jim's journey hannibal mo

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Jim’s Journey: The Huck Finn Freedom Center

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Jim’s Journey: The Huck Finn Freedom Center is Hannibal’s newest museum. This Northeast Missouri African American history museum is also the country’s only memorial to Jim, Huck Finn’s friend and companion in Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

Visitors will learn about Twain, the humanitarian who used satire and humor to undermine racism in his literature and his actions. This collection of artifacts, photographs, and memorabilia tell the story of Daniel Quarles aka Jim and the other African Americans in Twain’s life/writings. 

This African American history museum gives dignity to Hannibal’s nameless, invisible ancestors who labored as slaves for more than 50 years in our community. Learn more about the struggles and contributions of African American residents in “America’s Hometown.”

Admission: free.

Open June 1st-Labor Day

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Jim's Journey: The Huck Finn Freedom Center

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509 N 3rd St

Hannibal, MO 63401

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African American History museum. …

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" Huck Finn Historic Site" Hannibal is a town that celebrates all things that have to do with Mark Twain, Jim's Journey recognizes one of Twain's most complex yet locally under-represented literary figures: Jim, the runaway slave and friend to Huck Finn. In this Freedom Center you will learn about the history of the fictional African America slave Jim. The main goal of Freedom Center is to honor Daniel Quarles who is the real African American slave that Jim in the Huck Finn story was about. The Center tells the legacy of Daniel Quarles takes a look at what life was like for him, and his descendants, and other African Americans living in 19th- and 20th-century Hannibal.

Freedom Center Signage

Tom Sawyer & Huckleberry Finn Historical Sign

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• Jim's Journey: The Huck Finn Freedom Center
• United States
• Hannibal, MO

But with the recent publication of Twain's Autobiography (2010), a piece he didn't allow to be published until a hundred years after his death, visitors to Hannibal now have a new character to discover! In his autobiography, Samuel Clemens revealed that he partially based his famous character Jim, runaway slave and friend of Huck Finn, off of a real Hannibalian born into slavery, Daniel Quarles. L

ocated in Hannibal, Missouri, Jim's Journey: The Huck Finn Freedom Center is a new kind of museum that documents the life of "the real Jim" and portrays how he and African Americans lived as slaves and free people from the 19th to the 21st century in Hannibal. In a town that celebrates all things Twain, Jim's Journey is dedicated to the legacy of not just Twain’s most complex yet locally under-represented literary figures, but the greater history of Twain's interaction with African Americans and his hometown's own black history. At Jim's Journey: The Huck Finn Freedom Center, we’ve created a place where residents and visitors now can explore this and other complex stories, celebrate the legacy of Jim, and learn about the African American history of Hannibal which he represents.

Hannibal Parks & Recreation personnel are getting ready for Veterans’ Day. The parade is 10 am Saturday, Nov. 11 with a ceremony afterward at the Veterans Memorial at Cardiff Hill Overlook.

Had a very nefarious visitor today. He came from StL because he saw me on C-Span. He talked a lot about himself "liked to travel, retired Air Force Academy instructor, school bus driver, had never read Huck Finn". He seemed to be a big fan of George Wallace and Donald tRump. I tried not to be too argumentative. Journey showed up and allowed me to cut the visit short.

Had a interesting private tour yesterday, a group led by Quincian, Crystal Young, came to learn more about Black history in Hannibal. As Quincy definitely needs to move beyond the history of "theUndergroundRailroad". I'd love to learn more about the local post-reconstruction 20th-century African American experience in our "town across the river".

Check it out!

Founding Director of Jim's Journey: the Huck Finn Freedom Center talks about Daniel Quarles, the real-life person who was Mark Twain's inspiration for the character of Jim in Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

What an awesome opportunity to tell our story!! What an awesome opportunity to realize our mission!! Nothing like visiting our humble little museum but if you can't I encourage you to check out our website jimsjourney.org

While visiting the Jacksonville African American History Museum I came across this article about an awesome lady and community historian- Hunter Linear. A Hannibalian who has given much to her Jacksonville, Illinois - her adopted home. Here she married and raised her three sons. Check it out.

StLouis friends showed up to learn how teaching Black history is done here in rural Missouri. It was a great exchange as I learned some Indigenous people history. They gifted Jim’s Journey with braided sweetgrass. All in all, sweetgrass is a plant medicine that represents strength and resilience in both family and the community and their connection with Mother Earth. Braiding of the sweetgrass plant is usually a group event that brings communities together and connects each member.

Just hosted my last Viking tour of the season. It was fantastic. People were sincerely pleased to have visited from all over the world. I'm most grateful for the bus driver's visit and comments, Sierra from New Orleans. She said, she's been wanting to come in, every time she drives, the passengers reboard telling her how much she had missed. This being the last tour of the season she saw it as her last chance. "Thank you for doing this work" is what I heard over and over.

Board Chairman, Donald Scott has done it again " Recipient of Grace Continued". Retired Brigadier General Scott adds his thoughts on the impact of loss to his life story. Additionally, Don comments on relationships, making better choices on developing and nurturing circles of influence. It's available on Amazon.

Learn more and see the fingerprints on bricks made by enslaved Missouri ancestors. Here's the monument we've created to acknowledge their labor and contribution to Hannibal's infrastructure.

Thank you Sheila Reading Curry for your continued love and support of Hannibal’s Black history. You come from a beautiful family that obviously taught you to love unconditionally.

University of Dayton students visited. It was awesome, obviously very bright and eager to learn. Most encouraging was when they seemed to agree that this "history" is not so long ago. Thanks for coming.

