·~

11111

READIHG COPY

President 1 s speech a t Dedication

ot M!U"k Twain )l!e~:~orial Brit1go -­

Hanni bal, Missouri .

Sept. 4:, 1936.

It 1s with earnest American pride and with a glory

in Amorief'Ln tradition that I enJor th1a happy pri vHes•

todar -- joi!l1ne i n th1a tri~ute to one who im!JN!Uod

himself upon the l1vea o! youth ever,...here in tho laat

!our aooro yoara and ten.

To l ook out acrosa this pleasant vista ,.,ere tho 11Ce

o! U1as1ao1pp1 River boyhood was ceotured. and recordod for

posterity ani to have a part 1:'1 1te CCJII:800Q0r&t1on 1a a

privilege 1 am happy to experi ence.

lfo American yout.'l hao know1rlgl:r or w1llin8lJ escaped.

the louono , t.he ph1looophy and the op1rit wh1o..'l beloved

!lark Twain •·ovo out of tho true u ro or which he wu a

~rt along thia •Jeetio peri od. Abroad, too, this peaeet'ul

valley ia known arou."ld tho world aa the cradle or the

ehl"oniolee o.r buoyant boyhood .

Kark Twain and hb talea still live , thoush the years

have ~ued and time ha.a wrought l ta changeo on the )!boiaeippl.

The little white town drowsing in the sunshine or the daya

ot Huokleber!')' Pinn and Tom Sawyer hila become tho metropolia

or northeastern Missour i . 'ibo tiny handful or c ompl acent

population haa grown to twenty- three thousand aoula -- tho

sovent.lt largeat city in )'Our a tate and tho fourth i n bustling

induatry. The old steambofl.t landL"\C la atlll thoro, --

the ratlroada ani the buaea and tha trucks have not ended.

water transporhtl on on the Ri ver.

-2-

It ••• .,- privilege l&at year to t.ve a part in the

opening of the centennbl connemol'&t1on or Kerk 'l'w&in1 a

bl.rthplaee; on that occasion from the White House I preasoc1

a key Which caus&d a light to lhL"'le rro=. the tall tO'III'ar on

Carc11tt H1ll ~- the Mark Twain Memorial Lighthouse .

Tho perpetuation ot )!ark '!'Wain's nome, birthplace, and the

haunts of his youth are vory dear to me, eapeclally because

I, IQ'&Ol!, &a a boy, had the happy privilege or shaking banda

with him. That -• a day I ah..ll never forget.

With every American boy and every ..mort can who has ever

been a boJ I thrill today at thh great atructure joining

tWO rt;reat atatea in the COIITIOII10l'&t1on Of )'OUth l s iJraortal ,

When old J.;oaea D. Balla round hh ..., to the june tlon

of the Hannlbotl and. the ldu1as1pp1 back in 1816, he little

thought or the great stage or hapPJ youth on which he waa

l1ftlfl8 the curtain. Lik&Wi .. b& &nd the Old&l' folk Of the

tiny river settlement 1n lle.nn1b8l hOd little thought that

5&11 ClSZ~en•, playing about the atear.tboa.t landing, would live

through the age a .

Lilcewiae, they had little thousht that the cebina and

the tran:o houaoa ,•md. the white• washed toncoa wouli siva way

to thriving 1ndu::~trill planta, modern bulldlns•, a •plend.1<1

city hall anr1 other 1mpreaa1ve public etructurea.

In place of t he school houu trom which Huck P1nn lured

Tom Sawyer to truanc.,. ana. the old twilla1ng hole, you bne

eighteen JII!Odern grade eehoole , a high echool, J)C'ochlal

acboob and a tine 11 brnry.

The old card-los &nd the oil lempe which To• Sawyer had to

till are gone . In their place you heve one or the l:loat

aucceutul municix;al electric light and power plants in tho

countr.,..

And today 'lt'O ,_rk one more step or p-ogreu -- one r.10re

imprint or a changing order -- thie great etn.~cture epanning

the kin1saipp1. 'i'he river terry started to go r.hen tho old

railroad bridge joined )t:.iuouri and Illinois back 1n 1870.

