Saturday, August 16, 2014

#202: Washington Historical Society

The second stop on my 'Missouri River'-side tour happened to be just on the other side of my intended destination. Only reason I stopped was because it was only a few miles out of the way from MO Hwy. 94.

Northbound MO Hwy. 47 about to cross the Missouri River
Washington, Missouri is a Missouri River town. And believe me, they'll let you know! They also have the distinction of being the 'corncob pipe capital of the world'. Sounds crazy, right? A lot of things in Missouri (especially in St. Louis) are named after Thomas Jefferson, the country's third President. Washington is, of course, named after our First Prez.

A George Washington bust that sits outside the county's courthouse
It was first settled under Spanish control, but then Americans took control of it eventually. In 1799, Daniel Boone and his followers settled there. The town is very rich in history of its development, as well as its production and economy. It was at one time, a center for railroad and transportation industry. Washington has an amazing 445 buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is also the hometown of prominent soap actor Jack Wagner, who has had a long career in that television genre. Wagner also scored a hit single, 'All I Need', which hit #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1985.



The sign

Inside part of the museum. Gotta love the honesty: 'The river is why we're here'
The cake looks like it focuses on grapes, which lead to wine! Washington sits on the other side of Missouri wine country. For more details, see cake #203.
Left side of the cake

Right side of the cake
As always the case, I randomly strolled into the museum. And boy, I'm glad I did! I learned a lot more than I did before I went in. I didn't know Harry Truman and Dwight Eisenhower campaigned for President in Washington. It has a lot of great artifacts, plus plenty of history lessons spanning from different time periods. The Washington Historical Society was established in 1859. It houses the Four Rivers Genealogical Society.

Washington Historical Society on FB
Official website

113 East 4th St., WASHINGTON, MO, 63090
Cake artist: Gina Harmon

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