Extremicon 2018

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Looking to nerd out near Fort Leonard Wood this summer? Extremicon 2018 at the St. Robert Community Center is the place to see and be seen at the beginning of June!

Extremicon

Extremicon, Pulaski County, Missouri’s only comic convention, is in it’s second year- and growing!

We recently sat down with event organizer Gary Rogers to learn the top five reasons you should not miss this Extremicon.

(SPOILER– the list couldn’t be narrowed down to only five reasons!)

• Carla Perez- The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers fandom will be in force to meet and greet Rita Repulsa.

Via IMDB.com

Via IMDB.com

• Sheri Ray– Ray, a corrections officer, appeared in season two of A&E’s 60 Days In as an undercover inmate. Her decision to return to Clark county jail as a corrections officer has inspired the spin off series 60 Days In: From Inmate to Officer.
• JimmyZ Johnston– Comic book writer (The Tick, Micronauts, & Action Lab Comics’ Subspecies)
• Wood’s Motorsports Club’s Car Show– Extremicon’s car show will be held June 2nd. Registration begins at Noon with judging at 2. Four categories: Best Truck, Best Car, Best Motorcycle, and Best of Show
• Costume Contest– A comic con wouldn’t be a comic con without costumes! Cash prizes and gift certificates will be awarded!
• Cosplay Models– Kitty Red, Lars Van Crafter, Kacey Lane Cosplay, Batgirl Pierce
• Authors– Romance, horror, sci-fi, fantasy, & urban fantasy authors will be at Extremicon! Meet Samantha McMillan, Kenny Sills, Alison Merrit, Leigh Savage, Jae Byrd Wells, Jasmine Weaver, and Latasha & Matthew Lee.
• Artists– David Faught, J.W. Curry, Ceasar Leo Crawford, Glen Paul Richardson, & Trustin Will Poling.
• Social Media– Hawk Holman
• Cosplay Contest, Martial Arts, Celebrity Panels, Vendors, Games, Giveaways, & More!

June 1-3 Extremicon 2018 Extremicon Car Show

The City of Waynesville Welcomes Big BAM Riders!

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Big BAM riders will receive a hearty welcome when arriving at Waynesville for the conclusion of Day 3. The charming community nestled in a picturesque Ozark Mountain valley has a reputation for hospitality.

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First settled in 1832 when G.W. Gibson made his home near the “Big Spring” on the Kickapoo Trace, Waynesville is named for Revolutionary War hero “Mad” Anthony Wayne. The seat of Pulaski County, the town has a vibrant, historic downtown that is infused with arts, entertainment, great food, culture, and Midwestern hospitality with small-town Americana charm.

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Big BAM base camp is at Waynesville City Park which lies along the banks of the Roubidoux River. Take a stroll on the paved walking trail to splash in the Roubidoux Spring. Local legend states that if you dip your toes in the cool, clear spring water that you will make your way back to Waynesville in the future. Mayor Luge Hardman invites and encourages you to test the legend!

Roubidoux-Spring-

As you ramble along the trail you will discover National Park Service interpretive signage depicting the tragic Trail of Tears. The 1923 five-span concrete arch bridge will have you reaching for your camera. It’s not the only spot in town for fantastic photo opportunities though! (Tip- Pulaski County Tourism Bureau will have free Waynesville Walking Tour brochures as well as a complimentary Route 66 guide on hand. You can find them on Vendor Row in Waynesville City Park.)

Story boards reveal the tragic tale of the Trail of Tears at Laughlin Park in Waynesville, MO. Image by Laura Huffman for Pulaski County Tourism Bureau.

Story boards reveal the tragic tale of the Trail of Tears at Laughlin Park in Waynesville, MO. Image by Laura Huffman for Pulaski County Tourism Bureau.

