A Branson author featured Jefferson City in an upcoming coffee-table book about the Missouri River and the communities that lie along it.
Former Missouri State University math professor Larry Campbell went on a two-month journey last summer through communities on the river. During that time, he traveled about 100 miles every two days by car and tried to absorb the history of each community.
"Rollin' Down the River - Discovering People and Places Along the Mighty Missouri," published by Acclaim Press with a release date of July 10, chronicles his adventure.
Campbell visited all four state capitals that lie on the Missouri River, including Jefferson City; Helena, Montana; Bismark, North Dakota; and Pierre, South Dakota.
He said he gained a greater appreciation for his home state's capital during the trip.
"I've been through Jefferson City a million times," Campbell said. "But after having visited the other three capitals, I was really impressed with our capital."
Campbell visited Jefferson City over Labor Day weekend last year and toured the Capitol, stayed at the Cliff Manor Inn bed and breakfast, and explored downtown. One thing he noticed was the Missouri Capitol is closer to the river than the other capitol buildings in the three cities along the Missouri River.
The only thing he missed because of the Labor Day holiday was a tour of the old Missouri State Penitentiary, but he visited the penitentiary museum before leaving town. He also had a great-grandfather who once served on the Missouri Supreme Court.
Most of that information made it in the book, he said.
In all, Campbell drove 2,300 miles from Three Forks, Montana, to St. Louis. A similar coffee table book about the Mississippi River inspired him to make his journey, he said. The 160-page book will feature photos and stories from his journey.
During his trip, he said, he was particularly interested in tributaries that feed into the Missouri River, so during his stay in Jefferson City, he also explored the Osage River.
"That was fun," Campbell said.
Later this summer, Campbell will revisit Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota and parts of Iowa on a three-week trip to promote the book. He said he may also revisit Missouri towns where he stopped. Places like Kansas City, Boonville and Jefferson City are close enough, though, he could stop in on weekends, so he may announce those events at a later date.
Information about the book is available on the publisher's website, acclaimpress.org, which currently is offering pre-order copies for $34.95.