House Destruction

Ella K. Ewing, Missouri Giantess
By Barbara Chasteen Campbell
Chapter 14–EPILOGUE

"After Ben's death, Ella's house was rented for a time, and finally abandoned. Soon the two-story house fell into shambles as tourists and local curiosity seekers plundered Ella's home. Hundreds of people wrote their names, addresses, and other graffiti on the walls upstairs and down. These inscriptions included places spanning the continent – California to New York, Florida to Canada. Some of the dates went as far back as the late 1930's. The house suffered such destruction at the hands of curiosity seekers and vandals that it finally could be used only for grain storage; ultimately it fell into complete ruin. Local residents began to consider purchasing the Ewing house in order to restore it to its original condition for the establishment of an Ella Ewing Museum. Unfortunately, before any plan could materialize the house burned to the ground, June 27, 1967. Various rumors spread about the origin of the fire; none could be authenticated."

Ella Ewing House

(Top) 1959 Rachel Ada Lee Boone's Uncle. Photo courtesy of Grace Gilbert, Maysville, Missouri.

(Bottom Left) Photo from the Quincy Herald-Whig, Sunday, January 9, 1955. George Baskett, Wyaconda undertaker who is average-size man, is dwarfed as he stands in doorway of deteriorating Ewing home. Seed store in house is scattered in hallway, Ella Ewing's bedroom, in which she died in 1913, opened at left of hallway just below stairway shown in background.

(Bottom Right) Photo courtesy of Grace Gilbert, Maysville, Missouri. Ada Lee Boone and Grandson.

Her House
House Construction
House Photo

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