Researching history can be fun and here is a resource list to help you get started, as I promised everyone who turned out for the Columbia’s Hidden History talk at the Columbia Public Library at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, June 19. Don’t forget you can send me your suggestions for research and myth busting at…
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.
History and the Loch Ness monster
A few years ago I visited Loch Ness in Scotland. Yes, I wanted to see Nessie. In fact, I had kind of hoped there might actually be a Loch Ness monster. But in Loch Ness, I learned that the people who said they’d seen the Loch Ness monster had many years ago admitted it was just an…
You can help save history
Each year, Missouri Preservation announces a list of buildings that are in peril of being lost. The deadline for nominations is Aug. 31, 2018. You can be the eyes and ears of Missouri Preservation, a nonprofit dedicated to preserving Missouri’s unique architectural and historic landmarks. No need to be an expert. The form is easy…
Apply now! Preservation conference scholarships available until April 9 close of business
I wanted to headline this as free money because it sounds so exciting to me. Turns out there are 10 scholarships still available for the 2018 Missouri Preservation Conference set for May 2-4 in Sedalia. You have until the end of business on Monday, April 9 to apply. Go here to find the link to the application….
CoMo is turning 200!
Guess what?! Columbia, Missouri and Boone County, Missouri will soon be celebrating 200 years! Columbia, Missouri was founded first as Smithton in 1818, then moved a few blocks east and renamed Columbia in 1821. Boone County was founded in 1820, according to the Boone County Government site. To plan festivities to mark the bicentennial, Columbia Mayor…
CoMo’s hot dog-historic home connection
Columbia’s Oscar Mayer plant’s namesake’s historic home is for sale in Evanston, Illinois.
I never get tired of this
One of the best things that happened in Columbia was when Sharp End was marked. Here’s a 2015 video about the marking of this economic and social heart of Columbia, which was lost due to urban renewal and some misguided policies. I never get tired of watching this video about Sharp End, an area of…
Black women fighting for equality
Strong women fighting for equality isn’t new. At 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 15, 2018, MU History Professor Keona K. Ervin will discuss her book, “Gateway to Equality: Black Women and the Struggle for Economic Justice in St. Louis.” The event will be held in Fisher Auditorium in 88 Gannett Hall. According to an announcement…
See an Eero Saarinen in Columbia, Missouri
Don’t get in the car! I mean it! No need to drive six hours to see an Eero Saarinen designed building or even two hours to see one. While I’m embarrassed to admit I just got around to reading the Winter 2016 edition of Preservation magazine, I was rewarded for this tardy reading by finding an…
Missouri-Beverly Hillbillies connection
I love surprises and I love learning things about my adopted state Missouri. So imagine my delight when I learned about Missouri’s connection to “The Beverly Hillbillies,” the 1960s hit national television show. The surprise comes from the publication of a new book about the writer of the television series. The book is “The First…
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