Missouri - 2007
Updated: 11/09/08
We started our trip to Missouri from Fred and Becky's home in Indiana. Just about any place we go, our route passes through Indiana. It might not be this shortest route, but that is where two of the grandchildren are. We met friends leaving from Michigan at a Wal-Mart west of St. Louis. We traveled together from there.
After the HitchHiker Rally in Sedalia, MO - 2007 ended, we stayed in Sedalia with another couple for a few days before moving on to the HitchHiker event called Branson Revisited - 2007. It gave us time to enjoy a couple attractions in the area.
Harry S. Truman Presidential Museum and Library
Bothwell Lodge State Historic Site
Shepherd of the Hills Fish Hatchery
Arriving in Missouri reminded us how we enjoyed our time living in Missouri. While the job (U. S. Army) was not the greatest, the rides in the countryside were beautiful.
Harry S. Truman Presidential Museum and Library
Presidential Libraries are archives and museums, built with private funds but operated by the federal government. They bring together the documents and artifacts of a President and his administration and present them to the public for study and discussion.
The Presidential Library system began in 1939,when President Franklin D. Roosevelt raised private funds and built a library, which he gave to the U.S. government for operation through the National Archives. In 1955, this process became law when the U. S. Congress passed the Presidential Libraries Act.
The Harry S. Truman Presidential Museum and Library is located in Independence, Missouri. Truman was President from 1945 to 1952. During his first days in office he faced some of the most difficult decisions encountered by any president in our history.
We began our tour by viewing both of the introductory films about President Truman and his presidency.
After the films, we entered through a door in the middle of a beautiful mural by Thomas Hart Benton, entitled Independence and the opening of the West.
The replica of Truman's Oval Office was historically correct right down to the Presidential Seal in the ceiling and the original "The Buck Stops Here" sign on the desk.
Several displays detailed the job and responsibilities of a President. (We consider some of these panels important enough to present them without making thumbnails of them.)
Everybody will remember his most quoted saying ... "The Buck Stops Here".
These signs bring home the importance of the decisions our Presidents make.
One room displayed newspapers.
The galleries were identified by the different periods in his terms in office.
Truman's thoughts on Russia.
Another room displayed his legacy.
The Truman Presidential china, flatware, and crystal.
One room contained Time magazine covers from Truman's terms. It was quite a history lesson, both the news items and the advertising.
The use of the atomic bomb was covered extensively. Obviously, it had a tremendous impact on our country and the world.
Included in one of the exhibits were two mini-theaters, called "Decision Theaters", featuring interactive audiovisual products focusing on key decisions President Truman made during his Presidency. They draw you into the drama and complexity surrounding important Presidential decisions by giving you the opportunity to express your views and to vote on whether you agree with what the President chose to do.
This flag was made by Luther Bass, an American serviceman held captive in Tokyo prison of war Camp #8 during World War II. Bass made the flag from parachutes carrying food and clothing dropped to the camp from a B29 bomber on August 26, 1945. Note that the flag appears with its star field at the upper right instead of the upper left, which is proper form. Because the flag is handmade, all the stitch and knots appear on one side. The side you see is the finished side.
We still hear this message from our government.
The lower level had a lighter tone.
This permanent exhibit examines the personal lives of Harry S. Truman and his family.
The Trumans purchased two 1941 Chrysler cars - one was a Royal Club Coupe, the other a Windsor sedan.
The first photograph is Harry's 1941 Royal Club coupe is on display on the
main floor of the library.
The other three photographs are of Bess Truman's 1941 Windsor Sedan. She drove it for 6 years, then sold it to a former neighbor in Washington in 1946.
The lower level also included a special traveling exhibit.
It showed items from several Presidents.
Moving outside to the courtyard, we found a lovely, peaceful garden
area.
President and Mrs. Truman are buried here.
This eternal flame is located across the courtyard from the burial site.
The neighborhood across the road is designated a historic district. It was too late in the day for us to tour the Truman's house. This is the house they lived in after their marriage in 1919 until their deaths.
Not related specifically to Truman . . . this was an interesting chart - "The Changing Presidency".
White box . . . The President in office
Green box . . . Population
Blue box . . . People per square mile
Pink box . . . Federal employees
The amount charged for admission $7 per person. Hours of operation are 9am to 5pm Monday through Saturday. Allow at least 2 hours for your visit.
Bothwell Lodge State Historic Site
The Bothwell Lodge is visible from the freeway. Of course, from its location on the hill, the view from the lodge was great.
The official name of the lodge area is the Bothwell Lodge State Historic Site.
