Every August, Lone Jack gears up for a battle! Actually, it is the 1862 Lone Jack Civil War Battle Commemoration. People come from everywhere to enjoy the festivities. Some of the activities this year include a Boy Scout pancake breakfast, a parade, craft booths, a PTA carnival, and concessions with all kinds of good food. There will be dancers, Gospel music, and several other activities. Join us for the fun on August 20th from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. If you are a history buff (and even if you're not), you will certainly enjoy the Commemoration!
When was the last time you went to the Missouri State Fair? My husband and I go just about every year, and we love it. We take our 5th wheel camper down to the campground and stay for several days. In my opinion, this is the only way to do the fair. You can plan to see as much or as little of the fair as you want. We might go see a show or demonstration at a certain time, go back to the campground in the heat of the day, and then go back in the evening to see something else.
With school about ready to start, it’s time to get in one last vacation with my family. Every year about this time, we head to Branson, MO, to watch the Summer Cruise Car Show. There is also plenty of shopping and great places to eat. You can go to Branson and do things for free or at little or no cost.
It's about 125 degrees out with that Missouri heat index. I'm daydreaming about standing in a cool mountain stream, pulling in a rainbow trout, while soaking in the beauty of the tree-lined slopes. An occasional dragonfly wisps past..... What? Wake up? Okay, even mental vacations have an end. How lovely to pull out a memory of our 2011 June vacation, not in the Colorado Rocky Mountains, but in our own beautiful Missouri mountains.
Did you know that Independence, Missouri is called the "Queen City of Trails"? It was the starting point for the Oregon, Santa Fe and California trails westward. There's a lot of history here where they began.
Revitalization is happening in Raytown. Four commercial redevelopment projects are being completed right now.
The Gregory Square project at Gregory and 350 Highway is almost complete, and Aldi is scheduled to open this month along with a 6,500 square foot multi-tenant building.
I was browsing through the book Weird Missouri by James Strait when I came across information regarding castles in Missouri. I’ve always been interested in ancient history and have dreamed of living in a castle (what history buff hasn’t?), so having castles in Missouri intrigued me. The book states that there are about 20 castle-like structures in Missouri. Four are highlighted in this book.
Dearborn has an interesting history that dates back to the late nineteenth century when it was platted for use by Rock Island Railroad. There's a lot of dispute over how the town got its name. Some took to calling it "Lick Skillet", but the townsfolk wanted a more dignified name. Whether it was dubbed Dearborn after Revolutionary War hero Henry Dearborn or because it was "dearly born," people are proud to call it home.
Ever wonder what life was like way back when? For me, it’s fun to read about events and happenings, especially in the town where I work. That’s what I can do by researching the Raytown News/Raytown Tribune/Raytown News Dispatch on microfilm. The Raytown Branch recently acquired microfilm from the Raytown Historical Society for the Raytown News from January 2, 1930—November 29, 1962.
