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Missouri Myths and Legends: The True Stories Behind History's Mysteries
Myths and Mysteries of Missouri dispels any notion that the Show Me State is a boring place harboring little unknown. Thirteen diverse chapters, each a story unto itself, probe dark secrets, unexplained phenomena, legendary individuals and actual events which leave people incredulous to this day. Much in this well-researched book has been largely forgotten, but the author's lively and amusing style will awaken curiosity in lifelong residents and armchair visitors alike
223 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 1, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
December 24, 2024
This was a nice collection for anyone who is interested in either Missouri or... y'know... weirdness. Josh Young has picked out Missouri stories both famous (Jesse James and the New Madrid Fault, for example) and forgotten (the "giantess" of northeastern Missouri and Neosho's lost cave, among others) and delved into the history and lore behind them.
Some of what's told here are within my own lifetime (the two recent high school graduates who disappeared with one's mother in 1992, never to be seen again) or just before (the Beatles' little vacation getaway in Alton). Others are far in the past, such as the information about the Mastodon State Historic Site in Imperial or the recounting of what's known of the native tribes that lived in Missouri before white settlers arrived. And there's lots of in-between, like Tom Bass, the horse whisperer who might be better known had he not been black and lived in Missouri in the 19th century, or the legend of a lost silver mine in the Branson area.
Occasionally, Young does get a little heavy-handed in his musings regarding the ramifications of the stories here. He makes no secret of how he feels about some of the characters that appear in these stories -- for example, he claims to be completely befuddled by how people can idolize Jesse James, who admittedly was an outlaw and a racist but was also a product of his times. Apparently, this author hasn't noticed that popular culture is literally chock-full of people like Mickey and Mallory from "Natural Born Killers," other "heroic" outlaws from Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid to Bonnie and Clyde to beyond, or even the villains of professional wrestling, whose followings are often as large and passionate as those of wrestling's heroes.
Anyway, I guarantee that while you may know a little bit of what Young writes about, there are going to be some surprises for you as well.
Some of what's told here are within my own lifetime (the two recent high school graduates who disappeared with one's mother in 1992, never to be seen again) or just before (the Beatles' little vacation getaway in Alton). Others are far in the past, such as the information about the Mastodon State Historic Site in Imperial or the recounting of what's known of the native tribes that lived in Missouri before white settlers arrived. And there's lots of in-between, like Tom Bass, the horse whisperer who might be better known had he not been black and lived in Missouri in the 19th century, or the legend of a lost silver mine in the Branson area.
Occasionally, Young does get a little heavy-handed in his musings regarding the ramifications of the stories here. He makes no secret of how he feels about some of the characters that appear in these stories -- for example, he claims to be completely befuddled by how people can idolize Jesse James, who admittedly was an outlaw and a racist but was also a product of his times. Apparently, this author hasn't noticed that popular culture is literally chock-full of people like Mickey and Mallory from "Natural Born Killers," other "heroic" outlaws from Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid to Bonnie and Clyde to beyond, or even the villains of professional wrestling, whose followings are often as large and passionate as those of wrestling's heroes.
Anyway, I guarantee that while you may know a little bit of what Young writes about, there are going to be some surprises for you as well.
October 20, 2024
Josh, this book was every bit as entertaining as talking to you at Bakers Creek was.
It's both interesting and funny! I found myself dog earring pages for books I wanted to read to further learn about the stories or places I now need to add to my explorations. I caught my self laughing or giggling at so many things you said describing the stories.
Now have to check to see what else you've written!
It's both interesting and funny! I found myself dog earring pages for books I wanted to read to further learn about the stories or places I now need to add to my explorations. I caught my self laughing or giggling at so many things you said describing the stories.
Now have to check to see what else you've written!
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews