Poosey drive-through exhibits conservation efforts and local history

by Courtney Leeper, posted Nov. 2, 2011

The “Kingdom of Poosey,” was once a community between Grundy and Livingston counties in northwest Missouri. The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) purchased 5,863 acres of this land and converted it into Poosey Conservation Area.

Every year, the MDC sponsors the Poosey Fall Driving Tour to highlight conservation efforts being made in the area and commemorate the people that once lived in the hills. This year’s event, held the afternoon of October 16, marked the 25th drive through.

“The tour draws about 800 to 1,000 people every year and travels through what was the heart of the settlement,” said Phil Sneed, resource forester and area manager.

This year the first 200 visitors received rain gauges before embarking on the self-guided driving tour. Along the way, 14 different stops were pointed out which exhibited conservation efforts including: water quality, forest regeneration and management, invasive species control and prairie restoration.

The history of Poosey adds a unique aspect to this conservation area. Some stops along the tour showcased the people of Poosey, their lives and legends.

“The history of the area is still a part of what draws people to the tour, and the area, and at this year’s tour we will be highlighting some of that history,” Sneed said.

Throughout the tour, visitors traveled trails named for old settlement people and places. The tour took visitors through Wind Pump Holler, where settlers ran a sawmill, past the location of one of several stills, where certain Poosey men made whiskey, and up to Panther’s Den, the center of one of Poosey’s most infamous legends.

One exhibit featured photographs of Pooseyites and a hand drawn map of the settlement. Bob DeWitt, Poosey’s first area manager, was available at this exhibit to answer questions about the people of Poosey. DeWitt, manager from 1986 to 1997, organized the first Poosey Fall Driving Tour.

“It is satisfying to see how many people still come out every year to take a look at the area and learn a little bit about its history as well as our conservation management there,” DeWitt said.

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