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Blue Jays Mic'd Up
School District of Washington Superintendent Dr. Cassandra Suggs gives updates on happenings around the District including chats with students, staff, and community leaders.
Blue Jays Mic'd Up
Kephart Communications - History of Washington
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In this episode, Dr. Kephart invites Mayor Hagedorn and Ms. Dieckhaus to talk about the history fo Washington.
City of Washington: https://washmo.gov/
Washington Historical Society: https://washmohistorical.org/
The Kephart Communications Podcast is hosted by School District of Washington Superintendent Dr. Jennifer Kephart. With help from our team in the Washington High School Cap program, Dr. Kephart and her guests share information ranging from district happenings, current events, and student experiences to keep listeners informed about the School District of Washington. If you are a parent, district employee, or community member, this podcast is for you. Let's welcome Dr. Kephart, Miss Dickhouse, and Mayor Hagedorn from the City of Washington.
SPEAKER_04Thank you, Reese and Frankie, for the introduction and welcome Miss Dickhaus and Mayor Hagedorn to the podcast studio today. We are looking forward to hearing more about the City of Washington's history. Can you both provide a brief overview of your roles in the community and your connection to the history of Washington? And Miss Dykehouse, we'll start with you.
SPEAKER_03Sure. I am the executive director of the Washington Historical Society. And we at the Society, we curate, preserve, and interpret the history of Washington, Missouri for our community. How wonderful. Thank you. Thank you for joining us today. Thank you.
SPEAKER_04And for Mayor Hagedorn.
SPEAKER_02Hi, everybody. Uh I'm Doug Hagedorn. I've been mayor for almost two years. And although I was in the Air Force, went away to college, was in the Air Force for seven and a half years after that. We moved back to town in 1985, been here ever since then, but I'm a seventh generation Washingtonian.
unknownWonderful.
SPEAKER_04Well, I know that both of you have plenty to share about the history of Washington, and we just appreciate your time today. So I'm going to start with Ms. Dick Kause. Can you share some milestones in the history of Washington that has helped shape our city into what it is today?
SPEAKER_03Yes, sure. And I know when I got this question, it was really hard for me to narrow it down. But when I started looking at all the different things that were I felt were important, it was really nice to be able to say honestly, it was the infrastructure was very important. So I started with westward expansion. We would not be here without the river, and the expansion toward, you know, beyond the Mississippi. But also industrialization and infrastructure is highly important with things like brick manufacturing and corncob pipes and zithers. And so we cover all of that at the Historical Society Museum, but it continues today, and it's something that I think is really important for our community.
SPEAKER_04Wonderful. I appreciate that. And we'll make sure on our show notes that we have a link to the historical museum. So if anybody wants to come visit, I I hope that you'll tag that a little bit more in our podcast today, but we'll make sure our listeners have that information. Absolutely, thank you. So Mayor Hagedorn is a Washingtonian with many generations, as you have shared in the area. Can you share some milestones that you believe have helped to shape our city?
SPEAKER_02Well, certainly, as uh Katie just talked about the infrastructure, but building that infrastructure took some doing because when uh the first German families got off the boat back in the 1800s, there were no uh companies around. So if they wanted to get stuff done, they had to do it themselves. And there are still amazing monuments to those efforts. First thing uh when the very Catholic Germans got off the boat said, we need a church, and so they built Borgia. Then the other German immigrants began arriving. They built the Lutheran Church, St. Peter's Evangelistia Church, and through that spirit of volunteerism that kind of instilled in the community, we can get stuff done if we do it ourselves. We don't have to wait for anybody or depend upon anybody. There was probably a fire back in the 1840s or 1850s, and uh some leaders in the community got together and said, Oh, we need a fire department. Why don't we make it volunteer? 1852, that's when our volunteer fire department started. And it's still in existence today. And that kind of set the tone for our community of volunteerism, and to me, that's that's our strength is the volunteerism in our community today.
SPEAKER_04And I would certainly agree, probably in this room and potentially to our listeners, I'm probably the newest to the city, and I would say you feel that right away. You feel that core heart and center of service and support of others and volunteerism. So I I'm I know that there have been many, many generations that have helped to shape that core in this community. So thank you for sharing that. Ms. Dickhouse, can you share how the historical society, as as we talk about preserving and promoting history, how do you do that through the historical society? And there are other specific initiatives or maybe projects that stand out for our listeners?
