rights, to name a few-and shows the resilient spirit of the people of St. Louis.

St. Charles

9780738561059

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In 1769, French Canadian fur trader Louis Blanchette built a cabin on the Missouri River in what is today St. Charles. He called the settlement Les Petites Cotes, or the little hills. Other now famous explorers soon passed this way, including Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, who began their expedition here in 1804 to explore the Louisiana Purchase territory. Daniel Boone forged a path through St. Charles along the Boone's Lick Trail, which later joined the Santa Fe Trail and then the Oregon Trail. Today St. Charles hosts many annual events to celebrate its rich history and transport visitors to the past. However, the site of Missouri's first state capitol has not survived without tragedy and an occasional natural disaster, including a cholera epidemic, tornadoes, floods, and a couple of disastrous railroad bridge accidents.

The Steamer Admiral

9781467125086

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John Streckfus began his small Acme Company in 1889 with one wooden packet boat, the steamer Verne Swain, out of Rock Island, Illinois, carrying people and goods on the Mississippi River. His business grew, but each year brought competition from the growing railroads. He decided that excursion boats were the only way to compete. He built the steamer J.S. in 1901 and "tramped" her from town to town offering excursions and dance cruises. By 1910, the company comprised four boats and an office in St. Louis and offered excursion cruises on the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers. The flagship, the steamer Admiral, was far above the others. She provided excursions, fun, and memories for almost 40 years.

Kirksville

9781467112758

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Kirksville has made a name for itself with its two major institutions of higher education--Truman State University and A.T. Still University--that attract bright students from all over the world. Incorporated in 1857, it has grown to become the most populous city in northeast Missouri. As the seat of government for Adair County, the courthouse stands proudly in the center of the business square downtown. Entrepreneurs have benefited from railroad lines that entered the town in the 1870s, and many businesses have flourished in Kirksville as a result. Residents braved the tumultuous Civil War and rebuilt the town after major tornadoes and ice storms. Kirksville is a beautiful place to live, as exemplified by nearby Thousand Hills State Park. It is indeed the town "where people make the difference."

Civil Rights in St. Louis

9781467107198

$23.99 $13.99 Save 42%

Since its very beginnings, St. Louis has been at the forefront of America's struggle for equality. Many people have contributed to the fight for justice both in and outside of the courtroom by challenging the country to live up to the ideals outlined in the Declaration of Independence. St. Louisans have fought for civil rights in housing, property, education, health care, voting rights, and criminal justice, creating landmark cases that have reshaped America. The fight has not been without victories but has often been laced with tragedy, pain, and suffering. St. Louisans have always been a driving force for change. St. Louis was the site of some of the earliest civil rights protests before Missouri entered statehood in the early 1800s. George Vaughn fought in the Supreme Court to end restrictive covenants and housing discrimination in the 1940s. Unarmed Michael Brown's death brought attention to the area, placing the Black Lives Matter movement in the nation's forefront in 2014. The civil rights movement in St. Louis illustrates the unfinished work to live up to America's promise.

Early Kansas City, Missouri

9780738590967

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In 1821, François Chouteau set up a fur-trading outpost along the Missouri River, bringing the first settlement of Europeans to what would become Kansas City, named after the Kansa tribe of Native Americans who inhabited the area. At the center of a growing nation, the "City on the Bluff" would build and thrive as a river town, a gateway to the West, and a railroad hub, absorbing the influences of pioneers and immigrants traveling through or making it their home. Striving to become "A City Beautiful," its parks and boulevards drew attention from around the world. These are the beginnings of a town carved out of a hillside in the wilderness, transformed into an exciting metropolis that would eventually be called home by Walt Disney, Ernest Hemingway, Jesse James, and many others who left a lasting mark on history.

St. Louis Union Station

9780738519838

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When St. Louis' Union Station opened to the public in 1894, nearly 10,000 people gathered to celebrate. What they saw rivaled famed stations in the East, with its barrel-vaulted ceiling, sweeping archways, and Tiffany stained-glass windows. Modeled after the walled city of Carcassone, France, Union Station was one of the busiest in the world during its heyday. Follow the history of this great architectural triumph from its original glory days through its demise and rebirth. The days of rail transportation come to life in more than 200 historic images, from steam engines hissing into the 11-acre train shed, to the perky smiles of the renowned "Harvey Girls." Union Station is also seen here as tens of thousands of passengers a day dwindled to mere hundreds. As the automobile and airplane gained momentum in the 1950s and 60s, railroading lost popularity and St. Louis' Union Station fell into disrepair and eventually closed. Now restored to its original splendor, Union Station is again a bustling center of urban entertainment and activity.