Aa the .,.aara went by, thie etructure carried the rail,

the horee-drawn and the .oto::-i:ed com::terce 1n and out of

Hennibal acrou the 1Uaeha1pp1. Time has now taken another

atop and today we eU.:n1nate the hl.za.rd.e or railroad croeainga,

ot hlsh ntera and mixed rail end vahlcular traffic.

Thia bridge, with ite three- tourthe or a lf.i llion dollars

outlay, etand.a eymboUc or 111bat ce.n be acce•pliabod by tha

cooperation ot local governments with the Federal· Here,

in thia act or progreea, we find the Federal Government, tho

City or Hannibal, the State ot .Miaaouri and the State of Illinot.

all joined in correlat ed action. Together they have g i ven you

this new bridge .

Working together 1n the daya to come, they will greatly further the prosperi t y and convenience or the people ot the United States .

• ADDRESS OF '1'HE PRESIDE:::'

AT THE DEDICATI"~!l OF' THE UARX T :.At:l U&.;O!UAL BRIDGE HAN::J:BAL, UISSOlr.'.I

Septe1:1ber 4 , 1936, 11'): 15 A. Y.

It le with u.rneat A'!'lerlean prl~e anl1 1'11th

a @"lory ln American tro.dltion that I enJoy th1e hapny

pr1v1le e today -- Jolnlnt_ in thla tribute to one tmo

lr.rpre.eed hl111aelf U!lOI'I the llv·•:J or youth everywhere

(ln) ~ the lAst four score year: And ten.

To look out across tHe (I>lel\unt) vlata l'lhere

the Ute or :.:taste l· 11 ;.lvcr bo:thood wna ca.,tured ond

recorded tor !'10Sterlty and to hnv" n. part ln lte coo-

ae11orat1on le a ur1v1lere thAt I ftr.l hA9;:17 to experience.

~lo k:lerlcan youth hila knowlr~ly or •1ll1nely

excaped the leasone, the 9h1loaophy llnd the e"l1t·lt ..,.hloh

beloved Uari< T-.ln wove out of the true 11te or trhlch he

was a part (along t~ 1e Mjeattc prrl~ . ) A"orood , too,

thle peaceful valley l e 1mown f\t>Ou:-~d the world aa t 11e

cradle of the chr::mlclea of "uoyl'nt boyhoo~ , ~an., r.(" !!!!

ttl.:!. boyn. (A· ola.uu)

Uarlr. 'l'waln and h1B tnlee et111 llve, though

the year• have paef.ed and t1cae hna wrought 1 te oha.nr.ee

"" the Ulu1es1pp1. 'l'he little wh! te t::nrn drowelne 1n

by •be Wh1 t e Jh< hand .. , ..

...

- 2 -

the sunshine ot the days ot Huckleberry Finn and Tom

Sawyer baa beoooe the •etropolla or northeastern

Ulseourl . The tiny handful or (complacent) copulation

has grown to twenty-(three) rtve thousand souls --.

(the seventh b.rgeat el ty ln your a tate and the fourth

ln buatl1ng industry.) The old ateAnboat landing l a

still the!'e, -- the railroads and the buau and the

trucks have not ended water transportation on the River,

and tor that I ao:t verv glad. (Ap-olauee)

It na ay prlvilep;e la8t year to have a part

ln the opening or the centennial ooo:ueaorat .lon or llark

Twain's birthplace; on that occaalon rr~ the 'lhlte

Houu I preued a key which cauaed a light to shine trca

the tall tower on Cardltt HUL ( - - the Mark Twain

Jhoorlal Lighthouse.) '!'he perpetuatl:m ot &Lark 'htaln1 a

name, birthplace, and the haunte of hla youth are very

dear to me, oepeclally beca.use I, myulf, a• a boy, .!:

roun~er bor than I ai.'\ now, had the happy prlvllege or

shaklng hands wlth (hl'D) Unrk Tw!\ln , That was a day I

shall never forget . lt'l th every A::erlcan boy and every

AIDerloan who hM ever b .. n a boy I thrlll tocla:r at (th18)

£!.! great structure Jolnlng two great etatee ln the

u

- . -oor.t:1emorat1on o! youth ' e 1111111ortal .

