I love it when I have the opportunity to revisit places – especially when those returns are to places where I know people.
My first stop was just a quick one – Neosho, Missouri. I wanted to check on the progress that had been made on the 1872 school that George Washington Carver attended since my participation in a 2016 HistoricCorps project. (Just for the record, this visit took place in 2018.)
As I pulled into town, I noticed something I hadn’t seen before. Neosho is the Home of the World’s Largest Flowerbox!
I made my way over to the school house to inspect the progress. This is a project that is funded by private donations, so it takes a while to complete each step.
When I consider what had to be done to get it this far, I am amazed at the progress – even though this place doesn’t look like much right now. I knew that they had gotten the siding completed, but I hadn’t seen a photo of the great foundations that were added. When I was there, the building was sitting on a few stacked stones at each corner.
They have added some new informative signage at the site.
I particularly like this sketch that George Washington Carver made of how he remembered the school and the house that Uncle Andy and Aunt Mariah Watkins shared with him. The house that is currently next door to the school is not the house he lived in. As I remember, the archeologist that worked with us during the HistoriCorps project said that the house he lived in was most likely the one at the corner, but they couldn’t verify that.
In any event, he remembered that school house very clearly.
There was also a sign about the what the formerly enslaved and their offspring had to go through to achieve an education.
It warmed my heart to see photo of Stephen Frost, George’s first teacher. There is nothing that satisfies a teacher more that to see their students succeed. I hope he lived long enough to know of the fruits of the seeds of knowledge he planted in his student.
I couldn’t resist the opportunity for a little T@b glamour shot before I headed out of town.
Next stop was Conway, Arkansas. I had been there in 2014, when I first started out on my Airstream adventure. Conway was a destination for me because an internet friend I had known since before Facebook lives there!
Nancy is a very busy person with many irons in the fire, so I was pleased that we could squeeze in some time to catch up with each other.
I booked a site at one of my favorite campgrounds – Toad Suck Park. Isn’t that a great name? It sits right on the Arkansas River. It’s an Army Corps of Engineers facility, which means three things:
1. The park is well constucted.
2. Everything works.
3. It’s economical – especially since I have the America the Beautiful Senior pass.
I’m pretty sure that I even got the same site I had before…
with the same great view!
Nancy and I met up for lunch at a very nice restaurant. In fact, we ate here on my last visit. Unfortunately, there are no photos of the food or of us, so you will just have to take my word for it.
Nancy had things to attend to, so I prowled around Conway for a bit. This vibrant mural across the street in Simon Park demanded my attention.
This mural is titled “Aurora Rising.” The sign on the right side of the photo tells the significance of all the components. Unfortunately, it was so sun-faded that I couldn’t piece the information together. However, it was designed and painted by Morton Brown in 2007. I hope he has gone on to other great works of art.
I loved this statue of a young girl looking up at the mural.
Look at the wonder in her face.
Behind her is a statue of a young reader, totally engaged in a book.
I looked around and saw a bike sharing station.
It’s part of the Zagster program and is sponsored by Baptist Health. Cycling is a good form of exercise. And, if you are not a good cyclist, encouraging people to ride could insure that they have more customers from people falling off. (I would be one of them.)
That evening, I joined Nancy at her library for an open night mike. It’s fun to watch people pursuing their passions, whether in a group…
or doing a solo.
Nancy is also a talented musician, and she took a turn on the stage.
I made it back to Toad Suck Park in time to enjoy the last bits of a lovely sunset.
Incidentally, my Preferred Source has an entry about Toad Suck. There it says that the origin of the name is disputed. Some believe that is came about when idle rivermen would congregate at the local tavern where the would “suck on a bottle ’til they swell up like toads.” Others believe it is a corruption of a French phrase meaning “a narrow channel in the river.”
The next morning, we met up for breakfast at Bob’s Grill. Nancy’s husband, Dan, stopped in for a few minutes. We had met the last time I passed through. This is one busy family!
After breakfast, we set out for a town somewhere in the area for a literary event. Nancy wrote a book, “A Down-Home Twelve Days of Christmas.”
Quite a few local authors were taking part and promoting their books.
Of course there were refreshments.
Oh, my! Fried pies! They were delicious!
After that, it was back to her house for a bit. I took about a dozen photos of Nancy and her dog, whose name escapes me at the moment. I decided I liked this shot the best.
Then we managed to tag-team a selfie. I think I held the camera and she hit the button. (Or was it the other way around?)
And then it was time to go. Thanks for making time to visit with me, Nancy!
On my way out of the park the next day, I managed to snap a photo of the flags. It took a few shots, but I finally managed to snap on that showed the Corps of Engineers flag with most of their insignia visible.
After I dumped my tanks, I also got a shot of the T@b with the sign. And then it was time to hit the road.
But first, a stop for gas.
Next stop: Hope.