Visit the Real Camp Swampy from Beetle Bailey in Neosho, Missouri

In the far southwest corner of Missouri, the small town of Neosho is best known as the home of Camp Crowder, the real life prototype for Mort Walker's immortal Campy Swampy, home of Sarge and Beetle Bailey. This small, quiet town in the Missouri Ozarks is picturesque and has long been dubbed "The Flower Box City" due to the many blooms and blossoms that decorate the town during the summer season.

In the early 1940's, however, former farmland and woods were turned into a large Army post that opened just in time to train troops for World War II. The camp was named Camp Crowder, after Missouri general Enoch Crowder, and opened in one of the wettest, muddiest springs in history. The first troops on site trained in the mud and the new Army camp was soon nicknamed "Camp Swampy", something one of several later famous folk would preserve in his comic strip.

Mort Walker was just one of the famous folks who spent some of their Army time at Camp Crowder (which later became a Fort in the early 1950's). Other famous graduates of Camp Crowder include Rob Reiner, Dick Van Dyke (who once had an episode on his television program set at Camp Crowder), and musician Tillman Franks, manager of the late Johnny Horton along with other country music stars.

After the Fort was closed by the Army around 1960, the former Army Camp soon became the site of a junior college - Crowder College - and an industrial park where most of Neosho's major industries are housed. La-Z-Boy Midwest, Jarden (site of the former Sunbeam small appliance company) and Lohman Manufacturing are just a few of the industries that call the Crowder area home.

Crowder College is one of the most respected junior colleges in the state of Missouri. In the center of the campus that still features Army built buildings is a museum dedicated to Camp Crowder. Admission to the musuem located inside the Elsie Plaster Center is free and contains the largest collection of Camp Crowder memorbilia found anywhere. Other World War II era items are also featured.

There are more reasons to visit Neosho as well. This booming small town is also home to the nation's oldest National Fish Hatchery. Located on Park Street in a quiet neighborhood, the Neosho National Fish Hatchery has been part of the local scene since 1888. Visitors can stroll through the quiet park like setting, watch staff members feed the fish, enjoy a lecture by a volunteer from Friends of the Neosho Fish Hatchery Group or tour the small onsite visitors center. A new visitor center is in the works and will soon make visiting the nation's oldest national fish hatchery even more of a treat. Picnics can be held on the grounds as well.

A few blocks away, the Newton County Historical Museum is another place worth a visit. Housed in a former sheriff's home and local jail, the musuem holds three full floors of memormbilia. Within the musuem complex, visitors can also tour an authentic old-fashioned rural schoolhouse and a log cabin moved to the site from the original location.

Nearby, don't miss seeing the Greystone Apartments, formerly the Neosho Intermediate School and orignal high school built in 1916. The building is now senior housing. Another old building, the former Newton Hotel, is in the process of being remodeled into more senior housing.

Murals that depict Neosho and Newton County's history can be found within the Newton County Courthouse, centerpiece of the Historic Neosho Square and in the nearby Municipal Auditorium. Since Neosho is the hometown of noted artist Thomas Hart Benton, the city is big on murals.

Big Spring Park, the city's oldest public park still in use, is located just a few blocks from the Historic Neosho Square on Spring Street. This small but lovely park features the famous Big Spring where generations of early Neosho residents washed their clothing, playground equipment, a beautiful natural outdoor theater, a wading pool, and a fish pond. Big Spring Park now covers both sides of Spring Street and be sure to look for the ducks! The Neosho Area Chamber of Commerce is headquartered in the lovely old rock home above the fish pond and can provide detailed information to visitors about local and area attractions.

Neosho has several hotels and motels including The Big Spring Lodge, a Best Western, Boone's Lick Lodge, the Neosho Inn, Hearthland Lodge, vintage Plymouth Rock Motel and the Super 8 Motel. These motels are all near the major highway intersections of Business 71 and Highway 60, a short distance from the new four lane US 71 Highway. Restaurants and fast food locations are in the same area along with the Neosho Wal-Mart Super Center.

On the historic Neosho Square downtown visitors will find a variety of antique shops and other speciality shops offering unique merchandise in a setting that retains the charm of yesteryear.

Local non-chain restaurants that are great include El Charro, a fantastic Mexican restaurant with two locations, two Oriental food restaurants, Peking Garden and The Oriental House, Charley's Grill - an old fashioned hamburger and home food place and Big Daddy's, a home owned pizza buffet.

Neosho is filled with many vintage homes as well and the surrounding countryside is beautiful with Ozark scenery. Fishing and boating on Shoal Creek is another outdoors option.

Visiting Neosho is well worth taking a trip down the road less traveled and see the real Camp Swampy as well as so much more!