A ST. LOUIS BREWERY HAS BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH CLYDESDALE HORSES FOR YEARS.
IT SEEMS THAT THOSE HORSES
ACTUALLY GOT THEIR START AT THE
UNIQUELY NAMED TOWN OF ALEXIS.
OBERT HOLLOW WAY, AND JE ALEXANDER IN 1870 FOUNDED THE TOWN.
THEY AT FIRST WERE GOING TO CALL
IT ALEXANDRIA, BUT FOUND THERE
WAS ANOTHER TOWN BY THAT NAME.
AT THAT TIME, THE DUKE OF
ALEXIS, WHO WAS ERIC THE RUSSIAN
THRONG, WAS VISITING MIGRATE,
GREAT GRANDFATHER, ROBERT WHO
WILL A WAY, HE HAD COME HERE ON
A -- HOLLOW WAY,HE DECIDED IT
WOULD BE VERY NICE TO CALL THE
TOWN IN HONOR OF HIM ALEXIS.
DUKE AGREED THAT WOULD BE ALL
RIGHT WITH HIM.
>> AT THE EDGE OF THE TOWN ONCE
STOOD THE HOME AND FARM OF
COLONEL ROBERT HOLLOWAY, HE WAS
ONE OF THE FIRST IMPORTERS AND
DEALERS OF PUREBRED CLYDESDALE
HORSES.
>> ROBERT HOLLOWWAY LIVED IN
KENTUCKY.
HE WAS A PROFESSOR AND A
MILITARY STEINS -- HE WAS A
PROFESSOR AND MILITARY
INSTITUTE.
HE ALSO WORKED IN THE POLITICAL
WORK, AND HE INTRODUCED STEPHEN
A DOUGLAS IN THE LINCOLN-DOUGLAS
DEBATE HELD AT KNOX COLLEGE.
AND THERE WAS A HOLLOW WAYRAID
THAT HAPPENED YEARS AGO WHICH
WAS REPORTED IN ALL OF THE
NATIONAL NEWSPAPERS.
EARLY ONE MORNING AROUND 1880,
JUST PRIOR TO THE COLONEL'S
YEARLY SAIL, HIS ENTIRE STOCK OF
100 HORSES WAS STOLEN.
THUGS WERE EMPLOYED TO OVERCOME
THE GUARDS, AND TAKE THEM ON A
TRAIN TO CHICAGO.
BECAUSE OF THE NOISE, THE HOLLOW
WAY' WERE AWAKENED, THEY LED A
GROUP THAT BARRICADED THE TRACKS
AND SURROUNDED THE TRAIN.
AFTER A FEW THREATS, THE ROBBERS
SURRENDERED.
TODAY, ALEXIS IS KNOWN AS THE
AMERICAN HOME OF THE
CLYDESDALES.
IT IS A STORY THAT IS RETOLD HER
AT THE OLD CHURCH WHICH IS NOW
THE VILLAGE MUSEUM.
>> THE COMMUNITY HAS BEEN VERY
GRACIOUS AND HELPFUL IN GETTING
THE MUSEUM STARTED.
WE HAVE WAR MATERIALS, UNION
FORMATS FROM THE DIFFERENT WARS
THAT -- DIFFERENT PEOPLE HAVE
PARTICIPATED IN.
WE HAVE A BABY BUGGY THAT IS 150
YEARS OLD, A PUMP ORGAN,
QUILTING FRAME, SPINNING WHEEL,
MANY THINGS THAT ARE NEW TO THIS
GENERATION.
ALSO, WE HAVE SOME KITCHEN
THINGS THAT PEOPLE AREN'T USED
TO SEEING.
WE HAVE A POTBELLIED STOVE, ICE
LESS REFRIGERATOR.
WELL, IT COULD BE LOWERED INTO
THE GROUND TO ABOUT SIX FEET,
AND HAD SHELVES TO PUT THINGS
ON, AND APPARENTLY WORKED VERY
WELL.
ALSO WE HAVE EARLY TOOLS.
I LEARNED SOMETHING MYSELF WHEN
I WAS GIVEN A CHICKEN CATCHER.
IT IS VO INTERESTING.
IT HAS A HOOK ON THE END, AND
YOU COULD HOOK THE CHICKENS LEGS
AND CATCH THE CHICKEN EASILY.
>> AMONG THE DISPLAYS IN ONE
CASE THAT HOLDS THE WORTH OF
AUTHOR FRAZIER HUNT WHO
PURCHASED THE LOCAL PAPER IN
1913.
HE LATER WENT ONTO BECOME A
REPORTER FOR NEW YORK SUN AND
CHIEF BIOGRAPHER FOR DOUG
MASSACRE THUR.
ONE OF HIS FIRST BOOKS CAUSED
QUITE A STIR IN THIS SMALL TOWN.
>> DURING THE TIME HE WAS HERE,
HE BECAME WELL A ACQUAINTED.
HE WROTE A NOVEL "SICK A MORE
BEND.
QUITION QUITION IT IS NOW OUT OF
PRINT.
MANY PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY
WERE SENSITIVE TO THE FACT THEY
COULD IDENTIFY THE PEOPLE THAT
HE USED IN THE BOOK, THOUGH HE
HAD GIVEN THEM FICTITIOUS NAMES.
WE STILL ENJOYED READING THE
BOOK, BUT WE DIDN'T LIKE TO THIS
THAT PEOPLE WHOSE NEGATIVE
ASPECTS TO THEIR CHARACTERISTICS
WERE PART OF THE COMMUNITY.
>> IT IS ALL PART OF THE HISTORY
OF THIS SMALL TOWN, RUSSIAN
DUKE, CLYDESDALE HORSE, GREAT
RAID, AND FAMOUS AUTHOR.
IF THAT'S NOT ENOUGH, ALEXIS IS
LISTED IN RIPLY'S BELIEVE IT OR
NOT AS THE ONLY TOWN IN UNITED
STATES LOCATED IN TWO COUNTIES
AND FOUR TOWNSHIPS.