53-601: The Mark Twain Boyhood Home & Museum is located on 206-208 Hill Street, Hannibal, Missouri , on the west bank of the Mississippi River in the United States. It was the home of Samuel Langhorne Clemens , better known as author Mark Twain, from 1844 to 1853. Clemens found the inspiration for many of his stories, including the white picket fence, while living here. It has been open to the public as
106-870: A 47-page prose poem partially addressed to the opera singer Maria Malibran , whom she had taken as a kind of role model. Eventually she lost her sight and lapsed into a coma . On August 18, 1896, she died at age twenty-four. Her family was devastated. Clemens was buried in Woodlawn Cemetery in Elmira. The poem on her headstone was adapted from a poem called Annette by poet Robert Richardson : " Warm summer sun shine kindly here, Warm southern wind blow softly here, Green sod above, lie light, lie light – Good night, dear heart, Good night, good night. " A children's book, The Extraordinary Mark Twain (According to Susy), features excerpts of Susy's biography of her father with smaller journal-style pages inserted between
159-521: A consuming fire." He based the character of Joan of Arc in his book Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc on his eldest daughter as he remembered her at age seventeen. In the fall of 1890, Clemens attended Bryn Mawr College , where she was given the starring role of Phyllis in the play Iolanthe , began calling herself by her real first name "Olivia" and developed a close friendship with fellow student Louise Brownell that some biographers have speculated may have been romantic in nature. Clemens left
212-515: A desire to recover her health and become an opera singer. She stayed in Elmira, at the home of her aunt Susan Crane. In August 1896, while visiting her former home in Hartford, Clemens developed a fever that turned into spinal meningitis . Clemens was moved to her family home, and stayed in her parents' mahogany bed, which had detachable angels on each post, a bed that she and her sisters had fond memories of playing with as children. Katy Leary,
265-485: A funny man. She was embarrassed when Twain performed the ghost story The Golden Arm for an audience at Bryn Mawr. She had begged him not to tell the story, thinking it too unsophisticated for her worldly classmates, and ran out of the hall crying when her father told the story anyway. She later accompanied her family abroad and attended schools in Geneva and Berlin , where she took language and voice lessons, though she
318-429: A margin of error of +/- $ 2,507) and the median family income was $ 57,740 (+/- $ 5,451). Males had a median income of $ 33,537 (+/- $ 3,375) versus $ 22,147 (+/- $ 4,868) for females. The median income for those above 16 years old was $ 27,776 (+/- $ 1,949). Approximately, 10.6% of families and 19.1% of the population were below the poverty line , including 22.5% of those under the age of 18 and 11.7% of those ages 65 or over. At
371-484: A museum since 1912, and was designated a National Historic Landmark on December 29, 1962. It is located in the Mark Twain Historic District . The Boyhood Home is one of nine properties that comprise the present Mark Twain Boyhood Home & Museum complex. The legendary whitewashed fence of Tom Sawyer borders the property. There are seven additional museum buildings as part of the complex -
424-750: A private house on a knoll in Hannibal, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places . In 2011, the Mark Twain Boyhood Home and Museum released Mark Twain: Words & Music , a CD featuring entertainers who recount Mark Twain's life in spoken word and song. Several songs were written especially for the project and refer to Hannibal, including "Huck Finn Blues" by Brad Paisley and "Run Mississippi" by Rhonda Vincent . Other artists include Jimmy Buffett as Huckleberry Finn, Clint Eastwood as Twain, and Garrison Keillor as
477-480: A real steamboat whistle as they look out upon the Mississippi River. The museum also houses the second largest collection of original Norman Rockwell paintings. These paintings were commissioned as illustrations for a special edition of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn . The museum also hosts regional art and touring exhibits. The museum sponsors many events throughout
530-446: A total area of 16.47 square miles (42.66 km ), of which 16.00 square miles (41.44 km ) are land and 0.47 square miles (1.22 km ), or 2.84%, are water. Hannibal's climate is hot-summer humid continental ( Dfa ), with cold, snowy winters and hot, humid summers. Three months average below freezing, seven months average above 50 °F, and three months average above 22 °C. The Hannibal Micropolitan Statistical Area
583-579: Is a city along the Mississippi River in Marion and Ralls counties in the U.S. state of Missouri . According to the 2020 U.S. Census , the population was 17,312, making it the largest city in Marion County. The bulk of the city is in Marion County, with a tiny sliver in the south extending into Ralls County. Nestled on the Mississippi River, commerce and traffic has long been an integral part of Hannibal's development, including by river, rail and