Maryville

9781467110792

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In 1845, the Missouri State Legislature created Nodaway County out of the rolling Platte Purchase lands added to the far northwestern corner of the state. Within a decade, small communities emerged; the largest of them was the county seat of Maryville, which was platted in 1845 and started out as a frontier settlement. The intersection of two railroad lines in Maryville in the early 1870s brought traffic and commerce and later made it a center of education with the addition of the Fifth District Normal School in 1905. Superior regional agriculture, diverse local manufacturing, and progressive education helped build a vibrant and durable community that, while similar to hundreds of others throughout the Midwest, fills lives with the rich experiences of communities in constant transition.

Camp Crowder

9781467102575

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Ground breaking for Camp Crowder occurred on August 30, 1941, led by the engineering firm of Burns and McDonnell, of Kansas City, Missouri. During World War II, Camp Crowder became the duty location for contingents of the Women's Army Corps, the home to a Signal Corps Replacement Training Center, and provided basic training to new recruits. While thousands of Signal Corps recruits trained on the nearly 43,000-acre site, a prisoner of war camp was created to house more than 2,000 prisoners, the majority of whom were captured German soldiers. Camp Crowder's legacy has been perpetuated through the decades by the late Mort Walker, creator of the iconic Beetle Bailey comic strip, who received inspiration for his fictional Camp Swampy while stationed at the camp in 1943. Additionally, episodes of The Dick Van Dyke Show paid homage to Camp Crowder since the show's creator, Carl Reiner, spent time there in World War II. In later years, much of the camp's original property became home to Crowder College while 4,358 acres has been retained by the Missouri National Guard for use as a training site.

Missouri in World War I

9781467105132

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The state of Missouri played a unique role in World War I-as the birthplace of Gen. John J. Pershing, the commanding officer of the American Expeditionary Forces, and Maj. Gen. Enoch Crowder, the primary author of the military draft-and it is an impressive legacy featuring a colorful cast of characters, events, and communities. Missouri was home to two flying aces of the war as well as Bennett Champ Clark, the youngest colonel in the American Expeditionary Forces and the first national commander of the American Legion. During the war, the state was home to farms and ranches that provided an army of mules that assisted Allied forces in hauling critical materials and equipment in the harshest of conditions. Additionally, 156,000 of the state's citizens served in the military with approximately 10,000 wounded or killed in action.

Central West End

9780738508009

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In the 1860s, with bustling river traffic alive with boats and men, St. Louis was a picturesque river town. This was the St. Louis that Mark Twain, Edna Ferber, and T.S. Eliot wrote about: a town on the mysterious but profitable Mississippi. After the Civil War, profits from contracts with the Union and river trading brought increased wealth to the community. Prosperous residents were challenged to find land that could hold their prestigious mansions and gardens. Their eyes turned to the western section of the town, which in time became known as the Central West End.

St. Louis Olympics, 1904

9780738523293

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The first American Olympics, held in 1904 in St. Louis, were a vigorous spectacle suited to an energetic and confident nation. The games were wrested away from rival city Chicago and appended to the Louisiana Purchase Exposition World's Fair. Athletes came from eleven countries and four continents to compete in state-of-the-art facilities, which included a 10,000-seat stadium with gymnasium equipment donated by sporting goods magnate Albert Spalding. St. Louis Olympics, 1904 corrects common misperceptions and presents a fresh view of the games that featured first-time African American Olympians, an eccentric marathon, and documentation by pioneering photojournalist Jessie Tarbox Beals.

Chesterfield

9781467124393

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Arriving in 1815 by boat at Howell's Landing off the Missouri River was Chesterfield's founder, Col. Justus Post. Chesterfield, Missouri, is a distinct city because it did not grow from a single "named community" like most. It was once six separate towns, each with its own post office. The history of these communities and families that lived in them interweave to make a remarkable story that still lives on in the city of Chesterfield. Since the beginning, the town has strived to serve its community with exceptional schools, places of worship, public services, and businesses. The railroad, steamboats, and later the airport aided the economy, and the city began to thrive. Chesterfield became incorporated in 1988 with the support of many, including the chamber of commerce, businesses, renowned schools, and dedicated citizens. The city continues to grow because of the seeds that were planted over two centuries ago. The rich history is embedded in the people, streets, and buildings that stand today.

Whiteman Air Force Base

9781467128124

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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.

