Day-tripping in Webster County

Though the county isn’t without its fair share of attractions and events, it’s often the dose of small-town life that travelers are seeking.

“Most people’s lives are hectic, most people are working, trying to make ends meet,” says Lawrence Stevens, co-owner of The Dickey House Bed & Breakfast in Marshfield, where he says at least 20 percent of his guests escape Springfield for a weekend away. “They just like to get somewhere where they feel calm and laid back and can just breathe.”

Stevens and his wife, co-owner Michaelene, provide that getaway experience at The Dickey House, 331 S. Clay St., with its seven guest rooms, gardens and spa. The Stevenses offer Murder Mystery weekends for groups of guests to dress as characters and search for clues throughout the 98-year-old mansion and the city.

The county also lends itself to a handful of antique shops, such as Antique Mercantile in Marshfield and Wildwood Antique Mall in Rogersville, and mom-and-pop restaurants, such as Rogersville’s Hungry Fisherman and Speedy’s and Baldy’s cafés in Seymour.

“I think people are fascinated with small towns sometimes,” Baldy’s owner Brian West said. “We get a ton of people out this direction from Springfield.”

One of the area’s biggest draws is its reputation for Amish residents – something Seymour City Clerk Doylita McCormack says brings more day-trippers to Seymour than anything else.

“I would say probably seven or eight out of 10 calls are people inquiring about the Amish,” she said. “They come in busloads just to drive through the community.”

Shopping for Amish-made furniture is a popular activity, too, McCormack said, because it’s made well – and often by hand.

For visitors looking for small-town entertainment, Webster County has plenty to offer with many festivals, historic spots and natural attractions.

Seymour’s Apple Festival, held the second week of September, brings in more than 10,000 people over the course of three days, many from nearby communities, McCormack said. Live music, crafts, food contests and a parade light up the town every year.

Nearby Marshfield has a similar gathering with its annual Cherry Blossom Festival, held in April, and the Webster County Fair held there in July.

“(Marshfield) is laid back; it’s not that rush-rush kind of place,” said Pam Cook, executive secretary for the Marshfield Area Chamber of Commerce.

Also in Marshfield is the Webster County Historical Society, where visitors can do genealogy research, and Walnut Springs Farm, which Cook says is “seeped in history” with its ties to the Civil War.

Located just south of Marshfield is the Compton Hollow Conservation Area, 840 acres of forest for hiking or hunting.

Murphy Orchards on Highway 60 in Seymour also is a popular stop in Webster County, McCormack said. Visitors can pick up fresh peaches, apples, grapes, tomatoes, nectarines and strawberries. For more fresh food and crafts, Marshfield has a farmers’ market open from May to October every year.