Red Oak II General Store - Route 66
by Susan Rissi Tregoning
Title
Red Oak II General Store - Route 66
Artist
Susan Rissi Tregoning
Medium
Photograph - Photography
Description
The General Store at Red Oak II.
Red Oak II, Missoura, spelled with an "a" not an "i', was the artistic vision of nostalgic Americana artist Lowell Davis (1937-2020). He is sometimes called the "Norman Rockwell of Rural Art" since much of his artwork reflects what it was like to grow up in rural America along Route 66 during its heyday. While he is best known for his farm animal figurines, he also painted, sculpted, and created metal work.
Mr. Davis was saddened that the small rural Missouri Ozark communities of his youth, like his hometown of Red Oak, were becoming ghost towns. So he began collecting old buildings and moving them out to his farm, Foxfire, to restore.
What started as a few buildings in the middle of a cornfield eventually turned into a quaint and colorful early 1900s utopian village. So much more than just a collection of pretty empty buildings; it is a living museum and art exhibit with inhabited homes scattered throughout the town. The residents of Red Oak II are also adding to the collection, with more buildings, old cars, farm equipment, and even airplanes. Peppered throughout the village are some of Lowell Davis's metal art and paintings.
A Mother Road attraction, Red Oaks II, is located just east of Carthage, Missouri. A visit to Red Oaks II feels like a walk through the past in a village frozen in time. I thought maybe I had simultaneously died, gone to heaven, and found "my people", it's that good! LOL
Copyright 2022 Susan Rissi Tregoning
Uploaded
June 8th, 2022
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