Missouri Life September 2023

SEPTEMBER 2023

THE SPIRIT OF DISCOVERY

Fresh takes on tradition Roadside Markets

4 DAYS OF ADVENTURE 84 SEPTEMBER EVENTS OUR COFFEE CAPITOL 10 MURALS IN 6 TOWNS

DISPLAY UNTIL SEPTEMBER 30

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CONTENTS

September 2023

40

FEATURES 30 Roadside Stands A new generation of entrepreneurs is embracing an old-fashioned idea and reinventing the concept of the roadside market. 36 Magnificent Murals Towns across the state tell the stories of their past and woo intrigued visitors through the oversized art form of murals. 40 50-Mile Adventures 44 The Coffee Kings St. Louis has a surprisingly robust history as a coffee capitol. Pour yourself a cup and meet the men who brewed up a big business. DEPARTMENTS 10 Letters A north Missouri fair stakes its claim to bragging rights and an out-of-state reader becomes a Norton believer. Good conversation, gritty determination, and lots of laughs are on the itinerary for this canoeing, biking, and hiking experience.

COLUMNS 8 My Missouri Life When you lack a knack for growing vegetables in your garden, knowing where to find the freshest produce is the next best thing. Trends may evolve from year to year, but our state’s best wines always rise to the top at the Missouri Wine Competition. 56 Musings on Life How do you choose between candidates who appear to be past their prime? Ron Marr suggests some must-see TV. 58 No Place Like Home What difference does an hour make? Lorry Myers shares the secret for finding fulfillment and forging lasting connections in just one hour a week. 55 Wine Dog

18 Artist

SEPTEMBER 2023

A politically complicated journey brings a marble statue of Missouri Senator Thomas Hart Benton from the United States Capitol to the State Historical Society of Missouri’s art gallery. A University of Missouri professor reminds us that our idea of history is just a blink of the eye as he delves into the concept of deep time. As summer takes her last bows and autumn steps in, our calendar fills up with 84 fairs, festivals, and other events you’ll fall for. Dr. Beth Hakala explains how she, a busy emergency room physician, became a passionate protector of 300 abused and neglected donkeys, horses, and mules.

THE SPIRIT OF DISCOVERY

Fresh takes on tradition Roadside Markets

22 Books

4 DAYS OF ADVENTURE 84 SEPTEMBER EVENTS OUR COFFEE CAPITOL 10 MURALS IN 6 TOWNS ON THE COVER

DISPLAY UNTIL SEPTEMBER 30

12 Discover

$5.99

MISSOURILIFE.COM

A Civil War battlefield is set to get a prestigious national designation, and a new book showcases a colorful history. Nawab’s Indian Cuisine delights Springfield area diners with enticing and sometimes surprising flavors. National Audio Company has found success as one of only a few companies that still manufacture cassette tapes.

63 Events Calendar

Erma Evans of Three Chicks & Co. sells eggs at the Gower area business she runs with

14 Find Dining

her two older sisters. COVER PHOTO: LAURA EVANS

74 Conversation

DREAM, EXPLORE, & DISCOVER

16 Made in Missouri

MISSOURI LIFE, Vol. 50, No.6, 2023 (USPS#020181; ISSN#1525-0814) Published eight times a year in January, March, May, June, July, September, October, and November by Missouri Life Inc., PO Box 57, 208 Columbia Street, Rocheport, MO 65279 for $21.99. Periodicals Postage paid at Rocheport, Missouri, and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Missouri Life, PO Box 57, Rocheport, MO 65279. © 2023 Missouri Life. All rights reserved.

JOHN URHAHN

5 / SEPTEMBER 2023

CONTENT BY LOCATION

THE SPIRIT OF DISCOVERY PO Box 57, 208 Columbia St., Rocheport, MO 65279 Info@MissouriLife.com MissouriLife.com SUBSCRIBE MissouriLife.com MissouriLife@PCSPublink.com 1-800-492-2593 PUBLISHER Greg Wood EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Danita Allen Wood EDITORIAL AND ART EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Sandy Selby CREATIVE DIRECTOR Dan Bishop SPECIAL PROJECTS EDITOR Peg Cameron Gill 573-514-5453 CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Paul Cecchini, Matt Crossman, Glory Fagan, Daniel Pliska, Deborah Reinhardt, Susan Atteberry Smith, Joan Stack, Evan Wood, Larry Wood Columnists Doug Frost, Ron Marr, Lorry Myers CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS AND ILLUSTRATORS Paul Cecchini, Glory Fagan, Merit Myers, Susan Atteberry Smith MARKETING DIRECTOR OF SALES AND MARKETING Deborah Marshall, 573-514-5453 ADVERTISING AND MARKETING REPRESENTATIVES Steve Belko, St. Louis, 636-980-0926 Mary Leonard Bullington, Kansas City, 816-868-7498 Mike Gonitzke, Springfield/Southwest, 901-826-6911 Mary Hiatt, St. Louis, 402-672-9449 ADVERTISING COORDINATOR Amy Stapleton, 573-514-5453 OTHER MEDIA MISSOURILIFE.COM, MISSOURI LIFE TV, FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, TWITTER, MISSOURI LIFELINES, DIGITAL EDITION DIGITAL MEDIA Digital Managers Javeed Shaikh, Heidi Strong Social Media Siena Juhlin BUSINESS Business & Strategy Consultant Jerry Croft Circulation Management NPS Media Accounting Beyond Your Books

