I watched this in the past and it showed up in my feed again, so I watched it a second time. And learned even more. You are very close to where I grew up, and where I returned to after retirement. We have traced Rt 66, best we could, all the way from where you are today, down to OK, City. Your videos are fascinating. Thank you for all the research, travel and effort put into the video, and then sharing.
Thankyou for showing my home town of HALLTOWN I grew up there, my parents and my older brother and younger sister moved there in 1970 and lived there till the mid 80's. Than my parents moved to AURORA MO about 20 - 25 miles from HALLTOWN . I now live in MOUNT VERNON MISSOURI just about 12 miles from HALLTOWN. Besides living in Tulsa OK from 1981 - 1988 , I have lived in this same area most of my live. When me moved to HALLTOWN I was 7 years old , I'm now 60. I was born along with my older brother in California, when I was 5 in 1968 that's when we moved to Springfield Missouri, my sister was born in 1969 and in 1970 we moved to HALLTOWN. My parents have both passed away , and my sister lives in Springfield Missouri, and me and my older brother we both live in MOUNT VERNON Missouri .
Last time I drove 66 through that area was in the mid 90’s when the road nostalgia craze was just starting. I think it’s time to go back. Thanks for sharing.
I'm glad you featured that stone building in Plano. It stands out as one of the most interesting along the route and looks like it could be centuries older than the 1890's. Someone sure put a lot of care into building that one.
Thanks for this tour of historic Route 66. I grew up and lived most of my life in Springfield, MO, and traveled Rt. 66 a lot. My grandparents lived in Joplin and my first mother in law lived on 96 fairly close to Miller, MO, in a WPA school building built of those cool stones that so many buildings were built of way back when.
Avilla holds great memories for me. My grandma and grandpa lived there, and grandpa had his own blacksmith shop just on the west side and behind of what used to be the farm store Chapman Follmers. In fact, when I was 4 and my cousins and I were playing amongst the farm machinery there a corn picker fell on my chest. My uncle single handedly picked it up while my dad pulled me out and rushed me to the hospital in Carthage. I was lucky. It then took four men to pick it up and reset it on it's supports. After that they fenced it in. Grandpa was well known in the area as the best blacksmith. Their house burned when the Avilla lumberyard burned. As kids we roamed the town, visited the grocery store often where I was fascinated by the lady that sacked the groceries because she only had one arm. Crazy what you remember from childhood. My cousin still lives there on grandma and grandpa's property. Good times. That was back in the 50s, 60s, 70s, etc. Family was really important then.
Thank you! Yeah this one is kind of for diehards, but definitely an interesting area to explore for the history. Thanks for the comment about the music. I try to find ones that fit the area.
I enjoyed your walk through history in Southern Missouri...I was raised in NE Missouri, around Hannibal. My family has over 200 year of history associated with Missouri.
I've been to Hannibal many times. Took my family to Mark Twain cave a few times. I was born and raised in Kirksville, MO still have family in Kirksville, Novinger and Knox City MO. Unfortunately I'm stuck in Illinois but trying hard to get back home to MO.
Thank you for the great video, the old places. I remember the old 66 highway, the interstate 44 was built in the 60’s. I was born in Springfield in 1954, grew up in Rolla. We traveled back and forth on the 66 and 44 , also from Springfield to the southeast corner of Kansas. Many trips, stopped at the old places for gas and old picnic parks. When I was about 7 years old, my grandparents drove to one of the old gas stations, an old lady ran it. The gas was something like $ .21 cents a gallon. Old 66 had a beveled curb-lip on the shoulder. Once my grandmother kind of veered over a little, onto the lip. It made the whole car rock back and forth. It was a 58 chev. Scary for a little kid.
Thank you very much! Those are some vivid memories of the Mother Road as a child! Very cool. I’m sure it’s nice to drive along those areas and reminisce. Appreciate the comment!
you should got to Jerico Springs ,Mo sometime. I was born there in a house, there was a hardware store, grocery store bank newswpaper gas station, now nothing.
Thank you. It was very relaxing to watch this video. I have not been on this strip, but traveled it suite extensively off and o between Springfield and St Louis. It brought back memories especially the architecture. What a blessing.
It's nice to hear a bit of history about all these little towns. This is a portion of the route I take when driving between my house and my daughter's. Thanks for posting!
Thanks for showing the old gas station,etc in Spencer.. I use the fuel stop as my profile picture. Love these old buildings,as they show our heritage and our past.
@@whiteskyflyer I understand. Beautiful spot to visit though!! My condolences to you and all the families involved. I really like these old fuel stations and stops across this country as they show how it really used to be. A cleaner and easier way of life. Hard work paid off then! In today's society it takes a college education instead of actual knowhow to have a good job these days,sadly. Thanks for keeping the old station kind of alive there in Spencer.
I'm always amazed how some towns on 66 died, using the explanation that the interstates caused fewer people to visit these towns, but yet there are lots of communities all along Route 66 that are still thriving, Baxter Springs, Kansas being one of them. It's a decent size place still with lots of businesses. I wonder why these other towns that are dead or dying couldn't do what the towns that survived along the route did to survive.
Yeah some of these towns had people that were more adept at surviving through those transitions of the interstates. Some just had gas stations or convenience stops and those weren’t needed as much with the new roads.
Well, having grown up a 1/8 mile from Spencer, what you might not quite be able to see, is the Interstate Highway is a good 3 miles south of it. Albatross, the US 66 Hwy 39 Junction is over 10 miles to the Interstate 44 which remarkably ran thru Mt. Vernon thereby relegating those towns from that junction to Carthage non-traveled. That would be an interesting research, to find out how I-44 was designed, by who, and who benefited. I mean for the remarks to be respectful, certainly not acerbic or haughty, just kind of explaining perhaps why revenue died.
@@ScottyPeabody thank you! Yes that makes a lot of sense and a reason all along Route 66 of why the areas weren’t able to sustain themselves. Hopefully these little communities can hang on for a while longer!
SOME AREAS IN JOPLIN THEY JUST DON'T CARE COME 2 EAST TOWN AND YOU WILL SEE/ONE OF THE GREATEST WRITERS TOO COME OUT JOPLIN GO ON BOARDWAY AND YOU WILL SEE/GOGGLE IT UP /8/22/
Thank you for the tour of Paris Springs!! The old garage by Paris springs church was my grandfather's! My grandparents also had a grocery store there just down the road!
Back in the eighties I used to live right next to route 66 and Interstate 44 in Pacific Missouri. I work at Six Flags over Mid America and I also worked at a historical restaurant on route 66 called The Red Cedar Inn. Great memories.
