An official website of the United States government
Here’s how you know
Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock (
) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.
The Mark Twain Museum's historic homes and interpretive exhibits show visitors how Mark Twain—a Hannibal, MO, native—became one of the nation's most beloved writers and humorists. One of these exhibits, the Blankenship family home tells the story of Tom Blankenship, who was the model for Twain's Huckleberry Finn character.
Little is known about the Blankenship family other than what the Mark Twain Museum gathered from the 1850 census. These data include the family's makeup and general location of their home. Although the original home was demolished in 1911, the museum completed the recreated Blankenship home on its original site in 2006. Today, the Blankenship home—known as the "Huckleberry Finn House"—houses a permanent exhibit detailing the lives of the Blankenship family and the history of slavery in Hannibal, MO.
To learn more about Mark Twain and the Blankenship family, visit the Mark Twain Museum at the site below.
In November 2015, the U.S. Census Bureau's history staff commemorated Mark Twain's 180th birthday.
The Mark Twain Museum used census data to tell the story of Tom Blankenship, the Hannibal, MO, boy who served as the model for Twain's Huckleberry Finn character.
Photo courtesy of the Mark Twain Museum.
Share
Some content on this site is available in several different electronic formats. Some of the files may require a plug-in or additional software to view.
The content on this page includes a link to a non-government website. Our linking to these sites does not constitute an endorsement of any products, services or the information found on them. Once you link to another site you are subject to the policies of the new site.
Top