Boom Magazine

The photo to the right is the Columbia Opera House, also later known as the Columbia Theatre. It was built by Josiah W. Stone. According to “The Writing of North Todd Gentry,” it featured 1,100 seats for "theatrical entertainments,…

Chuck and JoAnn Wilson are sitting together at 10:30 a.m. in the living room of their villa at Old Hawthorne. Their dogs, Dotty and Coali, are lying down nearby. Outside, a brisk winter wind is blowing across part of the golf course that is…

Date: July 14, 1956 Location: The Methodist Church in Kiowa, Kansas Interesting tidbit: The groom, Charlie, missed the rehearsal dinner as his friends kidnapped him to Oklahoma (a half mile away). While it may have started on a low…

Sweaters and scarves aren’t the only ways to brace yourself against blustery weather. There’s no time like winter to putter in the kitchen, where the cozy heat from the stove and the aromas of mouthwatering dishes can warm you from the…

Can you guess the year this photo was taken in downtown Columbia? This photo depicts four stores on this street that were torn down and replaced in 1917 by a brand new hotel. Can you identify the name of the hotel, and what is in that…

This issue of Prime focuses on healthy living. Alberta Smith is closing in on 89 years old and exercises almost every day. When she was younger, her exercise was chasing her seven children. As the wife of former Columbia mayor and county…

Columbia’s long history has many unique and long-standing traditions, but would you believe ballroom dancing is one of them? In the fall of 1936, three University of Missouri faculty wives (Novella Calvin, Margery McKinney…

With school, work and evening activities all spiraling in different directions, most families find that some things have to give. Make sure quality time around the dinner table isn’t one of them with these savvy solutions that can help make…

WITH ANGEL DONNETTE ROBERTSON   My father is turning 70 next month, so my mother has planned a party with the extended family. Unfortunately, I have a few aunts who have never approved of my decisions and remind me at every gathering…

Like a lot of other 12-year-old girls, Mattie Hon was a daydreamer and always looked forward to her family’s vacations at their cottage on Tybee Island, just off the coast of Savannah, Ga. Their little beach house had once belonged to a sea…

Physical therapy focuses on treating musculoskeletal disorders. One goal of physical therapists is to alleviate pain in their patients. In patients with back pain, physical therapy helps to strengthen the core muscles in their back,…

Photos by LG Patterson According to the Washington Post, about 10,000 Baby Boomers retire every day—that’s nearly four million people a year. After planning and investing and saving for most of their lives, they are looking forward to…

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that adults should engage in 150 or more minutes of moderate physical activity per week. Among adults 60 years of age or more, walking is the most common form of leisure-time…

In 1890 Dr. Austin Lee McRae, an assistant professor of physics at the University of Missouri, proposed organizing a school "foot ball" team. The fledgling team's games were so popular that money raised from ticket sales helped spawn a…

In 1961, Charlie and Jean Gibbens were Kansas natives living in Grinnell, Iowa, and looking for a new path. Charlie, a territory sales representative for Mobil Oil Co., needed something better, but with a young family to support, he was…

The return of fall means the return of the Mature Living Festival, which connects seniors, families, caregivers and community members with dozens of businesses focused on making seniors’ lives better. The fun, entertainment-filled event…

photos by L.G. Patterson Lynn Barnett remembers what she was wearing the day she interviewed for the director of special education position at the Columbia Public Schools’ district office in August 1984. She remembers each of the people…

photos by Kayla Wolf Columbia author Carolyn Mulford creates strong storylines enhanced by thorough research honed through her years as a journalist and non-fiction writer. In both her award-winning Show Me mystery series for adults and…

Photos by L.G. Patterson Being stylish over age 50 doesn’t mean dressing younger. It takes a balance of sassy and charm. Whatever your size, shape or age, confidence is key.  Everyone has his or her own style personality. According to…

Situated on the corner of downtown Columbia, this photo was estimated to have been taken in 1947.  This location was home to both the Copeland Service Station and the Whiteley General Tire Store. The Yellow Taxi fleet is shown in the photo.…