I grew up in Springfield. Used to travel Route 66 to visit family in Golden City. Interesting trivia: Halltown was the last community in Missouri to install dial phones-in the mid 1970s! Before that if you stopped at a phone booth there you had to give the number you were calling to an operator.
I grew up in Tulsa but also went up to Golden City to visit relatives. My great great grandfather moved there about 1870 and we still have a few distant relatives there. We eat at cookies and visit graves.
The gas station in Albatross is no more. I remember filling up there. Thank you for the video. I've taken this road about a hundred times or so for work, going from Springfield to Carthage. Lots of history and little cool things.
Thank you I live in Seligman Missouri every summer I take motorcycle rides all over the state looking at all the history. Next summer I’ll take your route thank you
Thank you for this. These are the areas i grew up. Plew to plano is all one school district which has a 50 mile radius. When i grew up in the 70's and 80's there, all those little towns still had operating grocery stores.
Thank you very much! That’s such an interesting and historic area to grow up in! Would’ve been cool to drive that road in the 1970’s and compare to today!
The old gas station at 39 and 96 (Rt 66) is known as Crossroads to us locals. I was born and raised just south of there in Mt. Vernon. Thanks for spotlighting the history.
Well even though it’s gone now (thanks Hood family) a lot of us will remember it as Don’s Crossroad. I delivered his morning Joplin Globe rack and he got a newspaper and I got a coffee and my restroom stop. God bless you Don and I miss you.
I may have to take that route on my next trip to Springfield. I enjoyed the video and how you give information about all the towns, Ill be definitely checking out more of your videos.
I remember all of those from my 2015 trip. So much history just sitting by the road waiting to tell it’s story. You did a great job of that today. The original pavement was the best piece by far.
Thanks! Last time I went through there it was raining so it was nice to take my time and really explore them. That pavement at Spencer is great yes! Still in such great condition 95 years later!
My wife is from Lockwood, Missouri and we go back there often from Illinois. Fun fact, her cousin lives in the house right across Route 66 from Yeakley Chapel. Her family is also buried in the cemetery behind it.
My experience with 66 dates back to 1963-67 when my Dad was stationed at Fort Leonard Wood. The Army gave us the option of a DOD school or they'd bus us up to Rolla to St. Patrick's elem. Myself and a bus load of kids made the drive to Rolla every school day. We also made some off duty drives up to around St.Louis or down around Springfield. I remember all the road signs advertising restaurants or motels off old 66. In particular one restaurant had many many billboards and if I remember correctly it was named The Hitching Post. Our family budget was tight so getting to actually eat out was pretty much a fantasy I indulged in. Then when my Dad returned from Vietnam in late 1966, my Mom went all out and planned a weekend in St.Louis where my Dad was due to arrive by train. All our best clothes were packed and my older brother drove me, my Mom and sister up there. His train was to arrive early afternoon and we parked in a pay lot at the train station. After a joyful platform reunion, we walked to the parking lot, only to find out our car had been broken into and all our stuff stolen, including extra money Mom had in her suitcase. The police questioned the lot attendant who witnessed two people break the window and he told the cops he figured they had just lost their keys!! Anyway, Dad was the calmest of all of us, though Mom was in tears. He calmly said we would just drive back to Fort Wood after going by the hotel to cancel our reservation. And wouldn't you know it...but on the way home Dad exited the highway onto old route 66 and we stopped at that Hitching Post restaurant!!!!!!!!!!!!! The place was fairly large inside but only a few other folks inside. White table cloths and all. I ordered a burger and fries, but the fries weren't salted at all, and to show how restaurant savvy I was, I spied a water-glass sized container of white crystals in the middle of the table and ended up making my fries inedible from all the sugar I poured all over them! I'm sure all those restaurants and motels are long since closed. I witnessed a similar debacle on Hwy 41 on the northern edge of Atlanta as it went through towns like Kennesaw and Marietta. There used to be a ton of motels along that stretch and north to Chattanooga before they completed the stretch of I-75 in the late 70's.
Wow I just stumbled across your video and was amazed at the history tied in with it! We live about 20 miles from Route 66 and love riding to Spencer and Paris Junction and the surrounding areas. Hard to beat the Ozarks
I too keep an eye out for older alignments of highways, I'm glad you have the eye as well. I mentioned and showed Old US-99 pavement on my December birthday ride. As always, love your content.
We had to drive through there during bridge repair on highway 96. That poor small white dog is just chained up outside all the time. I never get to enjoy the view across the street because I am always hoping I will not see the dog but its always there. Great information on small towns I pass through and never knew much about them.
So I grew up near here, and know the area unlike few. Avila, Rescue, Springtown, Halltown…all those towns affected by I-44 which diverted traffic away from the towns by up to 10 miles, whereas Mt. Vernon actually really benefited as I-44 went right thru it.
Such an interesting area. I’m sure it was nice to grow up in! I really loved learned about all those towns and seeing the history that still remains in many of them!
I grew up in Missouri and have taught Missouri history at the graduate level. I watched your TH-cam post about the dichotomy during the Civil War MissouriMissouri’s two opposing views. You are correct, here is a bit more history, concerning the climate of the state during the hostilities that pitted brother against brother. The The legislature redesigned the state seal. If you look closely at the circular portion of the seal, you will see, wrapped around the main part of crest that it is surrounded at the bottom is a belt buckle. The reason the belt buckle is, due to the divided state’s citizens, very much like today’s population division we are witnessing in America. Missouri Government leaders stated, “If we so determine to leave the Union, we will merely unbuckle the belt and drop from the connections to the North.” Just a piece of State’s history. I enjoy your work, please continue with the excellent work.
I’m sorry, I hit send too early while proof reading before I intended to post my message. Please forgive me for and mechanical, grammar, or spelling errors? The facts are accurate.
Very interesting and thank you for the information! Missouri certainly has a fascinating history, both good and bad, just like our country as a whole. I appreciate you watching my video and giving me more complete info! Thanks a lot!
You should do a story on Osceola, MO up on Truman Lake. It has a TON of history. Jim Lane and the Kansas Jayhawkers attacked in September of 1861. This basically started the "Border Wars" between Kansas and Missouri. They have a history museum with tons of info and relics.
I remember all those little "towns" from the 1950s when we used to go from Springfield to Carthage to visit my dad's family. It was really Route 66 in those days. A major route across the states. I've never heard Yeakley pronounced the way you did. I've only heard it to rhyme with "Jake-ly". I have a grandmother, her parents and other assorted relatives buried in that cemetery. Thanks for the road trip.
