Peppersauce Ghost Town

Bridge Crossing into East Calico aka Peppersauce Ghost Town

The highway north into central Missouri from Arkansas is full of twists and turns through mostly forested wilderness, and a mostly undiscovered history. It is here that quiet little ghost town attached to a living community sits quietly crumbling on the bluffs of the White River.

East Calico started like many towns of 1800s, as a trading post for French traders and trappers traveling the White River. Numerous little taverns appeared, and the site became home to various thieves, vagabonds, and other troublemakers indulging in “Peppersauce,” the local moonshine; along with that, prostitution, fist-brawls, knife fights and gun battles.

By the 1890s, homes had begun to appear along the bluffs, and a bit of a community started to form. The taverns continued serving though, making the town still a bit unfit for regular folks. News of the intent of the railroad to lay tracks along the bluff in 1902, and the promise of the associated prosperity, encouraged the law-abiding citizens to run the taverns and their patrons out.

In 1903, the train started making regular stops in Calico Rock, and homes and businesses sprang up, providing work for anyone looking. The town hosted a thriving community until the 1940s. A local electric plant closed when high tension lines came through, food and cotton harvests were replaced with cattle farms, and over-foresting silenced the timber mills; folks were forced to find work elsewhere. By the time the 1960s rolled around, the train no longer made stops there, everyone had moved on to other more sustainable destinations.

A few folks remained on the outskirts of town, and many locals still favored the spot for trout fishing, so the area was never completely abandoned. A new prison brought back a few residents in the late 1960s, but the once bustling town that had grown up east of Calico Creek remained empty, and a ghost town. The property was bought up over time, but many of the buildings collapsed, burned, or were overtaken by undergrowth; only about 20 buildings remain today.

... Further Reading …

East Calico Rock Historic District Ghost Town
Arkansas.com

Skyline Drive Archaeology

Constructed by local prison labor in 1903, Skyline Drive begins its gradual ascent halfway up the ridge, just a short 3 miles out of town by way of Highway US-50; only really a couple of thousand feet from town, by foot.

The narrow roller coaster ride along Skyline Drive

There are a couple of pullouts along the gradual ascent to the top. Visitors can take in views of YMCA Mountain and Fremont Peak to the west, and the Twin Mountains to the north, or inspect excellent rock exposures of the ridge itself, known to be fossiliferous.

Reaching the top, another pullout provides a full 360-degree view of the surrounding landscape; the previously mentioned mountains to the north and the west, and all of Cañon City to the east.

Cañon City from Skyline Drive

This panoramic view continues virtually uninterrupted for the remainder of the seemingly perilous one-mile roller coaster ride across the top of the ridge. There is not much room for error along this portion of the route, and no further pullouts until near the end of the ridge.

Near the end of the ridge, Skyline Drive switches back to the north and begins its gradual descent to the smaller “Hogbacks” separating the ridge from the town, switches back once more, then empties into a residential area.

Smaller Hogbacks below Skyline Drive

There have been numerous new dinosaur fossil finds along the ridge and Skyline Drive over the years, one as recent as 1999. While out for a Sunday drive in 1999, a paleontology student from the University of Colorado discovered dinosaur tracks along the ridgeline. They had apparently been visible for years, but to the untrained eye, just another bunch of rocks.

Closeup of the limestone along Skyline Drive

Excavating the ancient track lines during early 2000, a local crew took molds for display at the local Dinosaur Depot Museum, along with other fossils discovered at that time, including tree roots and branches. Most of the discoveries throughout the years are also on display there. Various signage along the route indicates the location of these finds and explain their history and relevance to the region in detail.