When old Uoeee ( D. ) Balle .._nd hla M£'Ocll\toe

round (his) their liBY to the Junctlon or the Hannibal

and the IUsalulppl baok ln 1818, (he) ..!h!,lllttle

thought or the great stage or happy youth on wbloh he

wae lU'tlng the curtain. Llltewlle (he) !!!.!.:t and the

older tollt or the tiny river eettlem:ent ln Hannibal

had little thou,eht that 8u Clemene, playing about the

ateamboo.t landing, would live through the agee.

Llkewhe , they had little thOUf)lt that the

cablne and the rra:ne houses and the white- washed f'eneee

would g l ve ""8.1' to thrl vlne lnduatrlal plante , Clodern

bu1ldlnga, a splendid city hall and other l lll:lreaslve

public structures.

(In place of the school house t'r?r which Huck

Finn lured Tom Sawyer to t%"\Utncy and the old u·l~~m\ns

hole, you have eighteen mOdern grade achoola, a high

achool, parochial acho>le and a t1ne l1brary. )

The old candle• and the o1l lampa which Tom

Sawyer had to t1ll are gone. In their place you have

one ot the 11oat aucceutul !llunl.c1pal electric light and

power plante 1n the (country) Nttt1on. (Applauee)

-. -And today we mark one core step of proereae -­

one •ore loprlnt of a Oha11£111g" order, a neceuar!ly

chan,.lng o~er (-- thl a great etructure epannlng the

JHaa1aa1pp1.) The river terry started to go when the

old railroad bridge Joined U:luourl and Ill1no1a back

ln 1870. As the years went by, thla structure carried

the ra.ll , the horae- drawn and the tlotorl:::ed co:nmerce in

and out of Hannibal aorou the (Lil n l sdppl) River.

'l'lme ho.a now taken another ate9 and today we e11111nate

the haz.arda or ra1lroad crosalnsa , of high waters and

mixed rail and vchlculBr traffic.

'l'hla brld[ e , with lh three (fourths) quarters

or a ml.lllon dollars outlay, atande aymbollo or t!hat

can be accompllahed by the cooperation or local govern­

ments ( with) an<1 the Federal Governr.~ent , Here, in this

a ct or progress , we t1nd the Federal Government , the

Cit.Y of Hannibal , the State of Uiuouri and the StAte of

Ill1no1e all Joined together in ( correlated) coordinnted

action. Torether they hnve given you thh new bri dge .

And. MY triende • .orting tot;ether in the daya

to oo~:>e , they will gl"eatly turther the prosperity and

convenience of the ~eople or the United Statu 1n everY

- 5 -

nart of the Nnt1on. (Aoplauae )

~je,

' ' ·''

thy II NfU\

. '

ROUGH DRAFT IN RJ:.GARD TO D~ICi'l'IOH OF MARlC l'WAIN KEJ,LllRIAL BRIDGE AT HA!ffliBAL, lli SSOURl ,

FRIDAY, SSPJ:UW.J\ 4 1 19M.

It is .ith earnest ADteric.m J-ride anJ .tth a &lory

in Americnn tradition that I enjoy this hap))' pr1v1legu t011ay

~Joining in'-\-;ibute t o r -t •tt ~Z ffidth li!l& impre:.~sed L..sell upon the liv:s of youth everywhare in the last four score

years and ten.

To look out acros3 thi.s pleasant vista where the f?,., ....

life of Mh sissiJ)Ji boyhood was captured and recorded for pos-A nA~~~

terity and t o have a part in it~CO:IIZri!IJl~o~ ~" Y"

~•eats 1 Hfe lllicl 8ft ;; t 1::. ~experience .

No Aaerican youth has knowin&lY or Killingly eoc&J,ed

t , ..,. the lessons, the philosophy and the svirit which beloved ll3rk

Twain wove out or the true Ute or which he was a part alone

this J&&jestic period . Abroad, too, thiS pe'\ceful valley 1s

known around the world as ttlt cradle of the chronicles o!' buoyant

boyhood.

Mark Twain nn:i his tales stilt live, thQU8h the years

have passed and tiiM bas wrou&ht its changes on the M.ississippi.

The little white town drowsina in the awtshine or thtl days of

Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer has beccae the ••trbpolia ot

northeastern Y.tssouri . The tiny handful of complacent popula-

tion has ;rown to t"A"enty-threo thousand souls -- the seventh

largest city in your s tate and tho fourth in bustling industry.