I’m jealous you got to experience the real Route 66! And you’re probably right about the pronunciation of Yeakley - I didn’t see anything about how to say it in any of the info I read. Thanks!
@@TravelwithaWiseguy My grade school, Nichols Elementary, fronted on Route 66 at the west edge of Springfield. I spent many hours from 1952 to 1958 looking out the classroom window at the traffic on "the Main Street of America".
I really enjoyed your trip video of ghost towns along route 66 in MO from Springfield. I lived in Springfield and moved to San Bernardino, I now live on route 66 not far from the Blue Cut.
Lived in jop;lin, left 1 year before the twisters, Carthage has a very cool court house, very old. still has old elevator even with a operator! Now this was 17 years ago...
I’m a Springfield resident and have been here since I was born! What an interesting video ☺️ I think we just had a big Route 66 festival not too long ago
Back in the 50s our family had a farm in SE Missouri between the towns of Lutesville and Advance. I remember Advance had a grocery store that was very old and looked like a general store on the inside. It smelled like old wood and dill pickles. They had a "town square" that was actually a circle. Luthesville was bigger and a little more modern. I thought Advance was fascinating! I love old towns, and Missouri sure has plenty.
I lived in Plano in the 50's, I was told the big building on the north side of 66 there had been a casket factory. The rock building on the south side was a small store.
I live in the Springfield area though originally from CA. Most of my family lives in Dade County MO so I'm on that highway all the time. I've seen the buildings but havent paid much attention. I definitely need to check out most of that area. They are so many small towns similar in all parts of Missouri.
Man, thanks for all this! I wish there were a fund to put good roofs on some of these buildings so that future generations might see them much like they were.
I deliver propane and service telephone in halltown. Neat stuff. Both my bosses are born and raised. They have many stories about what it used to be like
This is awesome, I grew up traveling 66! My Great great grandparents lived at Spencer & Paris Sprngs. Great grandfather owned a as station across the side road from the Mason family's station which is still there "Gay Parita"!
Hello from Miller Mo. Right there at the Albatross intersection of 39 and 96 at the gas station use to be a little restaurant I use to go to as a kid. The bar next door was built by my grandfather and my family worked it before relocating to Stockton.
I lived in Rescue for a short time in 1978. Just less than a mile behind that old service station is the former grammar school that I attended in 1978. When I lived there, a bar was beside the service station.
Born and raised in a tiny town in the ozarks, population 601. You truly do it justice. I've lived in Kansas city for the past 2o years. You should do a video comparing cities that are in 2 states, like KCMO and Kansas city, ks
@@sunniwoo1079 Interesting ideas! I love to visit border towns that are small. KC is interesting from one side to the other, but it's so big I wouldn't know where to start haha.
Like the Video. would like to see and know more about the buildings, what they were, what to day, and if anything is still inside......What is your next Video........................JB.
I live in Asbury MO., population 210 It’s east of Carthage a mile from Kansas as a crow flies. Lots of history here. It was a pretty good size town at one time. It even had a bank, school, and Chevy car dealership. Bill Doolan of the Dalton gang, robbed our bank because he thought the plan the Daltons had to rob 2 banks at the same time was a bad idea, so he robbed our bank instead. He was right to not rob the 2 banks, but he did get caught just outside Joplin.
That, sir, was amazing. I always wanted to travel Rte 66 It's definitely part of my Bucket list. I guess the only concern I would have is knowing where the gas stations that ARE open! Doesn't look like a place you want to travel with a 1/4 tank of gas! Yikes!
Thank you very much! For the most part you can find gas all along the route because even though a lot of Route 66 is less traveled, it’s not far from main highways.
Nope, fill up at Carthage or Springfield, ok Halltown by i44. Albatross and Avila used to have stations, can jog north at Albatross and get gas at Miller, 2 or 3 miles. Coming home from Springfield I look forward to seeing the Crapduster at the Flying w just east Carthage, just turn right almost home. About 14 miles closer taking 96 to Springfield than dropping south and taking i44. Not much to offer travellers on this stretch, beer at Albatross, pop and candy at Phelps, hamburgers, wonderful fried mushrooms and cold beer at Avilla. Few miles west is the Circle E, ran by mennonites, baked goods and sandwiches, love the strawberry rhubarb turnovers. Coffee and donuts great. I have a thing for picking places to eat, come meal time look at the parking lot. Look for pickup trucks and beater back and forth to work cars. If parking lot has new shiny cars in it keep driving. Ha.
That's been on mine too, I'm always fascinated by driving the old two lane highways and seeing all the old buildings and the businesses that are still in operation, sadly I'll never be able to do that but nice to dream about.☺️
If you get though Springfield IL,. Ya gotta see Motorheads Bar and Grill, 66 and Toronto Rd..He has all the old time stuff from our very historic town.
Reminds me of long ago when I was driving south toward Springfield, MO, a few miles north of the city was a small village. The name of it was Evert (I remember the sign on the highway with an arrow, and I remember thinking of the tennis player, Chris Evert). I thought at the time, wow what a scenic place; I would like to live there one day. Year later, I was driving again toward Springfield. The sign was gone; so was the village. There is no mention anywhere that there was ever a village named Evert north of Springfield. Go figure.
Hey, getting close to home for me. Kinda missed Rock City. Also you didn't cover the old road just east of Kellogg lake, has an old motel. Also as my old buddy Corkey said Plew U. School house still standing. Driven this stretch too many times, got the Circle E between Carthage and Avilla, the bar and grill in Avilla, the do have a wonderful hamburger and the fried mushrooms are to die for. KC obsolete in Phelps has a pop machine and maybe a candy bar. Restuarant at crossroads just west of Albatross is no more, have stopped at the bar at Albatross and wetted my whistle, hey, just one, I was driving. Heatonville, love the old garage, some trusses from Joplin truss which is at Rockville, would be a nice shop. Stretch on 266 between 96 and springfield contains more lofted barns than any stretch of road I know of. Some are nice grand barns, others are just small barns with a hayloft. Thanks for video.
Hey you said 4 sections, I know of 3 sections over a mile long, several little bits just north of 96. Longest section i know of is between Brooklin heights and carterville. Then there is the ribbon road west of Miami Oklahoma, talk about narrow, it is narrow.
This summer my grandkids and I traveled (tried to) Route 66 from Missouri to California. The signage in Missouri for the Route is impossible! Forget trying to pick it up in Saint Louis and it doesn’t get any better throughout the state. Arizona by far has the easiest most signed Route.
