Stovall's Grove History.
The history of Stovall's Grove follows the great tradition of country and western music and that of Midwest Missouri . While the 1861 Union blockade of the Mississippi river at St. Louis divided the Southern confederates from the Northern union soldiers , out in rural Hollow Missouri, life continued in tough times , a simple wooden barn was constructed from local timber on todays current site. The barn was 200 yards from the tobacco barn on the west side of his property, and close to the fresh water spring across the creek. The site was a relay station for the old St. Louis and Jefferson City Stage Coach line, then in 1884 a post office for Hollow , Missouri until discontinued in 1904. The area has been called Dutch Hollow, Hollow, to todays Wildwood. Eventually, the site would evolve from a stage coach stop , to regular stop for civil war generals of both sides who would camp in the cool cover of the surrounding sycamore grove, to a watering hole for outlaw William Clarke Quantrill and his pro southern confederate guerillas , to post office, to Charley Pfaffrath's store and a tavern, to Hencken's Grocery Store with a nifty hitching post, to a post office, to the dance hall outbuilding of the Stovall's Grove Tavern, and finally, to the main tavern as it stands today.
Locals George and Mollie Stovall purchased the land in 1930s for their family of four: twins Delbert and Delmer, Hazel and Chester . Neighborhood stores function as supply store and taverns and within walking distance for locals or by horse cart. To the east, Gaeles Grove tavern , had house parties and dances with Robbie's Ramblers, at Wildhorse Creek road and 100/ Manchester, to the west, Hugos feed store and tavern had a nice place for farmers to gather sitting on feed sacks at a makeshift bar, on Old Manchester just past Bouquet Road, were nearby taverns, to name a few. Over at the Johnson Farm in St. Albans, Mae Head store had miscellaneous grocery, and Krienkamp's had a general store at Melrose road and Ossenfort road .
The Stovall family run tavern opened in 1935. George and Mollie hosted many house parties for area locals, and the dance hall out back was perfect for the many dances held. Country Music was taking the radio airwaves by storm. Legislation to improve roads made traveling by car more accessible and Stovalls sat right on Route 66. Nashville, Tennessee's radio program, Grand Old Opry, started in 1925, on station WSM. In the mid 1930's, Ralph Faster and his legendary radio station KWTO in Springfield, Missouri began airing live performances and syndicated to radio stations across the country, which would become the Ozark Jubilee. Broadcasts regularly showcased the folksy music of European , irish, celtic, scottish fiddle tunes, with traditional ballads and cowboy songs. "Barn Dance " shows gained popularity while Hollywood western began featuring the music of Bob Wills. Wills music was a mix of country and fledling jazz, the dance hall music would become western swing. Fresh from the war, young twins Delbert and Delmer brought their love of country western music to the Hollow neighborhood. Originally, the property included a wooden two story tavern and residence on the route 66 highway, with a large well, a dance hall/barn, two chicken houses, a spring, and a tobacco barn. The Family live on site with George and Mollie over the tavern store, Mollie brother, Little George, Chester and Hazel. Over the years, an outdoor barbecue screen house was added and smartly remodeled chicken houses became the homes of the twins and their wives. In 1959, a fire destroyed the original tavern and drained the well, leaving the small dance hall/ barn to continue the tavern business. The dance hall had a strong wooden floor supported by hairy timber beams, two wood burning stoves , benches along the walls, farm style windows that were propped open for ventilation, no indoor plumbing, an outhouse and a small bar at one end.
Locals George and Mollie Stovall purchased the land in 1930s for their family of four: twins Delbert and Delmer, Hazel and Chester . Neighborhood stores function as supply store and taverns and within walking distance for locals or by horse cart. To the east, Gaeles Grove tavern , had house parties and dances with Robbie's Ramblers, at Wildhorse Creek road and 100/ Manchester, to the west, Hugos feed store and tavern had a nice place for farmers to gather sitting on feed sacks at a makeshift bar, on Old Manchester just past Bouquet Road, were nearby taverns, to name a few. Over at the Johnson Farm in St. Albans, Mae Head store had miscellaneous grocery, and Krienkamp's had a general store at Melrose road and Ossenfort road .
The Stovall family run tavern opened in 1935. George and Mollie hosted many house parties for area locals, and the dance hall out back was perfect for the many dances held. Country Music was taking the radio airwaves by storm. Legislation to improve roads made traveling by car more accessible and Stovalls sat right on Route 66. Nashville, Tennessee's radio program, Grand Old Opry, started in 1925, on station WSM. In the mid 1930's, Ralph Faster and his legendary radio station KWTO in Springfield, Missouri began airing live performances and syndicated to radio stations across the country, which would become the Ozark Jubilee. Broadcasts regularly showcased the folksy music of European , irish, celtic, scottish fiddle tunes, with traditional ballads and cowboy songs. "Barn Dance " shows gained popularity while Hollywood western began featuring the music of Bob Wills. Wills music was a mix of country and fledling jazz, the dance hall music would become western swing. Fresh from the war, young twins Delbert and Delmer brought their love of country western music to the Hollow neighborhood. Originally, the property included a wooden two story tavern and residence on the route 66 highway, with a large well, a dance hall/barn, two chicken houses, a spring, and a tobacco barn. The Family live on site with George and Mollie over the tavern store, Mollie brother, Little George, Chester and Hazel. Over the years, an outdoor barbecue screen house was added and smartly remodeled chicken houses became the homes of the twins and their wives. In 1959, a fire destroyed the original tavern and drained the well, leaving the small dance hall/ barn to continue the tavern business. The dance hall had a strong wooden floor supported by hairy timber beams, two wood burning stoves , benches along the walls, farm style windows that were propped open for ventilation, no indoor plumbing, an outhouse and a small bar at one end.