Fulton, 63 Gower, 35 Grain Valley, 34 Hamilton, 70 Hannibal, 38, 39, 68 Hermann, 42, 43 Hollister, 64 Independence, 20, 70 Jadwin, 66 Jefferson City, 18, 63 Joplin, 37, 38, 39, 64 Kahoka, 68 Kansas City, 12, 19, 20, 38, 39, 55, 70

Moberly, 68 Mokane, 42 Neosho, 64 New Haven, 41, 42, 43 Newtonia, 12 Pacific, 68

Altenburg, 66 Arrow Rock, 12, 70 Asbury, 64 Blue Springs, 70 Boonville, 10, 63 Bowling Green, 68

Perryville, 66 Plattsburg, 18 Poplar Bluff, 66 Rolla, 24, 66 Salem, 66 Sedalia, 63

Branson, 64 Braymer, 70

Brookfield, 70 Camdenton, 63 Cape Girardeau, 38, 66 Carl Junction, 64 Chamois, 33, 66 Chesterfield, 68 Chillicothe, 38, 39, 70 Clayton, 68 Clinton, 24 Cole Camp, 63, 74 Columbia, 18, 20, 33, 63 Cottleville, 41 Cuba, 37, 38 Defiance, 42 Diamond, 64 Dutzow, 42 Eminence, 66 Excelsior Springs, 70 Festus, 68 Fredericktown, 18

Seymour, 64 Sikeston, 66 Springfield, 14, 16, 24, 37, 39, 64 St. James, 55, 66 St. Joseph, 18, 31 St. Louis, 10, 18, 19, 24, 41, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48 Ste. Genevieve, 66 Steelville, 66 Tebbetts, 63 Warrensburg, 32 Warsaw, 63 Washington, 41, 42, 43

Kearney, 70 Kennett, 66 Kirksville, 68 Kirkwood, 48 Lebanon, 63 Liberty, 70 Lincoln, 63 Linn, 33, 34 Malta Bend, 12 Mansfield, 10 Maplewood, 68 Marshall, 70 Memphis, 10 Lee’s Summit, 70 Lexington, 70, 74

Wentzville, 68 West Plains, 66 Wright City, 68

time travelers wanted!

Lexington Old Homes Tour September 23 & 24, 2023 $25 per person A journey through history! Guided tours and fabulous story lines of several unique historic properties in Lexington plus free admittance to 3 local museums. While you're here, explore Lexington's downtown shopping, restaurants and our other historic attractions & sites. Join us!

FIND US ONLINE

UPCOMING EVENTS Old West OctoberFest Pink Friday Festival of Lights

Oct. 7 Nov. 17 Dec. 1

www.visitlexingtonmo.com

6 / MISSOURILIFE.COM

7 / SEPTEMBER 2023

MY MISSOURI LIFE

More Vegetables, Please I’VE CONFESSED TO YOU BEFORE THAT I AM A POOR GARDENER, and my incompetence is not limited to flowers. I am equally adept at killing vegetables. I grew up on a small farm with a huge vegetable gar den. My mom would lovingly tend rhubarb, strawber ries, sweet corn, tomatoes, green beans, okra, peppers, you name it. I’m a bit ashamed as I look back now and realize how little help I gave to her in this endeavor. Some of her horticulture skills might have rubbed off on me if I had paid attention. Instead, I did the mini mum required to earn my allowance, and that usually involved picking the vegetables. I was always more interested in picking things I liked to eat, so I didn’t mind running down the hill to the garden to gather some okra or corn. But green beans … they were tasty enough, I guess, when mom cooked them with onions and bacon, but picking them seemed like an endless chore. How many green bean plants were needed to sustain a family of four? Surely not as many as we had. Every one of those plants yielded what seemed like buckets of beans and the arduous work of picking was just the first part of the process. Picking was followed by snapping, which was just as time-consuming but a lot more fun because it could be done inside the air-conditioned house in front of the television. Mom took over from there. She canned dozens and dozens of quarts of green beans every year. I watched from afar but was not invited to help because of the dangers of pressure cookers and boiling water. By the time I was old enough to be of actual assistance, I was occupied with my busy teenage life. These days, my vegetable gardening is limited to a few heirloom tomato plants I nurtured from seeds purchased from Mansfield’s Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds. Their Whole Seed Catalog convinces aspirational gardeners, even me, that they have the chops to grow something amazing. As of this writing, my little tomato crop is hanging in there. Although I won’t venture outside my tomato comfort zone, there is a roadside spot I go to for the vegetables I would grow if I had the know-how and patience.

Will my fancy heirloom tomatoes ripen before tragedy strikes? The odds are against them.

There’s a roadside stand on Boonville’s Main Street, much like the ones we talk about in this issue, that offers up crates full of the freshest, most colorful home-grown produce you’ve ever seen. When I stopped last week to get a handful of peppers and a watermelon, I found myself pausing in front of the green beans. Sure, I could pick up some frozen green beans at the store and heat them up in a jiffy in the microwave, but these beans were singing a siren song. I was overwhelmed with nostalgia. Besides, the farmer had done the worst part of the job— standing out in the summer heat picking those beans one at a time. I could get all that amazing, fresh-picked flavor and none of the heat stroke. I ended up buying more green beans than Marty and I would need, but I wanted to revisit the best parts of the process. I would plop down on the floor in front of the TV and snap those beans (although getting back up takes a little longer these days) and then cook them up with some bacon and onions. I doubt I’ll start a canning hobby at this point in my life, but my mouth waters at the memory of Mom’s green beans, served up in the dead of winter because she put in all those hours of work in the heat of summer. I am awestruck by those who can coax delicious things from the garden and grateful when those veggies make their way to my plate.

