La Russell, Missouri: The Pump
An old, rusty, hand-powered water pump sticks from a concrete slab in the middle of a downtown La Russell intersection. The Pump is a beloved civic symbol, and the town has refused repeated suggestions to remove it.
- Address:
- 3rd St., La Russell, MO
- Directions:
- Downtown. At the intersection of Hwy U/Main St. and 3rd St.
- Admission:
- Free
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La Russell was founded in 1903. The community water pump was installed shortly thereafter, in the middle of Main St. The railroad depot has left, the roads were eventually paved, and Main St. has become part of a state highway. The Pump, however, remains, an anachronistic symbol of the town's pride and resiliency.
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The town has fought all attempts to evict The Pump, despite its bulls-eye location in the middle of Main St. During the holidays La Russell decorates The Pump with a wreath and twinkly lights.