The Joplin Globe, Joplin, MO

Joplin Metro

Related Photos

Discussion

September 13, 2008

Prairie Day reflects Carver’s early years

By Greg Grisolano

ggrisolano@joplinglobe.com

DIAMOND, Mo. — Looming storm clouds and the threat of heavy rains didn’t deter Harry Moss and his family from attending the Prairie Day celebration at the George Washington Carver National Monument on Saturday.

“We brought raincoats and ponchos,” said Moss, of Seneca, who brought his wife and grandchildren to the event. “We just figured we’d come and deal with the weather.”

Aside from some early-morning showers that led to the cancellation of horse-drawn carriage rides through the prairie surrounding the monument, the weather was relatively dry during the celebration, which lasted from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Lana Henry, one of the organizers of Prairie Day, said the event had drawn more than 500 visitors before noon.

“We have had a wonderful turnout, even with the rain this morning,” she said. “I’m sure we’ll break one thousand for the event.”

In addition to the regular exhibits that feature vignettes into George Washington Carver’s life and times, Prairie Day also offered visitors a chance to see demonstrations of quilt making, basket weaving and other old-time displays of country customs. Storytelling, dulcimer music and live bands were also part of the festivities.

With the event now entering its second decade, Henry said the displays offered at Prairie Day are designed to provide visitors with a glimpse of what life was like for Carver as a boy.

“He turned his life into helping others — it’s what he called his destiny,” she said. “And we can trace that back to his formative years here on this farm.”

Much of Carver’s fame was based on his research and promotion of alternative crops to cotton, such as peanuts and sweet potatoes. He wanted poor farmers to grow alternative crops as both a source of their own food as well as a source of other products to improve their quality of life.

Gloria Park and Paulette Wohlenhaus drew a crowd of children and parents for their quilting display. Park, of Joplin, and Wohlenhaus, of Webb City, are both members of the Town and Country Quilters group of Joplin. They said they use the event to promote quilting and to attract new members to their group.

“Quilting is almost a lost art,” Wohlenhaus said. “When (visitors) see us quilting, it helps them remember their roots. They’ll say, ‘Oh my grandmother used to do that.’”

For Moss and his family, who said they make frequent visits to the monument, the event offered new activities for the grandchildren to see.

Nine-year-old Zachary Moss said he was looking forward to the wood-carving exhibit.

“We’re never bored, because usually every time you come back, there’s something new,” he said.







Carver profile

Born in 1864, George Washington Carver was an agricultural chemist who developed crop-rotation methods for conserving nutrients in soil. He discovered hundreds of new uses for crops, such as the peanut, which created new markets for farmers, especially in the South. He died on Jan. 5, 1943. His birthplace was declared a national historic site in 1953.

Text Only
Joplin Metro
  • Ruby-Sapp-obit.jpg Longtime Democrat dies at 81

    Sapp, 81, died Thursday. Funeral services were Monday at the First Presbyterian Church of Joplin. A longtime Jasper County Democratic committeewoman and volunteer, Sapp for years was secretary to the county’s central committee.

    August 9, 2010 1 Photo

  • Motivational speaker offers free marriage course

    Presented by Mark Gungor, the course is being offered free to the community. The event is being held to aid in tornado relief. 

    January 12, 2012

  • District sends faculty, administrators on site visits

    With the design phase of several buildings in Joplin Schools ending in May, the district has sent 66 administration, faculty, parents and community members on site visits to 22 schools and two technology company headquarters across the country.

    January 11, 2012

  • 011012 Jop HS mural1_72.jpg Mural depicting Joplin High School dedicated

    A four-paneled mural depicting the recent history of Joplin High School was dedicated at the Memorial 9th- and 10th-grade Center Tuesday morning. The mural will be moved to the new high school when it is completed in 2014.

    January 10, 2012 4 Photos

  • Carl Junction chamber creating new committees

    The Carl Junction Chamber of Commerce is kicking off three new committees this week with meetings scheduled Tuesday and Wednesday.

    January 9, 2012

  • Body of missing Joplin man found

    The body of a missing Joplin man was discovered this afternoon inside his home in the Royal Heights neighborhood of Joplin.

    January 3, 2012

  • Wildcat Glades nature center receives $50,000 grant

    The Wildcat Glades Conservation & Audubon Center has received a $50,000 TogetherGreen Innovation Grant, which is being provided through an alliance between the National Audubon Society and Toyota.

    October 21, 2011

  • Joplin shooting victim’s name released

    The Joplin Police Department today released the name of a woman fatally shot in her home early Thursday and acknowledged that the shooting was reported as a suicide attempt.

    October 21, 2011

  • Barry Manilow to deliver donated instruments

    Singer-songwriter Barry Manilow will visit Joplin next week to donate more than $300,000 in musical instruments to replace those lost during the May 22 tornado.

    October 21, 2011

  • Extreme Makeover releases names of families

    "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" has released more details about the build in the 2400 block of Connor Avenue, including the names of the seven families. They are:

    October 19, 2011