Doniphan was voted as one of the Missouri Humanities’ Small Town Showcase program’s 2023 “Featured Five”.
MoHumanities’ Small Town Showcase strives to highlight the uniqueness of Missouri’s small towns, and to showcase the bigger picture of what Small Town America really is and why it should not be overlooked, overshadowed, or under appreciated.
Their motivating statement relays this sentiment, “We are not a fly-over state; we are the heart of America. Welcome to Missouri”.
The Small Town Showcase program provides MoHumanities the opportunity to connect with more of the smaller/rural communities, form strategic partnerships, and expand their reach.
In turn, the project provides communities with a platform to tell their stories and market what they have to offer to a larger audience.
“I wrote an essay about our town and submitted it in the contest thinking it wouldn’t go far, but I was very surprised by the outcome,” stated Julie Braschler Current River Heritage Museum curator.
Once Doniphan was in the running for being one of the featured five, the public was able to vote for which towns they wanted showcased.
Doniphan ended up with enough votes to be featured and was the fourth out of five.
Braschler submitted the essay to the competition in hopes that this could help Doniphan increase tourism.
“With the eclipse coming up soon,” explained Braschler, “I felt that this would be a good opportunity to highlight attractions in Doniphan.”
There will be a solar eclipse in 2024. Doniphan will be in the path of totality, meaning the sun will be completely covered by the moon.
Since Doniphan has been announced as one of the “Featured Five” winners, MoHumanities representatives will work with Braschler on the following:
• A three- to five-minute video about our community, filmed on site;
• An hour-long podcast;
• A feature story on MoHumanities website;
• A highlight reel, featuring all five communities — Norborne, Seymour, St. James, Doniphan, Carl Junction — will be shown during the MoHumanities annual gala which is held in September.
“I would like suggestions and input on what we should feature,” Braschler stated. “I want different groups to be promoted through this.”
Anyone with suggestions is encouraged to call the museum at 573-996-5298.