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#1732780068305636-562: Is a four-year, Christian liberal arts university accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. [3] Founded in 1858 in LaGrange, Missouri , the campus moved downriver to Hannibal in 1928, merging with then Hannibal College to form Hannibal-LaGrange College. Dr. Robert Matz was elected the 18th president of Hannibal-LaGrange University in 2022. Moberly Area Community College (MACC-Hannibal Area Higher Education Center)
689-508: Is a major part of Hannibal's economy, in large part because Samuel Clemens lived there as a boy and immortalized the town under his pen name, Mark Twain . The Mark Twain Boyhood Home & Museum and Mark Twain Cave are two of the city's major attractions. Hannibal has a Municipal Home Rule form of government. Public services include police, fire, parks and recreation, public works, streets, inspections, tourism, library, and airport. There
742-664: Is a municipal court, and the Marion County Courthouse is located in Hannibal. A second county courthouse is located in the county seat in Palmyra . The school district is Hannibal 60 School District . Hannibal High School was founded in 1896. This public high school is part of the Hannibal School District #60, with K-12 grades serving Hannibal and surrounding areas. It is located at 4500 McMasters Ave. 63401. Hannibal-LaGrange University
795-777: Is a two-year community college established in 1999. The MACC-Hannibal Campus is located on Shinn Lane near the hospital. Hannibal's lending library, the Hannibal Free Public Library, was the first free public library in the state of Missouri. The city is served by the Hannibal Courier-Post newspaper, printed daily on Tuesday through Saturday. KHQA is a television station licensed to Hannibal and located in Quincy, Illinois . Radio stations licensed to Hannibal include KGRC 92.9 FM , KHBL 96.9 FM , KHMO 1070 AM , and KJIR 91.7 FM . Interstate 72
848-584: Is composed of Marion and Ralls counties. The 2020 United States census counted 17,108 people, 7,053 households, and 4,289 families in Hannibal. The population density was 1,069.2 per square mile (412.8/km ). There were 7,974 housing units at an average density of 498.4 per square mile (192.4/km ). The racial makeup was 84.81% (14,509) white , 7.09% (1,213) black or African-American , 0.39% (66) Native American , 0.76% (130) Asian , 0.05% (9) Pacific Islander , 0.64% (110) from other races , and 6.26% (1,071) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race
901-412: Is home to Osterhout Mounds Park, a preservation of ancient Indian burial mounds . The river community was the mid-19th-century boyhood home of author Samuel Langhorne Clemens (aka Mark Twain , 1835–1910). Twain drew from his childhood settings for his novels The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876) and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1884). Numerous historical sites are associated with Mark Twain and
954-480: Is not the county seat , but it has one of two county courthouses. There is also one in Palmyra , the county seat of Marion County, which is located more centrally in the county. Hannibal is the principal city of the Hannibal, Missouri micropolitan area , which consists of both Marion and Ralls counties. The site of Hannibal was originally inhabited by various cultures of indigenous Native American tribes. Hannibal
1007-656: Is one of the earliest known statues erected to honor fictional characters. Other highlights of the museum properties include the Boyhood Home garden area, bordered by a high stone wall built by the WPA. The close proximity of the Mississippi River, the Mark Twain Cave , and other settings found in Twain's novel lure thousands of visitors to the museum each year. The museum's collection includes many first editions by Mark Twain, numerous personal items (including his Oxford gown),
1060-501: The 2010 census , there were 17,916 people, 7,117 households, and 4,400 families living in the city. The population density was 1,138.2 inhabitants per square mile (439.5/km ). There were 8,021 housing units at an average density of 509.6 per square mile (196.8/km ). The racial makeup of the city was 88.8% White, 7.1% African American, 0.2% Native American, 0.6% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.5% from other races, and 2.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.8%. Of
1113-680: The Empire State Building (completed 1931) and Panama Canal was manufactured at the Atlas Portland Cement Company in the nearby unincorporated company town of Ilasco . The Mark Twain Memorial Lighthouse was constructed in 1933 as a public works project under President Franklin D. Roosevelt . It has been lit on ceremonial occasions at three separate times by Presidents Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy , and Bill Clinton . Rockcliffe Mansion ,
