The old town square of Clinton, Missouri
Do you know anything about Clinton, Missouri? I sure didn’t. So I drove 1 1/2 hours south to explore this grand old historic town. The Square is typical of the Midwest. The courthouse is in the middle surrounded by Victorian buildings, now housing businesses and boutiques. I never tire of visiting historic town squares. Each one has its own unique distinctiveness. For instance, Clinton has the coolest museum – the Henry County Museum. They have built an entire mini-town inside of it. They have a doctor’s office, mercantile, bank, barbershop etc. Surprisingly, I learned that barbers used to provide the service of bloodletting with leeches. Who knew?! That is why I love museums. I always learn random, fascinating information, which could also be used sometime at a trivia night.
This movie poster highlights the town’s actress, Jane Froman. It looks entertaining. I think I’d like to watch it.
Lucky me – the day I visited, the staff and volunteers of the genealogical society were working. Brenda kindly offered to show me around. Look at these endless rows of files containing probates back to 1836. Unbelievable! And no – they are not scanned and digitized and provided online. That is why everyone always dead ends when researching their ancestors on the internet. But the good news is that genealogical and historical societies, like this one, carefully preserve and safeguard these records for us. Then we get the fun of coming and discovering our relatives in their archives. The courthouse sent over their records to the Henry County Museum. So, they also have all the old wills. The community is conscientious to donate their historic documents to the Museum as well. There are shelves loaded with family notebooks. And what a treat it was for me to meet one of the volunteers, Betty Maxwell, who made a compilation of the town’s history, in these books in the gift shop.
As Brenda continued the tour, Suzanne joined us. She is the Museum director. It is thrilling to have a private docent walk with me to answer my continuous questions, but to have two is a boon! They told me one tale after another about the town. I began to wish my ancestors were from here, so it would make the experience personal.
They showed me this mural made by the 4th grade class in 1979. It is made out of pieces of crayons. It is really good. I was super impressed with the creative teacher who invented the project. Do you think those children ever imagined their artwork would be on display in a museum 40 years later?! I hope they return to enjoy the memory.
There are multiple buildings on the campus, so plan to spend several hours exploring this fabulous museum. And remember, if you find any documents on your ancestors here, please share them with all the other descendants, who may be searching for the information. Just upload them to
FamilySearch.org and/or
Ancestry.com.
Back out on the Square, I spied this darling boutique. Inside, I met Sarah Goth, the proprietor of the
Blue Bird Mercantile. She says they offer Missouri-based or Missouri-featured items. She supports small family companies. I like that. It is a really good thing to do. She showed me around the displays, while I enjoyed the nostalgic music that was playing. She crafts an ambiance of warm welcome. It was enjoyable hearing about the individual craftspeople. I like hearing the stories of the items, and about the families who make them.
Sarah says she can’t keep the
Sticky Pig barbecue sauce on the shelves. It is that popular. It looks delish.
They have a section with wines and liquors made in the region.
While I was there, a townswoman entered the shop, and Sarah introduced me to her. She is a local author! Deanna Hendrich is pictured here with her inspirational book, “Grace Abounds“. She was absolutely delightful to chat with.
I said my goodbyes, and continued my stroll around the Square. I soon came upon another boutique,
Simple Pleasures of Clinton. I introduced myself to the owner, Diane McClure. She showed me around her lovely shop. These bright happy-colored leather earrings drew me. They are created by a local artisan, which makes them even more special.
I was glad to see these wax melts as I had just purchased a warmer, but did not have the candle wax. I bought several of these Friendly Flamers. Their scent is wonderful!
Diane told me a gentleman in his 90’s is the woodworker who makes these magnificent bowls. To hear these stories creates the feeling of connectedness with the artists and their creations. It is a satisfying experience.
My last stop of the day was to the office of “
Clinton Main Street” organization, where I sat and chatted with Tina. She is a young woman who has an enormous appreciation of the history of the town. I learned much from her. So, if you are doing any research in town, please schedule a visit with Tina. She has a great wealth of knowledge. Tina told me about the incredible website:
HenryCoMo.US.
I had a really pleasant day on the Square. The townsfolk are readily interactive, and genuinely welcoming. I hope you come here. I truly believe you will have a lovely day too!
