Arrow Rock

This is what shopping must have been like in the late 1800's in this area, and is still found in a few places such as Arrow Rock today. This photo was the winner of the Portraits Section of the Shutterbg/Nik Software Competition Warm Summer Days and Nights

Arrow RockMissouriState Historic Siteboardwalkshops

Lathrop, Missouri

A typical small town main street, wide enough to turn an ox cart, with a mix of buildings in use and unused, along with some empty lots. Banks nearly always are the largest and most solid buildings, and most towns have a water tower nearby.

LathropMissourismall townmain streetlandscape

Wamego, Kansas

Some towns have grown larger and taken over the services of small towns, and kept 'Main Street' more or less filled with a mixture of old and recent storefronts.

WamegoKansasOz Museummain streetlandscapesmall town

Hume, Missouri

Other towns have not faired as well. The center of Hume s built around a square but now the only buildings in good repair appear to be banks. However, towns like this have residential areas in better ccondition, Many small towns are becoming 'donuts' with an open or decaying center as services have moved to larger settlements.

HumeMissouristoresabandoned buildingsbankssmall towns

Helen's Place on Main Street, Spickard, Missouri

Helen's PlaceSpickardMissourismall townmain streetlandscapeabandoned stores

RogersTheater, Wamego

Many towns had theaters, but only a few, like this one, remain in good repair and in active use

Wamego. theaterRogerssmalltownKansas

The Rising Sun, Rich Hill, Missouri

Many theaters are like this one or have completely vanished from the downtown.

Rising SuntheaterRich HillMissourilandscapeabandoned

Paola, Kansas

Some towns have grown up around a central square housing, as in Paola's case a fine park, while in others administrative buildings such as county court houses

PaoloaKansasfountainsquare

Abandoned stoes, Mt Moriah, Missouri

Mt Moriah was never fortunate enough to pave its streets, and the ring of stores around the central park are all closed.

Mt MoriahMissouristoresabandoned stroes

Elevator at Levasy, missouri

Many town grew up around a railroad and grain elevators. This one is still in use as a feed mill, but not many continue to export grain. The railroad sidings are gone even though trains still pass by.

LevasyMissourielevatorfeed millrailroad

Downtown Rich Hill, Missouri

Rich Hill is named after its coal mining not the baseball player. Mining has long disappeared and the town is left with a decaying downtown shopping area buttressed on both end by quite large parks.

Rich HillMissouristorestheaterabatedmain street

Appleton City, Missouri

Once quite a center when coal mining was active in the area, it had one of the first public libraries in Missouri. Now even this elevator has been demolished.

Appleton CityMissourirailroadelevatorabandonedlandscape

Grain Elevator in Appleton City, Missouri

This other elevator in Appleton City has also now been demolished.

Appleton CityelevatorabandonedMissouri

sSores, Appleton City

Three of these stores have now been torn-down, and it is not clear that any buildings will replace them.

Appleton CityMissouristoresabandonedmain street

Enough said

Taken in Appleton City, Missouri, the store has now been demolished

SmileAppleton CityMissouristorefrontshop doordoorwayabandoned

Bunton, Missouri

Some towns are very small but with impressive store fronts. Not that this is any guarantee of survival.

BuntonMissouristoresabandoned

Sometimes when you go behind...

Back of an abandoned store in Appleton City, Missouri that has long disappeared.

D7C3445Rev4

Main Street, Wooldridge, Missouri

This is an extreme case of abandonment

WooldridgeMissouriabandonedstoresmain street