SANDY SELBY EDITOR-IN CHIEF Sandy@MissouriLife.com

SANDY SELBY

8 / MISSOURILIFE.COM

Explore It's Time To

Mexico, Missouri Mainstreet of the Midwest

September

9 Audrain County Relay for Life, Downtown City Square 10 National Grandparents' Day, Scattering Fork Outdoor Center 10 Find Paw Paws Day, Scattering Fork Outdoor Center 16 Movie in the Park (Disney’s Jungle Cruise ), Hardin Park 17 Barn B-Q Dinner/Auction, Simmons’ Stable 23 – 24 Walk Back In Time, Audrain County Historical Society 23 – 24 Simmons’ Stable Tours, Simmons’ Stable 30 Echo’s Concert, Presser Arts Center

5 Moonlight Madness - Downtown Village Square 6 – 8 & 13-15 Blithe Spirit Production - Presser Arts Center 17 ACCIS Fall Into Fashion - 26 Girls' Night Out - Downtown Village Square October

1-3 Little Mermaid Production - Presser Arts Center 2 Holiday Parade - Downtown Village Square 8-10 Little Mermaid Production - Presser Arts Center December

Promotional Funding Provided By The Mexico Tourism Tax

LETTERS FROM ALL OVER

You Write Them. We Print Them.

WHO’S THE FAIREST? I’m writing about what might be a contender for an even longer running fair than the Platte County Fair featured in your July/August 2023 article [ “Come to the Fair” by Susan Atteberry Smith ]. According to Missouri Genealogy Trails written by L.P. Roberts of Memphis, Missouri, the Scotland County Agricultural and Mechanical Association petitioned the Scotland County Court to become incorporated in 1856. Since then, the Scotland County Fair has been held continuously, except for disruptions due to the Civil War. It was also cancelled in 2020 during the pandemic, but parents and volunteers came together to hold livestock shows for the 4-H and FFA youth. During the heyday of our fair in the early 20th century, records indicate more than 10,000 visitors, including presidential hopefuls, famous aviators, and Scotland County’s very own Ella Ewing, “The Tallest Woman in the World” at 8 foot 4½ inches tall. Some nearby county fairs in Iowa boast even longer running fairs than ours. As a northern tier county in extreme northeast Missouri, it makes sense that Scotland County followed the trend set by their Iowa neighbors. —Trinity Davis, Memphis A NOD TO NORTON Growing up in Missouri in the ’80s, I thought Missouri wines were more the punch line of a joke than anything to be taken seriously. Now, having lived in Pennsylvania for the last 26 years, my trips to Missouri are few and far between, and very seldom do I get a chance to

MAKE ’EM LAUGH I am writing to thank you [ “Musings on Life” by Ron Marr ] for giving me the gift of laughter. Yesterday, I was trying to think of what made me laugh, and the only consolation was my dear little cat, who is really very funny by nature, and also, the many sweet creatures that live among the trees in my backyard. I don’t see a lot of laughter in others, although some do. And then this morning, your column came to mind and yes, glory days, it does make me laugh and I am so grateful for that wonderful gift of funny. —Kathleen, St. Louis CORRECTION In Ron Marr’s “Musings” [ July/August 2023 ], an editing error replaced “AR-15” with “automatic model.” Ron points out that despite how it is often portrayed in the press, an AR-15 is not an automatic rifle. The general public may purchase automatic rifles, but doing so is a com plicated process that requires, among other things, the purchase of a special tax stamp and a thorough ATF back ground check with a typical process time of 8 to 10 months. Here is Ron’s original column: MissouriLife.com/ron-marr-vs the-smartphone . We regret the error.

Wine expert Doug Frost touts the quality of Missouri’s Norton wines and wins a new fan.

sample some of Missouri’s current wine offerings. But on my recent trip “back home,” and prompted by Doug’s constant insistence that Norton wines are really good, [ “Wine Dog” by Doug Frost ] I had a bottle of a 2018 Norton from White Mule Winery. I was immediately hooked and bought a second bottle to take with me. I proceeded to share it with three of my red wine-drinking friends who couldn’t get enough of it. There wasn’t quite a row over the last dregs, but I did have to ration out the last sips. Doug, your persistence has paid off. —David W. Walker, Palmyra, Pennsylvania

WRITE TO US Info@MissouriLife.com

FACEBOOK /MissouriLifeMagazine TWITTER @MissouriLife INSTAGRAM @MissouriLifeMag Missouri Life

PO Box 57, 208 Columbia Street Rocheport, MO 65279 Missouri Life

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DISCOVER

Storied History This month, we look to the past to find people and places that inspire us today.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE We invite readers to share stories about the men and women in their families who have served or still serve in the military or as first responders. The November/ December issue of Missouri Life will feature a special Hon or Roll section. Learn how to reserve a place on the Honor Roll by visiting MissouriLife 2 Our editor-in-chief’s father, H.W. “Doc” Killian, was a pilot during World War II and the Korean Conflict.

1

STYLE STATEMENT Acclaimed interior designer Kelee Katillac’s new book, written by author Jorge Arango and published by Missouri Life , is set to debut in October. The book, which features hundreds of pho .com/honor-roll or calling 573-514-5453 for details, pricing, and deadlines. A portion of proceeds from this special section will be donated to help veterans.

The Mathew H. Ritchey House, part of the Civil War battleground site at Newtonia, served as a hospital during two battles in that town.

