Canton, MO

I love research trips. They are one of my favorite parts of the research process. Visiting a place always enhances the writing, whether because I’ve gotten a “feel” for the area (even if I later fictionalize it) or because of all the great people who help me along the way. On every trip I have had a providential meeting with someone who knew, or knew where to find, exactly the information I was looking for.

I’m currently working on a book for the 2022 Guideposts series Secrets from Grandma’s Attic. The series follows two sisters and their cousin after the death of their grandmother at 100 years old. They continue to discover “mysteries” about Grandma’s house—now lived in by one of the sisters—as well as learning more about Grandma Pearl herself. It’s a fun series to work on!

The stories are set in the real small town of Canton, Missouri, population 2500. With my friend Andrea willing to tag along, I made my way to Missouri to experience Canton for myself.

Our one full day in Canton started with finding a darling coffee shop, Fountain Electric Brewing Coffee Bar and Roastery, right on the main street through town. We took pictures, talked to the barista, and enjoyed our awesome lattes before wandering down the street to the Lewis County Historical Society. As usual, the historical society was a bounty of information! There we met three lovely ladies who told us all about Canton, present and past. And the really crazy thing? Two of them have children in Texas—one right near the small town where my friend and I live!

Fountain Electric Coffee Bar

After picking their brains about various aspects of Canton life and history, I asked where I could find historical newspaper archives. I figured I’d need to go to the library (around the corner!) and view them on microfilm. But no. I was told they were in the historical society. I mentioned the years I was looking for. One of the ladies went into the back and returned with a book of the newspapers from those years.

A book.

With the actual newspapers.

My historical research-loving heart jumped for joy!

I browsed the papers, gathering the information I felt might help me craft a story that at least paid homage to some of the real happenings of the town. By the time I’d gleaned more than enough, we were hungry. We drove up near the highway, where a newer strip mall held a homestyle buffet restaurant. (The salad bar was good. The pie was to die for!) Then we meandered back down through the Culver-Stockton College campus (which was lovely!) and drove the streets of Canton gawking at old houses–some quite lovingly restored, others in need of attention.

Canton sits on the mighty Mississippi River, so we drove near the local dam and locks before walking the path along the top of the levee and climbing the observation tower to image the river activity in days gone by.

Mississippi River dam and locks, observation tower, levee walk

We spent our two nights in Quincy, Illinois, a larger town about 30 minutes from Canton, across the Mississippi. While there, we stayed in an Airbnb in an old Victorian home and stumbled into another wonderful house turned museum. We also discovered a fabulous local breakfast/lunch place—Thyme Square Cafe—in an old building there. On our way back to the airport in St. Louis, we took a quick detour to drive through Hannibal, Missouri, in all it’s Mark Twain glory—both actual sites from his life and Mark Twain-themed businesses. I’d love to go back and actually spend a few hours there someday.

Airbnb in Quincy, IL

But of course this was more than just a fun getaway with a friend. In the end, it was all about the writing. I not only gained inspiration from the place, but from the lovely people. Now the pictures and the research are simmering in my head. I want to create a story not only worthy of the great characters being creating in the course of the series but of the gracious town of Canton itself.

As a reader, have you ever visited a real place because it was a setting in a book you read? Did it live up to the place in the story?