In nearby Carthage, Missouri, there is a small plot of land that represents the Civil War battle that took place in this area. Visitors can picnic on the grounds, which today are about as peaceful (sans the vehicle noise from nearby streets) as they can be following the horrendous sounds that must have emanated from the property in the 1800s. Lives were lost and many others affected by the battles that happened in Southwest Missouri. As a border state, and as an area that is close to the southern border of the sate, the war was hot here. While people would rather glamorize the battles at places like Gettysburg, let that not mean that the lives lost on this land are any the less valuable.
On a cool morning in the fall, I took the trail over the bluff and discovered the ruins of an old house that must have seen many things in its day. The sign here claims the trail should take 10 minutes to hike, but that is only because you must stop to pay homage to the folks who lived here, looking down upon the land below. The slow-moving creek provides another chance to reflect, not only upon the events of the 19th Century, but also the current events in one's life. If you visit, you won't invest much of your time here, but it will be time well spent.