Explore downtown’s historic square and you will be rewarded with unique eats, drinks, and museums. Taste the Bavarian Alps at Ursula’s Schnitzelhaus/Paradise Deli. Hideaway with friends on the comfy couches at Cellar 66 Wine Bar & Restaurant. Nona’s Kitchen, housed in an iconic Route 66 building, dishes up filling, home-style nourishment. Hoppers Pub features 66 draft beers on tap.

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Courtesy of Hoppers Pub

Pulaski County Museum is housed in the former 1903 Courthouse. One of only two remaining period courthouses on Route 66 in Missouri, this structure served residents of Pulaski County for well over 80 years. The building was designed by noted architect Henry H. Hohenschild. The upstairs courtroom is a pristine example of craftsmanship. The Old Stagecoach Stop Museum, also located on the Square, began in the 1850’s as a double pen log building on the St. Louis to Springfield stage route. During the Civil War the building was commandeered by the occupying Union force as a hospital. Both museums are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

History inside! Pulaski County Museum in Waynesville, MO. Image by Laura Huffman.

History inside! Pulaski County Museum in Waynesville, MO. Image by Laura Huffman.

Several eras of Waynesville's history are represented at the Old Stagecoach Stop in Waynesville, MO. Image by Laura Huffman.

Several eras of Waynesville’s history are represented at the Old Stagecoach Stop in Waynesville, MO. Image by Laura Huffman.

Shop your way around town! You will find antique stores, boutiques, gift shops, souvenir shops, a music store, an art gallery, and even a (scuba) dive shop! Many merchants will gladly arrange to ship your new-found treasures home for you.

Draw or paint a picture of Roubidoux Bridge in Waynesville, MO. Image by Laura Huffman for Pulaski County Tourism Bureau.

Roubidoux Bridge in Waynesville, MO. Image by Laura Huffman for Pulaski County Tourism Bureau.

Buses will be available at Waynesville City Park to shuttle Big BAM riders around town.

Scoot back to basecamp for live entertainment under the stars. 399th Army Band will rock the bandstand before Two-Bit Steve takes the stage at 6 p.m.

Two-Bit Steve

Two-Bit Steve. Image courtesy of Two-Bit Steve.

The City of Waynesville hopes that our community captures your heart just as the natural beauty of the area captured George W. Gibson, over 175 years ago.

Related Articles:

Big BAM Day 3 Host Hotels
Big BAM Day 3 Grub & Grog
Big BAM Day 3 RV Parks
Big BAM Day 3 Amusements, Attractions, & Sites of Significance
Big BAM Day 3: More Fun Along the Route!

Pulaski-County-Tourism_colorPowered in part by Pulaski County Tourism Bureau- the destination marketing agency for Pulaski County, Missouri. The bureau, funded by the hotel/motel transient guest tax, promotes tourism throughout the county and markets their destination to fuel the local business climate and broaden the local tax base. 

History & Heroes: Five Fast Facts- Leonard Wood

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Pulaski County Missouri History and Heroes

Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri is named in honor of United States Army officer Leonard Wood.

General Leonard Wood, via Wikimedia Commons.

General Leonard Wood, via Wikimedia Commons.

1. Wood served as personal physician to Presidents Grover Cleveland and William McKinley.
2. Wood, and future president Theodore Roosevelt, organized the Rough Riders, “one of the most unique army units the world has ever seen.” The unit was comprised of “western fighters and bronco-busters.”
3. While Military Governor of Cuba (1898-1902) Wood sanctioned Walter Reed, a U.S. Army physician, to carry out experiments that confirmed the theory that yellow fever is transmitted by mosquitoes. Wood called the conquest of yellow fever “worth the cost of the war, and probably the most important (advance) in the field of medicine since the discovery of the vaccination.”
4. Wood received the literary wrath of popular American author Mark Twain after the First Battle of Bud Dajo, also known as the Moro Crater Massacre.
5. Wood, on former President Roosevelt’s recommendation, ran for the 1920 Republican Party presidential nomination. Warren G. Harding prevailed and went on to win the presidency.