NEWTONIA GETS NATIONAL DESIGNATION Thanks to legislation spearheaded by former US Senator Roy Blunt and recently passed by Congress, the Civil War battlegrounds at Newtonia will soon become part of the US Park Service as a satellite of Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield. “We’re looking forward to it,” says Tom Higdon, charter member of the nonprofit Newtonia Battlefields Protection Association. “The main reason we wanted this to happen, besides the marvelous job the National Park System does at preserving historic sites, is perpetuity.” Higdon explains that most of the active members of the NBPA are getting older and are pleased that the battlegrounds will be pre served long after he and other longtime members are gone. Sarah Cunningham, superintendent of Wilson’s Creek, echoes Higdon’s sentiment. “The National Park Service appreciates the dedicated hard work over the last 30 years from the NBPA and its members. They’ve done a great job in preserving the site and we look forward to working with them and the community as this moves forward.” The transfer will be a gradual process that takes place over the next two or three years. —Larry Wood

HISTORIC STYLE

Kelee Katillac Honoring the Past with Design for Today

Jorge Arango FOREWORD BY ANTHONY BARZILAY-FREUND Photographed by Aaron Leimkuehler & Others

tographs of Kelee’s innovative designs, is available for presale now on Amazon.com and will be a featured title this fall in the Missouri Life Mercantile. Anchored by the Henry Blosser House and Barn in Malta Bend, the book also includes properties in Kansas City and Arrow Rock and national architectural treasures such as Montpelier, Monticello, and Mount Vernon. Kelee’s recolorings of historic wall paper designs for Adelphi Paperhangings take center stage, and she hopes to inspire readers to be brave

3

with color in their own homes. But she also chal lenges readers to consider those who are often overlooked when we tell the stories of America’s most celebrated homes.

LARRY WOOD, SANDY SELBY, AARON LEIMKUEHLER

12 / MISSOURILIFE.COM

Experience The Charm of Carroll County!

The Carroll County Chamber of Commerce invites you to escape the hustle and bustle of the city and experience the perfect weekend getaway. Come discover historic downtown, explore quaint shops, and immerse yourself in the beauty of our countryside. We invite you to come join in the laughter and fun at one of our many county events. From the colorful Kite Festival to the lively Soybean Festival, and from the Festive Lighted Christmas Parade to the enchanting Holiday Market, there is something for everyone. Make sure to join us for a refreshing evening at "Sippin' on the Square" this Fall and soak in the vibrant atmosphere of our community! events. From the colorful Kite Festival to

Saturday, September 16, 2023 on the Historic Carrollton Town Square from 4 to 11pm.

Mercantile

Shirley's Shoes & Boots

Carroll County Historical Museum

Lavender Tea Room Mercantile (660) 322-5044 8 W Benton St, Carrollton, MO 6463 3 Over 30 vendors featuring crafts, baby and faith-based items, candy and pecan booths. Also featuring local wines, old-fashioned ice cream and deli.

Carroll County Historical Museum (816) 804-0089 510 N Mason St, Carrollton, MO 6463 3 Inside the museum you will find depictions of the homes, government, schools, church, and general business life in the early days of Carroll County. The period furniture, clothing, an early 1800's log cabin, early farm equipment and a barn are also on display.

Enjoy the most unique shopping experience on three floors of the latest men's and women's fashions plus accessories, featuring quality leather boots, shoes, and handbags. Extraordinary personalized service. Shirley's Shoes & Boots (660) 542-0961 14 W Benton St, Carrollton, MO 6463 3

Glenda's

Burger Bar

Burger Bar (660) 542-3393 814 S Main St, Carrollton, MO 64633 Home of world famous beef burgers and the best ice cream on the planet! This iconic staple has been serving visitors and residents alike since 1950.

Glenda's Creative Corner (660) 542-1321 14 S Folger St, Carrollton, MO 6463 3 Step into this quaint little shop on the historic Carrollton Square to discover a world of unique home decor and thoughtful gifts. Let Glenda and her staff help your creativity shine!

Located in a charming, historic home on 65 Hwy. Known for their carrot cake, chicken salad, wines, mimosas, and a wide variety of teas. Lavender Tea Room (816) 808-9899 900 N US Highway 65, Carrollton, MO 6463 3

FIND DINING

Spice of Life Indulge in the alluring

flavors of Nawab’s. STORY & PHOTOS Chef Daniel Pliska

makes it more flavorful and succulent. On the side of these two dishes, I had a traditional garlic Naan that had also been baked in a tandoor and was served warm and slightly smoky. Krish is originally from New Delhi, where he began his education in the restaurant business before traveling abroad to Melbourne, Australia, continu ing for a short stint in Germany, then settling in the United States. After managing other restaurants in Springfield, he made the decision to open his own. He came up with the name of Nawab’s and told me the idea originated with his sister. In India, the name conjures associations with splendor and royalty. Nawab equates to a viceroy and historically was used for a ruling prince or large landowner during ancient times in the reign of the Mughals. Krish is proud that his menu offers tastes of his homeland and features special types of street foods popular in New Delhi along with Indo-Chinese fusion dishes coming from the border region of Tibet and Nepal. Among the popular menu offerings are a type of Indian/Chinese dumplings known as momos . The stuffed, street food favorites differ from their Chinese counterparts because the dough is made from rice flour instead of the wheat flour used in the Chinese style. They are served steamed or fried, and according to Krish, are not served anywhere else in the city. The restaurant has a full bar that serves a wide vari ety of premium cocktails and specialty nonalcoholic drinks. Krish recommended that I try the carbonated, cumin-scented Jeera, which I would describe as slightly sweet, salty, and sour. It was a refreshing contrast to the spicy, flavorful food. On another occasion, while on a dinner date with my wife, I had Nawab’s mango lassi —a fruit and yogurt beverage. There’s also an Indian soda made with lime and mint. Nawab’s is destination dining for those who enjoy the multilayered flavors of this global cuisine. With spice levels ranging from mild to devilishly hot, Nawab’s authentic Indian food will please every palate.

