Are "The Beverly Hillbillies" from Missouri? (Ozark, Branson: restaurant, mines)

[msitrainer]

Hello.
I am a native of Independence MO, Paul Henning's home town.
There are numerous mentions of old facts about the area surrounding Independence, MO. We do have someting besides Harry Truman here.
Pixley was a mining town about 3 miles NE of the square in Independence. It was near what is now known as the intersection of Hwy M-291 and Kentucky Rd. The main land mark there is the old Twin Drive in movie theater. (one of the few drive in's still in weekly operation in teh USA)

Some folks say that the farm where Paul Henning was born was in Pixley but I have never seen it proven. His family is buried in Independence. So are Jim Bridger, and Frank James, and Clarence Kelly and others.

"Possum Trot" was the original name of what is now known as Kansas City. Just 6 miles West on the trail head of the Santa Fe, California, and Oregon trails it started as a settlemnt and was siad to be "just a possum's trot" from Independence. These days Independence MO celebrates "Santa-Cali_Gon" days every Labor Day weekend.

Lick Skillit? There is an unusual name for a village, yet it is now known as Oak Grove, MO. It was the last stop on the trail "TO" Independence from the East. The wagons would stop at Lick Skillit (a term believed to mean sprucing things up in the wagon) before they rode into Ft. Sibley, now known as Ft. Osage. Ft. Sibley (Sibley was mentioned on the Hillbillies show more than once) was a "factory". In those days that was the description of a dry goods store since the proprietor "factored" the goods being purchased. (Can anyone think of a merchant that factored things...Sam Drucker?) Legend has it that there was at one time a "Drucker's Dry Goods" store in Independence though I can not certify that information.

In the episode where Granny was showing the big city doctor her cure for the common cold she hands an ingredient list to the doctor. He goes up the stairs and picks up the phone and makes a call: "Hello! Childer's Pharmacy? Yes, Petey this is...". Up until the 1980's one of the largest independent pharmacies in the area was "Petey Childer's Pharmacy" in Independence. Oh how I remember that nasty cherry flavored anti-biotic liquid that came from their delivery truck...YECH!"

I could go on. The Hillbillies never really said where they were from but I know that they were, in spirit, from the area around my home town...Independence MO and from the imagination of Paul Henning, cultivated at William Chrisman School in Independence.

Oh we also gave the world Ginger Rogers, too. The world's best spike heel wearing, backwards dancing star EVER!

And the building that the Sta-Puff Marshmallow man climbed in the Ghostbusters movie is just 6 miles west in Possum Trot. (Kansas City)

Come on over and we'll give you the dollar tour which will include a soda from Clinton's drug store.

All the best.

[Silvermouse]

Originally Posted by msitrainer

Hello.
I am a native of Independence MO, Paul Henning's home town.
There are numerous mentions of old facts about the area surrounding Independence, MO. We do have someting besides Harry Truman here.
Pixley was a mining town about 3 miles NE of the square in Independence. It was near what is now known as the intersection of Hwy M-291 and Kentucky Rd. The main land mark there is the old Twin Drive in movie theater. (one of the few drive in's still in weekly operation in teh USA)

Some folks say that the farm where Paul Henning was born was in Pixley but I have never seen it proven. His family is buried in Independence. So are Jim Bridger, and Frank James, and Clarence Kelly and others.

"Possum Trot" was the original name of what is now known as Kansas City. Just 6 miles West on the trail head of the Santa Fe, California, and Oregon trails it started as a settlemnt and was siad to be "just a possum's trot" from Independence. These days Independence MO celebrates "Santa-Cali_Gon" days every Labor Day weekend.

Lick Skillit? There is an unusual name for a village, yet it is now known as Oak Grove, MO. It was the last stop on the trail "TO" Independence from the East. The wagons would stop at Lick Skillit (a term believed to mean sprucing things up in the wagon) before they rode into Ft. Sibley, now known as Ft. Osage. Ft. Sibley (Sibley was mentioned on the Hillbillies show more than once) was a "factory". In those days that was the description of a dry goods store since the proprietor "factored" the goods being purchased. (Can anyone think of a merchant that factored things...Sam Drucker?) Legend has it that there was at one time a "Drucker's Dry Goods" store in Independence though I can not certify that information.

