Ginger Rogers' Ancestor Developed Precursor to Hydroxychloroquine

Dr. John S Sappington, the great-great-paternal grandfather of Ginger Rogers, developed an anti-malaria pill from Quinine.

Sappington was a wealthy landowner, entrepreneur, and Doctor who moved to Missouri on the advice of his friend U.S. Senator and famous artist Thomas Hart Benton. Benton told Sappington that the Missouri Territory was an area where large pieces of land could be purchased at low prices from the U.S. government.

The Sappington family moved to a farm outside of Arrow Rock called the Boonslick region in 1819. Arrow Rock is located near the central part of Missouri near the Missouri River. His stores sold goods to travelers on the Santa Fe Trail. Sappington's enterprises included milling lumber, processing salt, loaning money, farming, importing goods and medicines, and practicing medicine. He began importing cinchona bark as early as 1820, but it was years later that he discovered its use against malarial fever, which was a major health problem along the Missouri River.

In 1832, using quinine taken from cinchona bark, Sappington developed a pill to cure a variety of fevers, such as scarlet fever, yellow fever, and influenza. He sold “Dr. Sappington's Anti-Fever Pills” across Missouri. Demand became so great that within three years Dr. Sappington founded a new company known as Sappington and Sons to sell his anti-fever pills nationwide.

Interestingly, Hydroxychloroquine, a modified version of the drug, is now being used to treat people with Coronavirus.

More info here: https://historicmissourians.shsmo.org/historicmissourians/name/s/sappington/

Dr. Sappington was the Great-Great Grandfather of Ginger Rogers on her father, William Eddings McMath's side. He was married to Jane Breathitt Sappington. Two of Sappington's sons-in-law served as governor of Missouri, largely due to Dr. Sappington's money and influence.

Note: Both paintings in this article were done by Thomas Hart Benton. 

Sappington Museum Information: http://friendsofarrowrock.org/properties/

Museum Closed due to Coronavirus

The Owens-Rogers House is closed until further notice due to the Coronavirus. Hopefully, we will reopen soon! 

Season Opening April 1, 2020

100 W Moore Street, Independence, MO

The Owens-Rogers House Museum at 100 W Moore Street in Independence, Missouri will
open for the season on Wednesday, April 1, 2020. The hours are Wednesdays from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm. and by appointment for groups of 10 or more.

The home was the dwelling of Hollywood screenwriter Lela Owns-Rogers and is the birthplace of Hollywood star Ginger Rogers, who was born here on July 16, 1911. Special events are planned for Mother's Day week, Ginger Rogers' 109th birthday celebration in July, haunted tours in October during the City of Independence haunted sites tours, and other dates.

Lela Owens-Rogers and Ginger Rogers

The home was recently converted to a combination museum and short-term vacation rental. It is open year-round for rent and sleeps up to four adults. The home has two bedrooms with one queen bed and one daybed with a trundle, one full bath with the original claw-foot tub, and a half-bath, laundry room, HD TV, free wifi
and a fully stocked kitchen with utensils, pots and pans and new 1940's style appliances.

Available days for rental are Friday through Monday weekly during the tourist season from April through September, and seven days a week the rest of the year. It is listed at airbnb.com and vrbo.com.

For more information visit www.owensrogersmuseum.com or contact the Museum Director Marge Padgitt or her staff at owensrogersmuseum@gmail.com or call 816-833-1602 Monday through Friday from 9:00 to 5:00 pm.

Moe Resner Donates Items to the Owens-Rogers Museum

Moe Resner with his friend,
Ginger Rogers in the 1960's

A long-time friend of Ginger Rogers, Moe Resner, recently donated several items to the Owens-Rogers Museum in Independence, Missouri. Moe was a stand-up comedian, die-hard Cubs fan (even though he was from the Bronx) and fell in love with Ginger Rogers at age 11.  He met Ginger later in life when he was asked to take a photo of her while she was performing Hello Dolly! on Broadway. The two became fast friends for the next 30 years.

Moe contacted me by phone after finding out about the museum. He told me he had several items he wanted to donate including programs, copies of a fan newsletter, a book he co-wrote called The Chicago Cubs and Moe, and correspondence between him and Ginger.  I've started reading the book, and it is quite entertaining.

Moe threw the first pitch at a Chicago Cubs game at Wrigley field on May 25, 2017. and again at Tennessee on April 11 and 12, 2018. At age 87, he could still hit and pitch! Moe was a semi-pro baseball player from 1950 - 1959. He was an assistant manager for the AA Dallas Eagles and a coach for the Kansas City A's. Heck, he may have been in KC at the games I attended as a kid.

Moe produced the film End of an Era, NY Giants Last Day at Polo Grounds 1957.

