Red Oak II
Red Oak II is the creation of artist Lowell Davis, who’s family had pioneered the town of Red Oak. After success as an artist, he started moving his old home town to his farm 32 miles away creating Red Oak II. Lowell now lives in what he considers his “Masterpiece” in the Belle Starr house where the famous outlaw was raised. Red Oak II is located a few miles Northeast of Carthage Missouri, just off Route 66.
Red Oak II, a faithful reproduction of a small Missouri town, is the labor of love of one Lowell Davis. In the late 1980s, he began creating Red Oak II in an empty field not far from Carthage.
Davis grew up in the nearby town of Red Oak, and like many of us, witnessed and lamented some of the changes taking place in countless small communities in the boom years following the end of World War II.
So, he turned his artistic talents to the issue. Davis began procuring castoff buildings, moving them here, and sprucing them up. What you’ll see is nearly a complete town, minus the people and traffic you’d see if all of the buildings were inhabited and in use.
You’ll find a general store, blacksmith shop, service station, church, residences (some of which are now occupied), and much more. There’s even a cemetery to complete the picture.
Admission & Hours
Red Oak II does not have regular hours and is always open, and there is no admission charge, however Lowell does accept donations to help with the upkeep. Please keep in mind that this is private property and people live here, please respect their privacy and obey signs.
What to Photograph:
The list of items to photograph is very long and includes many old original buildings from the town of Red Oak, and the surrounding area including Route 66.
Some of the buildings include:
- Elmira School
- Red Oak II Cafe
- School Marm House
- Trolly Car Diner
- Feed and Seed Store
- Town Hall
- Bandstand
- Log Barn
- Blacksmith Shop
- General Store
- Woodshed
- Phillips 66 Gas Station
- Belle Star House
- The Birdsong
- Salem Country Church
- Marshall Hooker Cabin
- Marshall’s Office
In addition are many other structures and homes, lots of antique cars, and some of Lowell’s whimsical art work.
Best Time for Photographers:
Anytime is a good time here, there is enough variety and different angles to be able to shoot all day long.
Getting There:
Driving Directions
Take Hwy 96 east out of Carthage MO for 1 mile, you will see a lake on the right and Flyin’ W Convenience Store on the left. You will then see an old car on a post on the left side of the road, turn left here on Rd 130 and follow the signs to Red Oak II.
Maps:
Interactive Google Map
Use the map + – controls to zoom in and out, click and drag the to move the map, use the Map drop-down to change to “Map”, “Satellite”, “Hybrid”, or “Terrain” views. Drag the little man icon from the upper left corner to a map location for street level view.
Location Contact Information:
County Loop 122, Kafir Rd
Links
Nearest City or Town:
Carthage MO
Red Oak II Photo Gallery
Click Here for full page gallery
More Photographic Destinations in Missouri:
Interactive Google Map
Use the map + – controls to zoom in and out, use the Map drop-down to change to “Map”, “Satellite”, “Hybrid”, or “Terrain” views. Drag the little man icon from the upper left corner to a map location for street level view. Click on a pushpin for more information about the Photographic Destination, then click on the title to go to the location page.
Click Here for Photographic Destinations by State
Great Places for Great Photos
Let me help you to find a great location for your next photography adventure. I will list many lesser-known destinations, as well as the famous "Icon Locations" for photography. I will provide photos (Lots of Photos), location information, consisting of what there is to photograph as well as other information about the destination. I will give costs, maps, directions, contact information, and other essential information for a successful photo trip. I will only post for locations that I have personally photographed to ensure a quality guide to great locations for photography. If you know of great places that are not posted, please send me the details, I may just decide that is a place I need to go!
Greg Disch is a freelance photographer located in Arkansas. Greg specializes in nature, scenic, wildlife, and other outdoor subjects in Arkansas and other areas of the country. Most of the images on this site are available for sale as prints, personal use, or rights managed stock photos.
Greg offers both classroom instruction and in the field hands on photographic workshops. Classroom sessions are normally held in Fort Smith Arkansas, but arrangements can be made to bring a class to your group.
All classes and workshops have small class sizes designed to provide an optimum student to instructor ratio, where you can get the personal attention, you need. Most classes and workshops are limited to a maximum of six participants and will be held with a minimum of only two.
If you are looking for a wonderful opportunity to get personal individual instruction, I do private workshops and classes at a location of your choice, whether doing a location photo shoot, coming to your home or business, traveling across the country on a road trip, or at my classroom. This is a fantastic way to learn digital workflow and be sure that your computer equipment is properly configured for optimum performance.
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