5:21
A small, red hardback book tells us that around March 11, 1871, brothers Joseph and Andrew Rader packed up their families, left Tennessee and headed towards a new life in the Ozarks. For those watching the calendar, that day of departure may stand out. As of this month, it was 150 years ago.
The Raders traveled by train and wagon to reach their new home among the gentle, rolling hills of Webster County. There, a small town called Rader came to be alongside the river.
In the 150 years since, the town has nearly disappeared. But even though the stores are gone, and the blacksmith closed up shop, and the mill doesn’t turn any longer, and the birds once in the goose house have flown the coop, a landmark remains: The Rader Immanuel Lutheran Church.