When David Messner was first thinking about the possibility of purchasing land, one of the main things that was high on the list was character. There is a lot of land available in the Ozarks but just because there is dirt doesn’t mean it has character. Rolling hills, streams, abundant wildlife, were all high on the list. He also knew that he wanted something close enough to a city that he wouldn’t be stranded in an emergency. He didn’t want to have an hour drive to get groceries, but he didn’t want to be next to a highway or be anywhere that a huge development could spring up around him and ruin the experience. But there was more than just character and location on David’s mind. He was also thinking about history. See, land has a story. Someone has owned it before you. And before them someone else owned it. Before anyone owned it, it was free and open. Maybe people walked and lived on that land for centuries before anyone was keeping track of who owned what. David knew that he wanted land that was more than woods and rocks. He wanted something that had a story. That combination of character, location, and story doesn’t come together often.