After enjoying two beers at nearby Many Good Things Brewing, I walked a bit along the riverside. No…read morebarges passing this time but it was still an amazing view that goes north around the bend and south to see the beautiful Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge. Some seating here and a few captions, don't miss the "high water" marks on the floodwall. Holy smokes! [Review 1252 of 2024 - 354 in Missouri - 22275 overall]

Just north of Thebes along Route 3 and parallel to the Mississippi River, this small park has a…read morehistorical marker and the parking available to appreciate it. You can also access the river from here for a fabulous view. The marker reads, "In 1817 the Zebulon M. Pike reached St. Louis, the northern-most steamboat port on the Mississippi River. The western steamboat of later years was a credit to the frontier American mechanic who drew upon experience to build a large craft (eventually over 300 by 40 feet) which would carry heavy cargoes in shallow water against the strong Mississippi current. Owners boasted that steamboats could run on heavy dew, but in fact seasonal variations in river depth limited their use - medium sized steamboats needed at least four feet of water. The influence of the steamboat spread far and wide in the Mississippi Valley and hastened the development of the region. "Snags, explosions, collisions and fires sank many steamboats. An 1867 investigation recorded 133 sunken hulks in the Mississippi between Cairo and St. Louis, a stretch rivermen called the 'Graveyard.' "Even as the north-south river trade flourished in the 1850's transportation lines running east and west developed. Railroads, which followed a more direct route than winding rivers, began to haul freight to and from the Mississippi valley. Steamboats aided the North in the Civil War, but the reorientation of civilian commerce foreshadowed their decline. Although they continued to churn the Mississippi for the rest of the nineteenth century, they were eventually replaced by strings of barges guided by a single steamboat or later by a diesel boat which transported the cargoes individual steamboats had once carried." The marker was erected in 1986 by the Illinois Department of Transportation and the Illinois State Historical Society. [Review 1248 of 2024 - 202 in Illinois - 22271 overall]

Driving past, the sign mentioned "Thebes Historic Courthouse" and it rang a loud bell in my mind…read morebut I could not remember why this courthouse was so important. And so I made the turn to check it out. Completed in 1848, the courthouse is in the Southern Greek Revival style and the view from the porch of the famous Thebes Bridge (reviewed separately) and the Mighty Mississippi River (also reviewed separately) is tremendous. Inside, this classic structure are two hundred years of history, artifacts, photographs and some very helpful and friendly ladies who are more than happy to talk. Abraham Lincoln visited the courthouse when he was a frontier lawyer. One of the more infamous Supreme Court cases began its journey here when fugitive slave Dred Scott was imprisoned in the courthouse dungeon. Yeah, that Dred Scott and the ruling from SCOTUS in 1857 was that the US Constitution did not extend American citizenship to people of black African descent. This was thankfully overturned by the Civil War and the Fourteenth Amendment. [Review 1247 of 2024 - 201 in Illinois - 22270 overall]

In Sept 2015, Noel, Tony and I started on a road trip with Sammi from Nashville TN to Skull, KS. On…read morethe way, we saw this sign for a Historical Courthouse overlooking the Mississippi River. So we had to stop. This courthouse is had something to do with the very important Dredd Scott trial. The courthouse was closed but I got some really great photos of the courthouse. It had a great location on the Mississippi River. There is nothing left of this important River Port Town..but I just wonder what it all looked like? Sitting high atop a bluff overlooking the Mississippi River in Thebes, Illinois is the 1848 Courthouse. Standing 165 years, it is a testament to architect Henry Ernst Barkhausen, who was awarded the contract for designing and supervising the erection of the Thebes Courthouse in 1845. This landmark was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972.

Under renovation but always a nice place for a little side trip…read more Great history lessons when staff on site

