At MU, in 1950, the first black student was enrolled at the University of Missouri. In 1968, there were fewer than 500 black students there and no black professors at all. That year, the Legion of Black Collegians was launched to support black students Two years prior, in 1948, a fungus was discovered that lead…
Author: diannaobrien
History blogger. Writer. Traveler. Curiosity drives me. I share what I learn at CoMoHistoricPlaces.com. My newest book, Historic Movie Theaters of Columbia, came out in October 2021. My 2017 book, From Melon Fields to Moon Rocks highlighted the life of Columbia resident Charles W. Gehrke, 1917-2009, a scientist and entrepreneur who founded ABC Labs, now Eurofins.
Add your voice to preserve Columbia’s history
You can chime in about how the city’s Historic Preservation can do more for you! The HPC met from 9:45 to 11:45 a.m. today, April 6, 2019, at a public meeting that drew nearly two dozen people. The crowd addressed five questions. You can, too, by contacting Pat Fowler at historypat2021@gmail.com Here are the questions…
Get a peek at a park and mark your calendar WAY ahead
Get out your 2021 calendar and mark it now. Really. The celebration of Columbia’s bicentennial is set for May 2021 and last week, the design for a park expansion set to mark the CoMo200 celebration was given the OK by The Downtown Leadership Council. Not so fast. The plan still needs approval by the Columbia…
Meeting Saturday: Saving my father’s bookcase
On Saturday, April 6, you’re invited to help write Columbia’s action plan for historic preservation at a meeting from 10 – 11:45 a.m. It will be held in the historic J.W. “Blind” Boone House at 10 N. Fourth Street. Free coffee and snacks will start the event at 9:45 a.m. It’s a chance to be heard…
Seeking S. K. Cho, a downtown surprise
I love historical surprises, like the one I found today. And now I’m on the trail for S.K. Cho, whoever she or he might be. If you know who this 1930s person was or is, I’d love to hear from you. Yes, I’m a government docs nerd and today, I was re-reading a 2006 National…
Political name calling circa 1862
1862 military order requiring people to sign up for military duty or they’d be considered marauders and robbers.
Six ways to get involved in Missouri’s bicentennial
This article published Feb. 13 in the California Democrat outlines six ways to get involved in helping Missouri mark its 200th anniversary in 2021. Get quilting! — One quilt block per county will be put together to create a Missouri Bicentennial Quilt. Learn more here. The deadline is Sept. 2. Got pictures? — I know…
Help Boone County celebrate 200 years
Here’s an easy way to get involved in the celebration of Boone County’s 200th anniversary. On Saturday, Feb. 16, local artist Stacy Self will be visiting Ashland to gather information for a mural to highlight the communities in the county. Several sessions throughout Boone County will be held in the next six months, starting with…
An exhibit, the Boone home and black history events
I love the Beatles. It’s hard for me to believe that it might be possible someday for people to not know the names of John, Paul, Ringo and George. But that could happen and that’s what might have happened to the musician J.W. “Blind” Boone (1864-1927) if the residents of Columbia and the city hadn’t…
Romance, mistakes and hidden history
Watch out guys! If you think getting your beloved flowers is going to cut it after this, you might be mistaken. The house at 206 Bingham Road is going to put you to shame. Built in 1928, the Tudor Revival features the intertwined initials of architect Harry Satterlee Bill and his wife Florence Harrison Bill….
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