Why I Chose Lamar, Missouri as the Setting for Cordia's Will

Setting is everything to a novel. If you have believable characters, an excellent plot, and a lousy setting, readers won't be able to stay focused on the story. So, when I decided to write a book about the Civil War, I knew I needed to select a setting I could easily incorporate into the story without straining the focus on the characters or the plot.
Though I have visited most of the major Civil War battlefields, there was one that I have explored far more than any and that is Wilson's Creek near Springfield, Missouri. Likewise, I have spent a lot of time visiting the Battle of Carthage sight near Carthage, Missouri.  It just made sense that I would want my characters fighting in these two battles. I decided that, if I was going to incorporate these battle into my novel, the obvious location for my heroin to live was Lamar, Missouri.  I grew up in Lamar and I know a lot about its rich history. It would make perfect sense for young men who grew up in or around Lamar to enlist and fight in these two battles.  Also, I was always intrigued by the historical raids by Quantrill and his men on Lamar.  Not once but twice the notorious raider brought his band of guerillas into the small town and left his bath of destruction in his wake.

Battle of Wilson's Creek

Battle of Carthage, courtesy of Missouri State Parks

Farmhouse at Wilson's Creek

Growing up, I lived in a small brick house on Tenth Street. Until I was about eight, the house next door was a large white Georgian that pre-dated the Civil War. I was never allowed to go in it, even though I had some friends that lived there, because my mother said it wasn't kept-up well and it was dangerous.  When it burned down one night, I was devastated. All of the neighbors that came out to watch it burn made statements like, "It was the only house in a four block radius of the square that didn't burn down during the Civil War." I don't know how true that is but I do know that several houses were burned during the war and that, if you walk around Lamar, particularly close to the square, you will see lots of old houses but none of them appear to be old enough to have been built before the Civil War.  I'm sure records exist for this but it wasn't vital to my story so I didn't travel back to Lamar from Texas to do the research.
There is one house in Lamar that is believed to have pre-dated the war for sure, and I used this house in my book as Cordia's house.  When I was growing up, the pastor of my church and his family lived in this house on Broadway Street. It is a beautiful brick structure and I always loved to visit it whenever I could.  In my mind, this house is very similar to the one I describe as being the Pike residence in my book. Legend has it that, in the attic of this house there is damage from a cannonball that struck the home during the Civil War.  I incorporate this occurrence in my story because, in my opinion, this is an important part of the Civil War history of Lamar.

Another landmark would be the Adams Farm. In my mind, this farmhouse is very similar to the house my grandparents owned while I was growing up. Located on a few acres east of town, the old farmhouse was allegedly built in the 1850s, which meant that it would have been there when Quantrill rode into town. Though the house I remember did not have a second story like the Adams Farm main house does in the story, the description of the location of the bedrooms, as odd as they may seem, follows the layout of my grandparent's home. Unfortunately, this house was condemned and torn down earlier in this years

The current courthouse on the town square in Lamar is certainly a landmark.  This building was built after the war was over. There is a debate as to whether or not the original courthouse was burned by Quantrill or before.  In my story, it is Quantrill who burns the building.  Whether this is actually the case or not, we may never know for sure. If anyone has reliable documentation, I would love to hear it. Incidentally, I worked at the Confederate Memorial State Park in Higginsville, Missouri when I was in college. This happens to be where Quantrill is buried.

Current courthouse on the Lamar Square

Originally, the courthouse had a wooden steeple. I envisioned the original courthouse having one, too.

Current Post Office. Did Cordia's post office look like this?

Quantrill's grave in Higginsville, Missouri at the Confederate Memorial State Park.

The Devil himself, William C. Quantrill, courtesy of Wikipedia

If you live in Lamar or the surrounding area or if you are a fan of Civil War history, I hope that you will read Cordia's Will. I would love to hear your opinion of the story and how I have balanced my discussion of the war with the love story at its center.
You  can pre-order Cordia's Will on Kindle here.  It will be available on Nook and Apple soon as well. Paperback addition should also be available for order within the next few days.