Carthage, Missouri: Red Oak II - Transplanted Town

Local papers say that Lowell Davis died in late 2020, but Red Oak II looks like it is thriving. Delightful old buildings, cars, airplanes and art work, all presented with a sense of humor. Our favorites included the Red Oak Town Hall with a long bench for Republicans and a short one for Democrats, a complex fountain labeled "The Plumber's Nightmare/" made of dozens of pipes and water taps, and the Red Oak Child Care Center.

What a pleasant surprise. We decided to take a look at Red Oak II. Do take time to admire the architecture.

Red Oak II was the coolest part of our Route 66 trip across Missouri.

Although he is known around the world for his collector plates and farm-life figurines, Lowell Davis has spent over a decade working on a slightly larger canvas.

Lowell Davis has moved an entire pioneer Missouri town from its original site, 25 miles away, and reassembled it as Red Oak II. Heralded by roadside Burma Shave-style signs, the buildings there have been preserved as a credible replica of a crossroads town, circa 1929, and include an antique Phillips 66 gas station, a general store, a blacksmith's shop, a feed store, a town hall, a one-room school house, an old country church, and a cemetery.