Oh, look!

It's the building I talked about in a previous entry.


322 S. Ohio Avenue - Trust Building

The centerpiece of Downtown Sedalia. The turrets of this Romanesque Revival style building constructed from Warrensburg sandstone carve an eye-catching sculpture against the Sedalia skyline. Originally built to house the Missouri Trust Co., the structure was dedicated in June 1889. Two fires in 1997 severely damaged the top floor of the building. It now is in the possession of the Pettis County Commission and is being restored under the direction of a not-for-profit redevelopment corporation.

Thanks, Lori, for the find!

The information can be found HERE.

Historic Sedalia, Missouri

When we were to meet up with Cliff's cousins in Sedalia a few days ago, we arrived about two hours early. We decided to ride the motorcycle through historic district of the town to pass the time.

That wonderful old building on the corner caught my eye.

It's vacant. On passing, I noticed a sign saying something about "national register of historic places". But Google as I might, I haven't found anything to help me identify the building. There are several magnificent old empty buildings on and near the square.

There was some sort of statue or memorial on every side of the lovely old courthouse. (Yes, I realize there was a smudge on my lens that day in the lower left-hand corner.)

You don't see many memorials to dogs, although one of these days when Cliff and I ride to Warrensburg, I'll take pictures of a famous dog memorial there and tell you about it.

I'm tellin' ya, Sedalia has memorials! This one is for fallen soldiers who fought in Vietnam.

Cliff spends lots of time looking at things like this. There was nothing to tell us what war it was used in, or how old it was.

Our original plans had been to spend Saturday night in the Hotel Bothwell, but since we ended up in Arkansas on Saturday, we didn't get to do it. Maybe another time. At least we got to walk into the lobby and see what it looked like; it's right across the street from the courthouse.

It makes you feel you are stepping back in time.

I could have spent lots more time in the historic district, but we did have some people to meet. Funny thing is, I've spent lots of time in Sedalia at the state fair, but I never ventured into any other part of town. Just think what I was missing!

Thinking about a close call

Last Sunday we rode the motorcycle from Buffalo, Missouri, where we'd spent the night, to Sedalia, Missouri to meet up with some of Cliff's cousins.

Our helmets are equipped with microphones so we can communicate without yelling at one another. Since it was Sunday, I was singing hymns to Cliff as we rode along. "How Great Thou Art", "Thank You, Lord, For Your Blessings On Me", and probably a dozen others.

Although my seat is elevated slightly more than Cliff's, I really can't see over his head. If I want to watch the road, I usually look to one side of his helmeted head.

However, I was so wrapped up with my singing that I was paying no attention to the road ahead. Until I felt Cliff suddenly brake. I peered around his head to see a tractor-trailer rig heading toward us, with a car trying to pass him, not very successfully. She was in our lane approaching us rapidly.

The lady driver pulled in so close to the front of the truck, I don't know how she kept from scraping his bumper. We heard the trucker apply his jake-brakes.

There would have been some options if the lady hadn't made it into her lane; Cliff could have pulled onto the narrow right-hand shoulder of the highway, perhaps... that little four-foot stretch of pavement on the other side of those wake-up bumps.

It was indeed a close call. I'm very thankful it was nothing more than that. And I'm thankful for a skilled, alert trucker who single-handedly prevented a wreck that could have injured or killed us.

If that had happened, we wouldn't have been able to meet up with Cliff's cousins.




And that would have been a real shame. The only time the people in this group see one another seems to be at funerals, which get more and more frequent.

And if that lady passing the truck had hit us, the next funeral might have been ours.

The Bothwell Mansion

There's a place I've seen in the distance from time to time, ever since I was a young teenager heading to the Ozarks with my mom and dad. After I married Cliff 41 years ago, we saw it every time we went to visit his grandparents, aunts, and uncles. It always fascinated me, and at some point I found out it was a state historic site. Today we were on a motorcycle ride and decided before leaving home that we'd take the tour. Unfortunately, because of getting lost a few times and spending too much time at another historic site, our time ran out. We did go scope it out, and decided we'll definitely do the whole tour on another ride. Can you see the Bothwell mansion up on that hill? (Click to make the picture bigger.)


That's the back of the mansion.
There are several walking paths on the property.
Isn't it something?
Finally, I got my chance to look down on 65 highway from the mansion. That's the road I so often traveled when I'd look up and see the "castle", as I used to call it.

The house has 31 rooms. Click HERE to see a bit more about it.