Soulard, St. Louis

9780738507170

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From its earliest days as Old Frenchtown, Soulard,
St. Louis, has embodied a bold and colorful tapestry of
immigrant life in America. With remarkable depth, authors
Montesi and Deposki have detailed the birth, destruction,
and final restoration of this historic area through over
200 photographs.
Bequeathed by the widow of surveyor Antoine Soulard
to the city of St. Louis in 1842, what was once a plot of
land intended for a vegetable market became a center of a
community of popular parks, breweries, churches, and shops.
Masses of Eastern European immigrants flocked to Soulard,
just outside downtown St. Louis, to start a new life of hope
and growth. German, Irish, Italian, and Czech influences can
be seen here in the images of the infamous "brew barons,"
horse-drawn market carts, and "flounder" houses that the
authors have reproduced with insightful captions. Captured
here in original photographs is the inescapable fury of the
Great Cyclone of 1896 that destroyed the area but not its
clenched-fist determination to survive. Montesi and Deposki
take us on a heroic journey through the annals of time to
discover the tenacious heart of a neighborhood now known
as St. Louis' most popular venue for jazz and blues

Sugar Creek

9780738584126

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During the 1840s and 1850s, many of the pioneers and much of the supplies they needed for overland trips west from Independence on the Oregon, California, and Santa Fe Trails arrived at Wayne City Landing, the steamboat port on the Missouri River in what is now Sugar Creek. In 1892, Arthur Stillwell, a Kansas City railroad man, founded Fairmount Park, a first-class pleasure resort in the southern part of Sugar Creek that would be popular until the 1930s. Standard Oil of Indiana purchased land at the north end of Sugar Creek in 1903 and built a major refinery that would dominate the town until it ceased operations in 1982. Sugar Creek's early growth evolved around the refinery, and in 1920, the Jackson County Court established the City of Sugar Creek. This book illustrates the history of Sugar Creek in more than 200 vintage images, detailing the people, businesses, churches, schools, and community services that have shaped the town's past.

Jefferson City

9780738508344

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Created as the seat of government for the State of Missouri, Jefferson City was named in honor of President Thomas Jefferson. Because of its location both on the Missouri River and north of the Mason Dixon Line, the city was a source of political controversy as it struggled for an economic base. Showcased here in over 200 vintage photographs and detailed captions is the history of the City of Jefferson, and how it came to be the capital of the state known as "The Gateway to the West." There were only 30 people residing in the area when Jefferson City became the capital of Missouri in October 1826. Many of the first legislators to drive were housed in tents behind a shack, labeled a "hotel." From these humble beginnings, the city labored to establish a secure economy. Pictured here are the vintage images of the first and second capitol buildings being constructed and ultimately destroyed, the founding fathers of the Commercial Club, and the main commercial strip of High Street.

McDonald County

9781467107389

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Carondelet

9780738552064

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Clement Delor de Treget, a Frenchman, founded Carondelet in 1767 and named the village in honor of Baron Francis Louis de Carondelet, the Spanish governor of the Louisiana Territory. Due to its prime location at the confluence of the River Des Peres and the Mississippi River, Carondelet attracted a wide array of industries and a diverse population where racial lines were often blurred and ethnic groups peacefully coexisted. The community has
contributed greatly to American history from the site of construction of the Civil War ironclad boats to the location of the American kindergarten movement. Today the community is striving to preserve its proud heritage and build on the strength of its diverse population. The historic images in this book illustrate the city's founding and development from the first French settlers to the coming of Germans, Irish, Italians, African Americans, and Spanish, its annexation to the city of St. Louis in 1870, its economic hardships, and its present revitalization.

Nixa

9780738533278

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This book looks at the people and history of Nixa and the surrounding rural Christian County communities of Sparta, Billings, Linden, Clever, Highlandville, and the rural area around Bull Creek. The area was originally known as "Faughts," for James Jasper Faught, who had operated a trading post at the old "Crossroads" site in 1879. It linked the burgeoning settlement of Nixa to other communities in the area. Nicholas Alexander Inman came from Tennessee in 1852 and opened a blacksmith shop with Joe Weaver. Inman's family farm consisted of 160 acres, which are part of the present day boundaries of Nixa. Nixa was officially incorporated as a village on June 10, 1902.

