A wrinkle in time

May 6, 2020

A 1910 postcard depicts a familiar Barry County landmark, McMurtry Spring, located two miles south of Cassville on the west side of Highway 37. Along what was then called the Old Wire Road, the spring was a stopping point on the Trail of Tears and for Union and Confederate troops during the Civil War.

This photo was taken after the spring was enclosed with concrete, prior to construction of a new spring house. Although McMurtry Spring is often referred to as the headwaters of Flat Creek, hydrological surveys indicate the creek begins a bit farther to the southwest. Photos courtesy of Barry County Museum.