Oct 3, 20213 min read

10/3/2021 Those Are The Days...

Yesterday was the annual Southwest Electric Co-op meeting. I attended long enough to give my proxy and pick up my gifts allotted to each member.

Southwest Electric Cooperative was founded in 1939 by local people who understood the needs of the rural communities. Today, they work to deliver affordable, reliable, and safe energy to parts of eleven counties in southwest Missouri totaling more than 42,000 services. They still continue to be led by the members as they belong to the communities they serve. A nine-member Board of Directors, elected by the members every year at the annual meeting, serve as the foundation of local control. Best idea as Members work for each other.

After business was taken care of at the Co-op meeting, we swung by Home Town Diner for breakfast. Now they serve some mighty fine country breakfasts. Surprise... The full order of biscuits & gravy is "4" biscuits!😳

We stopped at Wheatland's Settler's Village. It is thirteen authentic log cabins moved to Wheatland, Hickory Co. MO. from other locations within the county. The Hickory County Economic Development Council, Inc., a not-for-profit organization, and a group of volunteers began construction on this project in 1992. First, the log buildings had to be located in Hickory County and the surrounding area. Next, each building had to be disassembled at their original location and reassembled in Wheatland. This was not an easy undertaking, as each log and part of the structure had to be labeled as the building was taken apart, in order to reassemble the building using the original material and have it fit in the proper order. Not only were the logs numbered, but care had to be taken with the interior parts as they were reassembled also. Settler's Village also had a replica stagecoach relay station. The relay station was built from a photograph of an original relay station. The Butterfield Overland Mail ran from Tipton, MO through Wheatland, Missouri and on to San Francisco, California--a route of 2,790 miles. This operation took place from 1858 to 1860. By 1995, the Settler's Village was taking shape. Now houses, barns and corn cribs , a blacksmith shop and two guest cabins are in place in addition to the mail relay station. All buildings were graciously donated to the Wheatland, Pioneer Village. Dates are to the best of their knowledge and some are approximate. 1840 - Barn And Corn Crib - Elkton, MO. - Kenneth and Nadine Nutt (built by Jerome McCracken) 1848 - Stable and Corn Crib - St. Clair county, MO - George and Mary Beth Cauthon ( built by William and James Cauthon) 1850 - Akard Cabin - Fair Play, Polk County, MO - Raymond and Jacquetta Hensley 1858 - Carbin Cabin - Nemo, MO. Hickory County roads 260 and 401 - Maxine Carbin ( built by Benjamin F Fugate) 1860 - Corn Crib - Fristoe, Benton County, MO, east of U.S. Highway 65 - Darrell Beyer 1895 - Cabin - Hermitage, MO, U.S. Highway 54 and Hickory County road 182 - Clifford and Dana Peterson (built by Eric Peterson) 1900 - Blacksmith Shop - Roscoe, St. Clair County, MO - U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 1900 - Cabin - Weaubleau, MO. Hickory County roads 240 and 236 - Gerald and Trixie Vaniford 1920 - Guest Cabins - Geronimo Springs, Camden County, MO, U.S. Highway 54 and Little Niangua River - Juanita Kemp The Settler's Village represents the proud local and national heritage. Ancestors, who settled the raw country with only, a broadax, crosscut saw and other hand tools built their homes, and raised their families here in these and other homes like these. Some of the descendants from those families remain still in Hickory County, Missouri

Those who have left the area can return to see the pride we still hold for these strong spirited pioneers. Reflecting on the past gives courage to go on today.