Map mania, gawkers welcome

Calling all history and map lovers! The city of Columbia offers more than nine pages of maps and visual information. Take a peek and let me know what maps you found the most fun and informative. You can take a look at a street map of Columbia’s brick streets, a map of Columbia’s historical properties…

Got something to say?

Here’s an opportunity to share what you know. Applicants to be speakers are being sought for the “Show Me Missouri: Conversations about Missouri’s Past, Present, and Future.” The deadline to apply is Sept. 1, 2018 and 30 speakers will be selected. Why not you? It even pays: $200 per speech plus a possible $150 for…

Geek out at CoMo200 meeting July 25

Here’s your chance to get your geek on and see the inner workings of the task force set up to plan Columbia’s 200th birthday in 2021. The meeting is set for 7 p.m. July 25 in the Walton Building at 300 S. Providence Road. If you’re geeky like me, you’ll want to see what they’ve done already….

A 1994 view of East Campus

On Monday, Columbia City Council OK’d the creation of a new East Campus neighborhood association. But on this website, I like to look into the past. Here’s a report from February 1994 that will let you take a peek at the past in the East Campus area. The document includes a 1931 map of the…

Tree loss at MU’s historic Francis Quadrangle

Five pin oaks will be removed from MU’s main quadrangle. Here are three different reports on the loss of the trees. The trees are 60 years old, but should have lived until 80 to 100 years, but the soil and watering to support the grass led to the early death of the trees, according to…

1978 look at Broadway, Seventh and Ninth streets

Want to take a walk through the past? This 1978 historic survey report on Columbia’s buildings on Broadway, Seventh and Ninth streets and it reads like a walk through time, describing the buildings as they were in 1978 — and what they once looked like and what was there before then. For example, the report on…

Hate change? St. Louis event might change your mind

I’m going to admit it: I hate change. But an event set in St. Louis on Friday, July 20, 2018 has me rethinking my attitude. From 5-8 p.m., a Missouri Preservation fundraiser will be held in the Arcade Building at 800 Olive St., in St. Louis, and the event will include rooftop views of the…

MU’s first female journalism graduate portrayed

The late Mary Paxton Keeley spoke from the beyond through an event sponsored by the Friends of the Historic Columbia Cemetery. Keeley, MU’s first female journalism graduate, said through this interpretive event she was on the steps in 1909 when Walter Williams opened the doors to the what is reported to be the world’s first…