The Chariton River brings rich soil into Missouri, providing the base of its fertile grass and farmlands. Look for corn, wheat, and soybeans growing in fields beside the road. At Pershing State Park, you’ll find blackbirds, meadowlarks, grosbeaks, and tanagers. Not far away, you’ll find the home of General John "Black Jack" Pershing, one of the nation’s highest ranked officers. See Prairie Mound School, where he taught in the mid 1880s, before moving on to West Point.