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. 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. It 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.

Regionally, this marker is in Missouri’s Mark Twain Country. It is also in the American Midwest, in the Lewis & Clark Corridor, in the Corn Belt, and in the Great River Road Region. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, the Louisiana Purchase, and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: A different marker also named Mark Twain (within shouting distance of this marker); Tom Sawyer’s Fence (within shouting distance of this marker); Grant's Drug Store

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(within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named Grant's Drug Store (within shouting distance of this marker); Mark Twain's Boyhood Home (within shouting distance of this marker); Henry Collins Building (within shouting distance of this marker); Mark Twain's Father's Law Office (within shouting distance of this marker); The Mark Twain Boyhood Home & Museum (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Hannibal.

Photographed by Jason Voigt, May 11, 2020

2. Mark Twain Marker

Mark Twain Home image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Bill Pfingsten, June 11, 2012

3. Mark Twain Home

<i>"Mark Twain" at His Boyhood Home, Hannibal, Mo.</i> image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Anna M. Schnizlein, 1902

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 694 times since then and 18 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.