Google alerts brought this story from 92.1 News in Butler Missouri: Papinville History: Harmony Mission Week Two … And it brought memories… it brought memories of a perfect early autumn day in 2012 when Leland and I attended the Harmony Mission Days at Papinville, Missouri. Our book Damming the Osage: The Conflicted Story of Lake of the Ozarks and Truman Reservoir had recently arrived from the printer and we brought a box to donate to the Museum and Historical Society for fund-raising efforts.
In 1820, the Osages asked President Monroe to send them missionaries. Harmony Mission was established six miles up the Marais des Cygnes. In the interests of acculturation, the federal government subsidized this outreach by the United Foreign Missionary Society. While some Indian children were schooled, no adults were converted. The mission closed shortly after the Treaty of 1825.
From Damming the Osage, page 36
This year–200 years after the mission was established, Harmony Mission Day will be June 12 at the Papinville Museum. To make reservations for the wagon ride to Harmony Mission call 417-395-2594 or 417-395- 4288. If there is no answer, please leave a message with your name and number. Times for the wagon rides are 10:00, 1:00 and 3:00.
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- Volunteers tell the story of the mission on site.
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- Live music plays while visitors tour the old school.
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- Demonstrations shown in the small museum.
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- Visitors take a wagon ride from Papinville to the site where the mission once stood.
Lens & Pen Press is having a half-price sale for all titles. Damming the Osage is now available on our website at www.dammingtheosage.com for $17.50 (half the original price of $35), postage paid.