Christmas Shopping In The Ozarks
Past And Present

by Ed Crabtree 

    The first twenty-three days of December, the Christmas shopping season, that time of the year that many of us set aside to seek out and procure that perfect holiday gift for family and friends. Years ago in the Ozarks the process of shopping, seeking bargains not available locally, involved making your way from the rural areas of the hill country, to the "Square" in Springfield when it was the premier shopping destination in the region. The more intrepid citizens of the Ozarks would drive a hundred miles to join with the residents of Springfield to peruse the variety of department and specialty stores that were located in the downtown district. Many of the stores having more purchasing power than the small town stores and passed the savings along to the customer, thereby making it attractive for those with a long list, to drive for hours just to shop.

      Remember when the buildings around the square like Heers' and Barth's as well as the other structures in old downtown Springfield seemed just as tall, to a young child of the Ozarks as big city skyscrapers? Perhaps you remember your folks dropping you off in front of theaters like the Fox, Landers or Gillioz to catch a Saturday afternoon matinee while they shopped. I remember these theaters as magical almost mystical places, the grandeur of a bygone era creating a ambiance that was so fascinating. Perhaps that part of Springfield now known as Park Central Square, brings to mind some other special memory for you from the days when it was simply known as "the square." Some reminisce about favorite eateries, some about certain long gone department stores, but whatever the case, many Ozarkers can recount fond memories of the center city area.

      In later years the Battlefield Mall replaced the square as the shopping destination of choice for folks from all over the Ozarks. How many of you readers remember when the "Mall" was a vacant field, how many of you remember when it was a long single hallway and on a slow day you could stand at one end and see acquaintances at the other end, when Sears was still downtown, and not at the west end of the mall, past the food court? How many of you from the outlying communities remember those seemingly too infrequent shopping expeditions to the Mall, when traveling to town was a great treat. Now we have additional shopping opportunities at the myriad of outlet malls and specialty retail stores across the Ozarks such as those found in Branson.

      "Destination" shopping and entertainment meccas such as Branson would not be nearly as attractive if it was not for the highway improvements that have been constantly underway for the last 70 years throughout Missouri. Rather than to travel the roads of the past many shoppers choose to patronize the small town stores, and not drive all the way to Springfield along the long and winding roads. When every small town business district was lined with buildings occupied by retail stores instead of flea markets, before the business people moved out to join the super center located alongside the bypass around town.

      The expressways we now enjoy between many cities in the central Ozarks replaced miles of winding roads that followed the old farm to market roads used by our predecessors. Consider Highway 65 between Springfield and Branson, which was at one time a 75-mile route that wound along the ridge tops, and now it has been shortened to a more direct, almost straight as an arrow, 45 mile four lane superhighway. If 65 were today as it was 40 years ago, just imagine the traffic nightmare that would exist along the route. Of course in those days Branson was not known as a Christmas shopping destination, in fact other than the businesses in historic old downtown Branson, most of the other retailers out on the now world famous 76 strip had already closed their doors for the year by the time most of us even start thinking about holiday purchasing.

      Some of you who are newcomers to the Ozarks have no idea of the circuitous route that 65 once was, others that moved away and only return home at Christmas or for summer vacation have probably forgotten that narrow two lane road that connected downtown Branson to points north. And for those of you who have never been here but are only "Ozarkers" at heart, bear with us for a few moments, allow the Ghost of Christmas Past from that classic work by Charles Dickens, "A Christmas Carol," to be our guide, and let us all take an imaginary journey together down Old 65 from Springfield to Branson as the road was 40 to 50 years ago.

      Let's begin our journey at the National Cemetery, a long familiar historic landmark in Springfield since its establishment in 1867, a beautiful resting place for veterans who gave their all for our country since the days of the Civil War. Forty to fifty years ago the stone walled and stately tree lined cemetery marked the southern edge of Springfield. Prior to the extension of Glenstone Avenue South and East to the James River in the late '50s, Sixty-five proceeded east along Seminole Street, to Lone Pine then south. The next historic landmark a traveler on 65 would have encountered was the Half-A-Hill Restaurant and Nightclub, how many of you remember that favorite of watering holes?

      From its construction in 1920 until it was razed in 1978 after a flood damaged the structure, Half-A-Hill was frequented by locals and all sorts of dignitaries and visiting stars from the music and movie industries, not to mention representatives of just about every class of students from area universities, during its 58 years of operation. Many musicians that later enjoyed national recognition, performed at the club, before going on to become a part of entertainment history in their own right. Moving on along the old route, Sequiota Park would be the next major point of interest along our retrospective journey.

      The cold-water spring flowing from the mouth of one of the caves at the park proved ideal for use as a hatchery for Rainbow Trout. From 1921 until 1959 the Missouri Department of Conservation raised and shipped thousands of Trout from the facility to cold water streams all over the state. After the completion of the Shepherd of the Hills facility at the base of Table Rock Dam operations at Sequiota were discontinued and the park was donated to the city of Springfield. For years the facility was mentioned in travel journals as one of the most beautiful and tranquil parks in the Midwest. The Ghost of Christmas past, our guide along this journey, would be quick to point out the generations of children who have played in the park, the young couples that strolled romantically arm in arm around the lake and returned years later with their own children and later their grandchildren for picnics and parties. Perhaps the ghost would show us scenes of the curious with adventure at heart who for a fee were treated with a boat ride along the subterranean stream in the cave at Sequiota years ago.

