PRINTMike Cooper: The nature-lover
Owner, Cooper's Landing
John Schreiber
The owner of Cooper's Landing influences others to love the music created throughout central Missouri.
November 12, 2009 | 12:00 a.m. CST
Age: 60 | Time spent in Boone County: 36 years
The beaten roads leading to Cooper’s Landing, a camp site, concert venue and multi-purpose gathering place along the Missouri River, are winding. The twists and turns seem intentional — some form of delayed gratification so the first view of the scenery surrounding Mike Cooper’s home and business can be appreciated for all its rustic charm.
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- Ben Gakinya: The art enthusiast
- Richard King: The man behind the scenes
- The Road House: The home-grown food gurus
- Philip Peters: The achievement gap overachiever
- Teresa Maledy: The go-getter
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- Leigh Lockhart: The green thinker
- Maureen Dickmann: The progressive pastor
- Stefan Sarafianos: The HIV slayer
- KOPN: The radio rock-stars
- Brent Beshore: The Pure connector
- CAT: The local TV outlet
- Making waves in a landlocked state
If you find yourself on these meandering roads around 7 a.m., the smell of bacon will likely fill the air. Behind the stove stands Cooper himself, assuming one of his many roles. On a weekend morning he is the cook and starts breakfast for campers. He only eats the bacon on the weekends. He’s more of an oatmeal-and-Danish kind of guy.
Itty Bitty, a tame, domesticated feral cat, slinks around the property and greets visitors in the convenience store while she makes a path through the Landing. Swerving around the seasonal Thai-food trailer, the cat jumps on the storefront porch that doubles as a stage for outdoor concerts, circles a Sycamore tree that provides shade for dancers and picnickers, heads towards the marina that supplies gas to boaters and finally heads back to the goldfish pond.
Itty Bitty knows the property well, almost as if she’s been around since its opening in 1986, when Cooper dreamed of providing easier access to the Missouri River.
Prior to 1986, admission to the river was limited in the Columbia area. This under-utilized riverfront property drew the usual fisherman and nature enthusiast, but no such place existed for unacquainted people to experience to the beauty of the river. For more than 20 years, Cooper and his landing have started many relationships, bringing people and local musicians to the river who otherwise would not know its splendor.
Nobody knows this better than Steve Schnarr, the Lower Reach manager for Missouri River Relief, an organization that aims to cleanup the river. “Mike’s place just makes it really easy to introduce people to the river,” Schnarr says. “He’ll do whatever it takes; he’s priceless.”
Cooper’s Midwestern hospitality, coupled with the unparalleled sense of community, does not go unnoticed by guests, with many staying much longer than expected.“People tend to stay for a few days,” says Cooper. “One family stayed for three months. They just kept coming up with reasons to hang around.”
The atmosphere is calm on a November morning. Business slows down during the winter, which allows Cooper to work on other projects. This year, his focus is the Missouri River Cultural Conservancy, an organization he started to raise awareness about local musicians. At his desk overlooking the Big Muddy, Cooper edits video he has recorded at concerts, fundraisers and events at Cooper’s Landing. Having encouraged guests to love the river, he now aims to influence others to love the music created on that river’s banks and throughout central Missouri.
As Itty Bitty saunters around the gravel path, Cooper mentions one remaining obstacle: “We keep having to figure out how to squeeze more picnic tables in,” he says.
Not a bad problem for a man who is inspiring a community to reconnect with nature.
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