The Jackson Heritage Association holds second art contest to create awareness

Promoting the dissemenation of local history is part of the Jackson Heritage Association's mission statement, and right now the association is focusing on attracting younger members. JHA member Cathi Stoverink said it's important that local history is made known because there are many newcomers to the area and Jackson has a rich history.

The recent second annual art contest was open to kindergartners through high school seniors. The contest was centered around the C.H. Wolter Harness shop at 131 W. Main St., Jackson. Currently the Crossroads Church Fellowship Center occupies the building.

Best of Show was awarded to Elizabeth Holshouser; finalists included Emily Smith, Nicole Glastetter, Laurie Clippard, Karen Shanks and Jennifer Tenholder. The Bank of Missouri in Jackson furnished prizes of $50 savings bonds to finalists and a $100 savings bond for the best of show.

The finalists are students of the Jackson R-2 art teachers: Andrea Talley, Janienne Moore, Leigh Ramply, Carol Horst, Jill Noel and Christine McMullin.

The building retains many of the ornate features from when the saddler, Wolter, had his shop built there in 1898.

One of its well known features is not part of the structure. It's a papier mache horse -- known as Prince Truxton II -- who shares his name with president Andrew Jackson's favorite horse. The dapple gray, 5 ft. 6 in. tall, was referred to as Prince until a 1965 naming contest during the city's sesquicentennial celebration named him for the seventh president's famous horse.

Prince was ordered for $125 in 1889 from the Horse Display Works of Dayton, Ohio, to fit and display the harnesses Wolter sold. His tail, chin and ears could be removed to fit a harness on him. When Wolter completed the building, Prince, built on rollers, was transported to his new home and placed in the front window.

Although Prince Truxton was not the featured theme of the contest, his image appears in the artists' renditions.

Last year's art contest featured renditions of the Oliver House Museum.

To order the students' cards in packages of five, call Stoverink at 243-4667.

B. Ray Owen contributed to this story.