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#17327800683051166-527: The Pony Express . Construction of railroads to the area and increased steamboats on the Mississippi River had stimulated growth. In 1843 the city had also annexed the town of South Hannibal. Hannibal gained "city" status by 1845. By 1850 it had 2,020 residents. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the city served as a regional marketing center for livestock and grain, as well as other products produced locally, such as cement and shoes. Cement for
1219-413: The 7,017 households 32.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.0% were married couples living together, 13.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.1% were non-families. 30.6% of households were one person and 15.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 2.98. The age distribution
1272-399: The 7,117 households, 31.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.2% were married couples living together, 14.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 38.2% were non-families. 31.6% of households were one person and 13% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size
1325-520: The Hannibal Regional Hospital and Hannibal Clinic. Major manufacturers include BASF Chemical Corporation (formally American Cyanamid ), General Mills, and Watlow Electric Manufacturing Co . The Swiss Colony maintains a data call center in Hannibal. Because Hannibal is a Missouri Certified Local Government, residents, and business owners have access to federal and state tax credits, grants, and other funding sources. Tourism
1378-663: The Interpretive Center, Becky Thatcher House, Huck Finn House, J.M Clemens Justice of the Peace Office, Grant's Drug Store, the stone Works Progress Administration (WPA) building that houses a gift shop, and the Museum Gallery, located at 120 N. Main St. The museum has acquired the "Becky Thatcher" house, home of Clemens' childhood sweetheart, Laura Hawkins. Its exterior was renovated and restored in 2010; while
1431-436: The area. Its early European settlements were established by ethnic French colonists, some from Illinois, who largely spoke French and were Roman Catholic in religion. Hannibal was laid out in 1819 by Moses Bates and named after Hannibal Creek (later Bear Creek). The name is derived from Hannibal , a hero of ancient Carthage (in modern Tunisia ). The city grew slowly, with a population of 30 by 1830. But by 1846, Hannibal
1484-621: The city was $ 16,902. About 11.3% of families and 14.1% of the population were below the poverty line , including 18.2% of those under age 18 and 10.8% of those age 65 or over. A thriving artist community has developed because of its central location between the East and West coasts, and affordable and stable real estate prices. The Underwood Company built the General Mills plant here because its founder appreciated Mark Twain's writing and wanted to help his hometown. Major employers include
1537-428: The college after one semester, possibly because of her family's financial difficulties, because she found the studies too difficult, or because of her relationship with Brownell. As she grew older, she became frustrated with her father's fame, which sometimes left her in the shadows. She was annoyed by her father's reputation as a "mere humorist" and felt he should represent himself as a serious writer instead of just as
1590-434: The executive director of the museum at that time, wrote the narrative, and several new songs were written for the project. In the summer, the museum is the destination of thousands of visitors. The town of Hannibal celebrates National Tom Sawyer Days over the 4th of July each year complete with whitewashing and frog jumping contests. The boyhood home is a focal point in these events. Hannibal, Missouri Hannibal
1643-422: The family's Irish maid, took care of her, sleeping on a sofa in the room. Clemens developed delirium , at one point clutching an article of her mother's clothing and crying because she thought her mother had died, and at another looking out the windows at the traffic and singing, " Up go the trolley cars for Mark Twain's daughter. Down go the trolley cars for Mark Twain's daughter. " She spent several days writing
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1696-529: The interior re-opened in 2016. During the summer of 2006, the museum completed work on a replica of the "Huck Finn" house, being the home of Tom Blankenship, the boy upon whom Twain based the character of Huckleberry Finn . Exhibits in the Huck Finn House delve into Hannibal's history with slavery. The museum also owns and maintains the Tom and Huck Statue at the foot of Cardiff Hill . Erected in 1926, it