Harrisonville

9780738590615

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Harrisonville, founded in 1837, is one of the oldest towns in western Missouri. Situated just south of Kansas City, it served Cass County as the center of government, commerce, and cultural life for over 150 years. Its geographic proximity to the Kansas border brought conflict and bloodshed during the Bleeding Kansas and Civil War eras, from 1854 to 1865, as jayhawkers and bushwhackers raided, looted, and terrified local citizens. After the war, four railroads brought new settlers and business opportunities. The town flourished as the center of a rich agricultural region and touted businesses, including a brickyard, a foundry, and several mills. Victorian brick buildings sprung up around the square from the 1880s to the early 1900s. The Italianate Cass County Courthouse, designed by W.C. Root, crowns the square as an architectural gem. In the 20th century, shoppers flocked to the town for business and pleasure. The square retains a high degree of architectural significance and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Unity Village

9780738561295

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In 1919, Charles and Myrtle Fillmore, founders of the spiritual organization Unity, bought 58 acres of land about 20 miles from downtown Kansas City. With the ideas, faith, and passion of dozens of coworkers, the area grew from a weekend retreat of tents and ponds into Unity Farm, with a national reputation for its orchards and apple products. In 1953, the farm was incorporated as a Missouri municipality--Unity Village. Those original few acres have now grown to more than 1,400 acres. Today Unity Village is the location of a worldwide ministry of publishing, prayer, and education. It is best known as the home of Daily Word magazine, with millions of readers in more than 180 countries, and Silent Unity, which receives more than two million requests for prayer support annually. Unity Village is on the National Register of Historic Places, and its English Cotswold and Italian architecture draw visitors from around the world.

Kansas City's Historic Midtown Neighborhoods

9781467113427

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The unique character of Midtown--from Thirty-first to Fifty-fifth Streets, State Line to the Paseo--grew out of its development as the streetcar suburbs of an expanding Kansas City. As residents both rich and poor moved out of the crowded downtown area after 1880, Midtown neighborhoods were built. The first wave brought mansions to major streets such as Armour Boulevard, Troost Avenue, and Broadway Boulevard, and later a housing shortage spurred the development of Midtown's unique apartment buildings. Well-known architects and local developers created bungalows, shirtwaists, and tree-lined residential streets. Churches and schools, business districts, movie theaters, and other entertainment venues quickly followed residents in their migration to the "south side." By the 1940s, Midtown's growing residential districts had developed into today's popular neighborhoods, including Center City, Coleman Highlands, Countryside, Crestwood, Heart of Westport, Hyde Park, Manheim Park, Old Hyde Park, Plaza-Westport, Rockhill, Volker, Roanoke, South Plaza, Southmoreland, Squier Park, Sunset Hill, Troostwood, Valentine, West Plaza, and Westwood Park.

Kansas City's Historic Midtown Neighborhoods

Taney County, Missouri

9780738518503

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Taney County, Missouri obtained its name from Roger B. Taney, who married Anne Key, sister of the author of America's national anthem, Francis Scott Key. With roots already embedded in Americana, this once fledgling area in southwestern Missouri would become home to hearty pioneers and entrepunearal miners, who would, over the centuries, transform it into the major tourist region it is today.

Captured here in almost 200 vintage photographs are the lives and spirits of those souls who founded Taney County and fostered its growth throughout the years. These images span two centuries to include the pioneers and early farming families of the 19th century, as well as the hometown heroes of the World Wars. Pictured here are the one-room school houses, early photos of life on the Buffalo and White Rivers, the miners of the Turkey Creek Mining Company, and various events and residents of Kirbyville, Oak Grove, Mildred, and Branson, also known as the Nashville of the Ozarks.

The Cole Camp Area

9780738583006

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Cole Camp was named by Ezekiel Williams, who established a post office in 1830 on Williams Creek, south of the present town. Settlers from the south followed Williams, and in the 1840s an influx of German immigrants arrived to leave their mark on the area. Cole Camp maintains a cultural connection with the original settlers through year-round festivals and celebrations. In 1861, an early Civil War battle was fought nearby by the militia; the skirmish is reenacted every two years by descendants of those men. The area's rich history is evident in many 19th-century structures preserved in Cole Camp and neighboring communities. Tourists and day-trippers en route to the Lake of the Ozarks find a delightful mirror of an earlier era in Cole Camp, along with fine restaurants, art galleries, a winery, and antique shops.

Jews of Springfield in the Ozarks

9780738590943

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Jews arrived to the bustling town of Springfield shortly after its founding in 1838, only five years after the birth of the state of Missouri. The first Jews to live in Springfield were Victor and Bertha Sommers with her brother Ferdinand Bakrow. They opened Victor Sommers & Co., a dry goods store in 1860. The Jewish community grew as merchants brought their families, tying Springfield to other towns along the Mississippi River through marriages. The first congregation was founded in 1893 by the German Reform Jews. In 1918, the Eastern European Jews founded their Orthodox congregation. In the 1940s, the two merged. Unlike other small Jewish communities that have slowly perished because of their children's migration to larger Jewish communities where they could use their education, this Jewish community in the Ozarks continues to thrive because of the universities and hospitals in the region.

