Dear Editor,
The Horseshoe Monument erected on the Owensville City Parking Lot is near completion. The horseshoe is unique to Owensville because in 1847 this little village was given the name as a result of a horseshoe match. The horseshoe game was between Frank Owens, a general store merchant and Edward Luster a blacksmith. Mr. Owens wanted a post office in his store, but the town was required to have a name. A horseshoe game was played. Mr. Luster won the match but is recorded as saying “Owensville sounds better than Lusterville, so the name of our town will be Owensville.”
A team of local Owensville residents were convinced that a large horseshoe would ‘promote an appreciation of our heritage, support our local businesses and encourage tourism to our area’. (This is their Mission Statement.)
Plans for the future monument began in September 2024, with monthly planning meetings at The Gasconade County Museum. Tony Shanks, of Shanks Blacksmithing, created the 13’ x 10’9” structure from 2,468 used horseshoes donated by local farriers. The Owensville Monument Team, consisting of individual Owensville supporters, are happy to announce that the monument is very near completion. Research of similar structures prove our horseshoe fulfills a world record.
It is important for the community to know that the project has been completely financed through the sale of engraved bricks, donations, a rifle raffle, quilt raffle and sale of decorative wreaths. Many individuals have donated their time and labor. The most significant being J.D. Hoffman who completed and donated his work on the cap to the stone wall. Other contractors involved in the project were McClure Concrete, Doug Stovall and Scego Powder Coating. The team greatly appreciates the donations and support of this project.
The monument, with the newly dedicated Rock Island Trail, adds a significant pride, historical appreciation and interest to our hometown. A dedication event will be scheduled for early spring in 2026. As team captain, I want to express my appreciation to each of the individuals on the team. Each individual made very unique contributions to the project.
Respectfully submitted,
E. Louise Baker