The country retreat of lawyer and businessman John Homer Bothwell was built in four sections from 1897 to 1928. Constructed out of native rock from the estate grounds, the lodge was built over three natural caves. The lodge is furnished much the way Mr. Bothwell left it when he died in 1929.
The tower section was added by Mr. Bothwell as 'his' place. A place to go to be alone and get some work done. He would go here even if he had guests.
The front door . . . The side entrance . . . Approaching the house . . .
The garage, was built in 1917 to house Bothwell's Chandler roadster, was expanded in 1928 to hold four cars and a loft was added as sleeping quarters for chauffeurs.
The interior of the lodge was not finished in luxurious woodwork. It was a very functional house open to his friends even if he was not there.
If Mr. Bothwell was in residence, this flag was flown to tell people.
The lodge was modestly furnished throughout, creating an informal atmosphere that reflected his intentions to use the estate as a recreational retreat for his friends..
He must have liked this style - both bedrooms had the same style dresser and chest.
A small desk was in the main part of the lodge.
On this porch, outside Mr. Bothwell's bedroom, was a folding bed . . .
Note the newspaper used as placemats on the kitchen table. Mr. Bothwell is said to have used newspapers in this way when he lived here.
Mr. Bothwell enjoyed the isolation of the tower. He was president of the Sedalia Board of Trade and the Sedalia National Bank as well as serving as an assistant prosecuting attorney and circuit judge. He represented the Sedalia area for 16 years as a legislator to the Missouri General Assembly.
These radios were displayed. This piano could be played manually like usual or a separate player unit could rattle the keys mechanically.
This wall safe did not look real secure.
Fred remembers his grandmother's house
having these push-button switches.
All of the stone doorways in the house were hand tooled so exposed edges looked the same. All mortar was hand tooled. The tools used were displayed on the workbench in the basement - the hammer for the stone etching and the curved tool for finishing between the blocks of stone.
While the lodge did not have air conditioning, a vent system was built that circulated cool air from the caves under the lodge to the dining room area. When cool air was needed, the lid on the box was raised and the cool air came out the decorative vent in the dining room.
This big boiler provided heat for this huge house.
Electricity was generated in the basement, used in the house and stored in batteries. Modern wires were added at a later date.
Admission to the Bothwell Lodge State Historic Site was $2.50 per person. Tours were only given on the hour because it was the end of the season. A nature trail and picnic facilities are available, but it was raining when we were there so we did not explore them.
The next day we traveled to Branson for the HitchHiker Event - Branson Revisited - 2007. While we usually travel alone, this couple is fun to travel with. It was only 160 miles to Branson but it gave the guys an opportunity to compare performance of their 5.9L Cummins with a 6-speed manual with our 6.7L Cummins with a 6-speed automatic.
Shepherd of the Hills Fish Hatchery
We spent two nights in Branson after the HitchHiker Event ended. We had a couple things we wanted to see before heading toward Arkansas. One place was the Shepherd of the Hills Fish Hatchery. The Dewey Short Visitor Center had displays describing the hatchery function and the fisheries in Missouri.
Outside, they had retained a section of the old hatchery. It was a real life comparison of how the facility had changed.
Today they are used to help control water quality. Fish waste is flushed periodically from the concrete raceways and settles here. The pools are then dried and waste removed. The remaining product is used on the area as a ground conditioner.
The hatchery raises 400,000 pounds or 800,000 ten inch fish trout each year. The cost is about $1.20 per pound. It takes 12-18 months to raise a 10 inch trout. A 10 inch fish weighs 1/2 pound.
To protect the fish from predator birds, wire cage type lids cover the raceways. They have wheels that roll in tracks to expose the raceway for feeding and extraction of the fish. Fresh water is constantly circulated and controlled to keep the water fresh.
Food can be purchased to feed the fish. This little girl threw some food in the water. She stood there waiting for a fish to take the food. She had just walked away when a fish took the food off the surface of the water. Too bad she missed it.
At 5 inches and 7 months old about 90,000 trout can live in a pool. As they grow, the pools become crowded and must be split. When the fish grow to 7 inches the pool is divided into two pools of 45,000. At 9 inches they are thinned to 3 pools of 30,000.
Some large fish are kept as breeding stock. Broodstock are mature fish kept in the hatchery for egg (roe) and sperm (milt) production. Some may weigh 12 pounds. Each female can provide 5,000 eggs once a year. The broodstock is divided into two groups. Some produce "ripe eggs" in the spring and others in the fall. Broodfish are held for 6 to 7 years then are released into Lake Taneycomo. Replacements are chosen from hatchery fish.
