In the spring
months when the Missouri River not infrequently crests its banks, schoolchildren are introduced to the Regionalist artwork of Thomas Hart Benton (1889-1975) who graced the cover of Time magazine in 1934. Benton painted the classic “Spring on the Missouri” in 1945 which depicted a farm family fleeing the Big Muddy`s flood waters under angry skies.
In the last couple of decades, our Sunday jam session venue has been shut-down twice by these surging seasonal waters. About 20 years ago, the spring flood tide gushed through the township of Hartsburg towards our Hitchin` Post saloon jam site. National Guardsmen, prison gangs, farm families, and bluegrass jammers worked side by side to build a 10 foot leeve that spared half the town and the Hitchin` Post where the parking lot was submerged under 9 feet of water. When the brackish torrent finally subsided, jovial musicians helped re-open the the bar.
About 10 years ago, we were convening our Sunday jam sessions at “Lucy`s” burger restaurant in the village of McBaine, when the eatery went under 5 feet of spring overflow despite being miles from the banks of mighty river. The turbid floodwaters left a permanent bathtub ring on the window by the pool table that we would point-out to customers resting from the nearby jogging trail who wanted to know how high the Missouri River had spilled-over.
Click on the below link to hear Ron, our mandolinist/bassman, describe the Big Muddy`s rogue wanderings, and then listen to us sing “Waterbound”. Enjoy the Spring!
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