Heislers’ Heifer Highway

Kingsway Drive with Cape LaCroix Creek at top 1966Brothers David and Mark and I were talking about families who have lived on Kingsway Drive over the years. The Hales had a farm on the right side of the road as you were heading toward Jackson. Their pasture was right behind our house.

They were good about giving me permission to camp out in the hill behind us. It was far enough away that my buddies and I thought it was a big deal, but it was close enough that Mother and Dad could look out the window to see if we had set our tent on fire.

Where did the Heisler cows graze?

Cape Splash construction 04-22-2015The Hale barn was on the same side as their pasture, so I knew where their cows grazed, but where did the Heisler cows, with a barn on the left side of the road, munch grass?

Mark said they grazed across the highway, where the Osage Center is today. When Highway 61 was widened, the state put in a culvert that both drained the area and let the cows go from the barn to the pasture.

Based on the vintage aerial, I would say that the cow culvert would be approximately where it looks like Cape Splash is expanding. I was tight on time and there was some orange plastic fencing blocking off the area, so I can’t swear the culvert is gone, but I didn’t see it.

Of course, Mark COULD have been pulling our collective legs. He has been known to do that.

Wimpy’s in 1966

I stopped long enough to shoot one frame of Wimpy’s intersection in 1966. The shadows show that it was in the afternoon, and the leaves on the tree make it spring or summer. The parking lot is surprisingly empty, but it must have been full earlier because I can see scraps of paper spread all over it.

The Arena Park sign promises “Stock Car Racing Every Sat Nite.” (You can click on the photo to make it large enough to see if one of the cars belongs to you.)

Earlier stories and photos of Wimpy’s

 

Books and calendars available

At Lutheran Heritage Center and Museum still has a few of my calendars and photo books for sale. You can order them over the phone, but it’s worth a drive to Altenburg to see their new Christmas Tree exhibit. I’m told it’s even better than in past years.

The museum is free, interesting and has the friendliest staff and cleanest bathrooms you’ll every find. You also can order the publications by mail. They are $20 each. If you order more than one, the price for each additional copy drops to $15. Shipping and handling will run about $5 for a single copy (or as many as will fit in the mailer for that rate) if you can’t make it there in person.

Lutheran Heritage Center & Museum
P.O. Box 53
75 Church Street
Altenburg, Missouri 63732

Open Daily seven days a week: 10:00am – 4:00pm (Closed Christmas Day)

Telephone: 573-824-6070

Email: info@altenburgmuseum.org