History Blog 

Evan Martinson, pictured in his band uniform at Hannibal High School. He is a senior and percussion band member at Hannibal High School. Photo contributed by EvanMartinson. MARY LOU MONTGOMERY The Hannibal High School Pirate Pride Marching Band is scheduled to be in St. Joseph Saturday morning, Dec. 6, for the Class 4 State Championship meet, during which time the Hannibal Pirates (11-2) will face off against Kearney (13-0) at Spratt Memorial Stadium, on the campus of Missour

Steve Chou took this photo of South Hannibal, after the Great Flood of 1993 and before the properties were torn down. Contributed photo. Any help to identify what street this is would be appreciated. Write to: montgomery.editor@yahoo.com MARY LOU MONTGOMERY In 1891, the Rev. Benjamin Stevens, 90, and his wife, Sarah, 86, were living contentedly at 416 Fourth, South Hannibal, comfortably supported by income from their real estate holdings, and buoyed by answered prayers for Go

Bob Gilstrap, McDonald’s franchise operator, started working for McDonald’s in 1975 - 50 years ago. Today, he and his family operate eight McDonald’s franchises. Contributed photo. MARY LOU MONTGOMERY Christmas is the one day of the year that Bob Gilstrap, McDonald’s franchise operator brews his coffee at home. Every other day, he starts his morning - like a myriad of others do - with a cup of coffee from McDonald’s. He started this personal custom 20 years ago, after McDonal

Members of the Hannibal Fire Department Co. # 1 mending toys to be given to the poor children for Christmas 1934. By the Emmette J. Shields Post No 55, American Legion, Hannibal, Mo. Frazer photo. Left to right, identified as Leland (Pott) Finks, Otto Schulten, Bill Lacy, "Shad" Mahoney, Bud Wilmoth, William Groves, chief, Oscar Shulse, Elmer Miller. Originally shared for the Hannibal Courier-Post Days Gone By column by Glenn Layne, city fireman.

Steven Stuenkel of the Hannibal Free Public Library’s staff inserts one of two replacement “slips” into place int the library’s historic Guthfan Conditionaire fixture. The slips were missing. Jenifer Barta of Hannibal was able to facilitate a transaction between the library and an Arkansas antique dealer to return the fixture to proper functionality. MARY LOU MONTGOMERY Hanging inside, near the Hannibal Free Public Library’s original main entrance - for both beauty and functi

Bob Allen painted this mural on the south side of the building at 308 N. Main St. Photo from the City of Hannibal website, “City of Murals.” This is the building where Phillip H. Kornder conducted a furrier shop for many years during the mid to late 1800s.  MARY LOU MONTGOMERY A mural painted on the south side of a building located at 308 North Main Street, Hannibal, in 2019, draws visitors’ attention back toward an era when a unique variety of commercial businesses  - includ

Hannibal native, Robert Clayton III. has been elected to a three-year term as president of the State Historical Society of Missouri. Contributed photo. MARY LOU MONTGOMERY In November, Hannibal native, Judge Robert Clayton III, who has served as a trustee for the State Historical Society of Missouri since 2013, was elected to the role of president of the state agency. He will serve a three-year term in this capacity. Clayton is a judge on the Missouri Court of Appeals for the

Inside Hannibal’s First Christian Church, the sanctuary is decorated for the Christmas season, and will provide the backdrop for “All Disciples Sing,” congregational singing, at 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 14. The event is open to all. Jeff Hickerson will accompany the singers on the church organ. Photo contributed by Stephanie Himmel. MARY LOU MONTGOMERY The time-honored sanctuary of Hannibal’s First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) will serve as the backdrop for a regional ev

Clipping from the Kansas City Times, July 30, 1962. Newspapers.com MARY LOU MONTGOMERY Seven “colored men” left Palmyra at noon on Friday, Sept. 27, 1918, en route to Camp Funston, an army training camp at Fort Riley, Kan. The canteen committee furnished well-filled lunch boxes for each of the men as they left via rail for their journey across Missouri. The seven, all from Hannibal, were: Maceo Wilson (1896-1974), French Henderson (1897-1965), Charles Doolin (1897-1957), Ezra

MARY LOU MONTGOMERY Maceo Wilson was pictured in the “The Call” newspaper on July 20, 1956. newspapers.com Maceo Wilson, born in November 1896, was but a wisp of a man, standing just a tad over 5-feet-4 at his maturity. But the Hannibal native was none-the-less considered to be a musical giant during his day, his talents shining far beyond his hometown of Hannibal, Missouri. In March 1916, during the months leading up to his graduation from Hannibal’s Douglass High School, he