Southeast Missouri from Swampland to Farmland

Southeast Missouri from Swampland to Farmland

Author: John C. Fisher

Publisher: McFarland

Published: 2017-04-24

Total Pages: 258

ISBN-13: 1476627916

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As the 20th century began, swamps with immense timber resources covered much of the Missouri Bootheel. After investors harvested the timber, the landscape became overgrown. The conversion of swampland to farmland began with small drainage projects but complete reclamation was made possible by a system of ditches dug by the Little River Drainage District--the largest in the U.S., excavating more earth than for the Panama Canal. Farming quickly took over. The devastation of Southern cotton fields by boll weevils in the early 1920s brought to the cooler Bootheel an influx of black and white sharecroppers and cotton became the principal crop. Conflict over New Deal subsidies to increase cotton prices by reducing production led to the 1939 Sharecropper Demonstration, foreshadowing civil rights protests three decades later.


Book Synopsis Southeast Missouri from Swampland to Farmland by : John C. Fisher

Download or read book Southeast Missouri from Swampland to Farmland written by John C. Fisher and published by McFarland. This book was released on 2017-04-24 with total page 258 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As the 20th century began, swamps with immense timber resources covered much of the Missouri Bootheel. After investors harvested the timber, the landscape became overgrown. The conversion of swampland to farmland began with small drainage projects but complete reclamation was made possible by a system of ditches dug by the Little River Drainage District--the largest in the U.S., excavating more earth than for the Panama Canal. Farming quickly took over. The devastation of Southern cotton fields by boll weevils in the early 1920s brought to the cooler Bootheel an influx of black and white sharecroppers and cotton became the principal crop. Conflict over New Deal subsidies to increase cotton prices by reducing production led to the 1939 Sharecropper Demonstration, foreshadowing civil rights protests three decades later.


This Place of Promise

This Place of Promise

Author: Gary R. Kremer

Publisher: University of Missouri Press

Published: 2021-11-30

Total Pages: 329

ISBN-13: 0826274668

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Conceived of as a way to commemorate Missouri’s bicentennial of statehood, this unique work presents the perspective of Gary Kremer, one of the Show-Me State’s foremost historians, as he ponders why history played out as it did over the course of the two centuries since Missouri’s admittance to the Union. In the writing of what is much more than a survey history, Kremer, himself a fifth-generation Missourian, infuses the narrative with his vast knowledge and personal experiences, even as he considers what being a Missourian has meant—across the many years and to this day—to all of the state’s people, and how the forces of history—time, place, race, gender, religion, and class—shaped people and determined their opportunities and choices, in turn creating collective experiences that draw upon the past in an attempt to make sense of the present and plan for the future. Key elements of the book include the centrality of race to the Missouri experience—from the time Missourians began to seek statehood in 1817 all the way up to the Black Lives Matter movement of the 21st century—as well as ongoing tensions created by the urban-rural divide and struggle to define the proper role of government in society.


Book Synopsis This Place of Promise by : Gary R. Kremer

Download or read book This Place of Promise written by Gary R. Kremer and published by University of Missouri Press. This book was released on 2021-11-30 with total page 329 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Conceived of as a way to commemorate Missouri’s bicentennial of statehood, this unique work presents the perspective of Gary Kremer, one of the Show-Me State’s foremost historians, as he ponders why history played out as it did over the course of the two centuries since Missouri’s admittance to the Union. In the writing of what is much more than a survey history, Kremer, himself a fifth-generation Missourian, infuses the narrative with his vast knowledge and personal experiences, even as he considers what being a Missourian has meant—across the many years and to this day—to all of the state’s people, and how the forces of history—time, place, race, gender, religion, and class—shaped people and determined their opportunities and choices, in turn creating collective experiences that draw upon the past in an attempt to make sense of the present and plan for the future. Key elements of the book include the centrality of race to the Missouri experience—from the time Missourians began to seek statehood in 1817 all the way up to the Black Lives Matter movement of the 21st century—as well as ongoing tensions created by the urban-rural divide and struggle to define the proper role of government in society.


The Great River: The Making and Unmaking of the Mississippi

The Great River: The Making and Unmaking of the Mississippi

Author: Boyce Upholt

Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company

Published: 2024-06-11

Total Pages: 213

ISBN-13: 0393867889

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A sweeping history of the Mississippi River—and the centuries of human meddling that have transformed both it and America. The Mississippi River lies at the heart of America, an undeniable life force that is intertwined with the nation’s culture and history. Its watershed spans almost half the country, Mark Twain’s travels on the river inspired our first national literature, and jazz and blues were born in its floodplains and carried upstream. In this landmark work of natural history, Boyce Upholt tells the epic story of this wild and unruly river, and the centuries of efforts to control it. Over thousands of years, the Mississippi watershed was home to millions of Indigenous people who regarded “the great river” with awe and respect, adorning its banks with astonishing spiritual earthworks. The river was ever-changing, and Indigenous tribes embraced and even depended on its regular flooding. But the expanse of the watershed and the rich soils of its floodplain lured European settlers and American pioneers, who had a different vision: the river was a foe to conquer. Centuries of human attempts to own, contain, and rework the Mississippi River, from Thomas Jefferson’s expansionist land hunger through today’s era of environmental concern, have now transformed its landscape. Upholt reveals how an ambitious and sometimes contentious program of engineering—government-built levees, jetties, dikes, and dams—has not only damaged once-vibrant ecosystems but may not work much longer. Carrying readers along the river’s last remaining backchannels, he explores how scientists are now hoping to restore what has been lost. Rich and powerful, The Great River delivers a startling account of what happens when we try to fight against nature instead of acknowledging and embracing its power—a lesson that is all too relevant in our rapidly changing world.


