Have you ever been to Bluffton? Probably most of you have. As you travel Missouri 94 and enter Montgomery County, you will soon pass through this little bygone town, maybe without realizing it was there.
This was once a thriving little community, and the railroad, where my father-in-law worked, was an important part of holding it together. There are hardly any signs left now of the train depot, two stores, post office, blacksmith shop and school.
Also gone is the big dairy barn in the area, once owned by Elmer and Lula Gregory. They had a herd of Jersey cows, and one old mean Jersey bull. David said everyone knew not to get in the pasture where he was. There was once a scary time when the bull cornered Elmer up in the barn. He finally figured a way to escape.
When you look straight up the hill in front of you, you will be looking at the Grand Bluffs Conservation Area. Its towering bluffs rise 300 feet above the Missouri River floodplain. It is around a mile hike to the top, then a 2-mile trail leads you to a scenic overlook. The main entrance to the parking lot and trail is 0.3 miles off 94 and up Bluffton road.
People love the area here for different reasons. The area is special to me because of a special little baby boy that was born up on those Grand Bluffs many years ago. This week, we celebrated his birthday and we rode to the area doing what we love to do, just sharing memories and taking pictures.
After you pass through Bluffton on Missouri 94, you will see Steamboat Junction Campground, just around the corner. That takes you up on top of the hill where you will find an old cemetery, and not far from that, a few remnants of an old home. That's where David's mom and dad lived when he was born there at home. Home births weren't unusual in those days.
When David and I were first married, the little country store was still there. You could stop in for a sandwich or soda, as well as groceries and supplies. David tells that as a boy sometimes he would walk to the store from the school at lunch, and the owner would give him a soda and fix him a big braunschweiger sandwich. David's dad had a running tab there so he could, but David was a careful and thoughtful boy not to do it every day. And how do I know that? Because everyone that knew him as a little boy would tell me, "David was such a good little boy."
It was sad to see that part of his history torn down and bulldozed away.
Also, we just happened to be there the day they burned his old school down to make the parking lot for the Grand Bluffs visitors. It was a very sad day for him because he loved his school and teachers.
The little town and the area is chock-full of memories and stories David tells. We probably average a trip there every week. We'll just drive and talk about his childhood, neighbors and family. Then we'll drive on to Rhineland and Hermann for a picnic by the river.
Rhineland is right along 94, and it also looks different now. I have shopped at the two grocery stores that once were there. Some of the town was moved up on the hill because of the flooding. They also had the most popular dance hall in Central Missouri. David and I have played for dances there at the MoDoc years ago.
Years later, David's parents bought a house on up on a hill on Bluffton Road. A neighbor named Boss Finders was the first to have a TV in the area. He could get Channel 8, and David would sometimes go watch TV with him.
Our sons grew up hunting all over the area as well, and we all have lots of memories of back when David's family and friends owned most of the land there. We were free then to roam and hunt almost anywhere. There was a funny time when I was deer hunting on a hill on David's dad's land. David was back at their house and was holding our youngest son, baby Eric. I was all comfy watching quietly for a deer and listening to some goats in another pasture when I heard David yelling my name. He came running through the woods, packing Eric!
"What's wrong?" I asked.
He was almost in tears. He had heard those goats and thought I had fallen and was crying I suppose "Baa-a-a" sounds like "My back!"
He could, I could, and I imagine most of you could, write a book of interesting childhood memories.
We talked about his grandparents, who had a little house closer to the Missouri River. Sometimes, the river would get out and water would get in their house. Finally, they were tired of fighting it, so they moved to Bluffton. They bought a house right behind the grocery store. You probably guessed it. They woke up one morning and stepped into water around their bed. It was the great flood of 1951, and they were flooded once again. David remembers someone had a boat and was helping them pick up floating jars of canned vegetables.
This is the same home where David was going to surprise his grandma and start the fire in the stove. He put some wood in, then poured some coal oil in and it blew fire all over him. There were still coals under the ashes. Poor little guy got his hair burned off.
I'm out of space, but not out of stories. I just wanted to say "Happy Birthday" to my love and clue you in to some history of the town where he was born.