News: Scott lynching re-examined, West Broadway plan push back

April 26, 2019 — An author retraces James T. Scott’s life, ending the silence about her family’s link to his death. Part 1. Columbia Missourian. Summary: Pat Roberts, now deceased, wrote a book about James T. Scott after she learned her aunt was the girl who accused him of attempting to rape her. This accusation…

Events: African American newspapers, National Register changes, State preservation conference

Mark your calendar: 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 30 — The African American Press in Missouri, a lecture about African American newspapers in Missouri. The presentation will be given by Debra Foster Greene, Lincoln University professor emerita of history. From 1875 to 1970, Missouri had more than 60 black-owned newspapers. The event is free and will…

Book on Columbia lynching victims

I’ve always thought there were many missing stories in the reports about the 1923 murder of James T. Scott who was lynched based on an accusation of attempting to rape a 14-year-old girl. A new book looks at two of the stories: the one about the life of James T. Scott and the one about…

1949 and 1959: Photos of Columbia

Want to see what Columbia looked like to photographers of the Missouri Photo Workshop in 1949 and 1959? I found the images stunning. Photographers come from across the U.S. and around the world to participate in this Workshop at the University of Missouri’s School of Journalism. Since 1949, Workshop participants have gone to a small town in Missouri…

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…