Marston brings together a clearly defined local history and historical topics from the wider area. The Marston Welcome Center interprets the lives of people in the Middle Mississippian period and the 1811 earthquake. In the surrounding area, the New Madrid Historical Museum is located in New Madrid. Its exhibits and Marston’s own history offer different perspectives on the region’s past.

The Town’s Name and Railroad Depot

The town’s name has a specific family story behind it: Marston was named after Laura Marston Barnes, the mother of Charles Barnes. Another historical trace is Marston’s railroad depot, which was used by the St. Louis-San Francisco Railway Company. These two facts point to different aspects of the past: the naming leads to a person and her family relationship; the depot connects the town with use by a particular railway company. The history of the name and the railroad can therefore be considered as separate but parallel topics.

History at the Marston Welcome Center

The Marston Welcome Center interprets two topics: the lives of people in the Middle Mississippian period and the 1811 New Madrid earthquake. Monumental sculptural symbols based on Clovis points from the Middle Mississippian culture stand at the entrance. The sculptures therefore connect to the period, while the interpretation also addresses an event from 1811. At the same location, a cultural-historical reference, a historical event, and an artistic model stand side by side. If you are interested in historical topics, you can distinguish among these connections: the period itself, its sculptural symbols, and the earthquake.

The Earthquake in its Regional Context

The 1811 earthquake can be placed in a broader regional context. The still-active New Madrid Seismic Zone is in the wider region around Marston. It formed as a result of the powerful earthquakes that occurred between December 16, 1811, and February 7, 1812. The period therefore spans the turn of the year. The Welcome Center names the 1811 earthquake as an interpretation topic, while the zone’s regional history of formation includes events through February 1812. This distinction in timing is helpful: one topic is named for its year, while the zone’s history of formation covers a longer, precisely dated period.

The New Madrid Historical Museum

The New Madrid Historical Museum is located in New Madrid, in the wider area around Marston. Its exhibits cover the earthquakes of 1811 and 1812, the Battle of Island No. 10, and the Mississippians. The interpretation also includes the history of the river town of New Madrid, from the Mississippian period through the early 20th century. There, specific exhibit topics meet a broader overview of the river town’s history. The locations remain distinct: the museum covers the history of New Madrid, while the history of Marston’s name and depot concerns Marston.

For the broader travel overview: New Madrid County.