Is Flossie’s Cafe a Clue?

I have a couple shots of a building that looks like a barn or dairy being torn down. They were on a roll of random shots, including some from Capaha Park pool, I think. At first glance, I thought they might have been taken west of the intersection of Hwy 25 and Hwy 61 in Jackson, based on railroad tracks and the bridge at the right of the picture. That doesn’t feel right, though. Click on the photos to make them larger.

Flossie’s Cafe and Frontier motel

When I blew up the frame to try to remove scratches and dust spots, I noticed the billboards at the far right of the frame. One of them says Flossie’s Cafe with a Pepsi logo and something about breakfast. In front of it is a sign with an arrow pointing to the left for Frontier, which I assume is a motel. It’s AAA-rated and has telephones and “Free ‘T.V.”

Elect Bill Rose and drink milk

This photo has several more clues. It has to be Cape County, because we’re supposed to “Re-elect Bill Rose,” a Democrat, for County Collector. Another billboard advertises Quality Dairy Products from Southeast Dairy. There’s a Texaco station up (down) the road.

So, where is this? It has railroad tracks in it, so Keith Robinson will probably not only know exactly where it is, but he’ll tell us who drove the spikes and the name of his dog.

 

 

25 Replies to “Is Flossie’s Cafe a Clue?”

  1. I believe the Frontier Motel was on the east side of Kingsway where the Blattner Building is now. Dairy Castle was next door. However, there was also motel on the other side of Kingshighway where Houchins Doughnuts is now located. Either way one of them was the Frontier but I can’t remember the name of the other motel.

  2. Missourian photographer Fred Lynch votes for Jackson. He sent me a clip that shows a bunch of “cornfield specialists” being honored at Flossie’s Cafe in Jackson.

    For the record, Joe McDowell, Route 4, Jackson, was the winner, with 187 bushels of corn per acre.

    1. OK, Fred Lynch provided the clue I needed. He pulled up a satellite photo and said the Texaco station is where Kidd’s is now. The Frontier Motel was where the Town House Inn is now.

      I was thinking the picture was shot looking west from the intersection of 61 and 25. It wasn’t. I was standing on South Hope Street (61 north) and shooting to the east. The building that is being torn down wasn’t a barn; it was part of a lumber yard. Now it’s just open space in front of Mario’s Pasta House and to the east of the St. Louis and Iron Mountain Railroad staging area.

      You can see the mill in the second aerial photo (marked Looking East) on a piece I did about Jackson High School.

  3. The Dairy Castle had great cherry & vanilla cokes; the jukebox in the tiny dining area had all the current pop tunes too. The good old days…

    Thanks.
    JJ, CHS class of 78

    1. I was a curb hop at the Dairy Castle in 1958-59. It was owned by Tom Meyer and run by Cody Musgraves (her husband was Dan). I think Lucy was the name of the other lady that cooked.

  4. Flossie’s Cafe was on top of the first hill on the right going south on 25 generally where Brugger Auto Sales is now. Frontier Motel I believe is now the Town House Motel on 61. The building being torn down appears to occupy the space on the southwest corner of 61/25/72/34 where Rhodes is now?

    1. I missed reading your posting before I posted. It sounds like you know for sure where Flossie’s was located. I yield to you.

      1. I’m not so sure about Flossie’s, but I am pretty sure I have identified the building being torn down. I was just thinking west instead of east. At least I got the town right.

  5. Check that on Rhodes. I think the only place you could get this shot would be if 61/34 was the bridge to the right of the building. The Texaco station I think is now where either Kids or Toys Tire is now. That would put this building where the St Louis Iron Mountain railroad building/Mario’s is now.

  6. Our wedding rehearsal dinner was at Flossie’s Cafe a “few” years ago. I’m pretty sure the Frontier Motel was where the Town House Inn is currently located and Flossie’s was on the other side of of the highway near the intersection in Jackson behind where Kidd’s gas station is currently located.

  7. VAN, I THINK THE MOTEL YOU WERE THINKING OF NEXT TO DAIRY CASTLE WAS SUNSET MOTEL AND I AM SURE THERE WAS A MOTEL WHERE HOUCH’S IS AND A KENTUCKY FRIED WAS AND I MAY BE WRONG BUT I THOUGHT IT HAD A NAME LIKE WEST MOUNT BUT I COULD BE VERY WRONG. MY FRIEND’S AUNT MANAGED IT AND I CAN FIND OUT WHEN I TALK TO HER AGAIN.

