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A Jasper County tradition that goes back 117 years continues this weekend with the annual Moss Springs Old Settlers Picnic.
This old fashioned family reunion, scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, is a throwback to the days before the Internet, cellular phones, even television and the interstate highways.
"It's pretty much stayed the same as it was when I was a kid," said Ruby Richmond, Carthage, a descendant of the Moss family who started the event in 1891.
"My dad, years ago, told me it used to be a three-day event where people brought picnic baskets and spent three days out there in fellowship, playing games and renewing friendships," Richmond said. "It always ended on Sunday with a church service."
This year the event is scheduled to start at 8 a.m., Saturday. After the invocation at 9:30 a.m., the games and contests begin.
A horseshoe pitching contest begins at 10 a.m. as does the baby contest.
"A lot of people come for the baby contest," Richmond said. "A lot of people greatly enjoy that. Hopefully it won't be too hot and we'll have lots of people bring lots of babies for the contest."
A magic contest, featuring magic by Sharon Carlisle, is slated for 11 a.m., then the contests and games for children and adults start.
The contests include boys and girls tug of war, a hula-hoop contest, bubblegum blowing contest, water balloon toss, terrapin races, a frog jumping contest.
Richmond said she remembers as a child starting to watch for turtles to enter in the turtle races as early as June.
"We'd keep them in the horse trough, then when the picnic rolled around, we'd pick the fastest turtle and enter him in the races," Richmond said. "We always had the tug of war and the biggest bubble contest. It was a lot of fun winning prizes. When I was a kid, I couldn't afford a bottle of pop, and I was pretty good at the jump-rope contest so when I'd win, I'd get a case of pop. We would drive to Joplin the next week to the Coca-Cola plant and I'd pick out my case of Coke or Seven-Up or whatever I wanted."
Richmond said things have changed in the last few years and the contest winners get cash prizes rather than gifts.
A Jasper County tradition that goes back 117 years continues this weekend with the annual Moss Springs Old Settlers Picnic.
This old fashioned family reunion, scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, is a throwback to the days before the Internet, cellular phones, even television and the interstate highways.
"It's pretty much stayed the same as it was when I was a kid," said Ruby Richmond, Carthage, a descendant of the Moss family who started the event in 1891.
"My dad, years ago, told me it used to be a three-day event where people brought picnic baskets and spent three days out there in fellowship, playing games and renewing friendships," Richmond said. "It always ended on Sunday with a church service."
This year the event is scheduled to start at 8 a.m., Saturday. After the invocation at 9:30 a.m., the games and contests begin.
A horseshoe pitching contest begins at 10 a.m. as does the baby contest.
"A lot of people come for the baby contest," Richmond said. "A lot of people greatly enjoy that. Hopefully it won't be too hot and we'll have lots of people bring lots of babies for the contest."
A magic contest, featuring magic by Sharon Carlisle, is slated for 11 a.m., then the contests and games for children and adults start.
The contests include boys and girls tug of war, a hula-hoop contest, bubblegum blowing contest, water balloon toss, terrapin races, a frog jumping contest.
Richmond said she remembers as a child starting to watch for turtles to enter in the turtle races as early as June.
"We'd keep them in the horse trough, then when the picnic rolled around, we'd pick the fastest turtle and enter him in the races," Richmond said. "We always had the tug of war and the biggest bubble contest. It was a lot of fun winning prizes. When I was a kid, I couldn't afford a bottle of pop, and I was pretty good at the jump-rope contest so when I'd win, I'd get a case of pop. We would drive to Joplin the next week to the Coca-Cola plant and I'd pick out my case of Coke or Seven-Up or whatever I wanted."
Richmond said things have changed in the last few years and the contest winners get cash prizes rather than gifts.
Richmond said she and other organizers spent last weekend at the grounds mowing, raking and getting them ready for their annual showcase.
The group has a Web site, www.oldsettlerpicnic.com, but it hasn't been updated since the Old Settlers Picnic 2007. Even though the listings and schedules are for last year's picnic, by clicking on the "events" button, people can get an idea of what kind of games and contests will be available on Saturday.
A church service is scheduled for 11 a.m. Sunday and people are invited to bring a covered dish and table service for a potluck lunch immediately after the service on the grounds.
The entire picnic is open to the public, not just members of the Moss family. Richmond said between 200 and 300 people have attended the event in the past.
Directions from Carthage:
Go south on U.S. Highway 71 past the I-44 interchange at Fidelity, then turn east on Burr Oak Road. Stay on it for two and a half miles as it jogs to the north, then to the south, and immediately after the turn to the south, turn east on Bobwhite Road.
