Undercliff is a family-owned and operated restaurant that specializes in freshly prepared food. Mr. Tipton, who lived on the banks of Shoal Creek, held land where passengers might trespass and ‘ford’ the creek on his private property, where the water was shallow enough to be able to cross by horse and carriage. Due to the increase in the number of people traveling between Neosho and Joplin for employment and recreation, the little town of Tipton Ford was founded and railroad tracks were constructed.
On a hot August evening in 1914, a “doodlebug” (a gas motorcar) operated by the Missouri and North Arkansas Railroad (M&NA) set out from Joplin on its way to Neosho, carrying over 80 people. When the motorcar arrived, it was sharing the same set of railroad lines as the Kansas City Southern Railroad, which was also going at the same time as the motorcar. The operating rules of the Kansas City Southern Railway were agreed upon, which essentially meant that the motorcar had to make way for the Kansas City Southern train at Tipton Ford, where a small piece of siding lines had been built.
The railway and the automobile collided head-on while they were both traveling at around 35 miles per hour. The locomotive and two baggage cars of the train were separated from the rest of the train when it hit the bridge. It took the locomotive approximately 20 feet to squeeze its way inside the motorcar, and in the process, it pushed the other parts of the motorcar back a total of 651 feet. As a result of the explosion, the gasoline tanks and pipes on the motorcar burst, spilling gasoline onto the train, where it was ignited by the locomotive’s firebox, culminating in an explosion.
It was decided to build a memorial stone to memorialize the train catastrophe in Under Cliff, which was completed in 2014.
The same year Bonnie and Clyde were roaming the countryside of Southwest Missouri, an entrepreneur named Ab McConnel erected a general shop near a railroad track with the help of donations from local farmers. The Under Cliff was the name of his store.
The general shop was in operation until 1961, when it was converted into a restaurant space.
For many years, Frank and Bonnie’s was a favorite hangout for both locals and tourists. Throughout the 1970s, people stood in line to get their hands on their famed deep-fried chicken.
The restaurant was completely destroyed by fire in 1980. The land remained vacant until the Undercliff Grill & Bar opened its doors in February 1995 on the property.