Jackson and Cape Girardeau

We turned right at the end of the driveway today and began throwing out possible towns we wished to visit for Wandering Wednesday. Dexter Missouri came up with a possibility of driving through Poplar Bluff, but plans bombed out quickly. The sites which drew our interest were closed on Wednesdays.

We wondered if those two particular towns had not been educated about Wandering Wednesdays. Get with the program folks!

Since we were already headed south, we altered our destinations to Jackson and Cape Girardeau, two towns we have explored in the past, but we knew there were a few more buried jewels.

Jackson, Missouri

The town of Jackson was named after our seventh president, Andrew Jackson. It began small with a population of 300 but grew rapidly.

Pioneer families longed for an opportunity to worship together in the early 1800’s. The William Williams family (wouldn’t you like to carry that name with you all your life) began to host week-long camp meeting revivals on their property and in 1819 they donated two acres of land for the McKendree Chapel.

Between 500-600 people camped on the property during camp meetings, some in tents, others, built huts and spent the entire week. I can hear Mrs. Williams say just before she fainted. “How many are coming for dinner?”

Old McKendree Chapel

The Old McKendree Chapel still stood at the peak of the hill on the same piece of ground for over 200 years. The front door seemed to be locked but it was only swollen shut and with a little coaxing Dan was able to get it opened. The building was quite small, but strong and sturdy. It was lined with beautiful old wooden pews along with a pulpit area for the pastor messages. I would love to hear the stories those old walls could tell if only they could talk. We were surprised with a gift of handmade wooden crosses available free to anyone.

There was also a cabin just down the hill from the Chapel. It had been built from the logs of a previous building on the property. In the back of the cabin was a cute little spring bubbling out of the hillside.

If you know where to look, the old log chapel can be seen from Interstate 55. We have probably wandered past this spot 50 times and never noticed the little log building.

St. Vincent’s Catholic Church

We headed to St. Vincent’s Catholic Church next. Although the internet stated the building was open for visitors, the doors were locked up tight.

The Red House

After circling the church hoping to find an unlocked door, we reluctantly went across the street to the Red House which was originally built as a home in the 1790, became a fur trading establishment and then a seat of government to the Spanish district of Cape. The Red House was also closed on Wednesdays. Guess what? The town of Cape did not get the Wandering Wednesdays memo either.

Lunch was at Fazoli’s and I successfully abandoned my jacket on the seat next to me. I am hopeful to one day be reunited with it thanks to my brother.

Antiques in Cape Girardeau

We chose a couple of interesting looking antique stores to wander through before we took one last peek at the murals on the flood wall. Some extremely talented people made some incredible paintings along the wall. Don’t miss the side facing the Mississippi River. Amazing job!

As our Wandering Wednesday came to a close, we stopped at Tower Rock, an island in the middle of the Mississippi River, to check the Mississippi River’s water level and found not much change in the height since mid-November.

Only 50 more Wandering Wednesdays left in 2023. Head on out there, and if you visit Dexter, Poplar Bluff or Cape, be sure to remind them to open their doors for Wandering Wednesdays!

Happy Wandering Wednesdays!