I

ndian cuisine is perhaps one of the most underrepre sented global cuisines in this state. With that in mind, I set my sights on Nawab’s Indian Cuisine, a unique restaurant situated in southwest Springfield. It features exotic flavors with a vast array of spices and cooking styles from the Indian sub-continent. Nawab’s arrived on the Springfield scene about a year and a half ago. It is an à la carte restaurant with an intimate, warmly lit dining room adorned with inter esting Indian accouterments. India is the second most populated country in the world, with ancient traditions and a multitude of culinary options and flavors. On a recent lunch, I sat down with the Chef/Owner Krish Verma and was served some of Nawab’s more popular dishes. The first dish was a light appetizer called Bhelpuri Chaat, a Delhi street food made with puffed rice and flavored with mint and tamarind chut ney, topped with gram flour (a chickpea-based flour) vermicelli. I have read that it is also a popular beach snack in Mumbai, and I found it to be flavorful, slightly sweet, and tangy. Next came the main course of Tandoori Murgh, which is commonly known as tandoori chicken. I requested that mine be mildly spiced. The dish, which is a specialty of Northern India, was served on a siz zling hot platter with onions and cabbage. It was very moist, unlike other tandoori dishes I have had in the past, and came with a small side of cilantro mint chut ney. The enticing flavors of layered spices in the dish were enhanced through baking in a traditional tandoor clay oven. Krish says they use fried mustard seed oil as well as yogurt in the marination of this dish, which

Clockwise from left, Tandoori Murgh, known to American diners as tandoori chicken, is marinated in yogurt and fried mustard seed oil, then baked in a clay oven. Bhelpuri Chaat is a popular Delhi street food that has become a favorite among the restaurant’s customers. Krish Verma is Nawab’s owner and chef.

CHEF DANIEL PLISKA is a certified executive chef and author. He teaches culinary arts at Ozarks Technical Community College in Springfield.

Visit Nawab’s at 3654 S. Campbell Ave., Springfield.

14 / MISSOURILIFE.COM

Devils Well

Montauk State Park

Rodeo Sept 2–3

Dent County Museum

Shawnee Mac Lakes

15 / SEPTEMBER 2023

MADE IN MO

ost people would have declared the audio cassette industry dead for decades, but the format has enjoyed a resurgence in recent years. For National Audio Company, cassettes never went away. One of only three big cassette manufacturers left on the planet, the Springfield-based company, which began in 1968, can produce upward of 100,000 tapes a week. “We make enough tape every month and a half to go to the moon and back,” says NAC Vice-President Phil Stepp. In a world dominated by digital music, why exactly are so many people returning to an older music format? Phil explains that with digital music, “You’re getting one frequency every millisecond. With tape or vinyl, you can get an infinite number of frequencies each millisecond. You get harmonics that way. That’s why people say analog recordings sound better, more real, than a digital recording.” Steve Stepp, founder of NAC, describes himself as “an unrepentant tape guy.” He has been working with cassettes for more than 50 years. “It’s the best format invented as far as I’m concerned,” he says. “It’s very dura ble, almost bulletproof. You can’t say that for a CD or vinyl record. Digital music is so over-processed. That’s one of the reasons people are going back to vinyl and tape.” Even during the CD’s domination of the music industry in the ’90s, NAC remained busy with cassettes, crafting them for indie bands, religious organizations, books-on-tape projects, and court systems. Every aspect of the cassette-making process at NAC is done from scratch, from the tape to shell to packaging and artwork, within the company’s five-story building in downtown Springfield. NAC’s willingness to stick faithfully to the cassette format has paid big dividends. After everyone jumped ship to CDs, most companies and record labels like Sony, Disney, and Universal either scrapped, stored, or sold off their cassette-making equip ment for whatever they could get. Their loss was NAC’s gain. Now, these companies pay NAC to manufacture Rewind the Tape A Springfield company keeps cassettes playing. STORY & PHOTOS Paul Cecchini M

cassettes for them—often on the same machines they originally sold to NAC. Much of the machinery is from the 1960s and is no longer manufactured. Thankfully, if any need repairs, NAC has stockpiled enough spare parts to keep the machines running for decades. The tape is manufactured and varnished via an iron oxide mixture, which is coated onto a base film and sent

through 48 feet of ovens. Temperatures are monitored and adjusted daily to account for atmospheric conditions such as temperature, humidity, and barometric pressure, which can have an adverse effect on the tape. The tape is polished, allowing it to have better contact with a tape player’s recording or playback head, then slit into multiple strands and loaded into cassette shells. Finally, the cassettes are checked for quality, encased, wrapped, packed, and sent to shipping via conveyor belt. “There’s a thousand ways it can go wrong,” Steve says. “There’s only one way it can go right, and that’s what we have to do every day. There is a very small margin of error in everything we do.” As the cassette industry continues to thrive, so does National Audio Company—even more than the media might report. “One of the Nielsen ratings reports said there were 20,000 cassettes per year made for the music business. The day that came out, we had just shipped 60,000,” Steve says with a grin.

