Spencer, Missouri – Back to Life on 66
Nestled just west of Paris Springs Junction, a subtle detour off State Road 96 onto County Road N leads you south to Spencer, Missouri. This quaint locale, steeped in history and whispered tales, is a living testament to the enduring allure of Route 66.
As you make your way, the first sign of Spencer’s unique character is the 1923 one-lane steel truss bridge that gracefully spans Johnson Creek. Beyond this bridge lies the "town" of Spencer, a place where time seems to slow down, inviting visitors to explore its layered past and promising future.
A Genesis by the Creek
The story of Spencer begins in the 1860s, a period of growth and westward expansion across the United States. Along the old Carthage-Springfield Road, Oliver Johnson erected a mill beside the creek. This mill quickly became a popular rest stop for travelers, drawn to the promise of fresh flour and the tranquil setting of Johnson Creek.
Initially, the area was simply known as Johnson’s Mill. However, the community took on a new identity when a Mr. Spencer from Illinois established a store. This event marked a significant turning point, as a post office was established in 1868 and named Spencer, solidifying the town’s place on the map.
A Flourishing Village
The late 19th century saw Spencer blossom into a modest yet vibrant village. By the 1880s, it boasted not one, but two general stores, catering to the needs of residents and passersby. A schoolhouse stood as a beacon of knowledge, while a Methodist and Christian Church served as the spiritual heart of the community.
As word spread, more people were drawn to Spencer, leading to the establishment of a grocery store and a blacksmith shop. This period of prosperity, however, was not destined to last.
The Silence of a Ghost Town
The early 20th century brought challenges to Spencer. In 1907, the post office closed its doors, a sign of the dwindling activity in the area. By 1912, the road leading to Spencer had become impassable, effectively cutting the town off from the outside world.
With traffic grinding to a halt, businesses began to close, and residents moved on in search of new opportunities. Spencer, once a bustling village, gradually faded into a ghost town, its buildings standing as silent witnesses to a bygone era.
A Highway to Revival
The story of Spencer took an unexpected turn in 1925 when a man named Sydney Casey learned of plans for a new highway. Sensing an opportunity, Casey made a bold move, putting down a $50 deposit (and later making eight payments of $50 for a total of $500) for the old town of Spencer. His purchase included a vacant feed and seed store built in 1910, along with two acres of land.
As Route 66 was constructed through the area, Casey seized the moment, reopening the old feed and seed store. He aimed to supply the workers building the new highway, as well as the motorists who would soon be traveling along the newly poured concrete road.
The Rise of Casey’s Station
Casey soon realized that the old building required more repairs than he was willing to undertake. In 1926, he constructed a new building next to the existing store. By 1928, this had expanded into a row of buildings. On the left stood the store, while the middle structure served variously as a feed store, cafe, and barbershop. At the far right was a service station and garage. Casey’s service station began as a Tydol station but became a distributor for the Phillips 66 brand around 1938.
The Casey family ran both the store and the service station/garage, while various people operated the middle building over the years. Spencer soon became a community center and a traveler’s stopover. Dances were held on a platform across the highway, neighborhood news was exchanged from the bench in front of the store, and an old stove in the garage provided a comfortable gathering spot for card games.
Bypassed and Forgotten
The revival of Spencer was, unfortunately, short-lived. In 1961, Route 66 was realigned through the area with the new Highway 96, bypassing Spencer and nearby Paris Springs Junction. Shortly after, the store and gas station went out of business, a precursor to the rest of the area when I-44 bypassed Route 66 in southwest Missouri.
A Family Legacy
In 1985, Carl and Ruby Casey purchased the property from his mother and brothers and took residence in the family home behind the store buildings.
The row of vacant buildings sat empty and silent until, in 2007, they were purchased by Francis and Mary Lynn Ryan of Salina, Kansas. The Ryans obtained the property from Kent Casey, whose grandfather, Sydney Casey, first acquired the land in 1925. The property had remained in the Casey family for three generations up to this point.
Restoration and Renewal
The Ryans embarked on a mission to restore Spencer to its former glory. Over the years, they rebuilt the canopies in front of the Feed and Seed store and the gas station and garage while adding gas pumps, signs, and other memorabilia from their personal collection in front of and inside the buildings. In 2010, they rebuilt the roof over most of the building. The Ryans’ good friends Quentin and Cathy Stockham helped with the projects.
A New Chapter
In 2022, Ed Klein, who owns Route 66 World and has been doing preservation work on Route 66 since 2007, purchased the buildings from the Ryans. Klein has more plans in the works to restore all the buildings close to how they were back in the 1930s and 1940s, bringing yet more character to the forgotten town of Spencer. The concrete roadbed in front of the building row is some of the last of the original highway Route 66 surface still in use.
Today, Spencer stands as a testament to the resilience of small-town America and the enduring allure of Route 66. It’s a place where history comes alive, inviting visitors to step back in time and experience the spirit of a bygone era.
Continuing the Journey
From Spencer, Route 66 continues its journey by traveling northwest for about one mile before rejoining MO-96 and making its way westward another five miles to Heatonville.
Spencer, Missouri, is more than just a stop along the Mother Road; it’s a living, breathing piece of history, waiting to be discovered and appreciated by those who seek to connect with the past.