Publishers of digital and traditional print media 573.208.6868 , foothillsmedia@yahoo.com
Most people are familiar with Robert Ford (the man who killed Jesse James) but few people have heard of Edward O’Kelley, the man who killed Bob Ford. In Episode 5 of From the Foothills we talk about the life and death of Edward O’Kelley.
Episode 3 of From the Foothills is now available, in it, I explore the possibility that Jesse James faked his own death in 1882, as-well-as reasons why he would have done so. One reason is Jesse’s possible involvement in a post-war operation carried out by a secret society.
From Wikipedia:
In 1797, George Frederick Bollinger received a land grant from the Spanish Government and moved with several other families from North Carolina to what is now Burfordville, Missouri.[4] In 1800, Bollinger began building a log dam and mill on the Whitewater River. In 1825, Bollinger rebuilt the mill and dam using limestone. After Bollinger’s death in 1842, his daughter Sarah Daugherty and her sons continued to operate the mill until the Civil War, when the mill was burned by the Union army in order to prevent the supply of flour and meal to the Confederate army. Following the war, the mill site was sold to Solomon R. Burford. The current four-story brick mill was completed by Burford in 1867 and is built upon the limestone foundation of the 1825 building. Burford owned the mill until 1897, when the Cape County Milling Company took over operations and continued operating the mill until 1953 when the mill was sold to the Vandivort family, relatives of George Bollinger. The mill was donated to the Cape Girardeau County Historical Society in 1961 and to the State of Missouri in 1967.[3] It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971.
Photo by Dawn Rhodes Sander
Today I went to a place where history has been made.
Where it has been chiseled in granite, and marked by piles of stone.
Where it has been carved out in tree trunks, and written in the sand.
Where logs have been hewn into timbers and trees sawn into boards.
Where rocks were stacked to mark the corners and mortered together to lay the foundation.
Where lumber, hammers, and nails were used to frame generations.
Where is has been printed on paper and hung on the walls.
Where it has been plowed and plainted, grown and harvested.
Where the land gives life and the sky smiles down on it.
Where the stories are still heard in the wind whispering through the pines, the leaves rustling on the ground, and by the sound of water moving over rocks.
Where the sins that were committed have been washed away by the blood of Jesus and in the sacred waters below the rock bluff.
A place where work is done and rest is taken.
A place where legends have lived and still do.
Today I went to the place that shaped me, the family farm.
-Dawn Rhodes Sander
Foothills Media LLC is proud to announce the launch of our new podcast “From the Foothills” a new podcast that focuses on the music, heritage & culture of the Eastern Ozarks of Southeast Missouri.
Our first episode is Part One of “The Wilson Massacre” which occurred on Christmas Day in Ripley County, Missouri. An event that was only known locally until the publication of Paulette Jiles best-selling novel “Enemy Women” in the early 2000’s. The novel and the controversy that surrounded it inspired me to write my book “Blood in the Ozarks”.
Click Here to listen to “The Wilson Massacre: Part One”
Pertinent Links:
Jesse Charles Hammock (with a little help from Park Martin) at Duck Creek Landing. 12 /02/ 2022
In Episode 3 of The Rape of Delaware County, Clint Lacy talks about the cover-up which followed Edwin Turlington’s arrest for shooting Darrell Philpott in self-defense. While the Delaware County, Oklahoma Sheriff’s Department chose to arrest Edwin Turlington, Deputy M.G. Wells appears to protect Darrell Philpott. Part of this cover up involves using low-resolution, black and white photos of Philpott’s gunshot wound for the arrest affidavit of Edwin Turlington, which stated Turlington shot Philpott in the back of the right thigh as he was attempting to flee. Deputy Wells chose to EXCLUDE high resolution, color photographs of Philpott’s wound and an ER nurse’s note which clearly show that Turlington shot Philpott in the front side of his right thigh, indicating that Philpott charged Turlington, which backs up Edwin Turlington’s version of events. Why would the Delaware County Sheriff’s Department choose to arrest a law-abiding U.S. Army veteran and protect a drug felon? Tune into Episode 3 of the Rape of Delaware County to find out!
CLICK HERE to listen to Episode Three of The Rape of Delaware County
CLICK HERE to listen to Episode One of The Rape of Delaware County
CLICK HERE to listen to Episode Two of The Rape of Delaware County
Clint’s book “The Rape of Delaware County” is available at Amazon in hardcover, paperback and Kindle formats.
Part two of my appearance on the Corrupt Guilt podcast with host Savannah Renee. In this episode, a recap of our coverage of The Rape of Delaware County, the arrest of Edwin Turlington for defending himself against a convicted drug felon, Edwin’s distinguished military career and the possible reasons why law enforcement officials in Delaware County Oklahoma chose to arrest Edwin and protect the man who attacked him.
Click Here to Listen to Part One: Exposing the Corruption in Delaware County, Oklahoma
Click Here to Visit the Corrupt Guilt Website
Record low levels on the Mississippi River have people flocking to the island of Tower Rock in east Perry County, Missouri. Usually inaccessible, people can now walk directly to the island without so much as getting their feet wet.
