Hannibal in Marion County, Missouri — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
Mark Twain
Remembrance of An American Past
Photographed By Beverly Pfingsten, June 11, 2012
1. Mark Twain Marker
Inscription.
Mark Twain. Remembrance of An American Past. Like all of us, Mark Twain told stories about his childhood in order to understand who he had become as an adult.
The Boy , In this house, Sam Clemens lived a pretty typical life for a small-town American boy in the 1850's. Yet his life here helped to shape him into Mark Twain, one of the greatest writers in the world.
The Writer , As a writer in the 1870s, Mark Twain returned to this house in his memory. He used his imagination to turn the people, places, and events of his childhood into stories that captured the soul of America.
The Man , Mark Twain walked back into this house on a visit to Hannibal after he was world famous. Memories of his boyhood days filled him with both pleasure and regret.
Like all of us, Mark Twain told stories about his childhood in order to understand who he had become as an adult.
The Boy In this house, Sam Clemens lived a pretty typical life for a small-town American boy in the 1850's. Yet his life here helped to shape him into Mark Twain, one of the greatest writers in the world.
The Writer As a writer in the 1870s, Mark Twain returned to this house in his memory. He used his imagination to turn the people, places, and events of his childhood into stories that captured the soul of America.
The Man Mark Twain walked back into this house on a visit to Hannibal after he was world famous. Memories of his boyhood days filled him with both pleasure and regret.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Arts, Letters, Music.
Location. 39° 42.731′ N, 91° 21.454′ W. Marker is in Hannibal, Missouri, in Marion County. Marker is on N. Main Street just north of Hill Street, on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Hannibal MO 63401, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Tom Sawyer’s Fence (a few steps from this marker); Grant's Drug Store (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named Mark Twain
4. "Mark Twain" at His Boyhood Home, Hannibal, Mo.
Local photographer Anna Schnizlein captured Twain on his visit to Hannibal in 1902. She sent him a set of prints and he replied, “Dear Miss Schnizlein: The pictures you made are just delightful! Thank you ever so much for them. I thought the other artist made a large mistake when he drove the people away from the line of fire – in fact I knew it was a mistake. Sincerely yours, S.L. Clemens.”
Although the rightmost image on the marker is unfortunately unattributed, it would seem to be based on the same photograph as was used for this hand-tinted postcard, given Twain's dress, stance, and the way Twain's body lines up with the background in both images.
Credits. This page was last revised on May 14, 2020. It was originally submitted on August 27, 2012, by Bill Pfingsten of Bel Air, Maryland. This page has been viewed 520 times since then and 13 times this year. Photos:1. submitted on August 27, 2012, by Bill Pfingsten of Bel Air, Maryland. 2. submitted on May 13, 2020, by Jason Voigt of Glen Carbon, Illinois. 3. submitted on August 27, 2012, by Bill Pfingsten of Bel Air, Maryland. 4. submitted on November 2, 2015.
