March
1, 2004
Interim Meeting
Boonslick Outdoor Arts Project
Boonslick Senior Center
Attending: Bob Dyer, Red Painter, Judy Shields, Maryellen McVicker, Carolyn Eichelberger, Betty Bowen, Jim Painter and Art Schneider.
Treasurer’s Report: Maryellen McVicker said she had prepared the report because she believed it would influence the group’s selection of plaque material.
Through direct fundraising for the statue-including chances on Diversity woodcarving, donations--$55,289 has been raised. In addition, there are pledges of $1150.
That brings the statue total to $56,439.
Project funds for the plaques with any additional revenue going toward the statue and future outdoor arts projects $6087 total
This includes the sale of one maquette ($1300 has been raised --$2500 sale price minus $1200 cost).
Through the sale of chances on the maquette, $1410 has been raised to date ($2610 in raffle ticket sales minus $1200 cost of maquette. Harry Weber donated the cost of the mold, valued at $1050).
Through the sale of posters $6087 has been raised after cost of posters and mailing tubes and postage.
This brings the total project fund to $65,236. The cost of the statue alone is $66,000.
Art Schneider noted the cost of plaques and mountings will likely be in the neighborhood of $4000.
Gary Nauman was unable to attend. He will be contacted to update the Hannah Cole sculpture goal thermometer to $62,000.
Hannah Cole Story Plaque
Per the February meeting discussion to shorten the Hannah Cole story plaque,
Winky Friedrichs sent in an edited version of the story written by Bob Dyer. In
addition, after the meeting, Bob was sent a request to edit the story to reduce
the number of words.
Bob was not at the February meeting, but reduced the story. Both versions were distributed to the group. In addition, Bob submitted a response to the question Judy Shields raised as to the date the Coles arrived. Judy said it was after Hannah’s husband died and suggested she arrived in February 1810. Bob noted the Missouri Gazette published a report of William Temple Cole’s death (Hannah’s husband) in July 1810 and that research by Eleanor Leiter Cole and William Lyon (both Cole descendants) published in the Boone’s Lick Heritage of 1999 (Vol. 6, No. 4, and Vol. 7, No. 1) suggests her coming to the Boonslick took place in the fall of 1810 or possibly early 1811 or perhaps even 1812.
Bob also expressed some frustration that the 350-word biography that he was requested to write was considered too long. The length of the biography was set earlier based upon the length of the Journalist’s Creed, which is on the plaque for Walter Williams that is to be at the park. He also noted that while there was interest in editing the length there also was concurrent suggestion to include information on Phoebe Cole, Hannah’s sister, and Hannah’s slave, Lucy.
A synopsis of the discussion on the four paragraphs follows:
Paragraph 1
Accept as is the paragraph written by Bob Dyer.
Paragraph 2
Took Bob Dyer’s paragraph and changed the wording from following the Coopers to “came with” the Coopers. Correct typo from was to “where.”
Paragraph 3
Took Bob Dyer’s revised paragraph and revised the last sentence stating she operated what was probably the first ferry across the Missouri Rover sometime around 1816 to 1817 to “Hannah was issued the first business license to operate a ferry across the Missouri Rover in June 1817.”
Paragraph 4
Took Bob Dyer’s and Winky Friedrichs' last paragraph and noted that Hannah Cole’s fort became the site for the first school, first church service and first voting place in Cooper County.
There was considerable discussion about the inclusion of information on the slave Lucy with Hannah. Maryellen noted in Winky’s version Lucy was portrayed as a “faithful slave.” That really is not known. It was common for European-Americans to characterize slave attitudes as positive and Maryellen noted that a contemporary perspective would consider this as “backward.” Carolyn said she did not know Hannah had a slave.
It was pointed out that even though it is likely Lucy accompanied Hannah during the first trip, there is no clear record this is so.
Bob’s position was that the plaque was to recognize Hannah, a position supported by Red Painter.
Maryellen McVicker and Art Schneider strongly suggested that it was important that the context of the times be acknowledged and that Lucy had a role in the success of Hannah, much like her sister and brother-in-law and the Coopers.
One member said that efforts have been made to solicit information about slavery from African-American families in the area and that this was not something they would discuss.
Judy Shields asked for a vote. All except Maryellen and Art approved the deletion of the line.
Art said that through all the meetings, project group participants have been able to come to consensus without having to take a vote and asked if some sort of compromise could be forthcoming. No such compromise took place and reference to Lucy was eliminated.
At the end of the fourth paragraph, a correction was made as to Briscoe Cemetery being known as Hannah Cole Roadside Park. The correction was that Briscoe Cemetery is next to Hannah Cole Roadside Park. Art asked that a tag be placed at the end of the sentence to note the roadside park/cemetery is on Highway 5.