I agree there are parts that are difficult to follow. I did my best to find online maps and buy a Route 66 book with specific directions to stay as close as I could.
Ey up. As a Brit I had absolutely no idea what Missouri looks like. I never realized it was so flat. Interesting tour down Route 66 and the villages en route. They're not too different in some ways to the forgotten places of a similar age here (though petrol stations feature more!) And us Olde Englishe would spell plow as "plough" 😃
@@TravelwithaWiseguy Mate, there's a story under every bloody rock here! Not big stories like battles and kings, but human scale stories like yours. The house I was raised in was built in 1845 for the foreman of the local iron works (where they first invented malleable iron). 60 yards away is the Mercian cruck barn built sometime between 500ad and 850ad. Over the road is the church, built around 1100ad (the largest country church in England due to a historic quirk around Henry VIII) and in front of that, the preaching cross set up by the early missionaries around 900ad (or earlier?) Over the hill is dad's village - Barlow - originally Barra's Hluw. A Hluw, or "low" that would have been the neolithic burial mounds of Barra - and down the valley is Unstone (Hunna's Toon) where the axe used to execute King Charles I was made. That's just a fraction of the history within 30 mins walk of home. People history (no battles and stuff) everywhere on Europe mate. You'd love it.
Want to see more Missouri videos? Here's my entire playlist of Missouri! th-cam.com/play/PL4jqwLUrhjNSZmCT_CPJKnt9kLzGjS2TV.html
I’m loving your Missouri videos. Thank you.
Gotta admit, Spencer looked pretty cool, and it's good to see that someone restored the old buildings here. Kudos to whoever did that.
Agreed! Very nice restoration!
@@TravelwithaWiseguy we know the new owners, good people. usually open on the weekends with free cupcakes
I watched this in the past and it showed up in my feed again, so I watched it a second time. And learned even more. You are very close to where I grew up, and where I returned to after retirement. We have traced Rt 66, best we could, all the way from where you are today, down to OK, City. Your videos are fascinating. Thank you for all the research, travel and effort put into the video, and then sharing.
Awesome thanks for watching again!
Thankyou for showing my home town of HALLTOWN I grew up there, my parents and my older brother and younger sister moved there in 1970 and lived there till the mid 80's. Than my parents moved to AURORA MO about 20 - 25 miles from HALLTOWN . I now live in MOUNT VERNON MISSOURI just about 12 miles from HALLTOWN. Besides living in Tulsa OK from 1981 - 1988 , I have lived in this same area most of my live. When me moved to HALLTOWN I was 7 years old , I'm now 60. I was born along with my older brother in California, when I was 5 in 1968 that's when we moved to Springfield Missouri, my sister was born in 1969 and in 1970 we moved to HALLTOWN. My parents have both passed away , and my sister lives in Springfield Missouri, and me and my older brother we both live in MOUNT VERNON Missouri .
Awesome! Thanks for watching and commenting!
I drive this road often. Thanks for giving some history of these little towns that time assed by. Very interesting.
Glad you enjoyed it! I always like that stretch of road.
Last time I drove 66 through that area was in the mid 90’s when the road nostalgia craze was just starting. I think it’s time to go back. Thanks for sharing.
Definitely a fun drive if you’re into that kind of stuff. I think it goes in phases, but there are a lot of people who care about Route 66. Thank you!
Springfield Missouri. Where RT 66 Started. Live in the Ozarks Missouri. Thank God! 🙏🏁🤠
😊
I thought Route 66 started Chicago and went West if that's the way they advertise it in Illinois
Thank you for teaching me the history of places I go by quite a bit. You treat these places with respect. I appreciate that.
Very nice to of you say! My pleasure!
I'm glad you featured that stone building in Plano. It stands out as one of the most interesting along the route and looks like it could be centuries older than the 1890's. Someone sure put a lot of care into building that one.
I love that old building! I was taken aback by it the first time I saw it in 2020 as well! Thank you!
My husband and I live on Rt 66 in Pennsylvania. We love it
Thanks for this tour of historic Route 66. I grew up and lived most of my life in Springfield, MO, and traveled Rt. 66 a lot. My grandparents lived in Joplin and my first mother in law lived on 96 fairly close to Miller, MO, in a WPA school building built of those cool stones that so many buildings were built of way back when.
Appreciate you watching and commenting! Very cool place to grow up near!
Wonderful video. I just subscribed, and look forward to seeing your previous tours.
Will definitely drive this route in May 2023. Thanks!
It’s a good one!
I am really liking your videos Wiseguy. Southwest Missouri and Southeast Kansas are fascinating.
Thank you! I need to get back to Missouri sometime soon!
I love the way you add in the history of the places you visit -thank you for sharing.
Thank you very much!!
Avilla holds great memories for me. My grandma and grandpa lived there, and grandpa had his own blacksmith shop just on the west side and behind of what used to be the farm store Chapman Follmers. In fact, when I was 4 and my cousins and I were playing amongst the farm machinery there a corn picker fell on my chest. My uncle single handedly picked it up while my dad pulled me out and rushed me to the hospital in Carthage. I was lucky. It then took four men to pick it up and reset it on it's supports. After that they fenced it in. Grandpa was well known in the area as the best blacksmith. Their house burned when the Avilla lumberyard burned. As kids we roamed the town, visited the grocery store often where I was fascinated by the lady that sacked the groceries because she only had one arm. Crazy what you remember from childhood. My cousin still lives there on grandma and grandpa's property. Good times. That was back in the 50s, 60s, 70s, etc. Family was really important then.
Thanks so much for this video tour. I enjoy seeing places that once were but are now no more.
I appreciate the comment and you watching! Thanks!
Cool. Hopefully one of these days I am able to drive and see everything that is left on R66. Thank you.👏♥️😊
It’s a wonderful trip! Hope you get to do it!
Another well done video. Interesting stories and very nice bluegrass music. It all blends nicely together. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you! Yeah this one is kind of for diehards, but definitely an interesting area to explore for the history. Thanks for the comment about the music. I try to find ones that fit the area.
I enjoyed your walk through history in Southern Missouri...I was raised in NE Missouri, around Hannibal. My family has over 200 year of history associated with Missouri.
Thank you! There is certainly a lot of interesting history all around Missouri, but especially along Route 66. 😊
I've been to Hannibal many times. Took my family to Mark Twain cave a few times. I was born and raised in Kirksville, MO still have family in Kirksville, Novinger and Knox City MO. Unfortunately I'm stuck in Illinois but trying hard to get back home to MO.
