Ozark Deer Farm - Roadside attraction was among several near the “Gateway to Lake of the Ozarks”

In the mid-1950s, the Krueger family established the Ozark Deer Farm south of Eldon in an area that was thriving with other roadside attractions. Benefitting from the traffic to and from Lake of the Ozarks, the business was sold in 1965 to Simeon and Margot Fedojan, who had emigrated from Germany years earlier. In the early 1970s, Doug and Sonja Campbell, son-in-law and daughter of the Fedojans, took over the business and renamed it Animal World. Over the years, many diverse animals were added to the attractions to include monkeys, bears, elk and parrots. Animal World caught fire in 1989, resulting in significant damage to the business and the death of many animals. Like many of the roadside attractions that were once located near or adjacent to Animal World, all that remains are ruins of buildings and memories. Courtesy of the Miller County Historical Society

In the book “Missouri: The Heart of the Nation,” the authors wrote “that the Lake of the Ozarks provided good fishing, beauty and little else until after World War II. Since 1950 the lake has become filled with powerboats, and a good portion of the 1,400 miles of shoreline has become a haven for individual cottages or large resorts.”

This boom in tourism to Mid-Missouri quickly influenced business developments in Eldon and surrounding areas. Savvy and foresighted entrepreneurs made benefit of the Lake traffic on U.S. Highway 54 to establish roadside attractions outside of Eldon such as the bygone Ozark Deer Farm.
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“I.J. Nickerson and wife to William O. Krueger and wife; A tract of land in Sec. 22, Twp. 41, R. 15, $10 and other valuable considerations,” reported The Miller County Sentinel on December 9, 1954.
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The land sale included property three miles southeast of Eldon near the intersections of U.S. Highway 54 and Highway 52. At the time, it had grown into a major tourist stop with the El Rancho Resort and the Ozark Reptile Gardens (the latter founded by Nickerson) serving as successful business anchors.

Situated next to Ozark Reptile Gardens, Krueger and his wife opened Ozark Deer Farm in a rock building constructed in 1955. They also placed billboards on the building advertising their gift shop and a variety of deer to be seen. Situated next to the Ozark Reptile Gardens, the business flourished as it became one of the beloved stops by those traveling to and from Lake of the Ozarks.

“Big ‘diggins’ going on now, across the Highway from Ozark Deer Farm,” The Advertiser explained on March 15, 1956. “The VanRipers of Penalosa, Kan., are erecting a Café, also their new residence to be followed by a tourist court and other buildings.”
   
The Eldon Chamber of Commerce began to market the city as the “Gateway to the Lake of the Ozarks” in the early 1950s. Building upon the proximity of the businesses already thriving outside of town, a few years later I.J. Nickerson erected a Nickerson Farms just to the north of the Ozark Deer Farm, adjacent to the Ozark Reptile Gardens.

Nickerson Farms became a popular roadside restaurant franchise throughout the Midwest. Situated along major roadways, they also sold gasoline and were a draw for many tourists to stop in the area and visit businesses such as the Ozark Deer Farm.

“Out at the Ozark Deer Farm they’re announcing the birth of twins,” explained the Miller County Autogram-Sentinel on June 13, 1957. “The twin fawns, both little bucks, will be known as Donder and Blizten. The twin birth was described as ‘very rare’ among deer in captivity.”

The Krueger family continued to operate the Ozark Deer Farm into the 1960s and soon received an unexpected honor. In 1963, it was nominated as one of the best tourist stops in the Midwest. Because of this recognition, the nationwide map service Travelmats featured the farm in their annual “Adventures in Traveling” map book.

However, the Krueger’s decided to move on to other endeavors and in 1965, sold the business and property to Simeon Fedojan and his wife, Margot. The Fedojan family had emigrated from their native Germany to the St. Louis area in 1950, eventually settling in the Eldon area in 1965.

One of the earliest changes they made to the farm was the addition of two monkeys named Topsy and Turvy. The popularity and diverse animal population of Ozark Deer Farms continued to earn them recognition as a regional attraction.

Point Breeze Resort at Osage Beach advertised in the Kansas City Star on April 18, 1971. They encouraged their readers to visit Lake of the Ozarks and noted they’d be “close to Bridal Cave, Ozark Deer Farm, Stark Caverns” and many other interesting attractions.

Margot Fedojan was 49 when she passed away in 1975. Her daughter Sonja and her husband, Doug Campbell, had taken over the business when she became ill four years earlier, eventually renaming it Animal World. The Campbells expanded upon the previous wildlife on display and added attractions like bears, a yak, elk and zebras.

“Members (of a Girl Scout troop) visited Animal World where they viewed animals and birds from six continents,” shared The Advertiser on July 19, 1979. “Everyone enjoyed petting, hand feeding the animals, pony rides and a macaw bird show at Parrot Palace Theatre.”

Sadly, a fire broke out at Animal World in early November 1989, gutting the building and killing animals including trained parrots and monkeys. Many of the other local businesses had by this time already closed since U.S. Highway 54 had moved when it expanded into four lanes, diverting traffic away from the area.

“Unlike big ‘fun’ corporate endeavors like Disney World or Busch Gardens, a true roadside attraction was a brainchild of an individual with a vision,” wrote Jane Stern for The Paris Review. She added, “Ignited by their own passions or obsessions, they invited the public in to see what they had devoted their life’s work to.”

The days of Lake of the Ozarks traffic and roadside attractions in a small area south of Eldon have long since come to an end. Nowadays, all that remains of Animal World and the early vision of business owners such as William Krueger are the deteriorating remains of a rock-framed sign surrounded by years of undergrowth, hiding both dreams and memories of past years.
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Jeremy P. Ämick is author of the historical compilations “Moments on the Moreau” and “Beyond the Moreau.”