Charles E. Emmons and his wife, Sarah, had a bird’s eye view of the construction of Mark Twain elementary school 1911-1912. As a Hannibal painter and contractor, he built several houses directly south of the school - along West Bird Street - during the same era as the school construction.

As soon as my brothers climbed onto the school bus that Friday morning in May, I put on my pink sneakers and tied the laces. The bows looked like floppy rabbit ears, just the way they should. It was time for Mom and me to take our weekly walk to Kroger.