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arbour Lights Lighthouses

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Mark Twain Memorial Missouri
Harbour Lights #654
2002 In Store Event Exclusive

"Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear --
not absence of fear." 
-- Mark Twain

Can you imagine a quaint and familiar place; one where time doesn’t exist and the only sounds you hear are of trees swaying in the wind, of chirping crickets, of croaking frogs or of singing birds? In this lazy riverside locale, a gentle calm fills the soul. A place like this stirs imagination. In fact, it inspired one of the greatest figures of American literature, Mark Twain. Born Samuel Clemens, Mark Twain grew up in the small town of Hannibal and had his first job setting type for his brother’s newspaper. Perhaps that is where his passion for the printed word originated. He worked as a printer in St. Louis, New York City and Philadelphia. 

He later became a river pilot on the Mississippi. Then, he joined the Confederates as a second lieutenant, but resigned after two weeks service explaining that he was "incapacitated by fatigue through persistent retreating." Finally, after years of exploratory travel, he began to write humorous stories of his western adventures. He landed a job as a writer, using the pen name "Josh." In a story written February 2, 1863, he used the name Mark Twain for the first time, borrowing the term used by pilots on the Mississippi to indicate two fathoms of depth. The rest, as they say, is history. 

To celebrate the 100th Anniversary of his birth, a lighthouse was erected on Cardiff Hill near Twain’s boyhood home in Hannibal. Dedicated in 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt turned on the light all the way from the nation’s capital, pressing a gold key that was connected to telegraph lines. The original intention was for the light to burn during the yearlong celebration. But the popular sentinel remained a local favorite, so it continued to shine on.

President John F. Kennedy rededicated the beacon in 1963 and President Bill Clinton did the same in 1994. It holds the distinction of being located further inland than any other lighthouse in the world. This unique landmark in Hannibal is a special place to visit. There is something quaint and familiar about the charming lighthouse. Near the water’ s edge, one can easily imagine the sound of a paddleboat floating by. A light breeze can bring the scent of freshly baked cornbread. You can envision a young man piloting a river raft. You can touch the moist earth. You can sense the history. The lighthouse and grounds are maintained by the Mark Twain Boyhood Home Associates, 208 Hill Street, Hannibal, Missouri, 63401. Harbour Lights features the Hannibal, Missouri lighthouse on a wonderful nostalgic piece that also contains Mr. Twain’s home. The sculpture is as faithful as possible to the real structures, but is placed a bit closer together so that you could enjoy them both. As Mark Twain once said, "Good friends, good books and a sleepy conscience: this is the ideal life."

This was the in-store event exclusive for 2002.

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