The old steuboat landing still is there, but 1-\~8

' t 0 r t t' on bas b en a.arc.lJ:;• the railroads and the buses

and the trucks .A',......., 1lllT1,' /..J IYAJ~., 7/,, y(~ I;.,/;,,., ~-­/,.{, },!,;,,./

It waa my privilege last yau to have a part in the

opening of the centennial e<mr.~&lloration of Mark Twain ' s birth­

placc;on that occasion f r ca. the Whi te Houae I pros:sad a kay which

caused a light to shine from the tall tower on cardiff Hill - ­

the U&rk Twain Memoria l Lighthouse. ~. ~-,;;;;---­

perpetuation or Nar k Twain's nama. bi;thplace, a~Ul}ts ort,, ,J." .. /1. "''""''-< J "N(),<.dl /»A~, .. ' I

youth are vary dear to Ill~ rrtith e#vry Am..:rlcan boy ._.~ iia avery Ji "" Alller ican who has aver been a boy I thrill t oaay at this a:reat J ' ~ structure Joining two gre .. t states in the collllllfl!loration of / "~~~~"?

youth's 111110rtal. ~h../. to~,//r

),ban old Koses D. Balls found his way to the Junc tion ,..(~ ... ,

of the Uanniba l and the U1ss1ss1 p)J1 bllCk 1n 1818 he li ttle tho~/ <t•"~

or the gr eat stage or happy youth on which he was liftina the 1\ rlt'A ! curtain. L1ka.f1se he and the older .Colk of the tiny rher 3et- r!l"'(l

h.;•lt tl•ent in H&nnibal had little thOUih t that ~ Sa• Clemens,

playing about the staa.m.boat land.ins, "ould live through the ages. l-'j~t Likewi se they ho.d little thought that the cabins and

the frame houses and the white-washed fences would Ji\)v,l~: ... ~.t-{

thriving industria l plants , modern bui ldings, Q. hctQdt K"i!Cble taR

~ city h&lJ. and other i •prusive publlc bulldin~s .

~schou~ouse from which Huck Finn lured To. Sa.rye;;;

o an 1.nd the old srt.-1~ In

its plac ou have eighteen modern grade schools, a hich s chool ,

The ol d candles and oil lupa are g ooe. I nstead you

have one or the -oat s uccessful IIUnicipal electric light and power

plants in t!w coW'Itry .

-~-3-

And now today o~e •ark one more step of progress --

one more iaprint of a ch!I.Jllina order, this gre3.t ~ structure

spann~a the Jnssisaippi . ~}he river ferry started ~ 1.,.,.., Kza 1 Q v when the old railrou.d bridge Joined J.Ussouri

and Illinois back in 1870. As the years have 1one by this struc­

ture has carried both the rail , the horse d rawn and the motorized

C<*!Deree in arxl. out of Hannibal and across the Jllaaissipp1. Tillie

has taken another step and. to.ay .. e~ th1s -~•.odern

~~ eliminate the hazards of railroad ero.Js ngs , of

high waters and mi xed rail and vehicular t r affic . ~~·

J.a to concimle~carry_jhe raJ.lroada, bu.t tha n..., .1.-....to keep

rap~&t'tic ,aesre,ate4 J.G..r.a.aonaOly usured. sa£aty.

This bridge with ita three-fourths of a aail.don dollars

outlay stands s~bollc of wh<l t c...n oe aecomJ.oliShGd by the cooper­

ation of the state aov~rnmonts with tho fliO.Ilrnl. Here in this

~ act of proa,ress we find the foderal gov~rnmont, tho ei ty

of Bamib&l, the st.1te of Y.1uour1, and the state or Illinois

all joined in correlated action. Togethor they have given you

this new bridce . Par-- t~.oars they have kept an averaa~

two l'nmdr ed and f'ift1 J;~ersona e~~,ployed and tba)' bave 11ven Bannibal

one 110r e advantqeoua outlet for its cnant, ita lime, -ps f lour ,

its sha.s .

