Editing Hannibal, Missouri (section)

==Economy==
A thriving artist community has developed because of its central location between the East and West coasts, and affordable and stable real estate prices.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.npr.org/2012/08/30/156564691/hannibal-mo-art-abounds-in-twains-hometown|title= Hannibal, Missouri: Art Abounds in Twain's Hometown|publisher= [[NPR]]|date=August 30, 2012}}</ref>

The Underwood Company built the [[General Mills]] plant here because its founder appreciated Mark Twain's writing and wanted to help his hometown.<ref>[http://www.develophannibal.org] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140117003247/http://www.develophannibal.org/|date=2014-01-17}}, Develop Hannibal website</ref>

Major employers include the Hannibal Regional Hospital and Hannibal Clinic. Major manufacturers include [[BASF]] Chemical Corporation (formally [[American Cyanamid]]), General Mills, and [[Watlow|Watlow Electric Manufacturing Co]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.hannibalchamber.org/|title=Home - Hannibal Area Chamber of Commerce, MO|website=www.hannibalchamber.org}}</ref>

Because Hannibal is a Missouri Certified Local Government, residents, and business owners have access to federal and state tax credits, grants, and other funding sources.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://dnr.missouri.gov/shpo/certifie.htm |title=Certified Local Government Program - MO State Historic Preservation - DNR |access-date=2012-12-02 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120911011333/http://dnr.missouri.gov/shpo/certifie.htm |archive-date=2012-09-11 }}</ref>

Tourism is a major part of Hannibal's economy, in large part because [[Samuel Clemens]] lived there as a boy and immortalized the town under his pen name, [[Mark Twain]]. The [[Mark Twain Boyhood Home & Museum]] and [[Mark Twain Cave]] are two of the city's major attractions.<ref>[https://www.hannibal.net/news/20161228/2016-was-great-year-for-tourism-in-hannibal "2016 was a great year for tourism in Hannibal"], Hannibal Courier-Post</ref>