“A slim, riveting tome dedicated to the haunts of the Mid-Missouri region . . . [This] book is chock-full of history” (Columbia Daily Tribune). There is some uncertainty about the exact borders of the region that surrounds the Boonslick Trail but little doubt about the palpable and unsettling presence of its history. Stir up Missourians from St. Louis to Jackson County with the mention of ghosts, and after a few minutes of demurring, you will soon have more stories than you can shake a sheet at. Attend to the haunting music of John “Blind” Boone or the otherworldly poetry of Patience Worth. Crouch down in Civil War battlefields, crowded taverns, or the uncomfortable saddle of a headless horse. Wend your way through Missouri’s haunted heart: the Boonslick. Includes photos! “The book covers a broad history of hauntings and unexplained occurrences since 1812. It is peppered with ghost stories that have very human explanations.” —Missourian “Mary Collins Barile gives a history of the area, and mentions that these ghost stories are ones that are unknown to outsiders, yet important to the history of the region.” —St. Louis magazine

The author of The Haunted Boonslick proves the Show Me State isn’t shy about its ghostly heritage—especially in the beautiful college town at its center. According to Columbia ghost lore, the city’s dead only dabble with departure. The specter of Broadway legend Maude Adams checks in on classes at Stephens College, while ragtime pioneer John William Boone returns to trail invisible fingers along his grand piano. Some linger from love, like the spirit of the Osage woman who waited for a final walk with the brave she was to marry. Others remain for a reckoning, like the guerrilla stalking Brannock Hall for the Union sniper who shot him down or the murdered child discovered in the plaster of a frontier tavern. From the columns of Mizzou’s quad to the region’s winding country roads, author Mary Collins Barile explores the restless graves of Columbia’s eerie heritage. Includes photos!

This “frightful compilation” of ghost stories flows from the rich history of the Missouri college town located on a bend in the Mississippi River (Southeast Missourian). For nearly two hundred-fifty years, the mighty Mississippi has granted Cape Girardeau a legacy of prosperity and dealt it some fearsome scars. Walk through buildings cut by the shrapnel of exploding steamboats, swamped in the debris of sudden floods, and haunted by the restless spirits of those who washed ashore. Beyond the riverfront, tragedy’s indelible mark can be found in places like the back row of the Rose Theater or the ashen mists of Spook Hollow. Joel P. Rhodes keeps company with the most forlorn figures and entrenched phantoms in this history of Cape Girardeau, where the river turns a thousand chilling tales. Includes photos!

This book discusses the cultural importance of spirits, what spirits want, and how humans interact with them, using examples from around the world and through time. Examples range from the vengeful spirits of the Zulu that cast lightning bolts from clear skies to punish wrongdoers, to the benevolent Puebloan Kachina that encourage prosperity, safety, and rain in the arid American Southwest. The case studies illustrate how humans seek to cooperate (or counteract) spirits to heal the physical and spiritual ailments of their people, to divine the truth, or to gain resources. Building from their cross-cultural analyses, the authors further discuss how our physiology and psychology impact our interaction with the spirits. Readers will come away with an appreciation of the beauty and power of the spirits that continue to shape the lives of people around the world.

Alphonso Wetmore wanted adventure. He lost his arm in battle in the War of 1812, but he did not give up. He stayed in the army and joined an expedition down the Missouri River. He traveled to Mexico as a trader on the Santa Fe Trail, and he visited California. Alphonso also wrote stories for newspapers and published a book about Missouri. Alphonso’s stories tell about his adventures and about life on the Missouri frontier.

As a boy, Sam Nightingale was taken from his home in Africa and brought to America to be a slave. He lived many years as a slave, but after the Civil War, Sam raised his family in freedom in Boonville, Missouri. Sam became a healer, using old African traditions and lessons he had learned from Native Americans to help people when they were sick. Sam became known as a wonderful storyteller and as someone who used magic. The tales he told, and the tales told about him, are still being heard today.

Hauntings lurk and spirits linger in the Show Me State Reader, beware! Turn these pages and enter the world of the paranormal, where ghosts and ghouls alike creep just out of sight. Author Troy Taylor shines a light in the dark corners of Missouri and scares those spirits out of hiding in this thrilling collection. From a headless ghost who stalks the aptly named “Murder Rocks”, to a large hairy monster that roams the banks of the Missouri River, there’s no shortage of bone-chilling tales to keep you up at night. It’s even rumored that the devil himself came to St. Louis in 1949, but nobody knows for sure if he ever left. Around the campfire or tucked away on a dark and stormy night, this big book of ghost stories is a hauntingly good read.

The hills have scares in this haunted history of the Ozark Mountains from the paranormal investigator and author of Missouri’s Haunted Route 66. Tourists flock to the Ozarks region every year to dip their paddles in the pure waters of its wilderness, or to lose themselves in the happy bustle of its theme parks. But the serene hills and hollows often hide something darker. The Civil War and the Trail of Tears left their marks on the region, as did the James-Younger Gang and the Baldknobbers. Ghosts linger in resorts and penitentiaries, while UFO’s and buried treasure rest in uneasy graves. Those startled by seeing a hellhound run through their backyard, however, might also catch a glimpse of author Janice Tremeear and her team of researchers in hot pursuit of the mysteries of the Ozarks.

Columbia's culinary history is chock-full of restaurants that not only satisfied appetites but also provided gathering places to build community. Gentry's Tavern served wild game along the Boonslick Trail. Hungry and broke students could grab a meal on credit from Ralph Morris at the Ever Eat Café during the Depression. During and after World War II, Ambrose's Café required students to give up their seats to men in uniform. Segregation didn't stop Annie Fisher from making her fortune serving her famous beaten biscuits. These stories and more are as rich as the cinnamon rolls served at Breisch's. Join Columbia native Kerri Linder as she shares the stories and memories wrapped around the food of Columbia's iconic restaurants.

Hunting literature had its beginnings as early as the fourteenth century, when nobles hunted stag, bear, fox, and other game on horseback. As foxhunting grew in popularity, literary works that covered the sport flourished, as well. In Six Centuries of Foxhunting: An Annotated Bibliography, M. L. Biscotti has compiled all books produced in Great Britain and the United States that pertain to, or mention, foxhunting with hounds. Arranged alphabetically by author, more than 2000 titles are included. Each entry features details such as place and year of publication, publisher, book size, page count, illustrations, and binding. Nearly every title is also annotated with a description of the book’s contents, and biographical sketches are provided for the most notable authors. Narratives, histories, illustrated works, verse, fiction, and even anti-hunting literature all have their place in this volume. Six Centuries of Foxhunting also features more than thirty images of book covers and foxhunting illustrations. With appendixes that contain author, title, and illustrator time lines, and separate author and title indexes, this comprehensive bibliography is a valuable resource for researchers, book dealers and collectors, and foxhunters.