Not only is the water circulated to maintain water quality. The raceways are cleaned every two weeks to prevent disease problems. Water levels are slightly lowered and the pools are swept clean - the trout are not moved. Fish waste is diverted to the pollution control ponds through valves at the end of each raceway. When fish are removed and stocked into the river, the pools are sprayed clean and allowed to dry.
We drove across the Table Rock Dam to an overlook on the other side of Lake Taneycomo. (Lake Taneycomo is a river to us but because it has a dam at each end, it meets the definition of a lake.) At one time, the overlook must have been a popular location. Now it is a little overgrown with brush.
However, it did give us a pretty good view of a release area.
And, look who was waiting for the just released fish.
We continued driving down the road leading to an access point. Part way there, we were able to make a better photograph of one of four release locations, called a chute.
A path led to Lake Taneycomo. From the parking lot, we could see fishermen in the lake.
At the end of the path, this sign warns the fishermen that this quiet gentle lake could get unfriendly. The sign tells fisherman to get to high ground if they hear the warning signal. They will have five minutes to leave the area.
Two guys were fishing when we arrived at the shore. It was interesting to watch this one fly casting.
His friend walked out of the river as we arrived for a rest. We talked with him a little before heading back to the truck. Before we left, he posed for this photograph.
Table Rock Dam is located on the White River - forming Table Rock Lake on one side and Lake Taneycomo on the other. The primary purpose of the dam was flood control. The production of electric power is a secondary benefit. The Table Rock Lake has resulted in increased recreational opportunities for the region - a third benefit. The four 18-foot diameter penstocks convey water to four 50,000 kilowatt generating units in the powerhouse.
This fountain near the entrance of the Dewey Short Visitor Center uses water pumped from the lake. The water flows in a trough around the building and back into the lake.
These images were taken from the video shown at the visitor center. They show the ferry previously used and the four turbines in the power plant.
A map at the visitor center shows Table Rock Lake after the dam was in operation.
Another display showed how much water is wasted by a drip.
These are views of Table Rock Lake and the dam from a park east of the dam and from the Dewey Short Visitor Center west of the dam.
The dam rises 252 feet above the riverbed, contains 1,230,000 cubic yards of concrete and 3,320,000 cubic yards of embankment.
Driving north across the dam, the spillway is on the right.
One thing we noticed in Branson was the different shapes and graphics on the water towers all over town.
Just south of Branson this pull-off provided a view back. This is Lake Taneycomo again - the 'river' called a 'lake' because it has a dam at both ends.
We didn't recognize many buildings, but the Shepherd of the Hills Tower in the second photograph.
After our visit to Arkansas, we drove through Missouri again. This time we did not stop in Branson. This time . . . we were heading for Indiana. Rock outcroppings added to the beauty of the terrain.
This bridge in Branson shows the height of the rock the highway was cut through.
Leaving Branson, we again experienced one of several long hills in the Ozarks.
A little farther down the road we saw field after field of pontoon boats and boat trailers waiting for shipment to expectant buyers.
When we were traveling to Branson, our friends pointed Lambert's Cafe out to us as a nice place to eat. They told us that they throw rolls at you. On our way out of Missouri, we stopped for lunch. Footprints led the way.
They were busy when we arrived. However, the waiting groups were called quickly. Fred looked down the aisle to see what going on - couldn't see much.
The ceiling in the dining area was decorated with flags.
If you wanted to leave a message telling them how good your experience was, you wrote on a dollar bill and tacked it the wall.
The person throwing the rolls was a real ham. As soon as he saw Fred with the camera, he posed for the photograph.
This is a portrait of the 'original' roll thrower.
Okay, you are convinced it is a fun place ... and ... the food is very good. Our friends told us not to order a lot of food. The servers come around to each table with "pass-arounds" to sample. We both ordered wings and found out they were all-you-can-eat. They were delicious. And, you did not have to wait very long for additional wings. Prices were very reasonable.
It was a good
experience.
We had a great lunch at Lambert's Cafe, "The Only Home of Throwed
Rolls".
We passed Bob's Gasoline Alley, on east side of I-44 near Sullivan, Missouri . . .
Jefferson Barracks Bridge over the Mississippi River south of St Louis, MO.
Colorful trees along I-64 east just west of Mt Vernon, Illinois.
At our campground that night, the space station was visible crossing the sky. This late at night, we could see it easily, however, the camera had to really strain to see it.
The ride on the roads near Fred and Becky's is very enjoyable. That is, until a school bus appeared and put its lights on. But, never fear, the exhaust brake helped stop our descent.
While we enjoyed our Fall 2007 trip, we were eager to see Fred's family again.