PHOTO GALLERY: 47th District includes slices of small-town middle America

October 31, 2012 | 6:00 a.m. CDT

Missouri's new 47th District is diverse and includes parts of western and central Columbia, along with Harrisburg, Rocheport and Higbee.

Katlyn Garrett, left, plays tag with children at the 20th annual Cow Patty Bingo on Sept. 18 at the Perche Creek Cafe. Cow Patty Bingo is a unique tradition at Midway that includes a bingo game, donated food and speeches from local politicians. The proceeds from the event go to the Central Missouri Food Bank. | Rachel English

Richard Hill, left, a resident of southeastern Howard County, talks with Roger Sublett, a Harrisburg resident, and other friends gathered Oct. 8 at Heuer's Cafe. Both Hill and Sublett regularly come in for breakfast at Heuer's, a family owned restaurant near Harrisburg and Sturgeon. Jamie Heuer has owned the cafe since 1999 and usually works the morning shift. Heuer's is known as a meeting place in District 47. | Bridget Murphy

Hay bales line a roadside field off Highway B on Oct. 11. Agriculture is a major industry in Missouri's 47th District. | Rachel English

Bill Mealy slices cheese for a customer Oct. 11 at the Higbee Depot Deli in Higbee. The Depot Deli is one of the few businesses open in downtown Higbee. | Rachel English

Mitch Shineman looks for antiques Sept. 25, at the Midway Expo and Antique Mall. Shineman and his wife, Amber Shineman, are artists in the Columbia area. They spend two full days a month looking for items that fit into their steampunk artwork. | Rachel English

Willie Hunt adjusts Halloween decorations Oct. 11 outside of his wife Connie Hunt's home in Higbee. The Hunts like to go all out win their porch decorations every year, Willie said. With a population of 568, Higbee is the largest in a string of small towns in the 47th District stretching between Columbia and Moberly. | Rachel English

Mary Dake, 6, left, and her brother James Dake, 7, stomp grapes at the annual Crush Festival on Sept. 29 at Les Bourgeois winery. Just off of the Katy Trail in western Boone County, the winery and the nearby town of Rocheport have become tourist destinations in rural Missouri. | Rachel English