MISSING PERRY COUNTY. At this time of year, when winter really starts to sink its icy talons into Wisconsin, I often imagine that I am back in Missouri, south of St. Louis where I grew up, driving along that beautiful stretch of highway between St. Louis and Cape Girardeau.

Central to this very unique part of the world, with its nearly equal (and very strong) German and French influences, is Perry County (county seat: Perryville). Arguably the most scenic county in Missouri, from its western borders deep in the Ozark Highlands to its eastern margin along the Mississippi bluffs, Perry County is one of America's overlooked gems.

A lot of history is here too: at the height of the American Revolution, General George Rogers Clark defeated the British expeditionary force on Kaskaskia Island (legally a part of Illinois, and across the tiny St. Marys River at the county's northernmost edge); the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod was founded in Wittenberg by Saxon Lutheran immigrants who arrived in 1839; the infamous Tri-State Tornado, by far America's worst, traversed the county in 1925, completely leveling the farming community of Biehle; the floods of 1993 inundated vast vast acreages along the Mississippi, including my family friends' lifelong home of McBride. And for history buffs, that's just for starters.

Those enamored of more citified pleasures won't want to miss the famous Tower Rock Winery, between Altenburg and Frohna.

And then there's the ghost towns... Perry County is full of them. Especially worth visiting are Lithium, with its tiny mineral spring in what used to be the village park; Wittenberg, the "Zion on the Mississippi" of the old Saxon Lutherans; and others including Belgique, Seventysix, and Menfro.

Don't forget to stop at Al's Place in McBride and tell 'em I sent you.

Posted by Alois on

Comments

[Tani Bohnert]

Sie finden Perry County doll? Ich aber wurde hier geboren (zwischen Longtown und Uniontown a.k.a. Paitzdorf) und find' das Leben voellig langweilig. Mir hamm einfach nichts zu dun hier ausser saufen, und wenn man jung ist, ist's schwer! Tja, ich schaetz' man muss die Heimat verlassen um Sehnsucht fuer das Nest zu hamm.

[Alois]

Ich nehme an, dass es davon abhängt, was Sie mögen. Ich habe in New York und in Seattle gelebt und habe nicht vor, jemals in einer großen Stadt wieder zu leben (ich lebe zur Zeit in einem Dorf von 2000 Menschen).

Ich weiß, dass junge Leute finden, dass es hart in ländlichen Gebieten lebt; wenn Sie nach Aufregung suchen, werden Sie mit größerer Wahrscheinlichkeit nur Schwierigkeiten finden. Aber ich bin zu alt, um nach Aufregung jetzt zu suchen. ;-)))

Entschuldigen Sie bitte meine schlechten Deutschen auch. Warum bewegten Sie sich nach Deutschland? Ich bin neugierig.

[Lawrence Leslie]

I came across your blog while searching for information on the location of my mother's birth -- Seventy-Six, Missouri. Anything pertaining to that particular area that you could share with me would be greatly appreciated. I have visited the site several times, although the distance between the RR tracks and the river has probably diminished a lot, leaving little of the site to actually walk on. It's overgrown with brush and is swampy. Mom was born in the early 1920s and died in 1946 when I was 4 years old, so my history of her is extremely sketchy. Also, my dad preceeded her in death in 1944 during WWII, so he wasn't able to enlighten me about the time between 1920 and 1944.
Please don't consider this a request for any great amount of your time or effort, I am simply hoping that you may have information or sources that might be of interest to me.
And you're right, Perry county is beautiful.

[Alois]

Lawrence--

The last time I was in Seventy-Six was as a little boy, in the company of Al Munier (long deceased) who founded Al's Place in McBride. He was giving my father, my brother and I a tour of the ghost towns of Perry County. Unfortunately I have much more vivid memories of Wittenberg and especially of Lithium (which I have visited many times since then). I recall a block-long street with some abandoned flat-front buildings... the thing is, I'm not sure if that was Seventy-Six or Belgique.