Sources:
http://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org
The Marion Star (Marion, Ohio), 6 January 1919
http://www.ralphmag.org/EC/yellow-fever.html
Samuel Clemens, “Comments on the Moro Massacre” (12 March 1906)

History & Heroes: Five Fast Facts is an occasional series of interesting facts regarding namesakes and historical figures in Pulaski County, Missouri.

History & Heroes: Five Fast Facts- Anthony Wayne

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Pulaski County Missouri History and Heroes

Waynesville, Missouri is named in honor of American Revolutionary War hero Anthony Wayne.

624px-Anthony_Wayne

1. Wayne once requested his own court martial proceedings- to clear his name. After due consideration, the court unanimously decided that Wayne “did every duty that could be expected from an active, brave and vigilant officer, under the orders which he then had. The Court do acquit him with the highest honor.” Washington heartily approved the verdict.
2. Brigadier General “Mad” Anthony Wayne commanded his troops in a daring nighttime assault at Stony Point, New York. The British were soundly defeated, and the American victory boosted the Continental Army’s morale.
3. Wayne is remembered for stating “Issue the orders Sir, and I will storm hell.”
4. In 1882 the monument at Wayne’s second burial spot at Radnor, Pennsylvania was defaced by relic hunters- a “decided nuisance.”
5. Wayne was first buried near the place of his death at Erie, Pennsylvania. In 1809 his son decided to have him reburied closer to the old homestead in Eastern Pennsylvania and directed a physician to complete the task. On opening the grave, the body was found in “a good state of preservation.” Concerned about decay during the return trip, the doctor, who was expecting to find only a pile of bones in the coffin, boiled the body parts until only the skeletal remains remained. The physician then reburied the knives, the iron kettle, and the fleshy remains in the original burial spot. He then returned to Radnor, PA to rebury the bones at the new grave. A newspaper article relaying the story reported “So General Anthony Wayne is honored with a twofold burial, his flesh in Erie and his bones in Eastern Pennsylvania.” Oral history also tells that not all the hero’s bones made it to their final resting place in Radnor- some bouncing out along the way. Legend recounts that the ghost of Mad Anthony Wayne travels the old road between the two points looking for his lost bones.

Sources:

http://www.ushistory.org/valleyforge/served/wayne.html
St. Joseph Weekly Herald (St. Joseph, Missouri) 13 July 1882
The Weston Democrat (Weston, West Virginia) 23 October 1880
https://www.historyisfun.org/blog/mad-anthony-waynes-bones

History & Heroes: Five Fast Facts is an occasional series of interesting facts regarding namesakes and historical figures in Pulaski County, Missouri.

History & Heroes: Five Fast Facts- Casimir Pulaski

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Pulaski County Missouri History and Heroes

Pulaski County, Missouri is named in honor of Kazimierz Michał Władysław Wiktor Pułaski, more commonly known as Casimir Pulaski.

Image via Wikipedia

Image via Wikipedia

  1. Pulaski saved George Washington’s life during the Battle of Brandywine. The battle was Pulaski’s very first engagement with the British.
  2. The cornerstone of the Casimir Pulaski monument in Savannah, Georgia was laid by General Marquis de Lafayette in 1825.
  3. In 2009, 230 years after his death, Congress and President Obama proclaimed Pulaski an honorary United States citizen.
  4. The annual Pulaski Day Parade on Fifth Avenue in New York City has been a tradition for 80 years, beginning in 1937.
  5. Pulaski is often recognized as the “Father of the American Cavalry.”

Sources:
https://www.congress.gov/111/plaws/publ94/PLAW-111publ94.htm
http://www.pulaskiparade.org/
https://www.nps.gov/fopu/learn/historyculture/casimir-pulaski.htm

History & Heroes: Five Fast Facts is an occasional series of interesting facts regarding namesakes and historical figures in Pulaski County, Missouri.