We, all of us, live in a community. That community might be a large metropolitan area, a mid-sized city, a small town, a suburb, a rural community; but we all belong to the area in which we live. Depending on how long we have made said community our home, we have a sense of "knowing" our town or city. But do we really know our community?
As a history buff, my children and husband would say I am a "history addict", I find it fascinating to learn about the new places we visit. I research and grasp onto the age of a town, who settled there first, what was the main economic foundation, is there any Civil War relevance, what other note worthy events happened throughout its history, etc...
My immediate family settled in Fulton, Missouri 20 years ago. I was, and still am, working at St. Peter Catholic School, and the house we purchased was two blocks from school. I love Fulton, Missouri, and respect its rich history. I am knowledgeable about the Iron Curtain Speech, Margaret Thatcher's visit, Gorbachev's visit, the movie King's Row, and the connection with the Gray Ghost Trail.
Fulton is home to fine academic institutions, including our home parish of St. Peter. There is the Missouri School for the Deaf, established in the 1850s, two colleges, Westminster and William Woods, Kingdom Christian Academy, and a public school system that served our children well. The nuclear plant outside of town employs many residents, as does the Dollar Store Warehouse. We have Ovid Bell Press, a hospital, two grocery stores, and amazing theater, several drug stores, a newspaper, five banking establishments, and an amazing downtown area known as The Brick District. Fulton also serves as the county seat for Callaway County.
Because I was familiar with Fulton, I assumed my children were as well. Because I am a history teacher, and because two of our children had me for a junior high teacher, the kids know the HISTORY of Fulton, but I don't believe they truly know the residential fibers that holds this small American city together. Why do I believe this?
My daughter Coby, the police officer, has a friend at work that is very interested in historical homes throughout Missouri. She and Coby visited recently about the abundance of history throughout our Show Me State, and Coby mentioned growing up in Fulton. As the conversation continued, Coby said she would bring back pictures of the lovely homes in Fulton to share with her co-worker. So, off we went yesterday to check out and photograph the beautiful homes throughout Fulton, Missouri.
Coby's dog Griffen was our companion for this short outing. Coby asked me to take her down Court Street, "where all the pretty houses are." Admittedly, there are beautiful houses along Court Street, and I always enjoy taking that route to the downtown area. However, there are many amazing homes throughout the city!
We walked Court Street, stretching our legs and letting Griffen enjoy the warm afternoon. Coby took several pictures, finding something unique and interesting with each subject. Her friend at work is very interested in homes with the original windows or with stain glass. Of course, Coby took several photos of her favorite house on Court Street.
After visiting Court Street, I began to drive to other areas of town, pointing out several houses I thought were photo-worthy. I was aware of homes designed by Morris Frederick Bell, who made Fulton his home in 1871. We also drove passed the Hockaday House, which I find fascinating for its historical value and endurance of nearly 200 years.
As we enjoyed our hour and a half, 33 mile tour of winding through the tree shaded streets of our quiet town, Coby often remarked that she didn't know about "this home" or "that" historical point. I was surprised that she was excited by the residential history of our historic town.
Do we really know where we live? Do we take the interest, and then the time, to learn about our communities? History is made each and every day. At the time, many people do not realize how important that event, speech, or person may become in the annuls of American History. And most events, speeches, and persons are forgotten after the moment. However, each is important to our neighborhoods, towns, and possibly our states. We must take an interest in our local history. It is the life of our communities.
As the summer days have arrived, and it may be too uncomfortable to be outside in the yard during the early evening, take a tour of you hometown. With the internet, anyone can start researching the amazing buildings, parks, museums, and monuments each town has to offer. Local libraries are still the best source of information, as is the local historical society. With the amazing cameras in cell phones, a driving tour is easily photographed through the car window.
These short day tours can lead to exploration in history, architecture, culture, or at the very least, an interest in the "pretty houses". We are part of the community, and we need to know our community; it is our home.
If you live in Fulton, Missouri, here are a few websites that will help you explore the local history of our fine city.
http://shsmo.org/historicmissourians/name/b/bell/
http://www.kchsoc.org/fulton.html
http://thebrickdistrict.tripod.com/
http://www.dbrl.org/callaway-county-public-library
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