Book Synopsis The Great River: The Making and Unmaking of the Mississippi by : Boyce Upholt

Download or read book The Great River: The Making and Unmaking of the Mississippi written by Boyce Upholt and published by W. W. Norton & Company. This book was released on 2024-06-11 with total page 213 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A sweeping history of the Mississippi River—and the centuries of human meddling that have transformed both it and America. The Mississippi River lies at the heart of America, an undeniable life force that is intertwined with the nation’s culture and history. Its watershed spans almost half the country, Mark Twain’s travels on the river inspired our first national literature, and jazz and blues were born in its floodplains and carried upstream. In this landmark work of natural history, Boyce Upholt tells the epic story of this wild and unruly river, and the centuries of efforts to control it. Over thousands of years, the Mississippi watershed was home to millions of Indigenous people who regarded “the great river” with awe and respect, adorning its banks with astonishing spiritual earthworks. The river was ever-changing, and Indigenous tribes embraced and even depended on its regular flooding. But the expanse of the watershed and the rich soils of its floodplain lured European settlers and American pioneers, who had a different vision: the river was a foe to conquer. Centuries of human attempts to own, contain, and rework the Mississippi River, from Thomas Jefferson’s expansionist land hunger through today’s era of environmental concern, have now transformed its landscape. Upholt reveals how an ambitious and sometimes contentious program of engineering—government-built levees, jetties, dikes, and dams—has not only damaged once-vibrant ecosystems but may not work much longer. Carrying readers along the river’s last remaining backchannels, he explores how scientists are now hoping to restore what has been lost. Rich and powerful, The Great River delivers a startling account of what happens when we try to fight against nature instead of acknowledging and embracing its power—a lesson that is all too relevant in our rapidly changing world.


Max the Knife

Max the Knife

Author: Max Heeb

Publisher: Xlibris Corporation

Published: 2015-08-06

Total Pages: 298

ISBN-13: 1503592731

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It was a balmy early September evening in 1998. The event was the annual fund-raiser for the Missouri Delta Medical Center, and I was the guest of honor; to receive a meritorious service award and recognition for services performed as a surgeon for more than four decades, as well as my work in various community projects and promotions. This was the second annual fund-raising event sponsored by the Missouri Delta Medical Center Foundation. The first one, the year before, had paid tribute to Judge Marshall Craig, a distinguished circuit court jurist, a legal icon in our region, and an all-American basketball player at the University of Missouri during his college days. It was my privilege to introduce the out-of-town special guests in attendance that had come to honor Judge Craig. The president of the University of Missouri, Dr. George Russell, originally from Bertrand, Missouri, a small town just east of Sikeston, and the renowned coach of the University of Missouri Tigers basketball team for more than twenty-five years, Coach Norman Stewart, had traveled down from Columbia, Missouri, to help honor Judge Craig.


Book Synopsis Max the Knife by : Max Heeb

Download or read book Max the Knife written by Max Heeb and published by Xlibris Corporation. This book was released on 2015-08-06 with total page 298 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: It was a balmy early September evening in 1998. The event was the annual fund-raiser for the Missouri Delta Medical Center, and I was the guest of honor; to receive a meritorious service award and recognition for services performed as a surgeon for more than four decades, as well as my work in various community projects and promotions. This was the second annual fund-raising event sponsored by the Missouri Delta Medical Center Foundation. The first one, the year before, had paid tribute to Judge Marshall Craig, a distinguished circuit court jurist, a legal icon in our region, and an all-American basketball player at the University of Missouri during his college days. It was my privilege to introduce the out-of-town special guests in attendance that had come to honor Judge Craig. The president of the University of Missouri, Dr. George Russell, originally from Bertrand, Missouri, a small town just east of Sikeston, and the renowned coach of the University of Missouri Tigers basketball team for more than twenty-five years, Coach Norman Stewart, had traveled down from Columbia, Missouri, to help honor Judge Craig.


Uniquely Missouri

Uniquely Missouri

Author: Lisa Owens

Publisher: Heinemann-Raintree Library

Published: 2004

Total Pages: 52

ISBN-13: 9781403444950

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Provides an overview of various aspects of Missouri that make it a unique state, including its people, land, culture, and attractions.


Book Synopsis Uniquely Missouri by : Lisa Owens

Download or read book Uniquely Missouri written by Lisa Owens and published by Heinemann-Raintree Library. This book was released on 2004 with total page 52 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Provides an overview of various aspects of Missouri that make it a unique state, including its people, land, culture, and attractions.


