I realize that probably a very small amount of my readers are from my hometown of Lexington, Missouri, but I would still like to reflect on an amazing new book by the late Roger E. Slusher and the Lexington Historical Association. Images of America: Lexington kept me from going to bed at a decent hour two nights in a row… and it started the second I picked it up off my doorstep. I stared at the pictures. I compared the pictures. I pulled up current locations on Google Maps. And I did a lot of imagining.
Growing up in Lexington, as a child you quickly learn about the Civil War battle that took place there. For me, I was always specifically interested in the history of the buildings, what was where, what used to be, etc. I wonder what my now small and quiet hometown was like when it was the third largest city in the state, hustling and bustling with four colleges at one point, theaters and opera houses, an entire block full of saloons, headquarters for the Pony Express, factories, coal mines… the list goes on. I’ve seen a lot of the local photo collections that people have put together over the years, but I hadn’t seen so many of the photos in this book. Many of the photos are aerial or taken from the City Hall dome, and they are breathtaking. (I only wish they would have chosen one of the beautiful street photos for the cover.) When you think of the historic Main Street and Franklin, you think about the old buildings that still exist being the original structures. Then I find out that many of these beautiful and historical buildings were not the first to be on those lots. And there were blocks and blocks of buildings, neighborhoods, farms, and homes that just aren’t there anymore. If I went back in a time machine to the mid to late 1800s, I’m quite sure I would not be able to find my way around.
Lexingtonians know that there is something special about their town, but this book helps you to realize just how important those remaining gems of buildings and locations are. Lexington has unfortunately lost a few of these gems this year. I suppose these things are just bound to happen with the passing of time, but I wonder if residents felt the same loss when they lost buildings a hundred or more years ago? It also kind of makes you wonder if 100 years from now people will be fighting to save the historic Pizza Hut, the last remaining Sonic Drive-In in the nation, or the beautiful and historic Woodland Creek district. Or like many cities in the early 1900s, will we not recognize the future value of our neighborhoods and just bulldoze them down to build new?
Fascinating book! If you’re in town, you can pick one up at The River Reader today!
Want to visit or learn more about Lexington?
The Battle of Lexington & The Anderson House
The Cannonball and the Courthouse
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Machpelah Cemetery, Lexington, Missouri
Forest Grove Cemetery, Lexington, Missouri
Old Catholic Cemetery, Lexington, Missouri
August 9th, 2013 at 7:44 am
Roger was in my class. Do you know when he died? Or what of, he died?
August 9th, 2013 at 10:46 pm
I don’t have much information on that, only that it was in the last week or so, I believe. I did find obituary info online as well. I saw it posted by the River Reader in Lexington with information about the book. Then I ordered it.
August 10th, 2013 at 11:43 pm
Roger passed away on July 4th. He was originally diagnosed with liver and pancreatic cancer. He then had two stints put in his heart and went into cardiac arrest from that. They had given him 6 months from the diagnosis of the cancer. Had the stints put in around June 17th and then passed from the combination of the cardiac arrest and cancer on July 4th.
August 11th, 2013 at 7:45 pm
Roger was always known as one of the most intelligent students in our class. I remember hay ride, when he was trying to console me regarding my feelings of being “picked on” by the English teacher…Mrs. Seiter ( who’s husband taught Biology). He said, “You just have to get on her “wave length”, and you aren’t on her wave length Sarah. He was trying to say that HE had figured put what she wanted to hear, and I hadn’t. She and I locked horns!
August 9th, 2013 at 8:57 am
Lexington was the best place to grow up!! So many great memories. I am heading there this weekend for a visit. Going to get that book! Thanks for writing about this!! Deb
August 9th, 2013 at 10:46 pm
No problem! I hope you enjoy your visit and the book!
August 12th, 2013 at 4:05 am
I had a similar reaction when I first picked up this book. I thought I’d read just a few pages and I ended up walking downtown late at night to look at the buildings that are there now (and the ones that aren’t) and I tried to imagine what Lexington must have looked like back then. Fascinating. Like you, I wish they’d picked a different photo for the cover.
August 21st, 2013 at 11:08 pm
You and I would get along very well, Jayne. 🙂