Turners Station Mercantile

Down in a shallow valley, just a few miles east of Springfield, Mo., the little community of Turners sits in quiet expectation. All that’s left of the once bustling town is Turners Station Mercantile, and while there’s no longer a train station, this one-stop shop still sees trains and visitors pass through almost every day.

In 1857, John and Edy Turner moved to the Ozarks from Tennessee and purchased the property. Today, seven generations later, Turner descendants still live on the land and run the store. Turners Station Mercantile was opened in 1889 and is operated today by Jill Elsey-Stoner and her daughter Candace Stoner, sixth and seventh generation Turner descendants. 

“I'm very conscious of where I stand everyday and of those who came before me,” said Elsey-Stoner. She has been running the store for over 20 years and has served many locals as well as celebrities and politicians. “We have all different types of people, walks of life, everybody.”

Elsey-Stoner recalled the changes the town has seen over the years. “The depot, the section houses are gone,” she said, “the school that was up on the hill, and the church is gone and pretty much we’re it.” She also explained that the mercantile’s current building is not the original from 1889. “My grandparents built this building in ‘23, the original wooden one burned.”

Only one photo still exists of the original mercantile, and it's on display inside the store. When construction on the current building began in 1923, rocks were gathered from the neighboring farms and were inlaid into the outside walls, further strengthening its ties to the community.

Turners Station houses an old-fashioned candy counter, a grocery and a deli in the back where customers can snag high-stacked, made-to-order sandwiches, sides and drinks. There’s also an official post office inside where locals still have their mail delivered. 

Some of the land was donated in 1882 for a train station and later proved to be a popular stop on the Frisco line. Trains still pass through several times a day, and their rattlings add to the days-gone-by atmosphere of the store. 

Outside, there’s seating on the front porch where customers can take in the view of passing trains and the surrounding cliff faces. There is additional picnic table seating around the back that looks out onto a wide, green lawn encircled by tree-lined foothills. 

Turners is an official Greene County historical site and was named the Springfield area’s Oldest Ongoing Business by the Springfield Business Journal in 2005. It is said to be Greene County’s oldest continually operated grocery. 

Turners Station Mercantile (6484 E. Farm Rd. 148, Turners) 

Facebook pages:

https://www.facebook.com/TurnersMO/

https://www.facebook.com/BestDeliSandwiches/

Turner’s Station Website

Turner’s Station history page