Coming from a Little Grove

Westbound MO-20 near Alma, Missouri

Wandering the Highway 24 corridor from Little Grove to Missouri City

Another beautiful day offered up the opportunity to prowl the graveyards and hometowns of family from years gone by and of course, other diversions.

Little Grove Cemetery near Malta Bend, Missouri

The journey began just south of Malta Bend in search of family. No immediate relations were home at the time, but a few distant cousins were discovered lounging about the lawn.

Malta Bend Mural

Malta Bend is quiet little town with claim to fame of being named for a sunken steamboat, which was only recently discovered nearby. The ship went down in 1841, filled with expensive and rare trading goods, after hitting a tree on the Missouri River near the site of the town.

Grand Pass Methodist Church

Moving west from there, Grand Pass is not much different. The namesake is not quite as intriguing, being named for the Great Osage Trail that passed through in those days.

St Luke’s United Church of Christ in Grand Pass, Missouri

Oddly, Grand Pass has two churches, seemingly unique for a town of only a hundred or so. One is situated right along the highway for the world to see, while the other is hidden down in a valley.

Zion Lutheran Church in Blackburn, Missouri

A Lutheran appearance to the churches in the area clearly define the background of the folks that settled the area as distinctly German.

Returning to the main drag, reviewing location and bearing, considering the time of year and relative insect populations, a minor diversion to an area named for another shipping incident seemed a good idea.

Baltimore Bend Wetlands

In 1859, the 80 meter and nearly 600 metric ton steamboat Baltimore snagged and was lost near this location. As with most other bends in the river where incidents such as this occurred, the name of the steamboat stuck for what is now the Baltimore Bend Conservation Area. This one has not been found yet, and remains interred somewhere nearby.

Dover Cemetery

A short distance down the road from there, more family held their ground at the Dover Cemetery. They were not quite so privileged enough to enjoy a shady spot beneath many of the enormous cedars scattered about, but managed to remain well kept.

The primary estate for the family marked the last round of relative visitations. Most enjoyed shade among the cedar grove. Some had done a few repairs to their accouterments, and all had chipped in to install a new front door.

Hicklin Schoolhouse

Other points drew attention along the journey homeward. Hicklin School sits neatly just a block or so from the road. The historic one-room school was built in 1914 and served the immediate area for about 40 years.

Battle of Lexington Battlefield

Battle of Lexington State Historic Site is another opportunity to peer through the lens of history. The more interesting associations were closed, but the Battlefield Trail remained open, and enabled a moment to stretch.

Masonic College Replica in Lexington, Missouri

Around the corner, a quarter scale replica of the original Masonic College building holds the memory of the September 1861 Union Headquarters of Colonel Mulligan during the infamous siege.

Wentworth Military Academy

Owning a history dating nearly as far back as the battle, Wentworth Military Academy sits silently down the block and the around. It is but a shadow of its former self. The halls are empty, statuary has been removed, and only ghosts of the accomplishments of great leaders of the twentieth century remain.

Apparent Lutheran Church in Missouri City

The conclusion of the journey across this particular portion of the once great highway leading from Michigan to Colorado detoured through Missouri City on the promise of an interesting Historical Marker. At the foot of yet another Germanic temple of worship that could have been the historic point itself, two others options were also presented for considerations.

Top:  River Park in Missouri City / Bottom:  Lewis & Clark marker in Missouri City

In these annals, this last situation is a “Hysterical Marker.” Is it the church, the Lewis & Clark placard located at the foot of the church or, last but not least, the notation of 1951 & 1993 flood stages across the street in River Park?