Thank you for the great video, the old places.
I remember the old 66 highway, the interstate 44 was built in the 60’s. I was born in Springfield in 1954, grew up in Rolla. We traveled back and forth on the 66 and 44 , also from Springfield to the southeast corner of Kansas. Many trips, stopped at the old places for gas and old picnic parks.
When I was about 7 years old, my grandparents drove to one of the old gas stations, an old lady ran it. The gas was something like $ .21 cents a gallon.
Old 66 had a beveled curb-lip on the shoulder. Once my grandmother kind of veered over a little, onto the lip. It made the whole car rock back and forth. It was a 58 chev. Scary for a little kid.
Thank you very much! Those are some vivid memories of the Mother Road as a child! Very cool. I’m sure it’s nice to drive along those areas and reminisce. Appreciate the comment!
you should got to Jerico Springs ,Mo sometime. I was born there in a house, there was a hardware store, grocery store bank newswpaper gas station, now nothing.
What happened to the town?
@@Exotic-Cat-Lady still there just no business any more can't buy a coke there now
Thank you. It was very relaxing to watch this video. I have not been on this strip, but traveled it suite extensively off and o between Springfield and St Louis. It brought back memories especially the architecture. What a blessing.
Thanks for watching! It's a fun little sidetrip though some historical towns. Definitely worth it!
It's nice to hear a bit of history about all these little towns. This is a portion of the route I take when driving between my house and my daughter's. Thanks for posting!
Nice! So much interesting history in that short stretch! Thanks for watching!
Thanks for showing the old gas station,etc in Spencer.. I use the fuel stop as my profile picture. Love these old buildings,as they show our heritage and our past.
Spencer is an awesome place to stop and check out!
@@whiteskyflyer I understand. Beautiful spot to visit though!! My condolences to you and all the families involved. I really like these old fuel stations and stops across this country as they show how it really used to be. A cleaner and easier way of life. Hard work paid off then! In today's society it takes a college education instead of actual knowhow to have a good job these days,sadly. Thanks for keeping the old station kind of alive there in Spencer.
@@whiteskyflyer I wholehearted agree,sir!
Missouri State Square Dance Convention (few yrs ago) arranged for us to Dance on Rte 66!!
Fun!
I lived on this route!!! so cool
Thank you , great job
I'm always amazed how some towns on 66 died, using the explanation that the interstates caused fewer people to visit these towns, but yet there are lots of communities all along Route 66 that are still thriving, Baxter Springs, Kansas being one of them. It's a decent size place still with lots of businesses. I wonder why these other towns that are dead or dying couldn't do what the towns that survived along the route did to survive.
Yeah some of these towns had people that were more adept at surviving through those transitions of the interstates. Some just had gas stations or convenience stops and those weren’t needed as much with the new roads.
Well, having grown up a 1/8 mile from Spencer, what you might not quite be able to see, is the Interstate Highway is a good 3 miles south of it. Albatross, the US 66 Hwy 39 Junction is over 10 miles to the Interstate 44 which remarkably ran thru Mt. Vernon thereby relegating those towns from that junction to Carthage non-traveled. That would be an interesting research, to find out how I-44 was designed, by who, and who benefited.
I mean for the remarks to be respectful, certainly not acerbic or haughty, just kind of explaining perhaps why revenue died.
@@ScottyPeabody thank you! Yes that makes a lot of sense and a reason all along Route 66 of why the areas weren’t able to sustain themselves. Hopefully these little communities can hang on for a while longer!
Is what I ask...take people from the city to live there and they can bring income to this towns... like the others
SOME AREAS IN JOPLIN THEY JUST DON'T CARE COME 2 EAST TOWN AND YOU WILL SEE/ONE OF THE GREATEST WRITERS TOO COME OUT JOPLIN GO ON BOARDWAY AND YOU WILL SEE/GOGGLE IT UP /8/22/
I love any video dealing with Route 66. In my younger days spent some time in Kingman Az. on route 66. I love the history.
It’s a great road! I visited Kingman a few years ago and included it in this video around the 11:20 mark: th-cam.com/video/EZh413JzAIY/w-d-xo.html
Thank you for the tour of Paris Springs!! The old garage by Paris springs church was my grandfather's! My grandparents also had a grocery store there just down the road!
You’re welcome! I definitely enjoyed visiting!!
It's been a while since I have seen Missouri ! Thank you ! I'm Irish but you will be glad to know I do not rob banks!!
😂😂😂 Good to know 😜
You get to meet some interesting characters. We’re lucky they are working to keep the history alive.
I agree! Glad they do it!
Living in Springfield Missouri we have visited most of these lil places. Love 5he old rock buildings. Spencer is my favorite.
Spencer is great! Such a fun area to visit!
My dad grew up in Southeastern, MO. I didn't know anything about route 66 until recently. Thank you for sharing
Nice! So much interesting history on Route 66 to go and explore!
Back in the eighties I used to live right next to route 66 and Interstate 44 in Pacific Missouri. I work at Six Flags over Mid America and I also worked at a historical restaurant on route 66 called The Red Cedar Inn. Great memories.
Nice! A lot of cool areas and history around there! Pacific seems like a neat little town too!
sounds interesting. I have a lot of great memories at six flags Magic Mountain here in the Los Angeles area.
I grew up in Springfield. Used to travel Route 66 to visit family in Golden City. Interesting trivia: Halltown was the last community in Missouri to install dial phones-in the mid 1970s! Before that if you stopped at a phone booth there you had to give the number you were calling to an operator.
I grew up in Tulsa but also went up to Golden City to visit relatives. My great great grandfather moved there about 1870 and we still have a few distant relatives there. We eat at cookies and visit graves.
Great video, I went to kindergarten and 1st grade in Halltown 68,69,went to Ashgrove till we moved to South Carolina in 76,good memories...
Did you live in a preachers home back then?
That was awesome. Used to travel those roads when I would take my family to Table Rock @ Shell Knob to camp 🏕! Instead of 44.
Thank you very much! I always try to travel the route instead of the main highway too!
Liking the old photo`s
Nice road trip! Its amazing how many little towns were in such small area. 1 mile, 3 miles, etc. Tfs
Yeah I noticed that the first time I went through in 2020 and it always stuck in my mind to go back and check it out more thoroughly!
My dads cousin owned a dairy farm in Halltown so I have a lot of great memories about there. Most of my family was from Ash Grove.
