How Cody West Rescued—Almost Lost—and Recovered a Piece of Ozarks History
by Nathan Bechtold, republished with additions, from LakeExpo.com
It’s fair to say Cody West is obsessed with old things.
Last year, for his wife Emilee’s 40th birthday, they and a small group of friends dressed up in 40s (that is, 1940s) attire and lit up the town. If you had seen them, you would have thought they were the best-dressed people you’d seen in awhile. People dressed better in those days, and that’s one of the many reasons Cody loves old things. They seem richer, better, full of character, full of beauty, and full of stories.
That passion is what led Cody to restore one of the Lake area’s most famous roadside signs, preserving a legend that would have been lost to the weathering forces of time.
Cody had loved the Davis Baskets billboard since he was a teenager. After graduating from Camdenton High School, he moved to Dallas County and drove a lengthy commute to his job at the outlet mall. He recalls how much he loved seeing those famous billboards on Highway 54 pointing drivers to one of the most iconic and quirky retail shops the Lake has ever known.
Eastbound 54 coming into Camdenton was riddled with Davis Baskets signs: that memorable hillbilly head with a corn cob pipe and a golden crown beckoning travelers to come and see what they might find. A few of the boards still remain today, though the shop — founded by Delmar Davis in 1947 — closed for good in 2020.
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