Local authors and a book on historic movie theaters

Six local authors — including the founder of CoMoHistoricPlaces.com — will give short talk on their books starting at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 23, 2023, Skylark Bookshop at 22 S. Ninth St. Can’t stand long presentations? You’re in luck! Each author will have five minutes to talk about his or her book with a…

May 7, 2022 — Meeting to preserve Columbia’s history

We’re going to hold a meeting to explore the possibility an organization or group gathering designed to focus on Columbia’s history. Can’t attend? No problem, just drop your ideas and suggestions in the comments! What: The meeting will be at 1 p.m. on May 7 in the J.W. Blind Boone House. Why? There is no…

Vote – map or list?

History friends, would you rather see a list of historic properties in Columbia or see them on a map? Vote below. Take a peek at a map created by the City of Columbia’s Historic Preservation Commission via this link: https://gocolumbiamo.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=94cb16f1ef6b48adbb89c642d023619e&fbclid=IwAR1aEM0EWHzueD0bSq9WK2ASq5x9_4Is0HEKMke8BFHBH49IW9bHB1SpNyg You can find an in-progress list of places on the Places page of CoMoHistoricPlaces.com.

History of Columbia — You can help!

This website aspires to grow into a door into the history of Columbia, Missouri. Why? Currently, Columbia has no single entry point to find Columbia’s history. This site is designed to become that portal into the history of Columbia and its places, people and events. Want to join me? I’d love that! The site needs…

Where are CoMo’s unique neighborhoods?

Neighborhoods. Streetscapes. Where we live. Cities, even CoMo, are made up of neighborhoods, often with a streetscape, a way the area looks that’s uniform — or not. These neighborhoods with their own streetscapes are the places where we live, it’s where you and I might actually know the people (and, for me, the dogs) who…

Research resources

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…

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…

Easy come, easy go?

The Columbia (Missouri) Municipal Power Plant has drained More Lake, where it once dumped coal ash. The ash will be taken to the landfill to resolve environmental concerns and fulfill regulations. The lake was built by E.C. More in the late 1800s.

Fish, Eugene Field and a spring named Rollins

Got a damp spot in your yard? I do and I often wonder if it is a spring. Perhaps it’s a historic site. There’s a spring now marked in an fairly obscure spot at Providence Road and Mick Deaver Drive and it’s mentioned in a 1991 article by Frances Pike of the Columbia Daily Tribune….