Its dark-stained wood floors have supported many a dancer’s shoes for more than a decade.
Built in 1919, the “Old Evans Barn” in the Elk Creek area of south-central Texas County still serves farm-related purposes on its bottom floor, but its upper floor was converted into a dance hall 14 years ago. Since then, Bill Evans has been hosting dancing get-togethers every Sunday.
“I open every show with a prayer,” Evans said. “It’s real family-oriented and it’s always like a family reunion.”
A familiar sign on the corner of Swisher Road and Highway H points the way to the unusual recreational venue. Inside, it’s decked out with plentiful décor consisting of memorabilia and photos from its own history and other country-oriented and old-time objects.
Evans spent 42 years as a long-haul driver for a local trucking company, and the barn’s dance floor is surrounded by numerous seats from big-rig cabs, along with dozens of vintage cushioned theater seats. A raised stage blends in nicely on one side, and attractive (but not overly bright) lighting adds to the overall unpolished but cozy atmosphere.
After humble beginnings with a basic dance floor, the barn has evolved into a much grander facility, with Evans adding on to all four sides to accommodate crowds and increase dancing space. Much of the interior decorating has been done by Bill’s wife, Marti.
“I like it real country and homey,” she said. “I’m up here a lot, and I figure even if nobody else enjoys it, I will.”
Evans, 77, was born and raised on the property where the barn sits. He has been playing guitar since the 1950s when he was in the Navy and “went around the world twice” in a submarine.
Over the years, Evans has played and sang at many churches and revivals around the Ozarks and beyond, and has also appeared on radio and a West Plains TV station.
“There ain’t many places around here where I ain’t played,” he said. “And I carried my guitar when I drove the truck and I stopped at 87 different churches and played on Sunday. I’d stop and ask them if they’d allow an old hillbilly out of Missouri to do a couple of songs, and they’d let me come in and sing.
“Only one church ever turned me down.”
His years of playing music on the road more or less led Evans to the barn makeover.
“I started to think that this would be an ideal family-oriented deal that I could have right here,” he said. “I started in on it, and people started coming. And the acoustics are absolutely perfect.”
Earlier this month, Evans traveled to Nashville and recorded his first-ever album, “Brush Arbor Revival.” It features 10 of the 30 gospel songs he has written over the past 25 to 30 years.
“The good Lord gave me every one of them,” he said. “I’m not a song writer.”
Evans is accompanied on the recording by 10 professional studio musicians and two female back-up singers. He wrote most of the songs while out on the road, and describes them as mostly “old hard lick” tunes.
“When you go to church these days, people don’t want to hear you tell them that if you don’t do things right you’re going to hell,” Evans said. “I’ve got it in my songs that way. The words have a lot of hard licks.”
The inspiration for many of Evans’ songs came from his experiences on the open road.
“One time when I was in New Mexico, a storm hit and it was so strong it shook the truck,” he said. “When it was over, I wrote a song about the end of the world.”
Besides playing his music, Evans stays busy by driving a Southern Missouri Transportation Services (SMTS) van. He got the chance to record an album when a friend heard some of his songs – a man who also happens to be the president of the West Plains-based International Country Gospel Music Association.
“He said, ‘what do you want to do with them?’” Evans said. “I said, ‘I’d like to get them published by someone who can do them.’ He said, ‘that’s you.’
“I never thought I would do something like that – especially at my age.”
Providing live music for square dancing and line dancing during Sunday events in the barn are a pair of bands that alternate each week: Evans’ own group, “Golden Country,” and Mountain Grove’s “Southern Edge.” Attendance often exceeds 50 and has been known to approach to 100.
Many people (including some age 90 and over) come from Texas, Howell and Wright counties, while others hail from as far away as St. Louis and Arkansas.
“If you ain’t got nobody to dance with, there will be somebody there to dance with you,” Evans said. “And there ain’t no fooling around – anybody can dance with anybody and not have to worry about it.”
The barn has been host to seven weddings. Weekly dance events also feature food, as many attendees bring dishes and Marti chips in with meat loaf, chicken-and-dumplings and other creations produced in a kitchen on the bottom floor of the barn (that Evans built specifically for that purpose).
“There’s one old lady who calls it ‘Little Ryan’s’ because of all the food,” Marti said.
The barn also hosts dance lessons on the first and third Thursdays of each month, with instruction provided primarily by experts from West Plains.
“People learn the line dances, two-steps and waltzes – we do all of them,” Evans said.
As long as he is able, Evans plans to keep Texas County’s barn dance headquarters going.
“I’m pretty happy with what the Lord has done with me in my lifetime and it’s just a dream come true to have a place like this,” he said. “I’ve come a long way for an old hillbilly.”
For information about dancing in the Old Evans Barn, call 417-962-4814.
Sunday dancing is from 1-4 p.m.; doors open at 11 a.m. and eating is at noon. For more information (including dance lessons), call 417-962-4814.
To see a gallery of photos taken inside the Old Evans Barn, click here: http://houstonherald.smugmug.com/The-Old-Evans-Barn/.
I started in on it, and people just started coming. And the acoustics are absolutely perfect.”