From top, rolls of slit tape are ready for insertion into cassette shells. National Audio Company employee Barb Jilek checks a pack of Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3 soundtrack tapes for quality. The vintage machinery required to make cassettes is kept in tip-top shape. NAC operates out of a five-story building in downtown Springfield.

16 / MISSOURILIFE.COM

kansascityzoo.org | 816-595-1234 SOBELA OCEAN AQUARIUM - NOW OPEN!

Your trail for

begins here! haunted history

17 / SEPTEMBER 2023

ARTIST

Mr. Benton Comes from Washington A sculpture leaves Statuary Hall for a new home in Columbia. STORY Joan Stack

B

etween 1899 and 2022, the seven-and-a-half-foot marble effigy of Missouri Senator Thomas Hart Benton watched over Statuary Hall in the United States Capitol. The flesh-and-blood senator first entered the Capitol in 1821, the year Missouri became a state. Known as “Old Bullion,” he championed currency backed by gold and silver, as well as the development of western states and territories. He was the first senator to serve six terms, and it was fitting that his sculptural likeness should spend the 20th century in the building he fre quented in the 19th. In 2023, the sculpted senator’s tenure in Washington ended, as Benton’s stone likeness left the Capitol and journeyed 900 miles west to a new home in the Center for Missouri Studies in Columbia. He now stands looking westward over the State Historical Society of Missouri’s famed art gallery. The story of the sculpture’s commission began in July 1864, when Congress decided to reconfigure the former chamber of the US House of Representatives. Congress asked the president to invite each state to sub mit sculptures of two of its most distinguished citizens to decorate the new Statuary Hall. Missouri Governor Thomas Fletcher suggested allocating money for the sculptures in his farewell address of 1869, but it was not until 1895 that the state appropriated $12,000 to commission statues of two Missourians, both of whom had served in Congress: former Senators Thomas Hart Benton and Francis P. Blair. On May 7, 1895, a commission of Missourians from around the state, which included the sitting governor, William J. Stone, was organized to decide who should create the sculptures. The committee consisted of Governor Stone, Judge Oliver M. Spencer of St. Joseph, General Odon Guitar of Columbia, Colonel Peter Foy of St. Louis, Benjamin B. Cahoon of Fredericktown, and Colonel James H. Birch Jr. of Plattsburg. Eager to be considered for the commission, the Ohio-born, New York sculptor, Alexander Doyle, traveled to Jefferson City

and appeared before the commission during their May 7 meeting. Doyle, who had Missouri ancestors, would be one of four sculptors to submit models for consideration by the committee later that year. Doyle first won the commission to sculpt the Frank P. Blair statue in June 1895. The St. Louis Globe-Democrat reported that some of Missouri’s leading sculptors resented Doyle and had suggested that the awardee’s

JOAN STACK Author Joan Stack is the Curator of Art Collections, The State Historical Society of Missouri, at Columbia.

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previous work indicated that he would be unlikely to “do credit to the state of Missouri.” Nevertheless, in October, Doyle won the commission for the Benton sculpture, too. Both figures were to be carved from the finest Carrara marble. After nearly three years of work, Doyle brought the sculptures to Washington, DC, and installed them in Statuary Hall on December 4, 1897. The installation came as a surprise to the Missouri commissioners who hired Doyle. According to a December 10, 1897, report in the St. Louis Globe-Democrat , Governor William Stone com plained to the paper about the situation: “I was certainly surprised when I read in the Globe-Democrat that Sculptor Doyle had placed the Benton and Blair statues in position in Statuary Hall. [H]is actions are certainly premature. The members of the commission have never seen these statues. I can’t say if the work will be accepted or not. But what if the commission does not accept the work? Mr. Doyle will be left in a most unpleasant situation.” Stone told the newspaper that the commission planned to travel to Washington to see the sculptures in situ . The Globe-Democrat reported that the commissioners met with Doyle and examined the sculptures in Statuary Hall on January 18, 1898. Other interested Missourians were also present, and the consensus was that the depic tion of Francis P. Blair was a more successful likeness than that of Benton. Ultimately, although many observ ers were under the impression that Senator Benton was “a much larger man than the statue suggested,” it was

Far left, a young visitor to the art gallery at the Center for Missouri Studies takes a photo of the newly arrived sculpture of Senator Thomas Hart Benton. Lower left, Statuary Hall in the United States Capitol features likenesses of leading citizens from all 50 states and is a popular site for receptions and speeches. At top, Sculptor Alexander Doyle, shown here in his studio in 1894 working on an unidentified bust, was commissioned to create statues of Senators Thomas Hart Benton and Francis P. Blair. Above, Missouri Governor William Stone headed the commission that selected the artist

agreed that Doyle had endowed the effigy with an atti tude that was suitably “suggestive of Old Bullion’s defi ant bearing.” In the end, the commission accepted both sculptures. Over the years, the Benton sculpture moved around Statuary Hall as new sculptures arrived from other states. Originally, Old Bullion stood between bronze effigies of Presidents George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, but by 1910, he and Blair had been moved next to one another. Eventually Statuary Hall became crowded, with sculptures sometimes arranged three-deep around the chamber. On October 17, 1934, The Kansas City Star reported that the Architect of the Capitol had decided that the collective weight of the statues jeopardized the structure of the building. Henceforth, each state could have only one effigy in the Hall. A Library of Congress committee decided that Senator Thomas Hart Benton should stay, while Frank P. Blair would find a home else where in the Capitol. For the next six decades Benton remained in the Hall, but on June 21, 1999, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that Missouri Senator John Ashcroft publicly suggested replacing either the Benton or Blair sculpture with one of President Harry S. Truman. The proposal was slow to gain traction, in part because from the time Statuary Hall was created, no state had ever asked to substitute one effigy with another. In 2000, a law was passed allowing states to replace artwork gifted to Statuary Hall. Kansas

and ultimately approved the finished Statuary Hall sculptures representing Missouri.