/Y( vf., -ty .. 71:·? 1.~11;'. 1

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I!Ql.I) POR Ra&Ua

.t.DIItJ3S OP !HE l'Ra51DD! .t.! !Ill DBDICA!IO"l OP III.RJ: 1'1U.ll IIDKII:li.L !IIIDO.,

!UlllfiBoU., alS50Uti, aZP!DBIIII "· 1~.

~: l'Uio\9 ou.utl> S.OA.DIS! f'I!.IXA.!UU R~.

!ttl .. •• upon dell .. lr'J, tlii)<JOt ed. abw.t 10,115 A. . a ., Ctntrd Stendard. '!'t.e, Prlda7, Stpt.-bn 4 , 1~.

11. H. MolNnRJ: Anl atentSaOl'ltal'7tOtl'ltPI'nldtzlt.

It 11 w1 t.h 111rnut A.!Hrlc:en pr111t tnd with 1 slor," 1n Allier loan

~~~!t:!~~:O:o x o:J~ t~~~:~ ~r;:;t~·~po~~~ -u~!~!i' ~tb ,.,1r.,-hn1 ln thl 111t rOW" 1oor1 7111r1 Ind. un .

To look ou.t ICZ'OU thh f'liiiiDt Yiltl -"lrt the llrl or 111u1111s>p1 Rhll' bo7~ wa1 otptured alld rtoordtod ror pottlr1t7 •nd to hln o pert 1n tu c-Htton 11 a prldltae l .,. tuopw to t:tper1tnot .

Jo ,._.rlcan J'O'ltb bu <m01fln&17 or wlll1n&l1 ll<:<lpl(l tht ltnOI'II , the pbllotophJ 1nd the 1plrlt whlch belo .. tcl x.t-l< Tnln won out or the trut ure ot .mtc:h he -• 1 ptrt Ilona thll •Jntlo pnlod, All...-4, too, thll piiGif'ul ftlltJ 11 kno1ln tr,ound tb1 world •• th1 cr1cllt or thl ohronlclll or buo71nt boJ-1- .

lUrk TwOln a nd. hll Ulel 1t1ll u .. o , tbouch t:h1 701r1 ~vt

ih!'i~t~r: ~~:.h~!..:O~f;!~!'t~M~·:~:h~~! =~·:~:·~:;! ·.r Huckltberr7 Plnn u.ncl 'l'olll Sowyer hit beeo• thll Mtrcpolh or northtutern Jllluwrl • Tht t1n7 htnclt\11 or Colllpllctnt pop.tltt lon hu grown to twt ntJ-threo thou• ·nd eoula •• tht atventh ltrgu t elt7 in ,.OW' ttlh and tht rourth 1n buatlln.s l ncluati'J. The old. etN.,.tt bncl~ 11 at11l thert , •• tht ullrotdt tlld the buatl tncl the truek1 n•n• not encltcl -ter trtntporttotlon on the Rhtr.

It •• '111 pzoldlos1 111t ,..11r to hiiYI • pt.rt ln the op«~ln& or the etnttnnlll ~HUon or llllrk "'"'UI'• blrt.bplace; on

=to::-:~:/~~ Wht!~ :::: !n~frr'~rr ~t:,c:;:S • fain ._riel Ll&htbou11. ftlt perpetuaU011 or lllll'lc !'nlD'I

:;:~1:~~;~!:::~e~~ ::.';~!: :rt!:~ ~7~:z-:.;:~" :~i1!:e•:r ;~~~.~A!.;l:nh~ .~! .. :;; :..~I.!n~~1~-.a"!"!~.!ort!!!·, bo7

~~~ ~~l!~'!:!r!:1!!:1!lr,.:~:!ru:r:~f~1nlns t- gr .. t 1t1t11

Whon aleS. Mo101 D· BIIU• round. hit .. ,. to the JuncUon or th• Hannlbll 1M the 111u1ulpp1 blck ln 1818, hi Uttlt tho\lSht or

f~=~~!:th=~~ ~~~fX!/~~ ~~ ::i!c~1 ~; ;~:~~~;:~~-=tc~ttln. lllnnlbel h1CI little thought thtt 81• Cl .. ont, pla71n& tbout the •t"mbolt 1111111~, would. U vt thJ'ouW! the 'I"·

ru .. ~~;:~~nlithiJ:,b~!!:;!~!,.ho~e:ru".!~es::!l:,.'"'~! :;l'f. !~!~~!:~.~11;;:1e-:s:~t=!~l"''lo I lpllll41.11 OltJ hill t.ncl

In pltce or the 1cbool houtl !'..- wh1ctl Huck P1.DD lurlld. ~.-.

