MARK TWAIN'S FLORIDA YEARS
BY GEORGE IVAN BIDEWELL1
Florida, Missouri, rightfully but feebly claims to be the
birthplace of Mark Twain, although it has been completely
overshadowed by the more populous and civic-powered
town of Hannibal in the neighboring county of Marion. Of
the multitude who know the name of Mark Twain, few may
correctly name the birthplace of the author. The homes of
Tom Sawyer and of Becky Thatcher, his childhood sweetheart, are today points of interest frequently visited at
Hannibal, scarcely more than a stone's throw from the Mark
Twain hotel, yet not one of a hundred visitors detours from
the main highway to visit the actual birthplace of the great
humorist. The tiny settlement known as Florida is in Monroe
county, which adjoins Marion county on the soutlrwest. It
is situated on a high point of land between the forks of Salt
river and is accessible over Missouri state highway number 107.
The marker at the edge of town gives the population as 210,
but as the visitor drives down the main street and takes cognizance of the few houses and the many vacant lots he is
inclined to doubt this figure. Florida's one store, located
at the intersection of the two principal streets, is of the
general merchandise type common in towns of this size,
dispensing everything from kerosene and gasoline to groceries
and drygoods. Also at this intersection stands the modest
Mark Twain monument erected in 1913. The corner lot
immediately northeast of the monument was once occupied
by the store of Mark Twain's uncle, John A. Quarles. Less
than one hundred feet south of the intersection. and on the
east side of the road is located the site of the John Clemens
home in which Sam was born.
The villagers of Florida are hospitable and on the occasions of my visits showed no sign of wishing to capitalize
1george ivan bidewell, a native Missourian, is instructor in English at
Missouri Military academy at Mexico. He received a B. S. degree in 1933
from the Southeast Missouri State Teachers college and an A. M. degree in
1945 from the University of Iowa.
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