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ARTIST

was the first to take advantage of the opportunity, asking to exchange the sculpture of relatively obscure 19th- century Kansas governor George Washington Glick with one of former president Dwight D. Eisenhower. In 2002, Missouri’s General Assembly passed a res olution signed by Governor Bob Holden to request that Truman replace Blair in the capitol. In July 2009, Missouri Governor Jay Nixon formally requested the change and received permission from the Architect of the Capitol. Over the course of the next few years, Congressman Emanuel Cleaver, a Democrat whose dis trict included Truman’s home in Independence, worked to raise interest in collecting funds for the presidential sculpture, and the Truman Library Institute spearheaded the campaign. Controversy erupted in 2018, when The Kansas City Star reported on April 9 that a delegation of Missouri’s Congressional Republicans wanted the sculpture of Francis P. Blair, who began his career as one of Missouri’s first elected Republicans, to stay in the capitol so that the state’s representative statuary remained biparti san. (Benton, like Truman, was a Democrat.) In 2018, Missouri’s General Assembly passed a resolution sup ported by Governor Eric Greitens to replace Benton rather than Blair, with Truman. After Greitens resigned

From left, artist Tom Corbin’s bronze sculpture of President Harry S. Truman now represents Missouri in the US Capitol. It took careful planning and handling to move the 5,500-pound marble statue of Senator Thomas Hart Benton and set it in place at the State Historical Society of Missouri in Columbia.

at the beginning of June, the measure was vetoed by Governor Mike Parson that same month. Parson’s reason for vetoing the resolution was that it mistakenly iden tified the Statuary Hall sculpture of Benton as a rep resentation of the artist Thomas Hart Benton, rather than the senator. (The artist was the senator’s great- grandnephew.) The measure was reintroduced and signed by Parson in 2019, with the correct Benton iden tified. During that year, the State Historical Society of Missouri, a state agency, was identified as the future home for the Senator Benton sculpture. On September 29, 2022, Kansas City sculptor Tom Corbin’s bronze sculpture of Harry S. Truman was installed in the United States Capitol. The Benton sculp ture was removed and brought to Kansas City, where it was stored during the holidays. In late February 2023, the 5,500-pound marble artwork arrived in Columbia and now dominates the east end of the State Historical Society of Missouri’s art gallery. Senator Benton shares the space with paintings by his great-grandnephew and namesake. While Old Bullion might have been disappointed to learn that his likeness had left the nation’s capital, it has found an appropriate new home, surrounded by Missouri’s historic cultural treasures. Welcome home, Senator!

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When the journey is this nice, you almost forget about the destination. (Almost)

BOOKS

Tick of the Clock A University of Missouri professor’s new book broadens our definition of deep time. REVIEW Evan Allen Wood

By now it’s almost a truism that the history of humans on Earth is so miniscule compared to the history of the planet itself that, if that history were represented by 24 hours, the first appearance of our species to now would account for mere seconds. The historical record as we know it would probably need a smaller unit of time to be quantified. This concept of the goings-on on Earth before our arrival is best known as deep time, a term that applies to the almost unfathomable scale—millions and billions of years—on which the tectonic events of this planet (to say nothing of the cosmos in general) have transpired. Although we often associate this concept with geology, a new book by Curators’ Distinguished Professor of English at the University of Missouri Noah Heringman may change that perception. Deep Time: A Literary History proposes to broaden the possible applications of the term deep time by exploring its appearances in works of philosophy, poetry, and naturalism from before geology had come into its own as a discipline. The book pays particular attention to writers, including the poet William Blake and naturalists Charles Darwin and the Comte de Buffon. By pointing out that the concept of deep time (sometimes also referred to as “the abyss of time”) Heringman invites us on a philosophical, mind-broadening journey. As Heringman states in the introduction: “The metaphor ‘deep time’ has a wider purchase and a longer history than the modern-day [Geological Time Scale].” Deep Time is certainly an academic study and may feel too cerebral or dry for the tastes of the average reader, but it is not nearly as bogged down by verbiage as the most trying examples of academic writing tend to be. Furthermore, because of the book’s interest in the way our present epoch—sometimes referred to as anthropocene—blurs the line between human and natural history, it may appeal to any non-academic reader interested in that time-honored practice of better understanding the present by exploring the past.

DEEP TIME: A LITERARY HISTORY Noah Heringman, 320 pages, non fiction, Princeton University Press, softcover, 6 x 91∕₄ inches, $35.

THE PUBLISHERS

THREE REASONS TO FALL FOR FULTON

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Now Accepting Presale Orders!

HISTORIC STYLE

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Kelee Katillac Honoring the Past with Design for Today

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Louisiana Colorfest October 21-22, 2023 On Historic Georgia Street

Louisiana, MO is home to Pike County's largest festival. This year’s theme is Making Waves. Colorfest features a parade, duck races, cornhole, sidewalk chalk competitions, a kids’ activity area, beauty pageant, vendors, food trucks, beard and baby contests, and live bands.

Contact Louisiana, MO Chamber of Commerce for more information at 573-253-5201 or email: lamochamber@gmail.com or go to VisitLouisianaMo.com.