Nice! Seems like a great place to live! I enjoyed visiting!
I grew up in halltown and live there now.
Steve do you know Danny Lee Hendricks. His mother Laura Lee was my dads cousin.
@@bethhixon6320 yup I grew up and went to school with Wyatt
Small world. If you see Danny tell him hello.
The gas station in Albatross is no more. I remember filling up there.
Thank you for the video. I've taken this road about a hundred times or so for work, going from Springfield to Carthage. Lots of history and little cool things.
Thanks for watching! Love the name Albatross for a town!
Thank you, man! I've been traveling that stretch from Springfield to Carthage frequently since the 80s. I'm glad to know more about these landmarks.
Nice! It’s a very interesting stretch of road to me!
Ann? The former local DJ????
Famous road, much history,-" I got my kicks on route 66"!!!
Thank you I live in Seligman Missouri every summer I take motorcycle rides all over the state looking at all the history. Next summer I’ll take your route thank you
It’s a fun little trip - lots of history and cool things to check out. Thanks for watching!
Wandering around these lonely places with you is very entertaining.
Thank you! Glad to find other who enjoy it!
Thank you for this. These are the areas i grew up. Plew to plano is all one school district which has a 50 mile radius. When i grew up in the 70's and 80's there, all those little towns still had operating grocery stores.
Thank you very much! That’s such an interesting and historic area to grow up in! Would’ve been cool to drive that road in the 1970’s and compare to today!
I grew up in St.Louis, by all of my summers were spent [ somewhere] in the Ozarks. I really do miss the Ozarks.
Very cool video.
📻🙂
Thanks! I always enjoy this stretch of RT66 - lots of interesting history!
The old gas station at 39 and 96 (Rt 66) is known as Crossroads to us locals. I was born and raised just south of there in Mt. Vernon. Thanks for spotlighting the history.
Good to know thanks! It was fun to explore down that road!
Well even though it’s gone now (thanks Hood family) a lot of us will remember it as Don’s Crossroad. I delivered his morning Joplin Globe rack and he got a newspaper and I got a coffee and my restroom stop. God bless you Don and I miss you.
what a fascinating video. thank you for all the work and sharing.
It was a lot of fun to do! Thanks!
I may have to take that route on my next trip to Springfield. I enjoyed the video and how you give information about all the towns, Ill be definitely checking out more of your videos.
I appreciate that! It’s a very interesting drive with many neat things to check out! Thanks for watching!
I just subscribed awesome footage great videos brother love it if I can't go there in real life it's the next best thing it's like a grand World Tour
Thank you very much for subscribing! I appreciate it!
I remember all of those from my 2015 trip. So much history just sitting by the road waiting to tell it’s story. You did a great job of that today.
The original pavement was the best piece by far.
Thanks! Last time I went through there it was raining so it was nice to take my time and really explore them. That pavement at Spencer is great yes! Still in such great condition 95 years later!
@@TravelwithaWiseguy you should do one on the 66 sidewalk highway
Where is that located?
@@TravelwithaWiseguy
th-cam.com/video/11SzvsMqXuo/w-d-xo.html
Oh yeah I drove that the first time I did Route 66 but didn’t video. It would be an interesting one - very cool!
My wife is from Lockwood, Missouri and we go back there often from Illinois. Fun fact, her cousin lives in the house right across Route 66 from Yeakley Chapel. Her family is also buried in the cemetery behind it.
I live in the Ozarks & I have traveled most of The Mother Road, but not mid Missouri. Thanks to your fine video, I will drive up this summer or fall.
Awesome! I really enjoyed this part of the route! Enjoy your travels 😊
My experience with 66 dates back to 1963-67 when my Dad was stationed at Fort Leonard Wood. The Army gave us the option of a DOD school or they'd bus us up to Rolla to St. Patrick's elem. Myself and a bus load of kids made the drive to Rolla every school day. We also made some off duty drives up to around St.Louis or down around Springfield. I remember all the road signs advertising restaurants or motels off old 66. In particular one restaurant had many many billboards and if I remember correctly it was named The Hitching Post. Our family budget was tight so getting to actually eat out was pretty much a fantasy I indulged in. Then when my Dad returned from Vietnam in late 1966, my Mom went all out and planned a weekend in St.Louis where my Dad was due to arrive by train. All our best clothes were packed and my older brother drove me, my Mom and sister up there. His train was to arrive early afternoon and we parked in a pay lot at the train station. After a joyful platform reunion, we walked to the parking lot, only to find out our car had been broken into and all our stuff stolen, including extra money Mom had in her suitcase. The police questioned the lot attendant who witnessed two people break the window and he told the cops he figured they had just lost their keys!! Anyway, Dad was the calmest of all of us, though Mom was in tears. He calmly said we would just drive back to Fort Wood after going by the hotel to cancel our reservation. And wouldn't you know it...but on the way home Dad exited the highway onto old route 66 and we stopped at that Hitching Post restaurant!!!!!!!!!!!!! The place was fairly large inside but only a few other folks inside. White table cloths and all. I ordered a burger and fries, but the fries weren't salted at all, and to show how restaurant savvy I was, I spied a water-glass sized container of white crystals in the middle of the table and ended up making my fries inedible from all the sugar I poured all over them! I'm sure all those restaurants and motels are long since closed. I witnessed a similar debacle on Hwy 41 on the northern edge of Atlanta as it went through towns like Kennesaw and Marietta. There used to be a ton of motels along that stretch and north to Chattanooga before they completed the stretch of I-75 in the late 70's.
Wow what a story! Thanks for sharing!
Wow I just stumbled across your video and was amazed at the history tied in with it! We live about 20 miles from Route 66 and love riding to Spencer and Paris Junction and the surrounding areas. Hard to beat the Ozarks
Awesome! Such a cool place to live!
I too keep an eye out for older alignments of highways, I'm glad you have the eye as well. I mentioned and showed Old US-99 pavement on my December birthday ride.
As always, love your content.
Thanks! I definitely enjoy finding those historical roads and buildings while exploring. I always wonder what it was like 80 years ago!
We had to drive through there during bridge repair on highway 96. That poor small white dog is just chained up outside all the time. I never get to enjoy the view across the street because I am always hoping I will not see the dog but its always there. Great information on small towns I pass through and never knew much about them.
So I grew up near here, and know the area unlike few.
Avila, Rescue, Springtown, Halltown…all those towns affected by I-44 which diverted traffic away from the towns by up to 10 miles, whereas Mt. Vernon actually really benefited as I-44 went right thru it.
