We have been looking for the pedestrian bridge over the
Missouri all week. We finally found where to access it, without having to climb
a lot of ramps, which are on the Katy Trail side of the river. The Clay Street
Trailhead Bike Plaza was the perfect place.
The paved pathway is attachment to the bridge. It is
eight feet wide and includes two lookout points with a spectacular view of the
Capitol and Jefferson City. Pedestrians and bicyclists can use it to safely
cross the Missouri River Bridge.
We walked partway out onto the bridge, to get our
pictures of the river and a few more of the capitol.
Peggy & Tom have never seen “Locks of Love.” Not
the donating hair, locks, but the lock and key locks!
The Locks of Love tradition has traditionally been done
in Paris. Now, Jefferson City has
started the tradition on the pedestrian bridge over the Missouri River. You might never notice all of the padlocks
driving across the bridge because the fence becomes a blur at 60 mph, but slow
down and take a quick glance. There are soooooooo many there.
It is about the symbolism of a couple’s love. Their lock
is sealed with the closing of the lock. Once locked, they throw the key into
the river. Not sure the couples that used the combination lock, understand the
tradition! In Paris, they finally had to cut all the locks off, because it was
compromising the structure of the bridge.
We visited Lincoln University, to see the Soldier’s Memorial at Lincoln University. Lincoln Institute (as it was called when it was first created) was founded by
black enlisted men of the 62nd and 65th United States Colored Infantries and
their white officers, who fought for the cause of the Union during the Civil
War.
The black soldiers of these two regiments were the
victims of an 1847 Missouri law that prohibited black from learning to read and
write. Amidst the horror of war, they were given the opportunity to rise above
this obstacle when their white officers established informal classes for them.
As the war came to a close, the men dreamed of sharing the gift of education
with other blacks in Missouri. They resolved to establish a school in their
home state dedicated to teaching freed blacks.
Members of the 62nd Colored Infantry contributed
$5,000; this was supplemented by approximately $1,400, given by the 65th
Colored Infantry. On January 14, 1866, Lincoln Institute was formally
established under an organization committee. By June of the same year, it
incorporated and the committee became a Board of Trustees. Richard Baxter
Foster, a former first lieutenant in the 62nd Infantry, was named first
principal of Lincoln Institute. On September 17, 1866, the school opened its
doors to the first class in an old frame building in Jefferson City.
In 1870, the school began to receive aid from the state
of Missouri for teacher training. In 1871, Lincoln Institute moved to the
present campus. College-level work was
added to the curriculum in 1877, and passage of the Normal School Law permitted
Lincoln graduates to teach for life in Missouri without further examination.
Lincoln Institute formally became a state institution in 1879 with the deeding
of the property to the state. Under the second Morrill Act of 1890, Lincoln
became a land grant institution, and the following year industrial and
agricultural courses were added to the curriculum.
In 1921, the Missouri Legislature passed a bill
introduced by Walthall M. Moore, the first black American to serve in that
body, which changed the name from Lincoln Institute to Lincoln University and
created a Board of Curators to govern the University.
The North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary
Schools accredited the high school division in 1925, the teacher-training
program in 1926, and the four-year college of arts and sciences in 1934.
Graduate instruction was begun in the summer session of 1940, with majors in
education and history and minors in English, history, and sociology. A School
of Journalism was established in February 1942.
In 1954, the United States Supreme Court handed down
its ruling in Brown v. Board of Education, and Lincoln University responded by
opening its doors to all applicably meeting its entrance criteria. Today,
Lincoln University serves a diverse clientele, both residential and
non-residential, engages in a variety of research projects, and offers numerous
public service programs in addition to providing an array of academic programs.
The Soldiers' Memorial pays homage to the soldiers and
their officers of the Civil War who embraced the vision of educating all
Americans. The University works hard to continue the dream and hope that
everyone who visits or tours the Lincoln University campus will feel the sense
of pride and devotion that fills the campus.
A member of the Facebook group “Living the RV Dream”
recommended that we dine at The Blue Skillet. She said it is nothing fancy, but
has delicious food! I did a little research first. The Blue Skillet offers
delicious Georgia Soul Food. It is family owned and operated. They offer excellent
food, great service and an excellent value.
What is Georgia Soul food, you ask? All the not WW
friendly food … but you have to try it! Fried chicken, fried fish and fried pork chops,
sweet potatoes, macaroni & cheese, fried okra, smothered potatoes, rice and
gravy. Everything is made fresh, when you order. It is not fried an hour ago
and kept warm under a lamp!
Fefe Rome, the owner and chef, has over 25 years of restaurant and catering
experience. What started as a necessity, the need to feed her younger brothers
and sisters, has developed into a life-long love for creating delicious country
style meals that nourish the body and touch the soul. She spent time with us
and shared with us how she ended up halfway across the country from Georgia.
Talk about resilience!
She was the proud winners of Start Up Jefferson City's,
"Pitch It and Win It" Contest. She puts her heart and soul into this restaurant
and her customers. If you are ever in Jefferson City, be sure to stop and enjoy
a meal and the company!
A short day of touring today, as it was our last full
day in Jefferson City. Tomorrow, we both head in different directions! But on our way back to the campgrounds, the deer came out in Binder Lake Park to say good-bye!
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