Chou - Hannibal, Missouri

This view from Lovers Leap ( c . 18651870) looks over south Hannibal. There appears to be some flooding at the time of the photo. Union Depot, built in 1882, does not appear in this image. The large building at lower right is the Hannibal-St. Jo office building. Main Street is in the center of the photo. Also visible are the old Kettering Hotel, Brittingham Hall, and the steeple of the old First Baptist Church. Note the fellow in the top hat at left. (Courtesy of Hannibal Public Library.)

This photo shows a Hannibal that old Mark Twain might readily recognize. Looking down North Street towards the river, this photograph was probably taken in the late 1860s or early 1870s. Notice how barren of trees Cardiff Hill is in this picture. Visible also are the top of the old Huck Finn home and the old jailhouse beyond. (From the authors collection.)

A rapidly growing city can be seen in this c . 1875 birds-eye view looking toward Lovers Leap and the river. The mansard roof of the Frederick Dubach House at Fifth and Bird can be seen toward the lower right of the photo, and the large building at middle right is Brittingham Hall (300 block of Broadway). This photo was taken during one of Hannibals many floods, as high water can be seen at the base of Lovers Leap. The line that runs below the Leap out towards the river was a spur of the Hannibal-St. Jo Railroad that ferried passengers to and from a riverboat landing. (From the authors collection.)

R.E. Lackner operated a store in this building at the southwest corner of Broadway and Main when this photo was taken around 1865. He sold watches and jewelry as well as other merchandise. Bob Heiser of Crescent Jewelry is a great-greatgreat-grandson of Mr. Lackner. Crescent Jewelry celebrated its 160th anniversary in 2002. The large glass window on the second floor was for a photography studio. Note the wooden Indian in front. (Courtesy of Bob Heiser.)

The faces staring back at us in this c . 1870 photo are those of Hannibals working class. This is a shot of workers at the iron foundry in the railroad yards. Their lot was a very hard one. Note how they are posed with their tools. (From the authors collection.)

This photo looks toward the 100 block of North Fifth Street from Central Park. Taken from a stereoscope view card by an unknown photographer, it dates from the spring of 1872. The original Fifth Street Baptist Church, built in 1869, is visible at left. It would be replaced by the current church building in 1893. Next to it is the old McCooey house, which would be razed for the Sultzman Clinic around 1937. Beyond them is the steeple of the old Presbyterian Church, which would be replaced by the current one in 1895. The Park Opera House would not be built until 10 years after this photo was taken. Notice the wooden fence around the park, which was later replaced by an iron one. (From the authors collection.)

Here is another early stereopticon photo showing the recently built C.O. Godfrey Mansion on Bird Street near Maple in 1872. Godfrey was one of Hannibals wealthiest citizens at the time, and this home was then noted as one of the finest in this part of the state. The home was replaced in the early 1900s by the Pettibone Mansion (Cliffside Manor). Notice the gaslight and the nearby ladder that was used to light it each night. (From the authors collection.)

This 1872 stereopticon image shows a view east across the river toward Illinois from the Missouri approach on the new Wabash Railroad Bridge. Notice the iron plate atop the first span which reads 1871 Hannibal Bridge. The Hannibal Bridge was only the fourth bridge to span the Mississippi north of St. Louis and was key to the development of the railroads in Hannibal. (From the authors collection.)

This is yet another of the series of 1872 stereopticon views done by the same unknown photographer. Here the swing span of the new Hannibal Bridge is shown open, allowing river traffic to pass. In 1913, due to several boat wrecks, this swing span was moved one span segment closer to the Missouri shore where the current was less swift. (From the authors collection.)

This is the eastern approach of the Wabash Tunnel during construction. Part of the 1872 series of stereopticon photos, the photo itself was probably taken in 1871. Visible are homemade ladders, construction tools, and two workers perched atop the stonework. (From the authors collection.)