The photo to the right is the Columbia Opera House, also later known as the Columbia Theatre. It was built by Josiah W. Stone. According to “The Writing of North Todd Gentry,” it featured 1,100 seats for “theatrical entertainments, musical comedies, moving picture shows…and political speaking.” The building would later see its top stories destroyed by […]
Chuck and JoAnn Wilson are sitting together at 10:30 a.m. in the living room of their villa at Old Hawthorne. Their dogs, Dotty and Coali, are lying down nearby. Outside, a brisk winter wind is blowing across part of the golf course that is their backyard. Somewhere in Columbia, people are complaining about the gray […]
Charlie and Jean Gibbens Date: July 14, 1956 Location: The Methodist Church in Kiowa, Kansas Interesting tidbit: The groom, Charlie, missed the rehearsal dinner as his friends kidnapped him to Oklahoma (a half mile away). While it may have started on a low note, Charlie and Jean were happily married for 63 years. Are […]
Sweaters and scarves aren’t the only ways to brace yourself against blustery weather. There’s no time like winter to putter in the kitchen, where the cozy heat from the stove and the aromas of mouthwatering dishes can warm you from the inside out. Rich, hearty stews and creamy casseroles are perfect for winter dinners, but […]
Can you guess the year this photo was taken in downtown Columbia? This photo depicts four stores on this street that were torn down and replaced in 1917 by a brand new hotel. Can you identify the name of the hotel, and what is in that location now? For this month’s contest, answer one of […]
This issue of Prime focuses on healthy living. Alberta Smith is closing in on 89 years old and exercises almost every day. When she was younger, her exercise was chasing her seven children. As the wife of former Columbia mayor and county commissioner Rodney Smith, she kept busy keeping up with her energetic husband and […]
Columbia’s long history has many unique and long-standing traditions, but would you believe ballroom dancing is one of them? In the fall of 1936, three University of Missouri faculty wives (Novella Calvin, Margery McKinney and Ruth Bennitt) decided to start an organization of young couples interested in dancing. On Dec. 8, 1936, The Dance […]
With school, work and evening activities all spiraling in different directions, most families find that some things have to give. Make sure quality time around the dinner table isn’t one of them with these savvy solutions that can help make weeknight meals a cinch. When it comes to mealtime, Sunday dinner is the gold standard. […]
Like a lot of other 12-year-old girls, Mattie Hon was a daydreamer and always looked forward to her family’s vacations at their cottage on Tybee Island, just off the coast of Savannah, Ga. Their little beach house had once belonged to a sea captain and she describes it as “nothing fancy – but full of […]
Physical therapy focuses on treating musculoskeletal disorders. One goal of physical therapists is to alleviate pain in their patients. In patients with back pain, physical therapy helps to strengthen the core muscles in their back, which adds to a person’s overall wellness. Ultimately, physical therapists strive to restore the patient’s total functional abilities. Most patients […]
Photos by LG Patterson According to the Washington Post, about 10,000 Baby Boomers retire every day—that’s nearly four million people a year. After planning and investing and saving for most of their lives, they are looking forward to the time when they can finally kick back and enjoy the fruit of their lifetime of hard […]
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that adults should engage in 150 or more minutes of moderate physical activity per week. Among adults 60 years of age or more, walking is the most common form of leisure-time physical activity because it is self-paced, low impact and does not require equipment. Researchers at the […]
