N.E. Missouri
Discover a slice of Americana amid historic river towns

On the drive north along the banks and bluffs of the Mississippi River in Missouri, the distance between towns increases, the natural scenery becomes more bucolic and beautiful, and a slice of Americana forged more than a century ago comes into full view.

Scattered along Highway 79 are several towns in some of the most picturesque hills and valleys that skirt the state’s northern section of the river. Former bustling river ports, Clarksville, Louisiana and Hannibal were founded in the early 1800s, and today they offer a glimpse of a rich heritage almost unaltered by time. Because of the region’s scenic beauty and storied history, a 26-mile stretch of the highway heading north from Clarksville has been designated The Little Dixie Highway of the Great River Road, a nationally designated scenic byway.

Start your day tour in Clarksville about 43 miles north of Interstate 70 on Highway 79. Founded in 1817, the settlement was known as “Appletown” by rivermen for the huge quantity of apples shipped from there each fall. In mid-October, the town celebrates that heritage with its Applefest.

During festival weekends, the Clarksville Visitor Center is open and offers information about the Great River Road, as well as displays about the flood of 1993, the American Bald Eagle and Clarksville’s history. On the lower level is the River Heritage Center, which examines the river with exhibits on steamboats, Native Americans and the region’s flora and fauna. For details, call (573) 242-3993 or visit www.clarksvillemo.com online.

And just below the visitor center is Lock and Dam 24, where visitors can see the facility in operation from a viewing platform. The spot also is a popular place to watch eagles during the winter. The town hosts an Eagle Days festival in late January each year.

Strewn throughout the historic downtown are a number of shops that offer quilts, antiques and handmade crafts. Several working artisans can be found, including potters, furniture makers and a blacksmith. Clarksville and neighboring Louisiana and Hannibal have been attracting artists to come live in the area. More than two dozen studios and galleries open their doors to art enthusiasts during the 50 Miles of Art Studio Tour, which is held twice a year in the spring and late fall.

Roughly 10 miles further north, head to Louisiana, a one-time river port dating to 1818 and named for the state of Louisiana. In addition to artists’ studios, the town contains many beautiful antebellum homes, a few of which are antique shops and bed-and-breakfast inns.

Twain’s town

Still farther north, integrated amid rolling hills, is Hannibal. The town is best known as the home of author Samuel Clemens, who penned such classics as “Life on the Mississippi” and “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” under the name Mark Twain. His writings were influenced by the Mississippi River, which is just a stone’s throw from many of the town’s attractions.

Stop for maps and tourist information at the Hannibal Convention and Visitors Bureau at 505 N. Third St. Hours are 8 a.m.–5 p.m. weekdays year-round and 9 a.m.–4 p.m. weekends seasonally. Call (573) 221-2477 or 1-TOM-AND-HUCK (1-866-263-4825), or click on www.visithannibal.com.

Begin your journey into Twain’s life at the Mark Twain Boyhood Home and Museum, part of a complex of eight buildings in the historic district. Visitors can tour the author’s boyhood home, a small clapboard dwelling that Twain wrote about as the home of Tom Sawyer. Next to the home is a stone building, constructed as a WPA project, that serves as a gift shop. Behind the home is the Mark Twain Interpretive Center, which features a variety of Twain exhibits and is the starting place for tours.

The Twain home fronts Hill Street, a block of which is closed to automobile traffic. Along the cobbled street is the office of Twain’s father, Judge John Clemens, who presided as justice of the peace of the area. And next door is the Pilaster House, an old drugstore that includes the office, kitchen and living quarters of Dr. Orville Grant, a friend of the Clemens family. The Clemens family lived there for a brief time in the mid-1800s.

Across from Twain’s home is the Becky Thatcher Home, which was where Twain’s boyhood sweetheart, Laura Hawkins, lived in the 1840s. He immortalized her in “Tom Sawyer” as Becky Thatcher. In addition to a bookstore are restored rooms visitors can tour. The home was closed for renovations and is expected to open again in 2010.

Visitors also can tour the reconstructed home of Tom Blankenship, who Mark Twain identified as his inspiration for the character Huckleberry Finn. The Huck Finn home was rebuilt using photographs before it was torn down in 1911 and offers a glimpse into life in the mid-1800s.

Nearby, the Mark Twain Museum Gallery on Main Street contains an assortment of memorabilia, including interactive displays and a collection of original Norman Rockwell paintings. Admission for all eight buildings is $9 for adults, $7.50 for seniors and $4 for children 6–12. For more information, call (573) 221-9010, or click on www.marktwainmuseum.org.

In addition to Becky Thatcher, another famous Hannibal woman was Molly Brown, who was on her way back to Hannibal when the Titanic sank. You can learn all about the “Unsinkable” heroine at the Molly Brown Birthplace and Museum. The original cottage is restored to its 1860s condition and contains displays on her life, including a room dedicated to her fateful voyage. For additional information, call (573) 221-2100, or click on the Webs site www.visitmollybrown.com.

To truly get a sense of Twain’s love of the Mississippi River, take a cruise on the Mark Twain Riverboat. Choose from daytime sightseeing cruises, dinner cruises and late-evening jazz cruises from May–October. For details, call (573) 221-3222 or visit www.marktwainriverboat.com.

While the river was a major theme in many of Twain’s works, another subject in his writing was Cave Hollow, which he explored as a child and wrote about as McDougal’s Cave in “Tom Sawyer.” Now known as Mark Twain Cave, located just south of Hannibal on Highway 79, the facility offers one-hour tours through a number of the cave’s 250 maze-like passages. Admission is $15 for adults and $8 for children 5–12. For details, call 1-800-527-0304 or (573) 221-1656, or visit www.marktwaincave.com.

Another cave at the site, Cameron Cave, has been preserved in a more natural state. Tours of the cave last about 11/2 hours, and some visitors carry lanterns just as early explorers did. Also at the cave complex is the Cave Hollow Center, which presents a one-man Mark Twain show during the summer on weekends.

Across the highway from the caves is Sawyer’s Creek, an amusement complex with a fun park, shops and the Riverview Cafe overlooking the Mississippi River. Children will enjoy the bumper boats, shooting gallery and miniature golf, while adults can browse for crafts. The center is closed December–March. Call (573) 221-8000, or visit www.sawyerscreek.com.

Apart from the influences Mark Twain left on the city, Hannibal features other attractions and is also rich in architectural splendor dating to the 1800s. Many of the original buildings have been beautifully restored, and some have been converted into bed-and-breakfast inns and stores.

Rockcliffe Mansion, for instance, dates to 1898 and has been restored to its original elegance with its Art Nouveau decor. When Twain returned to Hannibal for the last time in 1902, he addressed 300 residents at the 30-room estate, which overlooks downtown. For details, call (573) 221-4140.

If Hannibal doesn’t satiate your craving for Twain, head to Mark Twain Birthplace State Historic Site within Mark Twain State Park in Florida, Mo. Located about 40 miles southwest of Hannibal, the park offers boating, fishing, hiking and camping in addition to Twain’s two-room birthplace preserved inside a museum. For more details, call (573) 565-3449, or visit www.mostateparks.com.

Mark Twain Country, as the region is known, offers a rich and colorful history linked with one of the nation’s most celebrated authors. With its natural beauty, plenitude of attractions and old-fashioned charm, it offers a pleasing day tour destination for every member of the family.

From St. Louis, take I-70 about 33 miles west to Highway 79 north about 43 miles to Clarksville, then on to Hannibal. To return, take the quicker but less scenic Highway 61 south about 77 miles to I-70 and head east about 43 miles to St. Louis. The approximate round-trip mileage is 239 miles.

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