TALL TALES: Discover Poplar Bluff's hidden history through the eyes of a passionate educator

The Poplar Bluff Museum tells many unknown tales of our community. I want to tell you some of those hidden tales found within the museum walls.

You can never stop learning. Can you stop educating? If you ask Clinton Salyer, then the answer is “NO.”

He was raised by an educator. It’s no surprise that he became a teacher like his father.

He graduated with a master’s degree in education from Arkansas State and Southeast Missouri universities. Clinton taught elementary school in Poplar Bluff for 17 years. He later accepted a position as a school principal in Fisk. Clinton retired nine years later, but was not about to call it quits on his passion of “education.”

Clinton is the son-in-law of the museum founder, Sam Giambulluca. He has been involved with the museum since its founding.

When he retired in 2016, Clinton put the museum at the top of his list.

He discovered that a museum is the ultimate educational tool for the community. As a dedicated Mules booster, Clinton oversaw and administered the Poplar Bluff Sports Hall of Fame.

It is the crown jewel of the Poplar Bluff Museum. He also documented the history of Butler County by tracking down every “one-room” schoolhouse. Clinton collected photos and records of each one. His giant wall map shows their locations and history.

His greatest endeavor to date is to digitize every Poplar Bluff High School yearbook. The museum has the only complete collection dating back to 1920. These long-lost yearbooks will soon be available to classmates around the world. Clinton has also begun to collect every local photograph ever produced and put them in a museum database. It will be the most complete collection of local history ever archived.

Clinton is also a full-time board member with the Margaret Harwell Art Museum. He continued teaching night classes at Three Rivers College, and maintains numerous walking trails throughout Butler County. What spare time he has is spent chasing golf balls.

He even takes his profession “to the grave.” Clinton participates in the local walking tours hosted by historian and fellow museum board member Kati Ray. During the cemetery tours, he poses as the ghost of Poplar Bluff founder Jesse Reynolds. Clinton appears at his grave telling the story of his contributions to the city. It is a most unusual way of teaching history (after all, one of his first jobs was in a mortuary.)

Even his fellow board members mistake Clinton for a ghost.

“When I’m working alone in the museum,” stated a museum docent, “I hear noises upstairs, only to learn it’s just Clinton scurrying about on a secret project.”

Clinton is a man of the ages. Our great-grandchildren will be accessing his museum database for historical facts and photographs. When he is called home, I expect Clinton will set up an education center for the angels. But don’t wait that long. Come and see his work today by visiting his museum. The museum is open free of charge and handicap accessible. It is open from 1-4 p.m. Sundays at 1010 Main St. Tell them Mike sent you!

Mike Shane is a veteran, Poplar Bluff resident and board member of the Poplar Bluff Museum.