Here's a fun(ish) fact: for a good
chunk of the route from Springfield, MO to St. Louis, MO I-44 is both
the site of old Route 66 and the Trail of Tears. As a fan of diners,
vintage cars, and unusual roadside attractions, I'm obviously in
favor of Route 66. As a person who is generally opposed to racism,
genocide, and forced relocation, I'm not really down with the Trail
of Tears. But these are both parts of American history that have had profound impact on our national identity, and for better and for worse we can't
have one without the other. For a few hundred miles occupying the
same space are the relics of one of the best periods of American
history and one of the worst. It's understandable that most places
along I-44 want to engage with the positive. Our ancestors did some
really really fucked up things and we've done nothing to fix it in the 150
years since. So we celebrate those hundred miles with nostalgia and
kitsch, but feel obligated to put up a little plaque demarcating the
site of atrocity. Please note the font sizes. This is Pen Pen and
some serious tonal confusion.
What's a local history museum to do? I
had been driving for 4 hours and the gas gauge wouldn't shut up. A
general lack of interest in running out of gas brought me to
Springfield, MO around lunchtime with a few hours to spare. I found
myself in a cute downtown area. A beautiful square surrounded on all
sides by bars, music venues, and coffee shops. And of course, the
Springfield History Museum. (The statue of Jebediah Springfield was
conspicuously missing. I assume it was off getting the head
re-attached.) It was the kind of park that were I the sort of person
to occupy public space as a means of political protest I'd pitch all
sorts of tents in. This is Pen Pen totally not planning anything.
The history museum hits the same
jarring tone as the highway. 6 rooms devoted to lovingly recreating
the hotels, diners, and service stations of 1930's – 1950's
Springfield. The most mundane details preserved for posterity. This
rusted oil can was in use in 1936! This is a genuine tray from a
local diner! This bed was once slept in by President Taft's nephew's
wife's 2nd cousin! And then on the other side of the
museum (away from everything else on the other side. In parentheses.
Quotated...) was a single room devoted to both slavery and the Trail
of Tears. Way to be economical about space guys! This is Pen Pen
trying in vain to order a veggie burger... (ugh fine, do you just
have a black bean burger then? What do you mean you don't have
avocado??!)
And I don't blame them for wanting to
tout all the great things about Springfield while diminishing the
negative. Local history museums often act as town propaganda. They're
not there for locals to engage with their history, so much as they
are for tourists to discover that town. And most towns are more
likely to attract tourists and thus revenue for the town with
something fun and exciting than a giant bummer. (Bummersville, Kansas
obviously being the exception.) But the fact that I understand why
they do it doesn't mean I also don't think it's fairly disingenuous.
The bad parts of our history are really bad, and when we pretend they
didn't happen, or gloss over them, we run the risk of doing them
again. And a local history museum is in the unique position of being
able to tell the stories of the individuals—the locals—who were
effected or involved or complicit. The story of 60,000 dead Cherokee
is so vast and horrible, it's hard to relate to. The story of one
family from just down the street is relatable. But instead? An entire
room devoted to meticulous documentation of the evolution of the logo
of a local trucking company. Three little plaques about the previous inhabitants of the area and a handful of arrowheads. This is Pen Pen just glad no-one will
ever have to not know what this one hotel looked like in the mid
50's.
So tout the good things about your
town, like it's famed monorail! Be proud of its role in naming and christening the Mother Road! Springfield, Springfield, it's a hell
of a town! But don't avoid the issues of the bad stuff either. The
past is only dangerous if we avoid it, because it leads to us continuing to do the same wrong. Keep the Route 66 stuff, but the incredibly
complicated and difficult issues of slavery and Native American
genocide deserve at least equal space in the conversation. This is
Pen Pen embracing the theme of tonal confusion and totally changing the subject by singing the monorail song.
This is the monorail song.
