Miriam McFate Travel Journal - 1926

Thu, Oct 21, 1926

Didn’t find out much last night So got breakfast. Grover, Clarence, Mildred and Kenneth walked down to the ferry to see what it looks like. Have three miles to walk before we can find out anything. Seems as tho no one in this town knows much. This burg is sure among the hills. They told us the water was so high that the street in this town were under water, three miles from the main river. Have had rains thro here just lately. Had a heavy frost here last night. But the sunshines nice and bright this morning. The folks just returned and we can’t make it across so will drive around thro Quincy, Ill. It makes a long drive around, but guess its the long long way for us this time.

The river was sure wild. Beardstown on the other side is all under water. The levee broke and just played cane with this route. One man the folks talked with said you had to wear boots to get to the Hotel. Started 9:30. Drove back to Rushville nine miles. Drove on to Mt. Sterling Ill. Stopped at 11:30 This is quite a nice little town. Passed a real apple orchard. Looked like enough apples in this one orchard to supply all United States.

Nice laying farm land around Mt. Sterling. Good corn. This is in Brown County. We stopped in Clayton Ill for dinner 12:15. 1:00 Drove on. At Camp Point Ill. one sign read, “Go slow, see our city. Go fast and you’ll see our jail.” There are little towns about the size of Newberg Ia. Drove from 10:00 this morning till 2:30 this afternoon with out throwing into low.

Passed the Moorma’s Mineral Mixture Experimental Station. This was quite a sight. Had 12 different hog houses, each house had hog tight fence. Each lot had 8 or 10 hogs. You could see the difference too. Some were lots better than others. Had nice building every where on this farm. This is north of Quincy Ill.

Corn is badly blown down near Quincy. Had two bad bridge detours just before entering this city. One place was so narrow we all most ripped the left side curtain off. Went into Quincy at 3:00 Took 20 minutes to drive thro here. population in 39,131. Had to pay ?? cents toll to cross the bridge. The old Mississippi river is surely a wonderful sight. The children seen their first steamer, tow boat and barges today.

This puts us over on the Missouri side. Gas .02 cents higher on this side of the river. Drove on over a very hilly stretch of road. Came up a very steep hill across the railroad, a very dangerous one too. Are traveling on the ridge of the Ozarks.

Missouri is surely awful rough. Stones and bluffs. We pulled into camp at Palmyra Mo. at 6:00. Another party here from Louisiana. Got supper. Went to bed. Sun shone a little today.