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BOOKS

Connected Through Time Missouri authors explore pastimes and times past.

MY GRANDPA, MY TREE, AND ME, Roxanne Troup (author) and Kendra Binney (illustrator), 36 pages, children’s liter ature, Yeehoo Press, hardcover, (8 ⅜ by 11 inches), $17.99. This charming tale of a special pecan tree and the bond between a grandfather and his granddaughter also subtly educates young listeners about pecans. MY NATIONAL PARK DIET, Jeremy White, 355 pages, trav el memoir, self-published, hardcover, (6 ¼ by 9 ¼ inches), $25. The author grew up at Clinton and obtained a chemical engineering degree at Rolla. When he found himself desperate to lose 48 pounds, Jeremy hatched a plan to visit and hike in all national parks in the 48 contiguous states. He has written

NEWSPAPER WOMAN OF THE OZARKS, Susan Croce Kelly, 254 pages, biography, The University of Arkansas Press, softcover, (6 by 9 inches), $20.96. This in-depth look at Lucile Morris Upton, a longtime reporter and columnist at various Springfield newspapers, was written by someone with access to inside sto ries, because Lucile was her great-aunt. The author

The author grew up at Clinton, along Missouri waterways.

was also a reporter at Springfield News-Leader , where Lucile also had been a reporter. A book signing event is scheduled for 7 PM, September 7, at the Springfield Greene County Library Center. THE ST. LOUIS CARDINALS, Ed Wheatley, 55 pages, nonfiction, Reedy Press, softcover, (8 1 ⁄2 by 11 inches), $17. Everything you need to know about Cardinals baseball, from 1800s to today, is gathered by the author, who is the president of the St. Louis Browns Historical Society and Fan Club as well as a leader at both the Greater St. Louis Amateur Baseball Hall of Fame and the St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame.

a fascinating account of his visits, which includes how his trivia game-playing and knowledge helped him pass ahead on one trail, getting stuck in the mud on another, and the tragic fall off a mountain that could have ended his life.

THE PUBLISHERS

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Take in the gemstone-hued views this fall at Top of the Rock Ozarks Heritage Preserve.

Explore the Lost Canyon Cave & Nature Trail and the Cathedral of Nature and witness a colorful masterpiece in motion. t i ckets ava i lable at : topoftherock . com

Experience a living kaleidoscope this fall at Dogwood Canyon. Explore nearly 10,000 acres of jewel-toned wonder at every turn with exciting outdoor activities like horseback riding, wildlife tours, hiking, biking, and more. Tickets available at: dogwoodcanyon . org

A FRESH TAKE Roadside stands enjoy a revival, thanks to bold young entrepreneurs.

50 Years Ago at the Fair In our July/August 1973 issue, writer Walter Kaufmann recalled his first visit to the fair. He talks about the pens full of cows and pigs, the persuasive vegetable peeler salesman, the thrilling carnival rides, and foot-long hot dogs washed down with ice-cold root beer. So much about our world has changed since then, but we are still entertained by the simple, wholesome traditions of the fair. Walter’s story is one that could have been written today. Read his 1973 essay at MissouriLife.com .

The design may have changed a little since our first story about fairs was published 50 years ago, but the Ferris wheel still sends a message to all who see it that it’s time for the fair.

LAURA EVANS

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STORY Glory Fagan

F ifty years ago, during its inaugural year, Missouri Life featured an article on roadside stands. Even in 1973, roadside stands were nothing new. Generations of hucksters, as they were called, had long hawked their wares from makeshift markets along pedestrian thoroughfares, city streets, and gravel roads. These stalls sold fruits and vegetables—perishable produce brought directly from field to market by individuals and families just trying to make a living. My grandfather, Paul Christensen, was one such pavement merchant. Along with my grandmother, Maxine, and their children, and like his father before him, Grandpa peddled apples and tomatoes and his signa ture horseradish from stalls along the north end streets of St. Joseph. One early 20th-century census even listed my grandfathers’ occupation as “hucksters,” which derives from a Middle English word meaning “haggle.” My dad refers to times during which a family photo was taken in front of their makeshift market as “our Grapes of Wrath days.” Following the Depression, when economic prospects improved, Grandpa moved his produce venture, by this time called Payless Fruit Market, to a cement block building on St. Joseph Avenue. I spent nearly every Sunday of my early childhood amid the pungent scents of potatoes, watermelon, and root vegetables. By the time Missouri Life was founded in 1973, and at the height of the Blue Laws in Missouri that restricted Sunday liquor sales, Grandpa had expanded the market’s offerings to include a cooler filled with 3.2 beer. Fifty years later, the roadside stand model is seeing a resurgence as families opt to eschew the brick-and-mortar model for a more flexible operation that fits their lifestyle. Some are still true roadside stands. Others can’t be found on any map but do business on the internet. Still others hearken back to the lemonade stands of our youth, as enterprising entrepreneurs in their teens and younger raise, market, and sell wares produced by their own toil. These are their stories.

Opposite , Erma Evans, of Three Chicks & Co., is the youngest of three sisters who operate their Gower area chicken-and-egg business. From Top , The Valley Wagon at Grain Valley offers a colorful array of seasonal, fresh produce. Writer Glory Fagan’s father (far left) grew up helping out at his family’s roadside fruit stand. The beautiful floral offerings of Rudy Lane Flower Farm near Linn change with the seasons.

THE VALLEY WAGON, GLORY FAGAN, MEGAN RUDOFF

CREDIT

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