I had the privilege of being on a panel with two very knowledgeable community historians. On my right is Roberta Roberts, Founder and Executive Director of the Brooklyn, IL Historical Society. Brooklyn is one of America's oldest occupied settlements founded in the 1820's by Freedom Seekers from Missouri. On my left is Gwen Moore with the Missouri Historical Museum and an expert on Millcreek, Mo. Millcreek was a once thriving African American community destroyed by stakeholders in the name of Urban Renewal. It was an awesome discussion as I was able to add Hannibal’s story of a "community within" - our journey from enslaved residents to segregation to integration (never without racial barriers). A resilient Black community contributing to America's Hometown.

St. Louis on October 14, 2023. The Mary Meachum Freedom Crossing, is where a hundred and fifty years ago, a group of enslaved Missourians attemped to cross the Mississippi to Illinois-freedom. Led by Mary Meacham, some escaped. This is where the escape group left Missouri’s shore - it became an historic site on the Mississippi River Waterfront Trail and a stop on the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom. The site houses both public art and a community building.

Next Sunday, October 15th I will be in EStL telling the story of Hannibal, ACommunityWithin. The dinner will include deboned buffalo fish and sage-blackberry tea!!

Very interesting couple visited from Kansas. They called for a private tour because of their African American neighbor Kent Quarles in Tonganoxie, KS. Could he be part of the Daniel Quarles lineage? In fact, they referred to Jim’s Journey as the Quarles Museum. They took lots of photographs, my contact information and promised to reach out to Kent when they got home. Thanks Dave, Kim and Banjo for visiting.

Received this lovely Anniversary gift from our local Juneteenth Coalition - Thank you. You are awesome partners-keep up the good work.

Happy birthday President Carter! Photograph from back in the day when decency was the norm.

Happy 99th birthday, President Carter! You’ve inspired so many people around the world with your leadership, character, and commitment to service. Michelle and I hope you have a wonderful birthday and send our best wishes to you and Rosalynn.

Unified and full-throated support of the mission to teach and uplift African American history.

Congratulations Jim’s Journey! A time was had baby🎉🥂😎 Thank you to all my family and friends that showed UP and showed OUT!

From Instagram

It's been ten years.

What an awesome Anniversary Celebration. I'm about quality not quanity - as people from all over the country showed up.

A lovely lady, Kerry Richardson, just loaned Jim’s Journey this beautiful image of a Black Civil War soldier. It is hung here in the Daniel Quarles display. Daniel Quarles, Jr was a 15-year old run away "slave" fighting for his freedom. Sadly, we discovered him dead on the streets near the leevee in St Louis.

Open Housec1-3 today!!

My brother, Ron Green, made it in from Lincoln to celebrate our ten-year anniversary. He and his lovely (smart, generous, beautiful, and talented) wife Cindy. Always good to see them.

Is there no shame?!!

Historically Black land-grant universities in Missouri and 15 other states have missed out on $12.6 billion in funding over the last three decades, according to

Just about there, Hannibal’s newest monument comemmorating the contributions of Hannibal’s enslaved residents. A collaborative effort. Art Gallery and Education Center, Denise Damron family, Jason Paleaz, Gabe Meyer, Scott Haycraft. Unveiling on Saturday, September 23, 2023.

Happy heavenly birthday my dear dear friend.

Local election coming November 7th - Kristy Trevathan is my pick for our next Mayor. I appreciate her love of community that began well before she was elected City Councilperson so many years ago.

Today is , a day to recognize the collective power that we as a community have at the polls. Ahead of the election season, we want to make sure you have what you need to get involved and make your voice count. Visit our site to learn more: https://bit.ly/3PG6eVN

Hannibal has some very pretty downtown areas. But all this noise downtown is killing me-soo noisy from all sorts of vehicles-car mufflers, semi trucks, motorcycles, sirens and trains. All of this noise is about to run me back to the country.

509 N 3rd Street Hannibal , MO 63401

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(217) 617-1507

http://jimsjourney.org

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Jim's Journey: The Huck Finn Freedom Center

509 N 3rd St, Hannibal , Missouri 63401 USA

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Learn more about this business on Yelp .

Most people come to Hannibal, Missouri for glimpses of Tom Sawyer, Huck Finn, or Becky Thatcher. Now, come for Jim.

Reviewed by David M.

" Huck Finn Historic Site" Hannibal is a town that celebrates all things that have to do with Mark Twain, Jim's Journey recognizes one of Twain's most complex yet locally under-represented... Read more

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Video Clip: Jim's Journey Museum in Hannibal, MO

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Faye Dant, Jim's Journey: The Huck Finn Freedom Center Founding Director, talked about the mission of the museum and introduced Daniel Quarles who she described as the "prototype" for the character of Jim in "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn."

• Humanitarian

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Hannibal's African American History

From the days of slavery through jim crow to the present, hannibal's african americans have left a profound mark on the town's history through their churches, businesses, schools, and more. explore these stories below..

The hurdles which kept black Hannibalians locked out of white society gave birth to a community within. Jim's Journey will chronicle the contributions of black educators, business men and women, religious, civic and community groups that provided the life blood for African Americans in Hannibal and those who lived in the surrounding northeastern Missouri towns. The many accomplishments and life achievements will reflect favorably on those honored in the exhibit, recognizing those African Americans who did so much to develop and nurture this memorable community.

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(217) 617-1507

509 N. 3rd St., Hannibal, MO 63401

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