I live in St. Louis, but I'm looking at this cabin southwest of Fredericktown for weekends. I've been interested in this area since I found it. It's about 8 miles on Highway E, then right on county road 511. It's near Lower Rock Creek/Cathedral Canyon. I stopped by to look at it yesterday, and afterward I talked to a nearby farmer and asked if they had a lot of problems with thievery since a lot of the cabins aren't lived in full time. He said a sheriff's deputy lives full time on the road, so there weren't really any problems. Just curious if anyone lived in the area and had any further thoughts. Of course I'd have the well and septic system inspected before I bought.

Riverfront cabin

Wow that is like maybe 20 mins from me, and like 15 mins from where we camp at...  Much less as the Crow flies...

I'd say he is pretty accurate...  I mean we have some crime here and there, but the outskirt areas like you're  looking at are pretty quite and safe...

That is a pretty cool Summer/Weekend/Vaca Spot...

You are out in the country but less than 20 min or so from town...  Where you have quick access to  Walmart, Gas stations, McDonalds, Lil Ceasers, 2 hardware and 2 feed stores, a small Hospital/Med Clinic, etc...  
Farmington is about 30 mins up the road and they have pretty much anything you'd need...
More importantly Now your in range or Cedar Falls Tactical...  My favorite Gun store within 2+ hour drive of me..

I'll warn ya though, If you get the cabin and bring the family down, the only problem you'll have is getting them to go back to St. Louis at the end of the weekend.

I hope the water there is deep enough for good swimming, that would be so cool..
If not, you can always go to SilverMines or one of the other Swimming areas...

That area back off those roads offa E are really pretty and get really rural...  Lots of woods and farms...  
Aside from Internet and Cell Phone Signal its the perfect place to get away or live even...

Also, there a decent Gun Club with a 300 Yard Range with all kinds of competitions.  You actually pass it on the way down.
I used to drive down to our cabin in ParkHills/Holiday Shores for the weekend and spend Sat and Sun over at the range, then go back to the Cabin to Swim in the lake, Grill up some steaks, have a few drinks and lay in the hammock!!!

Still do all that, just don't have to drive all the way back now...

Lemme know if you need help with the area, I'll see what I can do....  There are a few other MoHTF guys down here too...

Good luck and keep us posted.

Awesomesauce. I'm going to try to get down later this week with the realtor to see the inside.

I’m about 25 minutes north of there. I frequent the Fredericktown area quite a bit. Lots of outdoor stuff to do in the area. Pretty sure they have some hogs in that neck of the woods.

I have a riverfront cabin in Madison County.  Although I love it and can't fathom selling it, let tell you the bad parts.

1.  It will get broken into or you will have something stolen period.  I don't care about the deputy on the road, thievery or burglary is inevitable.  Don't ever leave anything in the cabin that you can't live without.  ABSOLUTELY do not leave any ATVs or other motorized equipment there.  I've had a kayak (chained to a tree) and a lawn mower stolen.  My previous cabin was broken into once but I didn't care as we bought the property with the intent to demolish it anyway.

2.  Get ready for trespassers.  River access is highly prized and the locals hate going to public areas.  If you are not at your cabin regularly, the locals will turn it into their personal swimming hole.  While they may not steal or destroy anything, you get their beer cans, cigarette butts and packs, their soda cans, and once their loaded dirty diaper.  For some reason people don't think of cabins as "homes" and what they wouldn't do to a home in their neighborhood they will do to a cabin.  Trail cams are really nice for getting photos of people sitting on your porch and looking into your windows.  Sorry I don't have any of them on this computer to share.

3.  A cabin is the best thing you ever bought for your family and friends, for you not so much.  Cabins are a ton of work.  My typical weekend at the cabin starts with a couple hours of mowing.  Then its on to those projects you continually make for yourself to "better" the place.  If I go down on a Friday afternoon, I typically start relaxing Saturday afternoon.  Mind you, none of this bothers me but if it bothers you, you probably should consider a camper.

4.  Consider your drive time.  I've seen many cabin owners become dissatisfied after a few years of the drive to and from their cabins.  Need to meet the septic guy, that's a day off of work.  Need to check if the river hit your cabin, that's a day off or work.  Thankfully, I'm less than an hour from my cabin and I'm self employed but it is still a burden.  So your working on that big electrical project and it's seven p.m on a Saturday and you are just missing a couple things?  Thats a 45 minute drive to Farmington Lowes each way.  Been there done that.

5.  Consider your family.  While a cabin isn't necessarily "roughing it", it isn't exactly the luxe life. Consider also the age of your kids.  I'm certain many St. Louis sixteen year olds wouldn't relish spending a weekend in rural Madison County.  At my cabin we have a radio, no tv, no internet, and basically no cell reception.  That's just the way we like it.

6.  Consider the ongoing costs.  Your power will be through Black River Electric and will be at a minimum around $30 a month so $360 a year.  Your taxes should be $2-300 yearly, maybe less.  Internet is basically unavailable in rural Madison County except satellite or from the company Smullen works for.

7.  If you have made it through all these and not said "screw it"  the by all means do it.  I consider my cabin to be my karmic recharge station.  When I'm there, the weight of the world rolls off.  Last month I made a quick solo trip there on a Friday and spent the night.  Just myself, nature, some beers, and a steak over charcoal.  It was cold and damp but it but on Saturday morning when I returned home, I felt like I was a new man.  I would honestly sell any gun before I would get rid of my cabin.  Even the machine guns.

For $71k you can buy a VERY nice diesel pusher RV, not be limited to one spot, and store it in a secured area.

Then, you can go to the river and leave your cig butts, packs, and dirty diapers on someone's cabin property.

I'm about a half hour south. It's a nice area, but all of the advice already given is all worth while advice. There are several camp grounds along the Castor river where you can rent pad for a 5th wheel and leave it. They're secure and your rental fee includes utilities. The only problem with that is if you leave it down here and there is flooding you have to drive down to move, have someone that will move it for you or you risk losing it.

It’s a nice area, I love the hills and the terrain. My friend’s family has property in that area, and another a little further south.

Roaster has good points, and his talking point #2 hits home. We’ve had evidence of people visiting, luckily they didn’t trash anything. It hasn’t happened in years, we hope they moved away. The neighbors about 2 properties down (I think kids or grand kids) would let themselves in, to use our creek banks, but should we venture downstream? It’s “their” creek. We talked to some of the immediate neighbors, and they told us how this works with the some of the long time locals: what’s yours is mine. what’s mine, is mine. Maybe it’s just this family, but there is/was a definite sense of entitlement. There was no altercation btw.

How it usually works in rural areas is the locals are pretty good about not messing with other locals property.....but as soon as they find out "some rich guy from the city" bought a place they consider it open for use.

Ive seen this mindset in many places other than Fredtown so I'm thinking its an unwritten redneck rule.

Shut up.  We don't want any more people on the Castor.  Next thing you know it will be a madhouse like the Black.

Yeah I’ve heard almost the exact quote that you mentioned.