1 July 2002: Happy Hollow, Lawrenceburg, Billy Creek and Paris Springs

From the four way stop in Ash Grove I drove south on Greene County Hwy F and turned west at the first crossroad. Photo 1 was taken at 5100 N FR 9 at 14900 W FR 84; standing in Greene County looking west into Lawrence County with Dade County on the north (right). Distance 1.5 miles from Ash Grove.

Continued west to Greene County Farm Rd 1 and turned south. Sign "Greene County Maintenance Ends"...pavement ends and a dirt road (LC 2000) runs west. Photo 2.

Turned south on LC 1230 (Happy Hollow Road). Deserted house on right; who planted those trumpet shrubs that are nearly as tall as the house now and what did she store in the fruit cellar out back? Sorry the photo didn't come out.

Descent to Happy Hollow. Photo 3.

Creek in Happy Hollow. Photo 4.

Turned right on LC 2010 and left on MM. Paved with lines painted!! 6.4 miles from Ash Grove -- but not exactly a straight line!!.

South on MM past Snyder's Music Park (great annual bluegrass festivals held there) to Hwy Z.

Lawrenceburg Missouri on Hwy Z. Photo 5, Methodist Church. Photo 6, deserted house. There are other homes, a couple of businesses and structures.

South on Z from Lawrenceburg. Z curves to the left -- went straight. Continued south and west to Billy Creek (labeled as Bailey Creek on 1879 atlas.) When Great-grandmother, Mary Jane West Johnson, died, her death notice stated that she was the daughter of Isaac West on Billy Creek and the locals still know it by that name. Billy Creek, Photo 7 and Photo 8.

Continued south and west to Paris Springs. Wow!! The population has increased tremendously in the last two years. Changes around the Methodist Church shows how much the congregation has grown and how active they are. Mom and Dad would be pleased. Drove past the house that Grandpa William Oren Johnson built with his brother-in-law, John Gist. A woman was sitting on her patio at the old silent movie theatre, now a lovely home. On the chalk board behind her was "Mel's Place. Come on in." I stopped and walked up to the patio. She looked a little surprised. I mentioned the message on the chalk board and she laughed, "My grandson did that." When her parents bought the building back in the late forties the old posters advertising the silent movies were still on the walls. I mentioned my Johnson grandparents' house down the road but she hadn't known them. She did remember my grandmother's brother and his wife, Fate and Ola Berry Misemer. Living in the old Johnson house in the forties was Edie Blaisdell, a widow, who was a wonderful neighbor and made delicious tarts. Told Mel that he could tell his grandson that he had to erase the message on the chalkboard because folks were stopping by and ordering sandwiches.

Left Paris Springs and wandered north and east through country where a trip to the mailbox qualifies as a "commute" Photo 9.

Wondered how they ever got the wagons through this area in the 19th century. Photo 10

Developed respect for the notation found in the old Greene County Tennessee documents: "Michael Misemer appointed overseer of the road from Greenville to Lick Creek." Nature doesn't want these roads here. How hard was it with just an axe, a horse and a shovel? Photo 11 and Photo 12.

A small glade opens out -- something not quite natural about it. Wondered whose home once sat on this spot. Photo 13.

Heading north again. Photo 14.

Photo 1	Photo 2	Photo 3	Photo 4	Photo 5
Photo 6	Photo 7	Photo 8	Photo 9	Photo 10
Photo 11	Photo 12	Photo 13	Photo 14

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