Realizing that this type of event doesn’t happen often, I decided to drive up and experience the site for myself. I made the drive on Friday October 21’st. Recent social media posts reported the site was very crowded on the weekends, but technically Friday was a weekday so I was not expecting the site to be crowded. I would soon found out I was wrong.
Before going into the details of my visit to Tower Rock I will share some brief historical facts about the site.
“The earliest mention by Europeans of this island is by French missionary Jacques Marquette in 1673:
…we found ourselves at a river called ouaboukigou, The mouth of which is at the 36th degree of latitude. Before reaching it, we passed by a Place that is dreaded by the Savages, because they believe that a manitou is there, — that is to say, a demon, — that devours travelers; and The savages, who wished to divert us from our undertaking, warned us against it. This is the demon: there is a small cove, surrounded by rocks 20 feet high, into which The whole Current of the river rushes; and, being pushed back against the waters following It, and checked by an Island near by, the Current is Compelled to pass through a narrow Channel. This is not done without a violent Struggle between all these waters, which force one another back, or without a great din, which inspires terror in the savages….
Another early mention of the rock was by French-Canadian seminarian priests, Fathers Montigny, Davion, and St. Cosme, who planted a cross on the rock in 1698.[4]
A ridge directly across the river from the island is named Devil’s Backbone.
The earliest European inhabitants on the island were a band of river pirates, who settled here after being driven off Spanish soil west of the Mississippi River, using the location as a pirate ambush spot. This outlaw haven was destroyed in 1803 by the United States Army dragoons, most likely sent from the army post upriver at Fort Kaskaskia.
Meriwether Lewis mentions the island in his journals, stating that rivermen who passed the rock would celebrate in a way similar to sailors crossing the equator, by raising a drink of spirits.
Lutherans from Germany considered this island their Plymouth Rock, because they landed near here after seeking a place where they could practice religious freedom.Although the rock is normally inaccessible by foot, Mike Keeley, then manager of the 32-acre (13 ha) Tower Rock National Historic Site for the Missouri Department of Conservation, said in 2003 that there is usually a time every year when people can walk out to it due to low water conditions.[5] Due to severe drought in October 2022, it was reported that “you can walk over to Tower Rock and not get your feet wet or muddy”
Turning from highway A on to Perry County road 460, I soon realized that despite the fact that it was a weekday, the site was obviously going to be crowded. County road 460 is narrow and the dry conditions made the road extremely dusty. The traffic was heavy and the visibility was low. I did not have to drive far before parked cars soon lined both sides of the road. I found an empty spot, pulled over and parked the car.
I found myself walking in with a column of visitors and we began to make small talk. “I didn’t think it would be this crowded on a weekday”, I said to one visitor to which she replied, “The St. Louis Post-Dispatch just published an article about this place.”
Over all the mood was cheerful and the people were friendly but as I took a look around I thought of the woman’s comment to me and it was evident, most of the visitors that day were from St. Louis. You could tell by the cars they drove, the clothes they wore and by overhearing bits and pieces of their conversations as they walked by. They were urbanites but just as curious as the rest of us about the site and as I previously stated everyone seemed to be friendly and in good spirits.
As a dog lover I was pleased to see many people brought theirs, which led to many conversations with strangers ending by patting their dog on the head and stating, “That’s a pretty pup. Y’all have a nice day.”
As I was walking across the normally submerged limestone path to the island I watched a woman helping her toddler jump over a crack in the limestone in which a trickle of river water ran through. I looked down at him and said , “You just jumped over the Mississippi River” he looked up smiling at his mother suddenly realizing what he technically had just accomplished.
I spent well over an hour talking to visitors, taking pictures and documenting the event before deciding to leave.
As I was leaving I heard, “Yeaaah…Kentucky!” I had forgotten I was wearing my University of Kentucky hat. I turned around noticing two fellow Kentucky fans stating, “I meet Kentucky fans everywhere I go.”
“We’re from Paducah”, one said as we shook hands before moving on (WPSD-TV , Paducah, Kentucky had recently reported on Tower Rock as well).
As I was walking up the path leading up the river bank I saw an elderly lady being helped up it by her daughter. One woman walking toward the island asked if she needed help. The elderly lady replied, “No I just wish everyone would stop asking me that.”
I would soon find out that getting into Tower Rock is much easier than getting out of the area. As I walked the road to get to my car (about 1/4 mile away) more and more people were arriving. I saw one local man engaged in a futile attempt to direct traffic, “Pick a side and park!”, he exclaimed, “I’ve lived near this county road all my life and have never seen anything like this.”
Finally making it back to my car I got lucky and caught a break in the traffic, which enabled me to turn the car around. Perry County road 460 is narrow and with so much traffic it becomes gridlocked. It took about 20 minutes to make the short trek back to Highway A , which has one lane closed due to roadwork. Expect delays there as well.
Despite the crowds and the inconvenience of navigating the narrow road, I have to say it was well worth the trip. It was a beautiful day and it’s not everyday one can walk to Tower Rock and experience this historical event.
#towerrock, #mississippiriver,#perrycountymissouri
Foothills Media LLC 