SPEAKER_03Of course. Um well, obviously, we have the Historical Society Museum. Um we're actually celebrating our 40th year of the free museum, right? And 65 years of our society as a whole. Isn't that amazing? That is amazing. So when we go back and kind of piggybacking on that um volunteer spirit, we don't take any taxpayer dollars. We um and we have always been free to the public, which is amazing. So um, in particular, what we do is we collect historically important items uh and documents, and then we use those items to we preserve them, one in our archive, um, but then we also use them to teach about the history to our community. Um we go into um the classrooms all yes, several years, yes. Um and then we also invite the classrooms to come to us. So we invite fourth graders to come to the museum every spring, and we do what's called history days, and then um we teach them about their local history through living history exhibits. Um, and then in in addition to all of that, we host a lot of different programs, such as right now we do flashback Fridays at the cinema, which is really fun. It's once a month. Um the next one's coming up on March 1st, which is the same day that the museum opens to the public, which is exciting. Um, so those are um we have them at 10 a.m. on Fridays, and they are just a uh an offering that we give for, I don't know, historic film, and it's it's a lot of fun. Um but then also we do uh speaker series where we teach about our local history as well.
SPEAKER_04And it is an incredible museum to be able to go to both the bottom floor and the top floor to see what what artifacts you have, but also to share the unique and and important history of the city. So, yes, March 1st and then throughout the summer is a great place for families to go to.
SPEAKER_03And I'm not I know I'm I'm biased, but it's quite a gym for the community um in its size and its scope. So and it's free. There's always a bonus to that.
SPEAKER_04That's right. Mayor, how does the city partner with the Historical Society in promoting and preserving history?
SPEAKER_02Well, basically just want to support. Uh you know, like Katie said, it's all through donations, so we don't have to worry about financing it, which is kind of nice to be able to do that. And unheard of too. And unheard of that's for sure. But uh I'm I am a history nut. And so uh anything that I can do as mayor and and we can do as a city, we're there.
SPEAKER_03And they really are. It's not just in words. We've done many projects uh hand in hand together, which is wonderful.
SPEAKER_04Well, and I do think that that is another core piece of the community. It's not just the support and the volunteerism and the care, but it is a unique partnership that many different community organizations have, and this is a great example of one of those rich, rich collaborations. So we appreciate that as well. I will keep asking, I'm gonna ask about noble historical figures. So, Katie, this may go to you. Can you share a little bit about some historical figures from Washington that people may want to come to the museum and hear a little bit more about?
SPEAKER_03Yes, absolutely. So I always start with our founding. We were founded by a woman in 1839, which is in unique in and of itself. Right. Um, and that was actually triggered by um a murder mystery that um her husband was murdered, and um they had this plan already to create a town. They had already plotted out 50 acres. Um but her initiative after the death of her husband is really what founded and what led to the founding, and she's she's an incredible figure. So if you want to learn more about Lucinda Owens, we would love to share that with you. Um but we also um her in her lineage, her uh son was really pivotal in ending slavery in in Missouri. Um, and then we have characters like Anton Tibby. I mean, we talk about Henry Tibby, who was in who invented the manufacturing of corncob pipes, but his son was key in a lot of the um uh bringing a lot of um infrastructure into into Washington, particularly electricity. So lots of very interesting characters and figures in our history. Wonderful.
SPEAKER_04And more to find out. That's right. The museum. All right. Well, and that's a really good segue to Mayor, when we talk about the economic landscape of Washington, again, we see it through the school district with the amazing partners that we have, but there is a piece of economic growth that has happened and that has evolved over time. Are there specific industries or businesses that have la that have left a lasting impact on the community?
SPEAKER_02Well, the oldest um family-owned business in Washington, or pardon me, the only the oldest family-owned business in the state of Missouri is right in our downtown. That's Blackman's Machine Shop. Wow. And they're still owned by the Blackmans. That's that's pretty cool.
SPEAKER_03And they were one of the first families off uh to immigrate here, one of the first German families. Wow.
SPEAKER_04In the entire state, that's pretty impressive. And there was a shoe factory in in town as well that was as a huge manufacturer, not just of uh shoes, obviously, but where many people worked in town prior to closing. Is that correct?