:0~ ;.J~~~ ~~l4~=~~t~r.J-o!~le!~t=~1DO l1bi'Sl'7•

!be ol4 undln and the on 1•,. wtlloh T• s...,.er blo4 to

~~l.::::~~t=~· -~~rc·~rJ~!!!7:W:"~::. om~:. *'c!!n:U~~ .. ·-4nd to41J •• .. rlt one •ore a Up of pt"(o'?'n• -- one 110re

~~~~~!1~1~ 0~1::1.~~;~r;; !~:t~"~! :;r~:z-~=~~~~1~~•4

brtdaa jolntd llt .. ouri end IlUnoh bloalc ln :&70. Ae the Jo•r•

=~r~i~ t~!:.n!~o:r:J'~:~-:r t~n~~~i ~;o~:r~, ~~~~!~p:~~ TU!e hl.e n- Uken another atop and ~J •• el1a1nata the hl.aud.e ot :odlroad eronlnsa, ot hlsh wattra and •heel rt1l anc! nhleular trerr1c.

!'hh brlCS.,a, with ita thraa-tOW"thtl ot • •1ll1on dolltra -ua,., ahDC!.a ap!l)ollc ot •hoot em be uoo•plhh.S. b7 the co-operaUon of local so .... r.-nu with the Ped.ard. Hare, 1D tbh

!:!n~'-r.~·=ia~: !~ll1::.::a:~ ~":~n:!"'!} ~~~!~! :~l !Olned l"Q Cot'rd•tod IOtlOil.• ~Sather th8J twl'l't atnn you thh n.,.brsqa.

lku'kli1Gtos•th411'1ntha<U.,.atoc,.., tt>.,.wtllll'••tlJ !"oU'thortheproaperltyandcon•anhr~Caofthe~pleottboUnltec!. 3";atta.

[

<'TJ\ TF ''I'"~" F' I'

It wa. rrry pri vilege l&at year to tw.ve a pt.rt in the

openlna: or the centennial ooaaemoratlon or Mark 'l'wain' a

b11"thplaoe ; on that occaaion trom the White Hou.e I pl'oaaed ... a ke7~ caused a light to !hine trom the tall tower on

COrdit; ;1~1 ---~~,;;;: ;;;;..,, ... ..,.,.........._

'l'he perpetuation or J.lark 'l'Waln'• nmDe, blrthplaoe, and the

haWlta or h h youth ar e very doa.r to no, especially beoauso ,._,, .. ( ~ ...... I , IIQ'~!~~ u a bo_!Yhad the h&pPJ' p:rlVilaga ot ahaking tw.r:da

wlth ~ T'Nlt waa a day I &hall nevor torgot.

With ever y American boy and every A.rlerlesn who t-,aa ever

been a bo7 I thrill today at t h A- gr .. t atru.otul'e jo1nlft6

two ere&t .tate& i n t ho CODI!IC110J'&t1on ot y outhl a ir:D:IrU-1.

, ?

Wh., old lloaea~ Bali}'tound hh way to 'ltl.e junction

ot the Hannibal and t he 141uhslpP1 back ln 1018,~ little

t hought ot the great otago ot happ:f youth on which he wae

Uttl ns the curtain . Likaw1aefb' and the older toll&: ot tM

tiny river sett l ement ln Hanni bal had little thought that

Sam Clemens, pUy1118 about t he steamboa.t landinn, woul4 live

through the &gn.

L1kew1u, they had little thousht t hat the cabina ll.nd

the tram• hOlUe• AD4 the wh1 to- waahed t encea woul1 ntve .... ,.

to t hl'1Y1nB 1nd.ua trhl plant • , modern bu11.d1nga , a ~lend14

o 1ty hall a n:! other 1::tpreu1ve public atructurea .

1., '

~() x__ ')JJ-It 1a with oarnoat '--rl.oan prJ4e alXI wttb. • clorJ'

ln Az:~crloan trftdlt1CIIl that t •:lJOJ' thl.a haPPJ' prl v llece

todaJ -- joSnlD& 1n th.la tribute to one vbo tarreued

h!=woU' up:m. the llvoe o~ J'O'Itb. .. ~. J-tbe laat

