Bench had the vision to see it was the wave of the future. In a matter of weeks, his business had grown 2,000%. Today Chillicothe calls itself "The Home of Sliced Bread," and thinks of itself as, "The best thing since..."
If you ever tour Chillicothe and Livingston County, you will see that Bench's descendants have continued his vision. These folks are inventive, industrious and not afraid to take the road less traveled.
How many rural communities do you know that own their own railroad (a short line that serves the city's business park)? Or run their own electric utility? Or have a municipal airport with a new runway exactly long enough to accommodate private jets...just in case business executives might want to stop by to visit the town as a potential new site? Chillicothe—population: 8,968—has all that.
"We have a can-do attitude here," says civic booster and insurance man Ed Turner. A quick look around Livingston County in north-central Missouri shows Turner is right. A $2.3 million Fine Arts addition to the Chillicothe high school came largely from private donations. A new $2 million multipurpose building at the county fairgrounds...private donations. A new $3 million YMCA building...private donations.
This can-do attitude extends beyond the city limits to the countryside where farming is the foundation upon which Chillicothe and Livingston County were built.
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Ron Beetsma is a second generation Livingston County farmer. He and his brother Buddy farm about 6,500 acres with Ron's sons Brad and Ben. Ron will tell you that farming in the rich Grand River bottoms can be challenging: The river is out of its banks two or three times a year. While levees protect his farmland most years, in 1993 and 2007 floods devastated corn crops. Fortunately, last year's flooding occurred early enough that the Beetsmas could replant their corn ground with milo and salvage their season.
"This really is a good place to farm," Ron says. "It's centrally located, the markets in Kansas City are close and weather patterns are usually good."
During the 1980s farm depression, the farm foundation was a little shaky and the county made a concerted effort to diversify its economic base.
Two hours from Kansas City and three hours from Des Moines, Livingston County knew it had to be economically independent.
Its leaders developed a regional marketing plan to attract employers and residents to the area. It also sought to combine services to make the whole area more livable.
The strategy has worked. A regional hospital, Chillicothe's business park and several senior living complexes have helped unify the area.
Also in the 1980s, county government switched its revenue base from property taxes to a 1/2-cent sales tax. That may have helped farmers who were struggling at the time. It certainly created a steady source of income that grows as the county's businesses grow.
Livingston County Presiding Commissioner Eva Danner moved to the area in the early 1970s. She says the energy of its citizens and their willingness to work together make it a special place: "A community can have 30 leaders or 50 leaders, but unless the public gets behind them, you can't get much accomplished. One reason I love this community is that people aren't afraid to get out and work for what they believe in."
Nor are they afraid to take a chance on a new idea.
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FEATURED PROPERTIES IN THIS COUNTY FROM THE PROGRESSIVE FARMER REAL ESTATE DATABASE>> |
More info on the web:
Cooperative Extension, Livingston County
extension.missouri.edu/livingston/services.shtml
Livingston County Schools
http://missouri.hometownlocator.com/features/Cultural,class,school,scfips,29117.cfm
Chillicothe Area Chamber of Commerce
http://www.chillicothemo.com/
General County Information
http://www.livingstoncountymo.com/
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