When I visit my sister in Missouri, my favorite thing to do is to drive around the country roads to see what I might find. It's usually beautiful views or picturesque barns and even an old fashioned mill on one drive. But, on this particular day, I found a little known Pioneer Village called Bakersville.
We were driving on a rutted, dirt road so coming across this little community was quite a surprise. Our curiosity got the best of us so we stopped to have a look around.
We examined the old buildings which all had an authentic look to them. We even got a close-up look at this old covered wagon. What we didn't see were any people. There was no one else around. We had the place all to ourselves. It was as though the place was an old deserted ghost town.
At one of the buildings we found was a Seed Store that was open so we went inside but mysteriously, there was no one attending the store. Since no one was available to ask questions, I had to do a little research about this place. Apparently the seed store actually does sell packets of seeds, mostly heirloom varieties but, usually during festival periods. In fact, it looked like the place has at least two big weekend festivals every year when the little town is humming with visitors and that flour mill is selling fresh bread.
The property sits on the site of an old homestead that was once owned by a family named Rippee. The family farmed the property for many, many years trading with the Osage Indians and caring for Civil War soldiers all while growing a large variety of crops.
So now this area stands as a legacy to a passing time. It's amazing the things you can find if you just take the time to travel a few back roads.