Some folks claim the life of the town was directly connected to the life of the company. There’s not much testament as to why this town became abandoned after many prosperous years, but some speculation blames the Great Depression and the fact that it was a company town. It’s safe to say the local lore of Phenix has deep roots in Missouri. Another tale claims the duo eventually robbed a bank in Ashgrove- only a 10-minute drive from the old mining town. One tale describes a rivaling editor of the Neosho Times newspaper, stopped at Jollification, and local patrons retold their accounts of a Newton County lawyer indulging in the distilled spirits, bar fights, and calling his buddies to attend for a “jollification.”ĭrop pin locating the ghost town of Phenix, Mo.Īn interesting note is a few different tales, and sources here and here, that claim Bonnie Parker, of the infamous Bonnie and Clyde duo, attended elementary school in Phenix. The Isbell family, and possibly the enslaved people the family owned, built a distillery.Ĭensus and real estate records show a variety of people lived in and around Jollification. Jollification was established about 18 miles east of Neosho, around 40 acres of land purchased by the Isbell family according to these sources here, and here. Such is the case for the ghost towns of southwest Missouri, too. One thing is for certain, no matter the legend, many have their own version of the tale to tell.

In the Four State area, there are all kinds of local lore regarding the Spooklight, Hoffman’s Mansion, Devil’s Promenade Bridge, and the Ozark’s Blue Man. Even more so when the beginning of such mysteries can be dated over a century ago.

A common plight regarding local legends, lore, and tales is the lack of solid evidence they existed and a lot of hearsay about the stories’ origins.

Ghost towns in southwest missouri