"The Athens of Missouri" Showcases Scenic History
Mizzou grad captures Columbia through historic images.
- Columbia, MO (1888PressRelease) December 11, 2014 - Author Valerie Kienzle brings us the newest addition to Arcadia Publishing's Images of America series in Columbia. The book boasts more than 200 vintage and modern images chronicling "College Town, USA".
Stuck right between Missouri's two better known metropolises of Kansas City and St. Louis while running along Hwy 70, Columbia started as a settlement site. In the early 1800s, enterprising businessmen moved in to the largely untouched but resource-dense grounds in search of financial gains. The central Missouri town served as the county seat for five years after being platted, and eventually became incorporated in 1826.
Throughout the rest of the century, Columbia styled itself as a mercantile center for the region and became the location for a proposed state university by state legislators. Though an unpopular choice at the time, this university became what Columbia may be known for best; the University of Missouri.
Columbia is home to three historic education institutions: The University of Missouri, the first land grant university west of the Mississippi River; Stephens College; and Columbia College, the first women's college west of the Mississippi River chartered by a state legislature.
Half of the profits from the sale of this book will go to The State Historical Society of Missouri, which is the source and repository for all images included in this book.
Available at area bookstores, independent retailers, and online retailers, or through Arcadia Publishing at (888)-313-2665 or online.
Arcadia Publishing is the leading publisher of local and regional history in the United States. Our mission is to make history accessible and meaningful through the publication of books on the heritage of America's people and places. Have we done a book on your town? Visit http://www.arcadiapublishing.com/.
Columbia
by Valerie Battle Kienzle
Images of America Series
Price: $21.99
128 pages/ softcover
Available: December 8, 2014
Media inquiries contact: William Wallace
843.853.2070 x208
wwallace ( @ ) arcadiapublishing dot com
About the Author of Columbia
Valerie Battle Kienzle, 56, is a native of Nashville, Tennessee. Her interest in history is closely tied to her family. She, her brother, and mother share ownership of a restored home and farmland that have been in the family since 1796.
Kienzle is a 1980 graduate of the University of Missouri's School of Journalism in Columbia, MO. She spent the last 30+ years employed in various writing-related positions - newspaper reporter, corporate public affairs manager, advertising account representative, school district communications writer, and freelance writer. Freelance assignments have included magazine articles, business proposals, advertising and newsletter copywriting, speech writing, and articles for Tennessee historical association publications. In 2012, Arcadia Publishing released St. Charles, a book she wrote with the St. Charles County (Missouri) Historical Society. It is part of Arcadia's Postcard History Series.
When not writing or poring over historic records, Kienzle enjoys gardening, cooking, music, and genealogical research. She is a fan of American-made automobiles and drives her dream car, a Corvette.
Kienzle lived and studied in Columbia for four years. She enjoyed wandering around the university campus and along the downtown section of Broadway during her free time. The city's many historic buildings and architectural details were a constant source of interest. She hopes Columbia will provide readers a glimpse of life in a Midwestern college town of a bygone era. She considers it a privilege to be able to tell the story of Columbia with her words and The State Historical Society of Missouri's wonderful old images.
What lasting impact do you hope your book will leave?
History fascinates me like no other topic. It tells where we have been and often provides clues to where we are going. Much history has been made in Columbia, Missouri. The people who have called Columbia home - whether for a few semesters or for a lifetime - have contributed to its rich and significant history. Although many of the residents shown in this book's images cannot be identified, they were an important part of the day-to-day life in College Town, USA. Without them, this city would not be what it is today. I hope this book, through its images and text, accurately presents the story of a period of time in Columbia's history.
###
space
space
Satisfied Users & 
Approved Press Releases
Print
Email
Report Spam