Such an interesting area. I’m sure it was nice to grow up in! I really loved learned about all those towns and seeing the history that still remains in many of them!
Grew up in Carthage, know this route well.
This was such an awesome video, thank you! (from Australia!)
Thank you very much! I appreciate you watching from Australia!
Nice footage....the drone shots really top it off.🙂👍👍
Thank you very much!
I grew up in Missouri and have taught Missouri history at the graduate level.
I watched your TH-cam post about the dichotomy during the Civil War MissouriMissouri’s two opposing views.
You are correct, here is a bit more history, concerning the climate of the state during the hostilities that pitted brother against brother. The The legislature redesigned the state seal.
If you look closely at the circular portion of the seal, you will see, wrapped around the main part of crest that it is surrounded at the bottom is a belt buckle.
The reason the belt buckle is, due to the divided state’s citizens, very much like today’s population division we are witnessing in America.
Missouri Government leaders stated, “If we so determine to leave the Union, we will merely unbuckle the belt and drop from the connections to the North.”
Just a piece of State’s history.
I enjoy your work, please continue with the excellent work.
I’m sorry, I hit send too early while proof reading before I intended to post my message. Please forgive me for and mechanical, grammar, or spelling errors?
The facts are accurate.
Very interesting and thank you for the information! Missouri certainly has a fascinating history, both good and bad, just like our country as a whole. I appreciate you watching my video and giving me more complete info! Thanks a lot!
at 8:41 Don's Crossroads Grocery is in Miller Missouri... was
You should do a story on Osceola, MO up on Truman Lake. It has a TON of history. Jim Lane and the Kansas Jayhawkers attacked in September of 1861. This basically started the "Border Wars" between Kansas and Missouri. They have a history museum with tons of info and relics.
Sounds very interesting! That time is a very fascinating time in our country’s history. Thanks!
@@TravelwithaWiseguy My cousin wrote a really cool song about the history of the area. His name is Randy Polson aka The Campfire Cowboy.
I remember all those little "towns" from the 1950s when we used to go from Springfield to Carthage to visit my dad's family. It was really Route 66 in those days. A major route across the states. I've never heard Yeakley pronounced the way you did. I've only heard it to rhyme with "Jake-ly". I have a grandmother, her parents and other assorted relatives buried in that cemetery. Thanks for the road trip.
I’m jealous you got to experience the real Route 66! And you’re probably right about the pronunciation of Yeakley - I didn’t see anything about how to say it in any of the info I read. Thanks!
@@TravelwithaWiseguy My grade school, Nichols Elementary, fronted on Route 66 at the west edge of Springfield. I spent many hours from 1952 to 1958 looking out the classroom window at the traffic on "the Main Street of America".
I love the old stone buildings in Missouri.
Like all the places you show
Thank you!
I really enjoyed your trip video of ghost towns along route 66 in MO from Springfield. I lived in Springfield and moved to San Bernardino, I now live on route 66 not far from the Blue Cut.
Thank you very much! You’ve lived in some cool places!
Lived in jop;lin, left 1 year before the twisters, Carthage has a very cool court house, very old. still has old elevator even with a operator! Now this was 17 years ago...
I’m a Springfield resident and have been here since I was born! What an interesting video ☺️ I think we just had a big Route 66 festival not too long ago
Thank you very much! I really enjoyed exploring the area and learning about its history! I bet that was a fun festival!
@@TravelwithaWiseguy I bet it was fun too I didn’t get to go lol but it’s something we have every year I believe
Back in the 50s our family had a farm in SE Missouri between the towns of Lutesville and Advance. I remember Advance had a grocery store that was very old and looked like a general store on the inside. It smelled like old wood and dill pickles. They had a "town square" that was actually a circle. Luthesville was bigger and a little more modern. I thought Advance was fascinating! I love old towns, and Missouri sure has plenty.
Sounds very interesting! Thanks for sharing!
My mom and dad also lived in Halltown, they had a church for a little while,
I lived in Plano in the 50's, I was told the big building on the north side of 66 there had been a casket factory. The rock building on the south side was a small store.
Awesome! I’m always fascinated by those buildings when driving through Plano. Thanks!
I live in the Springfield area though originally from CA. Most of my family lives in Dade County MO so I'm on that highway all the time. I've seen the buildings but havent paid much attention. I definitely need to check out most of that area. They are so many small towns similar in all parts of Missouri.
If you’re into history then it’s definitely a fun day trip to explore! Thanks for watching!
Man, thanks for all this! I wish there were a fund to put good roofs on some of these buildings so that future generations might see them much like they were.
I deliver propane and service telephone in halltown. Neat stuff. Both my bosses are born and raised. They have many stories about what it used to be like
Nice! Such an interesting area full of history. Thanks for watching and commenting!
Very well done video! You did this section well done!
Thank you! I’m not a Route 66 expert, but I love learning about its history and meeting people who are! Appreciate it!
This is awesome, I grew up traveling 66! My Great great grandparents lived at Spencer & Paris Sprngs. Great grandfather owned a as station across the side road from the Mason family's station which is still there "Gay Parita"!
Very cool! It’s a fun area to explore!
We're heading out to do the entire Route 66 in September. This video has been very informative! Thank you!
Thank you! I also did a whole series on Route 66 - you’ll love it!
@@TravelwithaWiseguy I saw just haven't gotten there yet.😃New subbies btw
Thanks for subscribing!!
Rose Bolanos.... if you're talking about September of 2023, when you're planning your trip..... I think you're going to be disappointed.
Hello from Miller Mo. Right there at the Albatross intersection of 39 and 96 at the gas station use to be a little restaurant I use to go to as a kid. The bar next door was built by my grandfather and my family worked it before relocating to Stockton.
I lived in Rescue for a short time in 1978.
Just less than a mile behind that old service station is the former grammar school that I attended in 1978.
When I lived there, a bar was beside the service station.
Nice! It’s an interesting little community to stop and check out. I should’ve gone and looked for the school!
@@TravelwithaWiseguy that's OK.
Unless you are very familiar with that area you wouldn't know about it.
Some of the very Best Bull Head Cat Dish were caught at that Bridge in Sponsor, Mo.
I drove from Ohio to Phx around Xmas 1968. Travelled good part on Rt 66. No I-44 back then!
Great road trip!
Really enjoy your videos!
I appreciate that! Thank you very much!
