Leather, stamp, repeat

Saturday, March 31, 2018

Rain pours down outside, four beloved dogs create shadows through the puddles and the smell of leather wafts out into the garage while country music plays in the background. Walking into the home of Advance, Missouri, native John Hedge, one is greeted with a scene that speaks to the aura of Hedge himself. Blue walls balance out the orange cast from the overhead fan lights, a blanket with a horse drapes over a door frame to quiet the "ruckus" and leather-making materials are strewn throughout the room, while a walnut stump sits next to a desk covered in tools.

To continue reading
For more than 115 years, the Southeast Missourian has written the first draft of local history. We have aspired to enrich, entertain, educate and inform. Our core values have remained firm: truth, service, quality, integrity and community. Support our mission.