When They Blew the Levee

When They Blew the Levee

Author: David Todd Lawrence

Publisher: Univ. Press of Mississippi

Published: 2018-05-30

Total Pages: 224

ISBN-13: 1496817745

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In 2011, the Midwest suffered devastating floods. Due to the flooding, the US Army Corps of Engineers activated the Birds Point-New Madrid Floodway, one of the flood prevention mechanisms of the Mississippi Rivers and Tributaries Project. This levee breach was intended to divert water in order to save the town of Cairo, Illinois, but in the process, it completely destroyed the small African American town of Pinhook, Missouri. In When They Blew the Levee: Race, Politics, and Community in Pinhook, Missouri, authors David Todd Lawrence and Elaine J. Lawless examine two conflicting narratives about the flood--one promoted by the Corps of Engineers that boasts the success of the levee breach and the flood diversion, and the other gleaned from displaced Pinhook residents, who, in oral narratives, tell a different story of neglect and indifference on the part of government officials. Receiving inadequate warning and no evacuation assistance during the breach, residents lost everything. Still after more than six years, displaced Pinhook residents have yet to receive restitution and funding for relocation and reconstruction of their town. The authors' research traces a long history of discrimination and neglect of the rights of the Pinhook community, beginning with their migration from the Deep South to southeast Missouri, through purchasing and farming the land, and up to the Birds Point levee breach nearly eighty years later. The residents' stories relate what it has been like to be dispersed in other small towns, living with relatives and friends while trying to negotiate the bureaucracy surrounding Federal Emergency Management Agency and State Emergency Management Agency assistance programs. Ultimately, the stories of displaced citizens of Pinhook reveal a strong African American community, whose bonds were developed over time and through shared traditions, a community persisting despite extremely difficult circumstances.


Book Synopsis When They Blew the Levee by : David Todd Lawrence

Download or read book When They Blew the Levee written by David Todd Lawrence and published by Univ. Press of Mississippi. This book was released on 2018-05-30 with total page 224 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In 2011, the Midwest suffered devastating floods. Due to the flooding, the US Army Corps of Engineers activated the Birds Point-New Madrid Floodway, one of the flood prevention mechanisms of the Mississippi Rivers and Tributaries Project. This levee breach was intended to divert water in order to save the town of Cairo, Illinois, but in the process, it completely destroyed the small African American town of Pinhook, Missouri. In When They Blew the Levee: Race, Politics, and Community in Pinhook, Missouri, authors David Todd Lawrence and Elaine J. Lawless examine two conflicting narratives about the flood--one promoted by the Corps of Engineers that boasts the success of the levee breach and the flood diversion, and the other gleaned from displaced Pinhook residents, who, in oral narratives, tell a different story of neglect and indifference on the part of government officials. Receiving inadequate warning and no evacuation assistance during the breach, residents lost everything. Still after more than six years, displaced Pinhook residents have yet to receive restitution and funding for relocation and reconstruction of their town. The authors' research traces a long history of discrimination and neglect of the rights of the Pinhook community, beginning with their migration from the Deep South to southeast Missouri, through purchasing and farming the land, and up to the Birds Point levee breach nearly eighty years later. The residents' stories relate what it has been like to be dispersed in other small towns, living with relatives and friends while trying to negotiate the bureaucracy surrounding Federal Emergency Management Agency and State Emergency Management Agency assistance programs. Ultimately, the stories of displaced citizens of Pinhook reveal a strong African American community, whose bonds were developed over time and through shared traditions, a community persisting despite extremely difficult circumstances.


Missouri Conservationist

Missouri Conservationist

Author:

Publisher:

Published: 1986

Total Pages: 832

ISBN-13:

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Book Synopsis Missouri Conservationist by :

Download or read book Missouri Conservationist written by and published by . This book was released on 1986 with total page 832 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:


Federal Wetlands Policy

Federal Wetlands Policy

Author: United States. Congress. House. Committee on Government Reform

Publisher:

Published: 2001

Total Pages: 666

ISBN-13:

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Book Synopsis Federal Wetlands Policy by : United States. Congress. House. Committee on Government Reform

Download or read book Federal Wetlands Policy written by United States. Congress. House. Committee on Government Reform and published by . This book was released on 2001 with total page 666 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:


Arkansas Review

Arkansas Review

Author:

Publisher:

Published: 2004

Total Pages: 248

ISBN-13:

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Book Synopsis Arkansas Review by :

Download or read book Arkansas Review written by and published by . This book was released on 2004 with total page 248 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:


Missouri Then and Now

Missouri Then and Now

Author: Perry McCandless

Publisher: University of Missouri Press

Published: 2001

Total Pages: 436

ISBN-13: 9780826213525

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The history and development of Missouri are traced in this textbook which includes illustrations, suggested activities, and glossary.


Book Synopsis Missouri Then and Now by : Perry McCandless

Download or read book Missouri Then and Now written by Perry McCandless and published by University of Missouri Press. This book was released on 2001 with total page 436 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The history and development of Missouri are traced in this textbook which includes illustrations, suggested activities, and glossary.