These tanks were once the home of Trout that were relocated to cold water streams throughout the State of Missouri.

      Just south of Sequiota was the town of Galloway, which was at one time a thriving community with general stores, churches, and even its own newspaper "The Galloway Herald." Like many of the small towns along our route Galloway also sported full service gas stations where the attendants not only pumped the gas for the motorist but also checked the oil and cleaned the windshield. Remember those days? Today Galloway has been annexed by Springfield and is home to several specialty stores with wonderful gifts and decorative accessories. When in Galloway if you take a minute to clear your mind and use your imagination, it is easy to look at the old road and visualize a time when '56 Chevys and '57 T Birds were late model cars, occupying the parking spaces in front of the old shops instead of SUVs and Mini Vans.

      From Galloway our route crossed the James river via the steel bridge that today serves as a pedestrian crossing over the river. Near the east end of the bridge there was a simple "Y" intersection where Highway 65 and 60 parted ways. This simple intersection at one time served the same function as the modern day cloverleaf at the junctions of the James River and Schoolcraft freeways. Sixty-five continued on south across the prime pasture land on the high ridge that separates the James and Finley rivers, and 60 turned eastward towards the mighty Missippi, connecting with cities, towns, and villages that lined its long route to the Atlantic Ocean.

      At Ozark our journey would have required us to use another historic steel bridge to cross the Finley River, this structure is adjacent to the equally historic mill, and dam, which remain standing to this day. After arriving in the city of Ozark proper, our ghostly guide representing Christmases of the past would be quick to point out the monument on Court house square, that denotes the location of the last of the hangings of the Bald Knobbers, especially to those of you who grew up as fans of western movies and serials, and always asked Santa for the latest in cowboy gear popularized by Roy Rogers or other heroes of the silver screen.

The Steel Bridge and old mill at Ozark.

     The next community along the old route was Selmore, which like many place names of Missouri towns is in itself a funny story. It seems that in the days before Rural Free Delivery by the postal service, an entrepreneur wishing the Post Office to be located in his store submitted several names for the community to the government, all of which were denied as they were already in use by other towns. He then submitted the name Selmore as that name embodied his hopes of selling more products in his store, and the name was accepted and thus the town of Selmore became a part of Ozark Folklore.

      At this point our journey takes a turn to the west instead of south as the modern day road leaves the Selmore area. Sixty-Five made its way to Highlandville and the old road that regular readers of the Message Tree know as the Wilderness Road. Following the road that has evolved from game and Indian Trails into a modern day expressway, the road that the Message Tree has featured in so many articles. Sixty-five made its way on south through Spokane and Windy City, which was so named as there was once a local storeowner who, well, as legend says was "windy" and liked to tell tall tales just like those of us who write for THE MESSAGE TREE.

      Our friendly ghost would tell us that fifty years ago highway 65 passed in front of the entrance of the Old Spanish Cave, which was then a working tourist attraction. Pressing on through Tauria to Reeds Spring Junction our sprit guide would then turn east along the Old Boston Road which we know as modern day 248, this portion of the route resembling a roller coaster ride as it twists and turns up and down over the ridge tops and finally arriving at downtown Branson.

      In those days gone by when the route described above was a principal highway, there were dozens of small Mom and Pop stores along the old road, many buildings still surviving after being converted into residences, some boarded up and abandoned. The sprit of past Christmases certainly would reveal to us as we viewed these roadside businesses the families that made their livelihood from selling locally made crafts and souvenirs to tourists in the summer, the small coffee shops, the general stores. When 65 was relocated to the present day route from Selmore to Branson all these were bypassed by progress, and most forced out due to lack of business when the tourists started following the new more direct highway. Today if you take time to drive the old road you can see structures along the way that were obviously commercial establishments at one time, a mute testimony to a once flourishing tourist route.

      On a recent Saturday I had the opportunity to drive the length of the infamous 76 strip in Branson, just a few days after the first snowfall of the Winter season, and was surprised to see motorists backed up for a couple of miles, just like summer time traffic, shoppers waiting just to get onto the parking lot of an outlet mall. Looking back into the recesses of my own memories of Branson, the scenes in my mind stood in sharp contrast to the one that I was witnessing in reality. Compared to my memories of Branson during Christmas seasons of the past, it just seemed so unusual to see that many shoppers on the "strip" with piles of snow remaining from where the parking lots had been cleared. Just a few short years ago, snow and ice would have remained on most lots in Branson, undisturbed until warmer weather melted the cold white stuff away.

      Yes times have changed dramatically, in those days, some folks drove four wheel drive vehicles just to get to town, now SUVs are the talk of the town. Shopping meant leaving the country and heading for the city and downtown, now we leave the city behind and head towards a rural destination in search of that perfect gift. And highway 65 was a two lane road that wound for miles around the hills instead of plowing straight through them.

      So the next time you are stuck in traffic waiting just to get to your favorite purveyor Christmas gifts, regardless of if you are in Branson, Springfield, or any other city in this great country, just imagine that the ghost of Christmas past is with you and allow him to take you back in time and experience what shopping was like all those years ago when you were a child full of wide eyed expectations, when everything to you seemed bigger than life. Remember when it was you and not your children, eagerly awaiting the morning of the 25th day of December, so that you could open all the presents under the tree, and then think about what your folks must have gone through while searching out that perfect gift.