SPEAKER_02That's correct. My grandfather worked there. He was a foreman on the on the floor making boots for the soldiers in World War II. And of course, after the war ended, the demand for army boots dried up and the factory closed and it devastated the town. And of course, in true Washington fashion, uh the city fathers got together and said, uh, we can no longer have this, be a one-horse town, so to speak. So they started the industrial park and populated it with um very diverse industries, manufacturing primarily, but still, if one would go out of business, it wouldn't devastate the town like happened after the shoe factories closed.
SPEAKER_04So learning from learning from history and continuing that that true nature of service and collaboration. So wonderful example of that. That does also share that every city faces challenges and has to transform, much like what you had talked about. Would you say the shoe factory changes were the most significant changes in Washington? Are there other um big challenges that the city has faced that they have had to adapt to change?
SPEAKER_02Well, I I think that's the most excuse me, significant, but uh always, always, always just outside our front door is the river. And we're influenced by the river. And uh Washington has always been uh not just a community in our city limits, but uh it's we are the hub of smaller communities around us, and several of those communities are across the river. And uh when our bridge is closed, that affects everything as well as of course our school district.
SPEAKER_04Yes, yes. We talk a lot that that snow days, while most communities can talk about snow days. I try really hard to say inclement weather days, because while I have not experienced them, I do know that flood days can change our our school schooling because of buses across the river. So, yes, that is that is very unique to the community as well. When we look at the future of Washington, and this is really for both of you and potentially from a different lens, the future of Washington balancing the preservation of history, but also the need for growth and development. What do both of you see as that vision for where we're headed as a city?
SPEAKER_03Well, we have been incredibly blessed with this unique balance of growth and preservation. Um we talked earlier about the ways in which we partner together both the the city and the historical society, but also it's not just us, it's the Chamber of Commerce, it's the it's downtown Washington Inc. doing preservation of um of buildings. And we um so we're seeing that that balance along this beautiful river, as you had indicated. Um my hope for the future is that the community will continue that um sustainable growth while we continue to focus on the historic preservation and not compromise our heritage and culture. I sh I appreciate that. Thank you for sharing that.
SPEAKER_02There's a couple aspects to this that are really, really important, not just to me, but to a lot of folks in that we need to grow, certainly, but we need to grow smartly. We we don't want to have explosive growth. We've got a couple things in our in our corner to help that. One, we're focusing on infrastructure, but from a geological standpoint, too, we have rolling hills here and it and it's harder for a developer to come in uh to build build a subdivision. If we if we had perfect flat ground, that would make building easier and cheaper and more attractive to developers. So um that we use that, that has contributed to our lack of explosive growth. Uh I think that's so important that we not have that explosive growth. And to do that, uh we're focusing a lot of our resources downtown, but we can't do it exclusively. You know, we're we're talking about uh getting a parks master plan, and there's a lot of folks in town who live on the east side who would be interested in having a a second city park on the east side. We we get that. And so how how does that all relate to our growth?
SPEAKER_04Right. Well, and working on that plan for the future with your team at the city of where is Washington headed in the next 10 years? So it's exciting to be a part of that strategic planning for for the city and for the growth. So thank you for that. Well, if as we talk about our listeners and our residents that may not be as familiar, we talked about visiting the museum, but what advice would you give for our residents to better connect with and appreciate this city's past?
SPEAKER_03So I'm I'm very um my advice would be that we're there's always something more to learn. So I'm I'm very focused on education and for myself personally and in what I do as my career. And so I want everyone to remember that even whether we're talking about Washington or in our personal growth, there's always more to know.
SPEAKER_04That's very good sitting in a school. We appreciate that, of course. Mayor, what about for you?
SPEAKER_02Well, for me, uh it's important to focus on the past, certainly, but it's also important that we attract new growth because that brings in new people. And every community, if you don't have that influx of fresh blood, so to speak, uh that's not a good thing. Having new people in town like yourself, uh that keeps us uh have a fresh perspective that we're not the only people in the world. It's just it makes life more interesting, the more more diverse people that you have here. And uh I I just made a friend the other day, the guy is from New Zealand, Hank's coffee.
SPEAKER_04Yes, yes. Hank has been a good friend from to the district as well.
SPEAKER_02Oh my gosh. And you know, when when you consider that's on the other side of the planet, and how how does one person from that part of the world make their way to our little hamlet? And he's not the only one.
