Finding Beauty in the Ordinary: The Junk Art of Ernie Moore

Ernest “Ernie” Moore was a remarkable artist who transformed discarded metal objects into sculptures and plaques. Born in January 1911 in Fulton, Missouri, he had a talent for seeing beauty in the ordinary, and his creativity knew no bounds. He lived in Callaway County and grew up in the Star Park neighborhood just east of Second Street and Bluff Street, where he eventually raised his family. His home was a treasure trove of a lifelong collection of various items.

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Bryce Gordon
Hats Off to Hats

During January, we are featuring hats! We don’t often have an opportunity to share KCHS’s extensive collection of vintage apparel, so we’re taking the month of January to share a few of the hats that reside in our vintage apparel repository.

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Nancy Lewis
Callaway County Jails and Courthouses

Of the various accounts of the formation of Callaway County, the priority when organizing the County Seat was planning the location, design, and construction of the courthouse and jail. The original County Seat in 1820 was at the town of Elizabeth, located approximately one-half mile northwest of Ham’s Prairie. A log jailhouse was immediately constructed there, but a courthouse was never constructed. Instead, court matters were carried out at Henry Brite’s tavern. The cost of the jail, $785 (about $20,000 in today’s dollars), was covered by selling lots in the new town.

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Bryce Gordon
McIntire's: Sharing Blooms in Callaway County for 90 years

According to the calendar, spring is here. While the weather can’t make up its mind about temperatures, nature is bursting out in spring colors. McIntire Florist has been spreading colorful flowers and plants throughout the county since 1932. The Florist Shop opened during the height of the Great Depression as an expansion of the McIntire greenhouses.

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Lori Franklin
Century Farms in Callaway County

Many families have farmed in Callaway County through the years. The Century Farm program highlights families that have owned a farm for 100 years or more with actual farming contributing to the family income. We feature a few of these farms in Callaway County.

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Karen Fox
Patriotic Gardening

Most of the gardens that are planted in Callaway County now of days are simply created to provide fresh produce during summer to the local communities. But did you know that at one time, it was each American’s patriotic duty to plant a “Victory Garden”?

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Karen Fox
Remembering End of the School Year in Callaway

As we celebrate commencements in Callaway County, we reflect on the secondary and higher education institutions from the past and the end of the school year celebrations. Today Callaway County boasts five high schools and two colleges. In years past, Callaway was home to high schools in Auxvasse, Hereford, McCredie, and Mokane and secondary or higher education institutions of St. Mark’s Episcopal School for Boys, Fulton Female Seminary, Floral Hill and Synodical colleges.

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Lori FranklinComment