  8. Adding my 2 cents worth. Flossie’s definitely was in a small building where Kidd’s in Jackson is now. A Texaco station was also on that property for many years. Same building where Flossie’s was, later housed the Jackson Teen Center. Her restaurant was also located where the present Rhodes 101 is located. I think that was after the Kidd’s location. Old Froniter was definitly the present day Town House, on East Jackson Blvd. And yes, your pic was taken from the area where the Jackson fire station is today. Tom, I had forgotten that Flossie was also “on thr hill” on Hwy 25.
    I forget a lot as I get older, but some how these facts seem to stick in my mind.

  9. Thanks Darrell! Yeah my Dad and I used to stop there and get breakfast when it was up on the hill on 25 before we would head down to Duck Creek to fish. It’s where he showed me the ‘poor man’s pastry’. Buttered bread with sugar sprinkled on it. =)

  10. The mystery phots are in Jackson at the old highway 34 & 25/61 intersection. You are standing on the roadway shooting east at the northeast corner of that intersection. I don’t know about today but I think that is where you catch the Iron Mountain train and there is a gas station on that side.
    The other location mentioned was in Cape, close to the corner of Hopper Road and business 61. Looking toward Jackson on the right between Business 61 and Kingsway was Fred Brunke’s gas station, West Mount Motel (as Rose Farmer stated) and Diary Castle. On the left side starting at Hopper Road was the Sunset Motel. At one time I worked for Mr Sparks mowing and moving stuff. He also was responsible for the trailer court behind the motel. The motel is gone, the trailer court is still there!

  11. I should proof first not after I send-that’s Dairy Castle not Diary Castle. Also later there was also gas station added between Brunke’s gas station and West Mount Motel. I think it was a Rhoades.

  12. The hotel next to the Dairy Castle was the Sunset Motel I believe. The owners were the Williams. I helped out at the firework stand their son Greg operated there for a couple of years in the late 60s. Very nice people. I remember the sodas at the Dairy Queen were 8 oz (small), 12 oz (medium) and 16 oz (large). Today, small sodas usually start at 20 oz. Their hamburgers were 12 cents and the cheeseburgers were 16 cents if my memory is correct.

    Did the motel on the west side have shaded bungalows for rooms?

  13. In the 50’s and early 60’s, we would eat lunch at Flossie’s every Sunday after church with friends. The food was very good; would love to be able to eat at a cafe like her’s today – meat, vegetables and dessert. The Frontier Motel was where the jurors sequestered for a trial for Cape County stayed – my dad served on the jury for a murder trial and stayed at that motel. Just saying . . .

  14. Van, Rose and Bill, The West Mount Motel was where the bakery is now. Some of my parent’s friends, the Brumley’s, owned it. I believe their son was in Van and Brad’s (my husband) class.

  15. The first photo is at the Hiway 61 and Route 25 intersection, looking East. This is just about where the Jackson and Sotheran Railroad has the siding that they park the train on. The picture seems to have been shot on the East side of hiway 25, just North of Hiway 61. It has to be East because you can not see Kasten brick factory. If you shot the same picture today, the new train depot would be in the left side- end of the picture. As to where was “Flosies”, I have no idea. Alway great to see old photos of the area.

  16. Ken, I was away from my email for a little over 36 hours so I am late to the party. I recognized the location at first glance. Bill Stone nailed it completely, or should I say, SPIKED it completely. Rails have been in that location for nearly 150 years as part of the St Louis & Iron Mountain Railway.

    Bill also nailed the location in Cape, on the east side of Kingshighway; Diary Castle (with 7/$1.00 hamburger specials), Sunset Motel (featured on old color postcards), Fred Brunke’s Cities Service gas station. Directly across Kingshighway to the west was West Mount Motel (where my mom and dad spent their first night together on June 6, 1953, the day they were married. It’s pretty wild that they would later build two different houses just west off Hopper Road on Dorothy St.

  17. My husband says that the Jackson picture looks like the old Loose sawmill propert being torn down. That would be were the train station is now.

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