Jewish Community of St. Louis

9781467117241

$29.99 $13.99 Save 53%

The St. Louis Jewish community began in the early 19th century and increased rapidly in the decades surrounding the turn of the century. Jewish immigrants brought skills and determination that helped the community evolve and prosper, but they faced challenges to survive, acculturate, and flourish. Not everyone had easy lives or great wealth, yet most worked to succeed and help others. Jewish endeavors covered all spheres, from small businesses to the Freund Bakery and Stix, Baer and Fuller Department Store to the Lesser-Goldman Cotton Company. Many garment district businesses were owned and run by Jews. Philanthropy and social betterment created the Young Men's Hebrew Association, the Jewish Sanatorium, the Home for Aged & Infirm Israelites, the Jewish Hospital, and many other entities. Members of the Jewish community proudly served in World War I and participated in clubs and organizations, as well as in political, civic, and cultural affairs.

Ralls County

9780738594026

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In 1820, Ralls County was the cradle of northeast Missouri civilization. Ralls was a "Benton Baby," born from a political deal brokered by the powerful Thomas Hart Benton and named for an ordinary New London farmer and state representative. In fact, no other US county is named Ralls. One citizen became a Texan patriot serving defenders at the Alamo, while a slave from the county was ordained as America's first African American Catholic priest. Ralls is blessed with springs, salt licks, farmlands, wildlife, abundant hardwood timber, coal, sand, gravel deposits, and limestone, and most importantly the Salt River passes through it. Development progressed slowly, but Ralls became a major north-south thoroughfare and had the first direct rail route from Hannibal to St. Louis. The Atlas Cement plant produced millions of barrels of cement that were used in the construction of the Panama Canal and the Empire State Building. Today, the Clarence Cannon Dam prevents flooding while providing recreational opportunities rivaling more prominent Missouri lakes.

Missouri State Fair

9780738582610

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The Missouri State Fair has represented the best of Missouri's agriculture and industry since its commencement in 1901. Developed during the Progressive Era, a time of social reform, its early exhibits reflected an interest in scientific agriculture as a means of improving rural life. School exhibits highlighted new attitudes about teaching. In 1921, Missouri celebrated its centennial at the state fair. Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, the fair encouraged good nutrition and medical care through its healthy baby contests. During World Wars I and II, it promoted patriotism with parades of military recruits. The grounds, originally 160 acres with 19 buildings, are now 396 acres with 124 buildings reflecting changing architectural styles.

St. Louis in the Civil War

9781467111263

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On May 10, 1861, Union troops surrounded Camp Jackson, a military encampment where Confederate leaders were accused of conspiring to seize the St. Louis Arsenal, the largest store of munitions west of the Mississippi. The state militia, which numbered more than 600 men, answered the call of Missouri's pro-Southern governor Claiborne Fox Jackson to assemble but found themselves outnumbered 10 to 1 and were forced to surrender. As federal forces marched them through St. Louis, an angry crowd gathered. Gunfire crackled, leaving more than 24 people dead. St. Louis epitomized the growing tensions between the North and South. The city's strategic position enabled James Eads's shipyards to build ironclads, Jefferson Barracks to muster troops, and Gratiot Street Prison to hold POWs. The list of notables with ties to St. Louis reads like a who's who of the Civil War: Robert E. Lee, Ulysses S. Grant, Jefferson Davis, William T. Sherman, Nathaniel Lyon, James Longstreet, George Pickett, and others.

Around Mansfield

9780738590776

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As the Memphis Line was pushing eastward through the virgin Ozark hills, railroad officials realized that watering stations were needed every 8 to 10 miles. One such station was built on the future site of the town of Mansfield. In 1882, F.M. Mansfield and George Nettleton officially established the town. Noted for its rolling hills and abundance of natural water sources, Mansfield became known as the "Gem of the Ozarks." Early settlers that were drawn to the area established local businesses, including orchards, canning factories, and mines. Farming became an essential way of life for most rural residents. Today, the town is famous as the place where author Laura Ingalls Wilder, who lived here from 1894 until her death in 1957, wrote her renowned Little House books. It was also the boyhood home of Major League Baseball player Carl Mays, who at one point was a teammate of Babe Ruth.

DeSoto

9780738539935

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DeSoto was settled in the early 1800s by pioneers who were interested in mining and farming. It became famous for the many artesian wells in the area and was named Fountain City. For many years, it remained a small country community, with a population of about 200 people in 1850. The railroad came to DeSoto in 1857, when the St. Louis and Iron Mountain Railroad established car shops here. This business, which employs about 500 people, has continued to this day under several railroad companies, the present one being the Union Pacific Railroad. DeSoto received All American City awards in 1953 and 1959 and was recognized as the Center of Population in the United States for the decade of 1980-1990.