When we left Springfield, Missouri, we drove toward Tulsa, and my sister joined us for this short leg of the trip. We would stay overnight along the way, then meet up with her husband in Tulsa. Beth remembered an odd little village not too far out of our way that would offer some fun photo ops.
Old gas station.
Red Oak 2 s a fabricated small town just northeast of Carthage Missouri. It’s the brainchild of Lowell Davis, an artist who grew up in the real Red Oak, a few miles away. When he returned to his hometown in the 70s and found it to be a ghost town, he had an idea to recreate it. He bought land nearby and, bit by bit, bought and moved old houses and buildings to it. Some from the original Red Oak, some from elsewhere. He fixed them up, recreating a glossy version of the town of his youth. He invited other artists to purchase houses on the property, and now the place is an odd mix of Disney-bright western structures and artist residences.
Town hall and feed store.
There’s not any advertising about this place, other than a half-hearted website (www.redoakmissouri.com). Beth had heard about it from the proprietor of a B&B she and her husband stayed at in the area. When we arrived, we were heartened to see the bright colored buildings across a cornfield. And a large parking lot next to a red barn promised easy parking. But the parking lot was roped off, and we ended up having to disconnect our tow car and squeeze Bessie in through some narrow gates, parking on some grass.
Schoolyard merry-go-round.
There were a few groups of people with photographers, taking family portraits against cute western backdrops. But other than that, there was no one else in sight. No instructions for where to park, suggested donations, and any info about the place whatsoever. Just lots of cutely restored buildings – a town hall, general store, Phillips 66 gas station, a church, a school, and lots of interesting metal sculptures. There was a sign for a café, but it wasn’t open. And the general store’s doors were half open, but only a few items were in the large empty room. Some of the old houses were clearly lived in, with Keep Out signs that made us question whether it really was okay to go walking around the place.
Lowell Davis and his inventive water fountain.
I took a photo of a crazy pipe fountain in front of a residence, and then realized there was an old man sitting on the porch. I waved and commented on the fountain, and he lifted a hand. Only later when I did some research did I realize this was Lowell Davis himself.
This was an odd little intentional ghost town. Definitely set up for tourists, but not prepared to deal with them. The website says it’s open to the public, but on this beautiful spring Saturday afternoon, the only welcoming committee was a pack of loose dogs who ran at us, barking. Maybe by later this summer, this will be a real tourist attraction.