SPEAKER_04Right. Right.
SPEAKER_02And that's a great thing.
SPEAKER_04Well, and I would even plug our Connect Washington work in making sure that our students get a chance to experience what their workforce passion and interest is in our community because we do have such a rich variety of what we would call in education career pathways that are seen in our businesses and in our industry. So, how can we give our students that opportunity to experience what is available in our community? So they may decide to go to a four-year or a two-year or a trade school and know what's here to come back to that so they can continue to have the history, but to grow the community as well. So I I tell parents frequently we really want your kids to be able to come back and live in Washington, live in the community, but not on your couch. So go enjoy and be a part of the community, but yet be able to do that on their own. So that's a huge part of who we are too as a school district. And we appreciate the support of the city and the community to be able to do that.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, we have an intern right now from Connect and it's going very well. So if anyone out there is listening and is interested in having hosting, um, I I would highly recommend it. It's been a great experience. And also working with the CAPS program has been wonderful. Good, and I know he loves it there. So good.
SPEAKER_04It's been very, very good. Well, as we start to wrap up today, is there anything that you would like our listeners to know about the history of Washington or any upcoming projects or events that I have not asked you about?
SPEAKER_03So for all the seniors out there uh who might be listening, please um please take this opportunity to fill out your community scholarship forms because we um we have two scholarships on that form that you would be you may qualify for. Um so that's one thing that we're doing right now. Um but also with regard to the history of Washington, I think really the mayor um nailed it when he said that we are a community of servants. I mean, I know he didn't put it in that way, but really we are and always have been. Um and it's it's the best way to get involved in your community, to meet new people, um, and to really feel like when you do stuff for that are that is above and beyond yourself, um, it it makes you feel like you're part of something bigger than yourself as well. Um and so as far as history, when I tell history the history of Washington, I trace it back to the um the shoe factory and the fact that land was given for that and homes were given for that. And um it it was a lot of enticing this company to come out here and build a factory. Um we did the same thing as a community for Hazel, enticing them to come here in the 60s. Um and so that that all links together with this with this vision of people coming together to do things that are that are best for our community. Absolutely. Absolutely.
SPEAKER_02Um I would like to add that uh for the people in my generation, I'm 68 years old. Uh there's a lot of my generation who are retired. Uh and folks are looking for something to do. And if you are in my generation or if you are new to town, I just ask you to consider volunteering your time. Please be of service to something else because there are so many different and interesting organizations that just require people and to put some time in that you can one learn a lot, get a lot of self-actualization. I know that's a fuzzy term, but uh it's just we have so much to give as a community, and you have so much to give as new people and as retirees. So please consider that.
SPEAKER_04And meet some great people and great friends too. So I would agree with that. Well, as we conclude today, if you will join me for my new segment segment five and fifteen. So here's five questions that you both get to answer so we can get to know you a little bit better. So I'm gonna start with did either of you have a New Year's resolution? And if so, what is it? I did not have a New Year's resolution.
SPEAKER_02I purposely do not.
SPEAKER_04I get that, that's okay. All right, would you rather fly a kite or ride on a scooter? Ride on a scooter.
SPEAKER_02Fly a kite, of course.
SPEAKER_04Okay. Uh hamburger or hot dog? Hamburger.
SPEAKER_02Me too.
SPEAKER_04Okay. Would you rather meet a superhero or a cartoon character?
SPEAKER_03Cartoon character. Oh, golly.
SPEAKER_02Superhero, I think. Okay.
SPEAKER_03And your favorite spot in Washington. That's a hard one. Um is the riverfront trail.
SPEAKER_02Uh uh, mine too, especially looking back up at Washington.
SPEAKER_04Especially on beautiful days like today. So I would agree. Well, thank you both again for joining us today, and a big thank you to my fabulous broadcast team today with Frankie and Reese. And a thank you to our listeners for partnering with us as we live out the School District of Washington mission to inspire achievement, character, and personal growth in all students as they pursue and succeed in college careers and life. Please join us on our next episode where we learn more about the individual career and planning guide, or the ICAP, that our students begin filling out in eighth grade.
SPEAKER_00And don't forget, you can connect with the district on Facebook, Twitter, at SD of Washington, and the website washington.k twelve.mo.us, you can see it.