We left our Cozy C campground on Hwy 54 with the address of Bowling Green, and headed east to Louisiana. I assured Mike that he just "had" to see this quaint little town, on the banks of the Mississippi.
We stopped at a Convenience Store and upon asking the young 18-19 year old clerk (why did I think he would know?) "How did Louisiana get it's name?" His reply was, "I don't know, but many years ago we had lots of people coming here because "Bigfoot" was sighted." Bigfoot? Really?
So, to Google I went. And yes, in 1971-1972 there was a sighting of a "Bigfoot-like-creature." It apparently was one of those legends, passed down through the years, and maybe that was what made Louisiana "historic!"
From Google: "Following sightings in 1972 beginning at 3:30 pm July 11, first reported by Terry, Wiley, and Doris Harrison, and lasting for about two weeks, tracks were found and submitted to Lawrence Curtis, director of the Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden. He deemed the tracks to be that of an unknown primate species." This Bigfoot is known as MoMo - the Missouri Monster. Bigfoot apparently died or had no little "Bigfeet" .....he hasn't been seen since!
We had made the decision to find food, and take it back to the RV - after touring Louisiana. Mike stopped at "Fat Boys," one of the three restaurants that we found online, and I went in to pick up one of their "Handmade Tenderloins" (advertised online and with signs painted on the restaurant window) for our supper. Sidenote: The tenderloin was the size of a BIG plate, and enough for three sandwiches! No joke! We both love Tenderloins (Iowa Tenderloins) - and Fat Boys Tenderloin didn't compare!
While I waited in "Fat Boys," I climbed atop a barstool beside a young man. I learned that he had been born and reared in Louisiana (Missouri). He told me that "nobody ever leaves here."
I was determined to get an answer to my burning question, "How did Louisiana get its name?" He advised that I would "probably have to talk to George Washington to find that out!" I shook my head and responded with, "Well I really doubt ole George had anything to do with it!"
While he played on his cell phone, he asked "Where you from?" I answered his question, and after no response I asked, "Do you know anything about Misissippi?" His reply was, "Yeah, I been there one time, and I didn't like it!" When I asked "Why?" He responded with, "It wadn't (not wasn't - wadn't) no fun." I suggested several Mississippi options, but his phone was obviously more interesting. He said, "I'm going to Florida."
I finally decided that "how Louisiana got its name" had possibly not been included in local History lessons....and once again, I turned to old-reliable Google for my answer.
Louisiana, Missouri, founded in 1818, was named for Louisiana Bayse,
There are about 4,000 residents - most of whom are descended from the original settlers. As my young neighbor, on the barstool, said......nobody ever leaves.
Louisiana is a beautiful little town in various stages of decay. On one hand, there are many beautiful, well-kept, 19th and 20th Century Mansions. Many have wrap around porches, tall columns holding up second floor balconies, widow walks, and beautifully landscaped yards, but next door there will be a house either in a state of collapse or long overdue for maintenance.
Lloyd C. Stark, the 39th Gov of Missouri from 1937 - 1941, was born and lived in Louisiana and his beautiful, still well-maintained Victorian home is on the National Register of Historic Places. There were too many beautiful homes to photograph.
The only reason Governor Stark's home became the object of our camera was because of the strange scene in the picture window.
The ghostly (ghastly) figure of a man, dressed in black formal attire, with rabbit ears on his head, holding what appeared to be an Easter basket - and in front of him was a pig??
There were several pretty churches - many with beautiful stained glass windows. The Methodist church sat on one corner and across the street, on the other corner was the Baptist church.
Down another street, with a handful of Saturday evening Mass communicants leaving, sat a Catholic church. While steeples reached for the sky, a Cross had been worked into the shingles on the roof of the Catholic Church.On the side of the church, above the door which also held a cross, was another cross. As we drove away, we mentioned to one of the Parishioners how much we "loved her little town" and she replied "we do, too, isn't it lovely!"
As we drove down Georgia Street, toward the river, the wind had Old Glory unfurled and waving, as if to welcome us toward Old Man River.
The town boasts 24 wall murals, painted on the sides of buildings. One of the most outstanding was that of the Steamship Delta Queen on the river headed toward the bridge. This was the first mural and was painted by local artist, John Stoeckley. It is titled "Delta Queen approaching Hwy 54 Bridge." (This bridge crosses the Mississippi into Illinois.) Notice that the painter of the mural also painted the image of a man, on a ladder, as if he was painting the mural! There has also been local controversy regarding the huge frog, in the left corner.
Remember the catalogs you've received, from Stark Brothers Nursery? They've been in business in Pike County, where Louisiana is located, since 1816. I haven't worked on Governor Stark's Family Tree, but I'm assuming this was his family. We missed photographing the massive mural on their wall!
Not only are the murals plentiful and colorful, they are a view into the community's past and they honor America, our flag and our emblem - the Eagle.
Louisiana, Missouri was well-worth the time we took to tour. However, there were two disappointments: The "ghost on the bicycle" was no longer there, and Mike really wanted to continue west on Hwy 54, across Hwy 61, to see Mexico! Mexico, Missouri will have to be included on our next trip south.
Stay tuned, we'll be asking "how did Mexico get its name?"
#LouisianaMissouri #MoMo #24WallMurals
