New Madrid A Mississippi River Town in History and Legend

by Anton, Mary Sue

• ISBN13: 9780982248904
• ISBN10: 0982248903
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2009-05-01
• Publisher: Southeast Missouri State Univ Press

Summary

New Madrid: A Mississippi River Town in History and Legend focuses on the hearts and minds of a restless population as it moved west into the Mississippi River Valley in the 1800s. The river-port town of New Madrid, Missouri, strategically located just below the junction of the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers, and destined to be the capital of "New Spain," was en route for thousands of early Americans. New Madrid's pioneers reveal their past and their stories through letters, newspapers, official records, and other sources. The author takes the reader through the town's history, recounting tales of legendary people whose lives crossed with those of area residents. Lively illustrations, photographs, and maps enhance the stories, a treasure for anyone whose ancestors experienced the westward movement, participated in the Civil War, were slave-owners, slaves, or American Indians, or for those who are curious about American live in earlier times.

Author Biography

Mary Sue Anton, an alumna of Loretto Academy in Kansas City, Missouri, earned a BA in history at the University of Houston-Clear Lake in 1989, after which she wrote for the Houston Chronicle. Her interest in Missouri history was sparked upon learning that one of her ancestors came to New Madrid along with the founder George Morgan in 1789. Her previously published works include "Pioneers of New Madrid, Missouri, and Their Descendants." Mary Sue has conducted workshops on genealogy.Mary Sue was born during the Great Depression on a riverside farm near New Madrid and grew up in a large family. She and her husband, Dr. Arthur Anton, live in Seabrook, Texas, and have three grown children and two grandchildren.