Sept 2015, Tony, Noel and I along with our doggie Sammi, went to several State Parks in Missouri…read moreand we stopped at Bollinger Mill State Historic Site to check out the old grist mill and the Burfordville Covered Bridge. The park is FREE to enjoy. The parking lot is full of trees and gravel and makes for a nice shaded area. There are picnic tables and NO grills but you can bring a picnic basket with food in it. We walked around the grist mill and the Covered bridge. It is a very lovely park and easy to find once you put in the GPS information. History of the Bollinger Grist Mill. The Bollinger Mill State Historic Site is a state-owned property preserving a mill and covered bridge that pre-date the American Civil War in Burfordville, Cape Girardeau County, Missouri. The park was established in 1967 and offers mill tours and picnicking. It is managed by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources Mill History: In 1797, George Frederick Bollinger received a land grant from the Spanish Government and moved with several other families from North Carolina to what is now Burfordville, Missouri.[4] In 1800, Bollinger began building a log dam and mill on the Whitewater River. In 1825, Bollinger rebuilt the mill and dam using limestone. After Bollinger's death in 1842, his daughter Sarah Daugherty and her sons continued to operate the mill until the Civil War, when the mill was burned by the Union army in order to prevent the supply of flour and meal to the Confederate army. Following the war, the mill site was sold to Solomon R. Burford. The current four-story brick mill was completed by Burford in 1867 and is built upon the limestone foundation of the 1825 building. Burford owned the mill until 1897, when the Cape County Milling Company took over operations and continued operating the mill until 1953 when the mill was sold to the Vandivort family, relatives of George Bollinger. The mill was donated to the Cape Girardeau County Historical Society in 1961 and to the State of Missouri in 1967.[3] Three years later, the mill was added to the National Register of Historic Places

The wall's primary purpose is to hold back the flood waters of the mighty Mississippi River, which…read morefloods often. Most recently (Jan. 2016) the river crested over flood stage (32 feet) at 48.86 feet, which was pretty close to the top of the wall which is 53 feet high. The wall spans 500 feet and is covered with murals painted by various artists depicting the lives of 45 famous people who were born in Missouri or achieved fame while living there. Great way to take in some history as you stroll and so much better than a plan ole wall!

Great day to see the Missouri Wall Of Fame In Cape Girardeau, MO. Only 12 degrees and still worth…read morethe New Years Day drive! Ice on the Mississippi and the art on the wall to enjoy. Amazing artwork and history. Perfect for a nice long walk to enjoy!

Commanding a view over downtown Cape GIrardeau, this beautiful structure was completed in 1854 (and…read moresurvived the Civil War!) designed in the Federal style. It is two stories and includes a hipped roof and cupola. On a Sunday afternoon, the building was locked and secured so no opportunity to tour the inside. The outside, however, is stunning including the stairway down to the riverside neighborhood, the fabulous fountain (dedicated in 1911 in memory of the soldiers of the Civil War) and the bandstand. The bandstand had a couple of folks enjoying the power outlets and a nap. It's quite the structure and well worth a stop. [Review 1253 of 2024 - 355 in Missouri - 22276 overall]

Very efficient service here. You can go to either the Cape or Jackson location to get your tax…read morewaiver. This was my first time at the Cape office and was well served. When you move to Missouri, you are subject to an annual personal property tax. To register your car in Missouri, you obtain a waiver so that you are not subject to pay personal property fees until you have lived in the state through the calendar year. The Cape office is on Lorimer Street to the right of the courthouse. Very efficient and friendly staff.

Mounds Public Library has a wealth of historical artifacts from the region, including some visuals…read moreof Abe Lincoln in the genealogy room, which I found fascinating. There's a beautiful old roll top desk in the center of the building, among several other authentic antique tables and eclectic furnishings. The interior is spacious and divided into a children's area, stacks of fiction and a separate, walled-off space for the genealogy room. The circulation desk is very accessible and the bathrooms are clean and spacious. There is also a clean, spacious break room with a refrigerator and coffee maker. A group of people from Morris Library at SIUC in Carbondale has taken on the project of reorganizing the books to make the library functional again. The area residents who care for the library have wonderful, warm hearts, and care for the cultural legacy of their community. Once it opens up to the public again, this library will offer its valuable assets to the people of Mounds and all of southernmost Illinois. It seems like saving this library will make a big difference, especially for the children and others who live nearby. A team of volunteers will be visiting the area next weekend, November 23 and 24, 2013.

A small marker with not a lot of information but they do at least have a big sign nearby pointing…read morethe way. There is a small pull out so that you can be off the roadway while you read. The marker reads, "Cantonment Wilkinson-ville. On the Ohio River three miles south of here, Cantonment Wilkinson-ville named for General James Wilkinson. Was established by Lieutenant Colonel David Strong in 1797 as a post of the United States Army. It was garrisoned until 1804. Here are buried Colonel Strong and scores of soldiers who diet on duty. Erected by the State of Illinois, 1935." [Review 16297 overall - 97 in Illinois - 1803 of 2021.]