Historic Hollow

Historic Hollow. This village was originally named "Deutsch Hollow" by the German settlers and for "Dutch" Charlie Paffrath, who purchased a property from Samuel Harris and opened a tavern on the much-traveled highway, Market Street (now Manchester Road), which connected St. Louis to the Capital in Jefferson City. This tavern, along with William Barthold's, another earlier settler, home and stables, were popular stopping places for travelers who camped out there during the California and Kansas migrations. Throughout the 1800s, Hollow had a store, blacksmith, carpenter, and tavern. It was also a relay point for the Jefferson City stagecoach line. Not much remains of the original settlement, except a few houses. , The original tavern was rebuilt in 1858 and became the historical dance hall and roadhouse, Stovall's Grove, which carries on as a well-known venue for live music. In 1849, the Hencken Family purchased land in Hollow and retained it for 100 years. The land for the Hollow School House was donated by Henry Hencken in 1869. Henry Hencken's home is now owned by the Wildwood Historical Society. In the mid-1900s, when the road carried more traffic, there were two general stores, one operated by the Hencken Brothers, and the other by Henry Poertner, a shoemaker, a harness maker, two blacksmiths, one operated by Joeseph Tieman, and a carpenter shop.