Moe is a member of the screen actors guild and is a speaker for business and baseball functions.
Here is a link to an article written in April of 2018 about Moe throwing out the first pitch at the Cubs game: https://www.knoxnews.com/story/sports/local/2018/04/11/chicago-cubs-tennessee-smokies-moe-resner/491031002/


Moe appeared on TCM's 25th Anniversary Presentation before and after Kitty Foyle was aired. He sent us some collectible cards from that event. The video he sent to TCM is a part of this article: https://www.mycentraljersey.com/story/news/local/people/2019/04/06/moe-resner-edison-appear-april-19-turner-classic-movies/3346723002/

Thanks, Moe, for the wonderful story of your friendship with Ginger and the gifts to the museum for everyone to enjoy!

Items from Moe Resner

_____________________________________________

Marge Padgitt is the director of the Owens-Rogers Museum and the Local History Preservation Society. Contact her at owensrogersmuseum@gmail.com

New Video of the Museum Project

A description of the restoration of the 1906 Craftsman Bungalow at 100 W Moore Street in Independence, Missouri. This is the house where Hollywood screenwriter Lela Owens-Rogers lived and where famed actress and dancer Ginger Rogers was born. The home has been transformed into a museum dedicated to these two amazing women. The interior restoration has been completed, however, the exterior and landscaping will only be completed after enough funds are raised. This Historic Landmark Property is open to the public.

Visit www.owensrogersmuseum.com for more information.

Mother's Day Tea at the Owens-Rogers Museum

The Owens-Rogers Museum at 100 W Moore Street, Independence, Missouri, is where Lela Rogers lived and is the birthplace of famed actress, singer, and dancer Ginger Rogers. The Museum opened to the public for its first full season on April 3, 2019.

A Mother’s Day Tea will be held on May 11 from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm at the museum. Tea, coffee, and desserts will be served, and participants may take a tour of the museum and have their photo taken with their own camera in front of the house just like Lela and Ginger did in 1964. Staff will be on hand to help with photos. Tickets are $15 each and must be purchased in advance.

Lela and Ginger Rogers

Marge and Gene Padgitt, of Independence, Missouri purchased the property in February of 2016 and began the restoration process, which was quite extensive. Marge Padgitt is a Ginger Rogers fan and wanted to save the house for the public to enjoy. Gene Padgitt was the general contractor for the project. The interior has been restored to as close to original as possible with the addition of museum displays which include photos, posters, clothing, memorabilia, Ginger’s family history, and items that both Lela and Ginger owned. The featured display is the gown the Ginger Rogers wore to the 1967 Academy Awards.  

The home was designated as an Historic Landmark Property by the City of Independence in 1994 when Ginger Rogers visited for her birthday celebration. Mayor Ron Stewart affixed the plaque to the home at that time.

The Owens-Rogers Museum

Audrey Elder, author of “Guide to Selling Historic Properties for Real Estate Agents” and 29 historic property books including “100 W Moore Street,” is the manager for The Ginger House Museum. After recently leaving a twelve-year career in real estate, Audrey now teaches continued education about working with historic properties for realtors in Missouri and Kansas, as well as training presentations specific to historic preservation and sustainable community building in historic districts. Audrey served three years on the City of Independence Missouri Heritage Commission, and is a member of many local historic societies.

Regular museum hours are 10:00 am – 3:00 pm Wednesday and Saturday from April 1 to September 30. The museum is open to private group tours by appointment year-round.  Ticket prices are $8 for ages 13 and up; $6 for seniors on Wednesday; and $5 for children aged 5 – 12. The Ginger House Museum hosts special events such as  Ginger’s birthday celebration in July. The museum has several items for sale including books written by Ginger Rogers, postcards, and milk bottles from her Oregon ranch. 

For more information visit www.owensrogersmuseum.com 

or call 816-833-1602. 

Dancing House/ Fred and Ginger House

Ugur Peker- UnSplash

Ginger’s legacy lives on in her many movies while the simple mention of dancing duos immediately congers a vision of her and Fred Astaire which to this very day remains the most iconic dance partnership of film. It is that same legacy that lives on in it’s very own iconic physical structure~ The Dancing House or Fred and Ginger House.

Officially the Nationale -Nederlanden building in Prague, this incredibly unique
structure built in 1996 by Frank Gehry, Eva Jiricna and Vlado Milunic created
the appearance of a man and woman dancing-, Fred the stone portion of the
building and Ginger the bending glass. Dancing House is specifically
symbolic to the people of the Czech Republic. It is built atop the sight of a
home that was bombed during WWII and especially represents
Czechoslovakia’s transition from communism to democracy after the
Velvet Revolution.

Edouard Grillot-UnSplash

Dancing House has “21 hotel rooms, a cafe and panoramic terrace”. So
if you ever make it to Prague you can stay at the Dancing House and
give it a whirl on the terrace!

An extra thank you to our museum guest who informed us of this
lovely connection to Ginger.

-Audrey L Elder

Manager~The Owens-Rogers Museum