1749-587: The interstate/highway system. Today the city is intersected by Interstate 72 and U.S. Routes 24 , 36 , and 61 . Hannibal is approximately 110 miles (180 km) northwest of St. Louis (also bordering the Mississippi), 195 miles (314 km) east-northeast of Kansas City and 194 miles (312 km) miles east of Saint Joseph (both cities on the Missouri River), and approximately 100 miles (160 km) west of Springfield, Illinois . Hannibal
1802-637: The museum released Mark Twain: Words & Music , a double-CD benefit telling Twain's life in spoken word and song. The project was produced by Grammy award-winner Carl Jackson and released on Mailboat Records . It features Jimmy Buffett as Huckleberry Finn , Garrison Keillor as narrator, Clint Eastwood as Mark Twain, and Angela Lovell as Susy Clemens . Singers include Emmylou Harris , Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver , Rhonda Vincent , Bradley Walker , Carl Jackson , The Church Sisters, Sheryl Crow , Brad Paisley , Marty Raybon , Val Storey, Vince Gill , Joe Diffie , and Ricky Skaggs . Cindy Lovell ,
1855-410: The narrator of the project. Hannibal is on the west side of the Mississippi River in southeastern Marion County and is situated across the river from East Hannibal, Illinois . The next city upriver is Quincy, Illinois , 17 miles (27 km) to the north, while the next city downriver is Louisiana, Missouri , 25 miles (40 km) to the south. According to the U.S. Census Bureau , Hannibal has
1908-666: The only known surviving white suit coat, and a vast array of Twain memorabilia, such as the death mask of his baby son Langdon, and a jewelry box Twain had hand-carved in Italy to his specifications as a gift to his wife, Olivia. There are many interactive exhibits including a replica stagecoach and river raft. These serve to highlight specific books by Twain: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer , Adventures of Huckleberry Finn , The Innocents Abroad , Roughing It , and A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court . Visitors can even sound
1961-566: The places depicted in his fiction. Heritage tourism contributes to the Hannibal economy, as the city attracts both American and international tourists. The Mark Twain Boyhood Home & Museum marked its 100th anniversary in 2012; it has had visitors from all 50 states and some 60 countries. After the United States acquired the Louisiana Territory west of the Mississippi in 1803, European-American settlers began to enter
2014-414: The population was under the age of 18, 10.9% from 18 to 24, 24.0% from 25 to 44, 24.3% from 45 to 64, and 18.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37.3 years. For every 100 females, the population had 91.1 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older, there were 89.5 males. The 2016-2020 5-year American Community Survey estimates show that the median household income was $ 46,504 (with
2067-424: The short compass of a day," he wrote after her death. "She was full of life, full of activity, full of fire, her waking hours were a crowding and hurrying procession of enthusiasms ... Joy, sorrow, anger, remorse, storm, sunshine, rain, darkness – they were all there: They came in a moment and they were gone as quickly. In all things she was intense: in her this characteristic was not a mere glow, dispensing warmth, but
2120-960: The south to St. Paul, Minnesota ; it is known as the Avenue of the Saints corridor. Hannibal Regional Airport (formerly Hannibal Municipal Airport) was renamed in 2003 as William P. Lear Field, in honor of Lear. He grew up in Hannibal and invented the Lear Jet . The airport is located 4 miles (6.4 km) west of the southern area and has one runway 4,400 feet (1,300 m) x 100 feet (30 m). Freight railroad tracks link Hannibal in all directions: Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) tracks lead north to West Quincy, Missouri , and Burlington, Iowa , and south to St. Louis. Norfolk Southern (NS) tracks lead west to Kansas City and east to Springfield and Decatur, Illinois . Susy Clemens Olivia Susan Clemens (March 19, 1872 – August 18, 1896)
2173-450: The then nineteen-year-old Clemens became infatuated with a married Italian count . Her physical and mental health suffered, and she again sought cures ranging from hydrotherapy to "mind cures". She felt she was helped by Mental Science , a less structured version of Christian Science , and to some extent by Spiritualism . Clemens chose not to accompany the family to Europe on Twain's lecture tour of 1895–1896, citing seasickness and
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2226-496: The year including children's events. Their educational outreach programs include teacher workshops, young author workshops, writers workshops, scholarly conferences, and a creative teaching award. On May 15, 2012, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the museum, a spokesperson announced the establishment of the "Mark Twain Lifetime Achievement Award" with Hal Holbrook named as the first recipient. In 2011
