Snowy Range Pass

Snowy Range Pass

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Hannibal then and now


After leaving Keokuk, we headed to Hannibal, MO for a quick stop.  This has been on our list since we started full timing in 2006.  Back in 1981, we stayed here while we were making a cross country trip from Oklahoma to Ohio in a small four seat airplane. For any pilots out there it was a Beechcraft Musketeer. As often happens on this kind of trip, we were forced to stay in Hannibal for three days due to weather.  Since we did not have a car, we spent the full three days wandering the streets of Hannibal and eating in the same diner.  Now we wanted to see how the place might have changed.







We found that not a lot has changed and the changes are not an improvement.  Our first stop was the airport where we arrived all those years ago. It remains a small but active field. The boyhood home town of Mark Twain has a few attractions depicting the early life of Mark Twain.  New is the Mark Twain walking tour and museum.  Also new is the removal of several of the large waterfront commercial facilities that have been replaced by parking lots for visitors that were mostly not there on this Sunday in July.  We noticed a lot of closed businesses including one of the largest building in town, a former bank, were the sale sign says it all.  The long standing outdoor historic play venue closed a few years ago.














If you have not been here, it is worth a visit if you are a fan of river history and the works of Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain) and his depiction of American life along the Mississippi.

I found a few of the slides that were taken during our stay in 1981 that allow a then and now look.

14 comments:

Wanderin' said...

Terry's originally from Hannibal so this year that's our first destination when we head south for the winter!!

Jim and Sandie said...

This economy has really hit some towns really hard. So very sad. We didn't get to Hannibal and I'm sorry we missed it.

Joe and Nancy Conrad said...

I just got caught up on your blog, great pictures of this small town. We like to visit these small towns, they have so much history and really nice people.

Paul and Marsha Weaver OCT. 17, 2009 said...

It looks like a lovely city. but where are the people? I love to visit historic towns. Thanks for the tour.

Jim and Judy said...

I think this will be a town that I will jott down to see when in the area. Nice pics and commentary.

Travels with Emma said...

I enjoyed a few days in Hannibal a couple of years ago. Your pics brought back some nice memories.

Kenny And Angela's Adventure said...

Shame it looks like a Ghost Town.

Paul and Marti Dahl said...

Too bad the town is in such decline. Sad that the economy has caused so much trouble.

Did you make an offer on that building that was for sale?

Rick said...

Thanks for the tour of Hannibal. It definitely brings back a lot of memories of when I was young and reading the adventures of Tom Sawyer on the Mississippi.

Erin said...

I think it's that fear of 'it might not have changed for the better" that keeps us from returning to some places we have visited in the past. But we're going to bite the bullet and do so when we get on the road.

Sweet Meanderings said...

I was just there visiting my parents but didn't have time for the tourist places. I enjoyed the pictures though!
Candy

Bob and Jo said...

Hannibal is now on our list, ghost town or not

Kevin Read said...

Looks like you enjoyed your visit back. I know that with us sometimes going back to visit a spot seen years before is a sad thing because too much has changed as you said not always for the good.

Kevin and Ruth
www.travelwithkevinandruth.com

Elaine said...

sweet historic town....but no people...sad that the economy gave it such a hit...