tour ::~oor. ,..ra and ten.

'!'0 lOok out oorou tbla .....,_.t vlato whvo the uta

ot taotllo.Sppl fllver boJbood naa oantured and reooraed tor

· poatorlty old to lave a tart 1n 1U c~t101l 1a a

p:rlvllogo 1 I om b&PPJ' to ospm.•l enoo ..

1'lo AIMrlc:an yo:.atb baa kDowttl.c17 or wlll1.nQl7 ase~~J*l

the loaltOila,. "'tt. J:iljloao))b;T and the optr1t wbleh belO"H4

L!ork ':'W81n wove out or ti'IO tr'UO l.U'o ot whJ.Ch ho waa a

~rt aJ.e-.r: tl}j q Je ld; ; "SU L Ata'084,. too,. thla peo.cof'Ul.

valley h known 8.l'OtiDI1 tho worl4 tla tbo rlo or tbe

clu'on1ol.Aioot_t_.,..,_ /''\.. . \

tlo11c 'l"'IISn and h1a telae atlll live,. thOUGh t he JUaN!

t.ve ;aaaed M4 t.S..me hOe lfl'OUC,bt lta olanQea en tho t:la.Sulppl.

ThO litt le whlto toun drolr&lnG ln. t he> eune.h1ne or tho "-•7•

ot Hucklobc:trry PSnn nQd ~ sawyor ,. a booooo tho r:aetropolla

ot n o:·tM .. tctr.J wtaoourl.. ';bo t,. bo:Ut'Ul. of'~

popalat1011. hila ~ to ttrenty~ tbol1MIIi4 aoula - tt.---

_.aovootb 'sr; ·n• ctty 'n :wmr ntnt'

~. 'i'ho old otoaoboc:tt lMO.lnQ: l e otlll tbor.,. -

tho rallroo48 o.n1 tha buea and tl'O tZ"U.Ck.o t.vo not B4e4

water tronaportotl OA on •..be R lVOI'e ·~ "'"" l ~ -... \:

tn place ot the oho l br)tte roa which lluak P1nn lured

!'011 sawyer to truaz» a the l nimd.ng hole, rou hlo•e

eighteen t:mde:rn grade boola, high school, pcoochial

achoc>la and a tine 11 ~1·

!be old canu .. aD1 the oil lui~ which 'l'oa Sawyer had to

till ue gone. In their place you have one ot the moat

aueceutul m.nic~l eleotr1c 11gtl.t and power planta in the

"""""'To ~"

And today we mark one more atep or p-ogreu •• one 1:10re

/'' bapr1nt ~ a chana11'18 order!\· \l:ll peat uti"'IM"ak u if&hiilhl

~· V'se'e ,..,.... 'i'he river terry at&l'ted to s o r.ten thto old

railroad bridge Jolned J.<laaouri and lllinclia back 1n 18'70.

Aa the 7ea:n went bJ', thi a atructure carried the' raU,

the horae-drawn and the .otorhed co~~Derce 1n and. out ot

Hannibal acroaa tbe ~ .. Time haa now taken another

atep and toda7 we el:l.mJJ:-. te the t.sarda ot railroad croaatnsa,

ot hi{sh n tera ard m1xec1 rail and Yeh1cular trattic.

-'l'hia bridaa, wtth tta tbree~ot a zr~1ll1on do• lara

outlaJ, a t &nda apabol1c or mat can be aooo!ll.pltahod bJ the

cooperation ot local govornmonta ~ the Pedaral:l'" Here,

l n thia &ot ot prosreu, we tlnd the Peder&l OoYeJ'IDcnt, the

CltJ ot Hanntbtll , the Stat e or Jliaeourt and tba State or llllnola ~ _,

&ll Join~ in ~d action. 'l'ogethar theJ have slven you

thia new brtd,ge.

, Working together 1n the daJa to 001ae, th.,. wtll grR&tl]' further the proapertt1 and con•enienoe ot the peopl e ot the United Statea. - \.. \ ~. ..... End.