Follow in the Footsteps of Famous Missourians
 President Harry Truman Jefferson City, Mo. – Around Missouri, many attractions are devoted to historic figures such as Mark Twain, Harry S. Truman, Jesse James and George Washington Carver. But elsewhere around the Show-Me State, you can find plenty to do in the towns whose famous former residents include celebrities from Brad Pitt and Jenna Fischer to Walt Disney and Cedric the Entertainer. If you’re more into fame from a historic standpoint, chances are you’ll be most interested in the sites devoted to Twain, Truman, James and Carver. Twain is perhaps Missouri’s most-famous son. Born in the city of Florida, Twain grew up in Hannibal and used the Mississippi River city as the basis for many of his famous works, including “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” and “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.” Today, Twain’s presence looms large over Hannibal, where the Mark Twain Boyhood Home and Museum, www.MarkTwainMuseum.org, is just one of many attractions where the author’s legacy lives. You’ll find a statue of Twain in the city’s Riverview Park and see him depicted as a young riverboat captain at Glascock’s Landing on the riverfront, or you can go underground to Mark Twain Cave, www.MarkTwainCave.com, which was detailed in five of his books. While Twain is widely credited as the Show-Me State’s most-famous writer, he’s not the only one who had a way with words. President Harry S. Truman – the only Missourian ever elected president – popularized a variety of expressions: He was known to reference “Monday morning quarterbacks” and often said “The buck stops here.” For more on Truman, visit the Harry S Truman Birthplace State Historic Site, www.MoStateParks.com/trumansite.htm, in Lamar, or the Harry S Truman Courtroom and Office, the Harry S. Truman Library and Museum, www.TrumanLibrary.org, and the Harry S Truman National Historic Site, www.nps.gov/hstr, all in Independence. Additionally, people who visit Independence have the opportunity to walk in Truman’s footsteps by taking a stroll on the Harry S. Truman Walking Trail, a 2.7-mile path that features some of the sites Truman – an avid walker – saw on his regular jaunts.
The Famous Jesse James If you like following in famous footsteps, perhaps a trek north of Independence, to Kearney, is in order. That’s where you’ll find the Jesse James Farm and Museum, www.jessejames.org, which features a large collection of James family artifacts and includes Jesse’s original grave site. More on James can be found even farther north in St. Joseph, where attractions include the Jesse James Home, http://www.ponyexpressjessejames.com/?pid=jesse, which is where James was shot and killed on April 3, 1882, and the Heaton-Bowman-Smith Funeral Home, where you’ll see the wicker basket used to transport his remains.
George Washington Carver, One of Country’s Greatest Scientists When trying to find famous folks with Missouri roots, don’t overlook Carver, whose interest in agriculture began budding while he lived on a farm in southwest Missouri. Today, the George Washington Carver National Monument, www.nps.gov/gwca/index.htm, fills the property Moses and Susan Carver owned just outside of Diamond and pays tribute to one of this country’s greatest scientists. Spanning 240 acres – the entirety of which is actually considered the monument to Carver – the site contains the mile-long Carver Trail, the Carver Family Cemetery and the 1881 Carver House. The Carver National Monument also has a visitor center and museum. If you’re more into pop culture than Missouri history, you’re sure to find something to enjoy in one of the many cities famous folks can call “home.” One city where pop culture and history meet is Marceline, the childhood home of Walt Disney. Disney spent part of his youth in this railroad town, which retains its ties to the animation pioneer through the Walt Disney Dreaming Tree and Barn, located on the old family farm, and the Walt Disney Hometown Museum, www.WaltDisneyMuseum.org. You’ll also find an elementary school and post office that bear Disney’s name.
Brad Pitt, A very famous Hollywood Star But from a purely pop culture standpoint, there’s probably no bigger star from Missouri than Brad Pitt. Springfield was Pitt’s home before he knew Angelina Jolie or portrayed the state’s most famous outlaw in “The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford.” While you aren’t likely to bump into the paparazzi magnet in Southwest Missouri, you will find plenty to do in the state’s third-largest city. Springfield – where actress Kathleen Turner was born and where Bob Barker of “The Price is Right” attended college at Drury – is home to a variety of attractions, including the Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World, www.BassPro.com, Fantastic Caverns, www.FantasticCaverns.com, the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame, www.MoSportsHallofFame.com, the Springfield Art Museum, www.SpringfieldMoGov.org/egov/art, and the Springfield Cardinals AA baseball team, www.SpringfieldCardinals.com. While Springfield has the AA Cardinals, St. Louis is home to their Major League brethren, and it’s also the former home of Jenna Fischer, best known for her role as Pam on NBC’s “The Office.” In her hometown – where stars like Jon Hamm of “Mad Men” and Vincent Price were born, and where singer and actor Nelly grew up and still lives – you’ll find more than enough to fill your vacation schedule. Some of the sites include the Gateway Arch, www.GatewayArch.com, the Delmar Loop, www.VisitTheLoop.com, Grant’s Farm, www.GrantsFarm.com, the Missouri History Museum, www.MoHistory.org, and the St. Louis Zoo, www.StlZoo.org. While Fischer is a featured performer on a TV sitcom, she doesn’t have Missouri’s comedy market cornered. Cedric the Entertainer was born in Jefferson City (home of the State Capitol), www.MoStateParks.com/statecapcomplex/index.html, and the Governor’s Mansion, www.MissouriMansion.org spent part of his youth in Caruthersville and St. Louis and attended college at Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau, a city that’s home to a variety of attractions. In Cape, you’ll find plenty to do, whether it’s taking in the Great Murals Tour, VisitCape.com/what-to-see-do/murals.html, visiting Fort D, VisitCape.com/what-to-see-do/john-wesley-powell-s-fort-d.html, stopping by the Red House Interpretive Center, VisitCape.com/what-to-see-do/red-house-interpretive-center.html, or browsing the works on display at one of the city’s many art galleries. If you’re a fan of talk radio, you may also be interested in the Rush Limbaugh Hometown Tour, a self-guided trek around Cape where you’ll see some of the sites Rush was known to frequent. There literally are dozens of cities around Missouri where you’ll find links to movie and television stars, as well as musicians – Blue Springs is the hometown of 2008 “American Idol” winner David Cook – and people who worked behind-the-scenes, like “Designing Women” creator and producer Linda Bloodworth-Thomason, who was born in Poplar Bluff. So, whether you’re a fan of “Looney Tunes” producer/animator Friz Freleng (born in Kansas City) or actor/comedian Dick Van Dyke (born in West Plains), you’re sure to find fame in Missouri. For more information about famous Missourians or other attractions, or to receive a free copy of the 2010 Missouri Travel Guide, log onto www.VisitMO.com or call toll-free at 800-519-4800. Contact: Sarah Luebbert Missouri is famous for many things, from roaring rivers and scenic state parks to world-famous barbecue and the Gateway Arch. But cities around the Show-Me State also served as the backdrop to the lives of many famous folks, allowing visitors the opportunity to follow in their footsteps. |
