Since the shaft is so old, and since it is rough-looking, with hammer marks in it, we assume it is truly wrought iron. It looks as if someone took a shaft with a rectangular cross section and then hammered it into an approximation of round.

This is how the bell came to be there. Before the American Civil War (1860-64), my neighborhood was a lively place, with settlers, farmers, and businesses. Then the battles, guerrilla fighting and Army repression attendant on the Civil War caused it to be deserted.

When Europeans returned, it was Germans who came. Eventually the bishop, at his HQ on the Big Muddy, decided that a German-speaking parish was needed down here. A modest building and a fine bell were the result. We no longer speak German, but we do have a lot of German names on our stained-glass windows. (windows c. 1922)

To hear a gratifying tale of art triumphing over brutality, check out the true story of George Caleb Bingham and General Order Number 11.