In the episode where Granny was showing the big city doctor her cure for the common cold she hands an ingredient list to the doctor. He goes up the stairs and picks up the phone and makes a call: "Hello! Childer's Pharmacy? Yes, Petey this is...". Up until the 1980's one of the largest independent pharmacies in the area was "Petey Childer's Pharmacy" in Independence. Oh how I remember that nasty cherry flavored anti-biotic liquid that came from their delivery truck...YECH!"

I could go on. The Hillbillies never really said where they were from but I know that they were, in spirit, from the area around my home town...Independence MO and from the imagination of Paul Henning, cultivated at William Chrisman School in Independence.

Oh we also gave the world Ginger Rogers, too. The world's best spike heel wearing, backwards dancing star EVER!

And the building that the Sta-Puff Marshmallow man climbed in the Ghostbusters movie is just 6 miles west in Possum Trot. (Kansas City)

Come on over and we'll give you the dollar tour which will include a soda from Clinton's drug store.

All the best.

That was all very interesting. Thanks for posting!

[midwesterner guy]

The previous post is right. Nobody really knows. This is what Wikipedia says:
(and Wiki is never wrong -- heh )

While Granny frequently mentioned that she was from Tennessee, the series never specified the state from which the Clampetts moved to California. However, they often referred to nearby towns such as Joplin, Branson, and Silver Dollar City, all of which are in southwest Missouri. Early episodes also contained several references to Eureka Springs, which is in northwest Arkansas.

[Nu2pomona]

Come and listen to a story about a man named Jed
A poor mountaineer, barely kept his family fed,
Then one day he was shootin at some food,
And up through the ground came a bubblin' crude.
Oil that is, black gold, Texas tea.
Well the first thing you know ol' Jed's a millionaire,
Kinfolk said Jed move away from there
Said Californy is the place you ought to be
So they loaded up the truck and moved to Beverly.
Hills, that is.
Swimmin pools, movie stars.
The Beverly Hillbillies!
Sung at the end of the show:
Well now its time to say good-bye to Jed and all his kin.
And they would like to thank you folks fer kindly droppin in.
You're all invited back again to this locality
To have a heapin helpin of their hospitality
Hillbilly that is. Set a spell. Take your shoes off. Y'all come back now, y'hear?

[Nu2pomona]

Another title for this song is "The Ballad Of Jed Clampett". The song was written by Paul Henning, the creator / producer of The Beverly Hillbillies (also creator / producer of Green Acres and Petticoat Junction), and performed by bluegrass artists Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs. It went to #44 on the music charts in 1962, the first year of the origional running of the series, which ran from 1962 to 1971.

[cali-grown]

Originally Posted by ajf131

Really...that explains I guess why it's called Beverly Hillbillies. I only know what my dad told me about the show...I figured it must take place in Southwest Missouri from what I heard about it.

Thanks for making me feel very old! Hard to believe you don't know anything about the show! TVLAND has reruns ya know. Check it out sometime!

They were from Tennessee by the way!

[kshe95girl]

Originally Posted by cali-grown

Thanks for making me feel very old! Hard to believe you don't know anything about the show! TVLAND has reruns ya know. Check it out sometime!

They were from Tennessee by the way!

Granny was the only one from Tennessee....

[jlawrence01]

The original vehicle of the Beverly Hillbillies is now housed at the museum at the University of the Ozarks.

[ajf131]

Originally Posted by cali-grown

Thanks for making me feel very old! Hard to believe you don't know anything about the show! TVLAND has reruns ya know. Check it out sometime!

They were from Tennessee by the way!

I'm only in my early '20s. Most people my age don't watch TVLAND. I've heard of the show, just not what it's about. Most of the stuff on TVLAND was either before my time or from when I was in early grade school and too young to understand or get into those shows.

[Wanderer0101]

I always thought a lot of the culture of Appalachia was imposed on a supposed Ozark origin for the Clampetts. Grew up in the area and it just doesn't quite mesh. No bubbling crude in the Ozarks either though there's some natural gas.