Hanging out and having fun is a tradition in Cuba, MO. Peoples Bank Collection.
Having fun since 1857…
Resolutions are made and broken with the new year, but there is one resolution that Cuba, MO residents should remember to do in 2010 that is a tradition.
Have fun.
When reading Cuba’s history about the founding of this railroad town and before, there are photos and accounts of the residents having fun. We know our founders worked hard to develop a town; they fought in several wars, and endured economic downturns. But they took time in their lives to enjoy their friends, family, and community. It was not all work.
They even managed to have fun when they named the new town of Cuba in 1857.*
There were accounts of pie suppers, dances, and evenings of singing and recitations. When the Crawford County Fair began in 1902, there were parades, horseracing, and queen candidates. Organizations sponsored plays and singing events. Life centered around the school and its performances and sporting events. Churches were a center of social life as well as spiritual growth.
In 2010, remember to continue the tradition and enjoy our community.
Have fun. Sometimes it can be just a quiet pause in the routine of the day that can provide a pleasing moment.
Here are a few suggestions that the founders might have enjoyed, and you may be able to add your own.
1. Join a community organization or participate in an organization’s events. Attend the Lions Club Car Show or one of the other dinners or social events organizations plan. Meet your neighbors and take time to talk to them.
Great cars enliven the streets of Cuba during the September Car Show.
2. Attend the Crawford County Parade and Fair. It’s a long tradition in Cuba.
The fair drew crowds even in the 1900s.
3. Slow down and enjoy some of the attractions in Cuba that others travel so far to see. From time to time, stop and read a plaque on one of the murals. Really look at them. How do they fit into our history?
Travelers come from all over to see our attractions.
4. Have your photo taken in front of the rocking chair and send it to someone. Someday those rocker pictures will be another part of our history. Better yet, plan to run or walk in the Race to the Rocker on March 27.
Cubans had fun at the 2009 Race to the Rocker. 150 runners/walkers finished the race.
5, Attend Cuba Fest and enjoy the foods and activities and the socializing. If you have never taken the trolley tour, do so.
A trolley tour on a pleasant fall day draws many riders.
6. Enjoy the rivers in the area, by picnicking, fishing, or hiking along the banks. Show your kids what you enjoy about the outdoors.
Remember when you were a kid and looking at the clouds was fun?
7. Spend time with your family doing things together. The family memories that you make will last forever. Show them why this is a good area to live. Go to this year’ s fireworks celebration that will honor one of the your men in the Gold Star Boys mural.
8. Visit some of our local businesses for a cup of coffee, a dessert, or a good meal. Enjoy the break from daily routine. These hometown business owners will appreciate your patronage. Think about some of our businesses and enjoy what makes them unique. Did you know that Hayes Shoe Store has two shoes that belonged to the Giant of Alton, the tallest man in the world?
This size 37 is a large shoe to fill.
9. Watch the children. They can always find a way to have fun even if it’s pushing a cardboard box across the floor.
10. Find your own cardboard box. Push.
How Cuba was named: *Before Cuba was founded, there was a small post office to the west of where Cuba is now. It was named Amanda for the postmaster George M. Jamison’s wife. Then, anticipating the railroad, two men Trask and Ferguson surveyed a town along where the future railroad would be. The responsibility for naming the town is said to have belonged to George Jamison and Wesley Smith. Smith suggested the name Cuba as a show of support for Cuban citizens, who were then under Spain’s rule. Others said it was because citizens had visited the beautiful island of Cuba. Jamison wanted to name the town for his wife Amanda. Legend says that they stood a stick on end, and they let it fall. How the stick fell determined the name of the town. Even though the new town was named Cuba, Amanda was not forgotten. During the 2007 celebration of Cuba’s sesquicentennial, the town celebrated “Amanda Days” with music, contests, food, and other activities.
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