Her is the plaque wording as finally agreed to and ordered:
HANNAH ALLISON
COLE
(1762-1843)
Hannah Cole was one of the earliest settlers of the present site of Boonville. She was born in Virginia about 1762. In 1789 she married William Temple Cole. They moved to Kentucky about 1805 and then to what would soon become Missouri Territory in 1807 where they joined the Cooper family and others at Loutre Island (across from present-day Hermann, Missouri).
In July 1810 Hannah's husband was killed by Indians, and in either the fall of 1810 or sometime in early 1811 Hannah and her nine children, along with the family of her sister Phoebe and Phoebe's husband Stephen Cole, came with the Coopers and others to the Boonslick area of central Missouri and settled in the river hills where Boonville now stands.
During the Indian troubles associated with the War of 1812 the Coles erected crude fortifications around their cabins, but later moved across the river where Forts Hempstead and Kincaid afforded better protection. After the war the Coles returned to their homes, and for a brief period Hannah Cole's fort was the county seat of Howard County. Hannah was issued the first business license to operate a ferry across the Missouri River in June 1817.
When Cooper County was formed out of the southern half of Howard County in 1818, Boonville was made the county seat. Hannah Cole's fort then became the site for the first school, first church service and first voting place in Cooper County. Hannah later sold her preemption right to most of the land on which the town was platted and moved about fifteen miles south of Boonville where she died in 1843. She was buried in the old Briscoe Cemetery next to Hannah Cole Roadside Park on Highway 5, not far from her home.
Plaque Materials
Judy Shields said she planned to invite Mayor Danielle Blanck and Councilwoman
Julie Thacher to the regular March meeting to discuss having a an audio message
that visitors could activate by pushing a button. Bob Dyer said that he had sent
that information quite a while back to the mayor.
Consensus was that since the park design is to create a sense of a 19th century City Park it would be best to follow the plans already submitted to the parks people and the City Council.
Judy suggested that there was no need to rush to have the plaque in place by the dedication. Red painter said that as this is the 70th anniversary and that people who have donated (around $8000 from Cole family descendants) and making plans to come to Boonville are expecting to see the plaque in place.
Art reminded members that a list of donors would be published in the brochure and donors of $100 or more listed on the bronze plaque. That plaque will not be installed until after the dedication for two reasons:
1) Donations are still forthcoming and a complete list needs to be included
2) To be as accurate as humanly possible, a printed list of all the donors will be on displayed at the dedication. The display will note that if there is an error or the donor line is not the way the donor wishes it to be, Art will need to be contacted by June 11 so that the order can be placed and the plaque installed yet this summer.
As Gary was unable to attend, he gave Art a sample of a colorful 18-inch by 24-inch plastic laminate. The plaque has a guaranteed life of at least 10 years and would cost $655.
Acu-Line earlier sent some samples of etched plaques. These are .048 inches thick and require a backing. The cost would be approximately $500. Stainless steel would not corrode, but the brass would. Gary earlier said his department could construct a support frame.
Audsley Monuments of Glasgow had provided an estimate on black granite with gold lettering.
Judy Shields said she had seen the black granite sign (distributed at the February meeting) and did not like the design. The design was a picture of the entry sign to Fayette High School. Art explained that the picture was solely to show the indented gold letters against the black granite backdrop and was not intended to portray how the sign would be mounted. The cost would be about $1000 plus the cost of mounting. Gary had suggested that a metal frame could be used to hold the black granite, which was about one inch thick.
Art also had a quote from International Bronze, which is the firm that Sabra Tull Meyer used for the bronze plaque on the Walter Williams pedestal temporarily in front of city hall.
A 24-inch by 24-inch plaque without a relief portrait would cost approximately $976. This is based upon the length of the Journalist’s Creed.
There was strong consensus that since the plaque at the base of the statue is to be bronze, that this plaque should be consistent with that signage. In addition, it was noted that the permanence of the bronze would be far greater than that of the other materials.
Art asked how the bronze plaque would be mounted on. He said that Gary Nauman had mentioned a metal frame on a pipe holder as a possibility. Also, Art suggested perhaps a concrete base with a 45-degree angle for the plaque. Members favored staying with a plan that maintains the color scheme for the walkway and suggested that a red granite base be used. It would be angled at 45 degrees. Consensus to do this and Art will place the order.
At the February meeting, one member expressed concern that a plaque being on the right side as one entered the Morgan Street Park would not maintain the symmetry of the present design. He suggested that the Project consider a plaque on the left side of the entrance that would have information on Morgan Street Park being named for the surveyor who first laid out the city.
Members did not think the project should undertake that expense.
The next regular meeting will be March 25 at the Cooper County Courthouse Annex. Bob suggested 7 p.m. Some members asked for an earlier time so that they could go straight home after the meeting. Agreement the meeting would start at 6 p.m. This might be a long meeting, as the agenda will be quite lengthy.