Born and raised in a tiny town in the ozarks, population 601. You truly do it justice. I've lived in Kansas city for the past 2o years. You should do a video comparing cities that are in 2 states, like KCMO and Kansas city, ks
@@sunniwoo1079 Interesting ideas! I love to visit border towns that are small. KC is interesting from one side to the other, but it's so big I wouldn't know where to start haha.
Like the Video. would like to see and know more about the buildings, what they were, what to day, and if anything is still inside......What is your next Video........................JB.
Tomorrow is some more Missouri ghost towns!
@@TravelwithaWiseguy on 66?
@@johnbrownlee7623 Not on 66, just SW Missouri - released it this morning.
@@TravelwithaWiseguy thanks....
I live in Asbury MO., population 210 It’s east of Carthage a mile from Kansas as a crow flies. Lots of history here. It was a pretty good size town at one time. It even had a bank, school, and Chevy car dealership. Bill Doolan of the Dalton gang, robbed our bank because he thought the plan the Daltons had to rob 2 banks at the same time was a bad idea, so he robbed our bank instead. He was right to not rob the 2 banks, but he did get caught just outside Joplin.
Great story! Such an interesting and wild time to live in a town like that! Thanks for sharing!
That, sir, was amazing. I always wanted to travel Rte 66 It's definitely part of my Bucket list. I guess the only concern I would have is knowing where the gas stations that ARE open! Doesn't look like a place you want to travel with a 1/4 tank of gas! Yikes!
Thank you very much! For the most part you can find gas all along the route because even though a lot of Route 66 is less traveled, it’s not far from main highways.
Nope, fill up at Carthage or Springfield, ok Halltown by i44. Albatross and Avila used to have stations, can jog north at Albatross and get gas at Miller, 2 or 3 miles. Coming home from Springfield I look forward to seeing the Crapduster at the Flying w just east Carthage, just turn right almost home. About 14 miles closer taking 96 to Springfield than dropping south and taking i44. Not much to offer travellers on this stretch, beer at Albatross, pop and candy at Phelps, hamburgers, wonderful fried mushrooms and cold beer at Avilla. Few miles west is the Circle E, ran by mennonites, baked goods and sandwiches, love the strawberry rhubarb turnovers. Coffee and donuts great.
I have a thing for picking places to eat, come meal time look at the parking lot. Look for pickup trucks and beater back and forth to work cars. If parking lot has new shiny cars in it keep driving. Ha.
That's been on mine too, I'm always fascinated by driving the old two lane highways and seeing all the old buildings and the businesses that are still in operation, sadly I'll never be able to do that but nice to dream about.☺️
If you get though Springfield IL,. Ya gotta see Motorheads Bar and Grill, 66 and Toronto Rd..He has all the old time stuff from our very historic town.
I’ve actually been there when I was on RT66 in 2020. Cool place!
Thats freaking awesome because I live in Avilla indiana. Born and raised. Lived in avilla for 40 years.
Reminds me of long ago when I was driving south toward Springfield, MO, a few miles north of the city was a small village. The name of it was Evert (I remember the sign on the highway with an arrow, and I remember thinking of the tennis player, Chris Evert). I thought at the time, wow what a scenic place; I would like to live there one day.
Year later, I was driving again toward Springfield. The sign was gone; so was the village. There is no mention anywhere that there was ever a village named Evert north of Springfield. Go figure.
Hey, getting close to home for me. Kinda missed Rock City. Also you didn't cover the old road just east of Kellogg lake, has an old motel. Also as my old buddy Corkey said Plew U. School house still standing.
Driven this stretch too many times, got the Circle E between Carthage and Avilla, the bar and grill in Avilla, the do have a wonderful hamburger and the fried mushrooms are to die for. KC obsolete in Phelps has a pop machine and maybe a candy bar. Restuarant at crossroads just west of Albatross is no more, have stopped at the bar at Albatross and wetted my whistle, hey, just one, I was driving. Heatonville, love the old garage, some trusses from Joplin truss which is at Rockville, would be a nice shop.
Stretch on 266 between 96 and springfield contains more lofted barns than any stretch of road I know of. Some are nice grand barns, others are just small barns with a hayloft.
Thanks for video.
Got to add, going to drive this stretch in a few hours, daughter lives in Springfield.
Hey you said 4 sections, I know of 3 sections over a mile long, several little bits just north of 96. Longest section i know of is between Brooklin heights and carterville. Then there is the ribbon road west of Miami Oklahoma, talk about narrow, it is narrow.
Awesome!
Thanks for pointing out local photo ops 👍
My pleasure! 😊
I like it that you kept in the be in the world but not of the world signs. Nice choice of music too.
Thank you! Appreciate you watching and the nice comment!
Grew up in north Missouri. Lots of tiny old towns
This summer my grandkids and I traveled (tried to) Route 66 from Missouri to California. The signage in Missouri for the Route is impossible! Forget trying to pick it up in Saint Louis and it doesn’t get any better throughout the state. Arizona by far has the easiest most signed Route.
I agree there are parts that are difficult to follow. I did my best to find online maps and buy a Route 66 book with specific directions to stay as close as I could.
@@TravelwithaWiseguy overall I enjoyed the trip, even with my mental breakdowns(lol). My grandkids, not so much.
@@medusagorgo5146 Haha! yeah the grandkids might not appreciate it as much :)
Ey up. As a Brit I had absolutely no idea what Missouri looks like. I never realized it was so flat.
Interesting tour down Route 66 and the villages en route. They're not too different in some ways to the forgotten places of a similar age here (though petrol stations feature more!)
And us Olde Englishe would spell plow as "plough" 😃
Very interesting! I’d love to go over and explore small towns in England someday! So much older and historic!
@@TravelwithaWiseguy
Mate, there's a story under every bloody rock here! Not big stories like battles and kings, but human scale stories like yours.
The house I was raised in was built in 1845 for the foreman of the local iron works (where they first invented malleable iron). 60 yards away is the Mercian cruck barn built sometime between 500ad and 850ad. Over the road is the church, built around 1100ad (the largest country church in England due to a historic quirk around Henry VIII) and in front of that, the preaching cross set up by the early missionaries around 900ad (or earlier?)
Over the hill is dad's village - Barlow - originally Barra's Hluw. A Hluw, or "low" that would have been the neolithic burial mounds of Barra - and down the valley is Unstone (Hunna's Toon) where the axe used to execute King Charles I was made.
That's just a fraction of the history within 30 mins walk of home. People history (no battles and stuff) everywhere on Europe mate. You'd love it.
OMG I lived in Strafford off I-44, exit 88! Route 66 was my street in Strafford, lol
Cool place to live!