Location

Eldon, Missouri

Eldon is a small town with strong family values, great community spirit, and an award winning school district, career center, and churches of nearly every denomination. The television show Petticoat Junction, which aired from 1963 to 1970, was based on the Burris Hotel that existed in this small railroad town in the midwest. Paul Henning, the producer and creator of the show, was married to the granddaughter of the owner of the hotel and often visited.

Located in the center of the state near both Lake of the Ozarks and Jefferson City, Eldon is less than a three hour drive from St. Louis, Kansas City, or Springfield. The city is lucky to have a host of civic and service organizations for seniors. Groups such as the Lions Club, Kiwanis, VFW, American Legion, and Chamber of Commerce are available, among many others. Lake Regional Health System Express Clinic and Rehab are just a couple of blocks away from Rock Island Village.

Lake of the Ozarks

Only 12 miles from Eldon is beautiful Lake of the Ozarks, a recreational lake created by impounding the Osage River in the northern part of the Ozarks in central Missouri. The surface area of the lake is 54,000 acres, with 1,150 miles of shoreline and the main channel of the Osage Arm stretching 92 miles from end to end. The lake’s serpentine shape has earned it the nickname “The Magic Dragon” and boasts numerous golf courses, resorts, restaurants, and tourist attractions of all kinds. The lake area is served by Lake Regional Hospital.

Jefferson City

Thirty miles to the northeast, Jefferson City is the capital of the State of Missouri. The city has two major hospital systems, Capital Region Medical Center and SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital. It is also the county seat of Cole County. Jefferson City is named for Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States and currently holds the title of America’s “Most Beautiful Small Town,” given by Rand McNally.

Rock Island Line and Trails

We are proud of the efforts in Eldon to develop the Rock Island Trail and even happier that it’s right in our backyard! Missouri Rock Island Trail, Inc. (MO-RIT) is a 501c3 non-profit coalition of citizens and communities dedicated to preserving the Rock Island Corridor and to building a hiking and biking trail.

In 2012, citizens in Gerald, Rosebud, Owensville, Bland, and Owensville formed the Meramec Regional Rock Island Coalition to investigate converting approximately 35 miles of the inactive Rock Island Corridor to a walking and biking trail. About the same time, citizens in Eldon organized the Eldon Task Force and obtained permission from MCRR to build a trail next to the railroad bed. Volunteers in Eldon removed 110 loads of trash and vegetation from the three mile corridor within the Eldon city limits in preparation for building a trail.