I assume you're referring to the 1993 floods when you talk about the diminished distance between the tracks and the river. Most of the people in McBride left after '93 when the town was literally underwater.

You might want to stop at Al's Place (which is still going strong) and ask for Retta or Lois. Retta is Al's widow and she is 94 years old, but sharp as a tack. Lois is Retta's daughter and also knows a lot about Perry County and its history.

Sorry I couldn't be of more help...

[ERNST CLARY]

I LOVE SEVENTY SIX MO. I VISIT IT OFTEN EVEN THOUGH NOT MUCH EVIDENCE EXISTS IT WAS ONCE A THRIVING TOWN. MY FOREFATHERS WERE AMONG THOSE THAT PARTICIPATED IN ACTIVITIES THERE. I WAS THE LAST TO BE MARRIED THERE TO DATE. I AM ALWAYS TRAVELING THROUGH WITTENBERG-ALTENBERG-FROHNA-BRAZEAU-CROSSTOWN-APPLE CREEK- BIEHLE AREAS AND WOULD GLADLY TAKE PHOTOS OF GRAVE STONES -SITES ETC THAT WOULD INTREST FOLKS THAT DONT HAVE TIME OR OTHER REASONS TO VISIT THE AREA. I DO A LOT OF GENEOLOGY STUDY ON FOLKS OF THE AREA AND HAVE FOUND MOST OF THE FAMILIES HAVE TIES IN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER. FEEL FREE TO EMAIL ME. SEVENTY SIX ADMIRERS ARE MY KIND OF PEOPLE.

[Alois]

Ernst--

There was a town in Perry Co. called Claryville. I can't remember anything being there today. It's north of McBride on State 51, right before you cross the bridge into Illinois. I assume your forebears settled this place?

Thanks for writing.

[ERNST CLARY]

HI ALOIS- I AM UNDER THE SAME BELIEF, HOWEVER NOT MUCH RECORDS ARE AVAILABLE AND THE ONES THAT DO EXIST DONT SHOW THAT CONCLUSION. I KNOW ONE OF MY FOREFATHERS WAS LOCATED IN WITTENBERG IN THE EARLY 1800,S AND POSSIBLY MOVED UPSTREAM TO SETTLE THE AREA BUT NO RECORD OF IT. MY GREAT GRANDFATHER DROWNED IN THE MISSISSIPPI BETWEEN CLARYSVILLE AND SEVENTY SIX. I RECENTLY PURCHASED SOME PROPERTY IN FROHNA AND DO LOVE THE AREA AS WELL AS THE FOLK THERE. MY GRANDMA WAS FROM THE STUEVE FAMILY LINE MY GREAT GREAT GRANDPA PETER STUEVE WAS THE FIRST OF MY FAMILY TO MIGRATE FROM GERMANY TO SETTLE THE AREA. AND YOU ARE RIGHT CLARYSVILLE WAS RIGHT AT HIWAY 51 BEFORE CROSSING OVER THE CHESTER BRIDGE. THANKS FOR RESPONDING TO MY POST AND HOPE TO HEAR FROM YOU AGAIN. ERNST.

[Ken Biehle]

Just happened upon the exchanges here. You all probably know that there is a Perry County Historical Society that may have info on Seventy Six. If interested, I can tell you how to contact them.

My name whould indicate my connection to Perry County. Born and raised in Biehle til age 20; now retired in California.

[Reta Clements ( Nee Rhyne )]

I grew up at Seventy-Six, Mo.
I went to Seventy-Six school first and second grades,the school closed, I went to Brazeau school until May 1955.
Reta Clements

[Sally]

I am writing a book about the Crosstown Tonado of Sept. 22, 2006 and would like some history of Crosstown, Missouri and Redrock Road, County Road 350 (Redrock Road). It use to be a booming town in the late 1800's and early 1900's. Any info. you can give me about the slave house or the Bush/Jones Place would be of interest.