2279-590: Was 1,215.3 inhabitants per square mile (469.2/km ). There were 7,886 housing units at an average density of 539.7 per square mile (208.4/km ). The racial makeup of the city was 90.61% White, 6.57% African American, 0.35% Native American, 0.35% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 0.25% from other races, and 1.79% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.13% of the population. 25.9% were of American , 23.8% German , 10.9% Irish , and 10.0% English ancestry according to self-identification in Census 2000 . Of
2332-402: Was 2.4% (418) of the population. Of the 7,053 households, 26.9% had children under the age of 18; 43.7% were married couples living together; 31.3% had a female householder with no husband present. Of all households, 31.9% consisted of individuals and 14.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.3 and the average family size was 2.8. 23.5% of
2385-410: Was 2.96. The age distribution was 23.5% of residents were under the age of 18, 11.2% between the ages of 18 and 24, 24.4% from 25 to 44, 26% from 45 to 64, and 14.9% 65 or older. The median age was 37.3 years. The gender makeup of the city was 47.5% male and 52.5% female. As of the census of 2000, there were 17,757 people, 7,017 households, and 4,554 families living in the city. The population density
2438-460: Was 25.8% under the age of 18, 10.5% from 18 to 24, 26.3% from 25 to 44, 20.6% from 45 to 64, and 16.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 86.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.8 males. The median household income was $ 29,892 and the median family income was $ 37,264. Males had a median income of $ 30,677 versus $ 20,828 for females. The per capita income for
2491-491: Was Missouri's third-largest city when the Hannibal and St. Joseph Railroad was organized by John M. Clemens (Mark Twain's father) and associates. This railway was built to connect to St. Joseph, Missouri , in the west, then the state's second-largest city. This railroad was the westernmost line before the Transcontinental Railroad was constructed. It transported mail for delivery to the first outpost of
2544-478: Was disappointed when her voice teacher, Mathilde Marchesi, told her she had a lovely soprano voice but did not have the strength or stamina for grand opera. Marchesi observed that Clemens was anemic , sleep-deprived , and anorexic . She had Clemens stop singing lessons for the time being and encouraged her to restore her health first. She recommended hydrotherapy and proper diet and exercise, while Twain thought Susy might also be helped by hypnotism . However, she
2597-551: Was extended into Hannibal in 2000 from Illinois across the Mark Twain Memorial Bridge . Interstate 72 extends west to the interchange with U.S. Route 61 . Future plans call for extending Interstate 72 west along U.S. Route 36 to Cameron, Missouri . This will give Hannibal an east-west link connecting Kansas City to Springfield . The Chicago–Kansas City Expressway links Hannibal from Kansas City to Chicago , Illinois. U.S. Route 61 goes from St. Louis in
2650-426: Was interested in writing, and wrote her own plays and acted in them during her childhood and adolescence. Twain later described his favorite daughter as intelligent, thoughtful, sensitive and vivacious and said he had regarded her as a prodigy . "She was a magazine of feelings and they were of all kinds and of all shades of force; she was so volatile, as a little child, that sometimes the whole battery came into play in
2703-440: Was never able to acquire enough lung capacity to project her voice from the stage. In Europe she was at loose ends, bored by her family's evenings at home and annoyed by her father's frequent temperamental outbursts. She wrote to her friend Brownell that she sometimes had trouble finding a reason for existence. She was also frustrated by society's refusal to see her as anything other than the daughter of Mark Twain. In Florence ,
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#17327800683052756-804: Was published in 1988 in its entirety as Papa: An Intimate Biography of Mark Twain , a volume which also included a biography of Susy Clemens and her correspondence with her father. Born in Elmira, New York , Clemens was largely raised in Hartford, Connecticut , but went abroad with her family to England in 1873 and again in 1878–79. At age 13, she wrote a biography of her father that Twain later included in his Chapters from my Autobiography . The biography described her impressions of her father and her happy family life. Her father wrote: "I had had compliments before, but none that touched me like this; none that could approach it for value in my eyes." Like her father, she
2809-404: Was the second child and eldest daughter of Samuel Clemens, who wrote under the pen name Mark Twain , and his wife Olivia Langdon Clemens . She inspired some of her father's works, at 13 wrote her own biography of him, which he later published in his autobiography, and acted as a literary critic. Her father was heartbroken when she died of spinal meningitis at age 24. Her biography of her father
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