Graduate Research Papers

Availability

Open Access Graduate Research Paper

Keywords

Mark Twain Boyhood Home & Museum; Historic sites--Missouri--Hannibal; Race;

Abstract

Hannibal, Missouri may not be among the top five or even the top three places to visit, but it is surely getting its share of tourist and revenue. Each year an estimated 350,000 tourists from across the United States and many from around the world visit Hannibal, Missouri to pay homage at the Mark Twain Boyhood Home and Museum Annex. The Mark Twain Boyhood Home and Museum is located on 206-208 Hill Street, and has been accessible to the public as a museum since 1912, and has been registered as a National Historic Landmark since December 29, 1962.1 In 1911, less than a year after Mark Twain’s death, it was rumored that the house that he had spent his boyhood years was to be demolished. The local chamber of commerce made an attempt to raise money to save the property, but was unsuccessful. A fellow chamber member George A. Mahan, and his wife Ida Dulany Mahan purchased the housed, and donated it to the city of Hannibal. Although, was property of the city of Hannibal, the Mahan family remained active with its management until 1978, expanding its facilities to include other buildings associated with Twain, like the John Marshall Clemens Law Office, Pilaster House, 2 museum buildings, and more recently, the Becky Thatcher House reconstructed Huckleberry Finn House. The Mark Twain Cave is owned and operated separately.2 Between the Mark Twain Boyhood Home and Museum complex, the Cave and other Twain affiliated industries, the author’s legacy is capable of generating $13,000,000 annually for the city.

Year of Submission

5-2020

Degree Name

Master of Arts

Department

Department of History

First Advisor

Thomas Connors, Chair, Research Committee

Date Original

5-2020

Object Description

1 PDF file (46 pages)

Language

en

File Format

application/pdf

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