General Stores

Discussion in 'Right of Way' started by John Sanders, Oct 2, 2012.

  1. John Sanders

    John Sanders Member

    While this is not a Frisco structure this general store was located in Mumford, Missouri from 1907 through the early 1960s about 200 feet from the Frisco (KCFS&M).

    It was located between Main Street and the Jones Spring stream about even with the present day 3-way stop at Greene County FR 144 and Mumford Drive. A co-worker was scanning family photos and showed this one to me. All she knew was the man on the right was her grandfather and that the store was somewhere around Springfield. We noticed the Coke sign had an owner's name, C O White, so a search revealed the store was at Mumford.

    Further information can be found at:

    http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~ozarkgal/countrystore.html

    Also see the link at the bottom of that web page.

    C. O. White & Grandpa Groesbeck.jpg
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jan 17, 2024
  2. Jim James

    Jim James Staff Member Staff Member

    That would be a fantastic modeling subject.

    The everyday details are abundant like the wiring leading to the porch, the television antenna and the signage. Love it.

    Thanks for sharing that jewel of a photo.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jan 17, 2024
  3. TAG1014 (Tom Galbraith RIP 7/15/2020)

    TAG1014 (Tom Galbraith RIP 7/15/2020) Passed Away July 15, 2020 Frisco.org Supporter

    Neat story John.

    Brings back a lot of memories! My dad grew up out east of town in that neighborhood and knew dozens of people out in there. My brother and I still own the family farm, near McCraw Ford where Missouri Highway 125 crosses James River and back a ways to the west. We passed C. O. White's many a time on the way out there.

    Seems like I dimly remember us stopping there for a Coke. The Frisco tracks were just a few yards through the woods and up the hill from Mumford. In my dad's youth, WW I to early 1920s, he rode the train sometimes from Turner into Springfield.

    There was a little flag stop up the hill from Mumford. He told me the name, but I don't remember it now. He said it had a little shed and a red flag and you could flag the train. The trains went fairly slow through there uphill northbound, with a big curve southbound.

    Also, I like anything written by Lucille Morris Upton. She was a long time friend of my folks and went to the Congregational Church on Benton where we did. When I started at the Post Office in the early 1960s, I used to see her at Hamby's restaurant with the other women reporters from the Springfield News & Leader.

    Tom G.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jan 17, 2024
  4. yardmaster

    yardmaster Administrator Staff Member Administrator Frisco.org Supporter

    John,

    This is a perfect modeling topic for anyone modeling the 1900-1960 era.

    And, the backstory goes a long way toward adding context to it. If one wishes to model a small, rural Frisco setting, this is the type of store that would go a long way toward establishing a sense of time and location.

    Best Regards,
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jan 17, 2024
  5. Oldguy

    Oldguy Member Frisco.org Supporter

    And as weathered as that building is, one doesn't see any nail holes showing through. Sorry, a pet peeve of mine.

    The one exception is on the edge of the rolled asphalt roofing on the porch.

    One could spend a lot of time picking up little details.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jan 17, 2024
  6. John Sanders

    John Sanders Member

    Attached is a current aerial view facing east of the approximate store site highlighted by the red rectangle.

    The link within the link in my first post shows two views of the store. The second view shows the narrow nature of the road passing between the store and the owner's house. Tom's note brings back memories of Sunday afternoon drives out that way. Being Sunday I don't think I ever saw the store open. I do remember being on that narrow section of road, hearing an air horn and seeing a flash of red up on the hill to the south. I need to build a model of this.

    Brad Slone and I were talking recently and neither one of us have a shortage of topics on our project list!

    John Sanders
     

    Attached Files:

    Last edited by a moderator: Jan 17, 2024
  7. mark

    mark Staff Member Staff Member

    Aerial view map posted should be rotated 90 degrees clockwise to put north at the top.

    Farm Road 144 is also know as (aka) East Catalpa Street. Mumford Drive is also known as South Farm Road 189.

    The former general store was located just southeast of the diagonal "T" intersection of the 1300 block of Mumford Drive South and the 4160 block of Farm Road 144 East (aka East Catalpa Street). Today there is a gated drive to a large private residence at 4160 on the south side of Jones Branch Creek at the location where the general store once stood.

    Just to the southeast of this location on the Willow Springs Subdivision, in a 90+ degree curve on the railroad, is Billy Goat Cut. This is just off the right edge of the aerial view. Billy Goat Cut is located just north of the intersection of East Oak Knoll Street and East Whitehall Drive. The confluence of Pearson Creek and its Jones Creek Branch is just to the northeast.

    In the summer of 1980 this was the site of the most expensive derailment in Frisco's history.

    Hope this helps.

    Thanks!

    Mark
     
  8. Iantha_Branch

    Iantha_Branch Member

    That's an excellent breakdown of the area there Mark.

    Not to derail (pun intended) the thread, but is there more information on that 1980 derailment somewhere?
     

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