Peace Church Ghosts by Joshua Heston The road winds north of Joplin, across the creek and up the hill. To the right, Peace Church Cemetery spreads into the little valley, shaded here and there by imposing oaks. Always-green spider grass is bright in the afternoon sun. Yucca abounds and, despite the hard work of preservation…
The Outlander by Michelle Waters I am an Outlander Who lives on a high hill Overlooking a man-made lake That once was a rapidly rushing river Along whose banks the Ozarks Bluff Dwellers and the Osage and then Delaware Hunted, fished, and created shelter For their families Where their children ran freely While red-tailed foxes…
Josh’s StateoftheOzarks Picks 2016 The memories of a past year. Of the many photos I took as editor of StateoftheOzarks, these are my favorites. Most aren’t very fancy. Few are particularly edited. But they are a montage of my life’s last 12 months. As a writer, I do, naturally, have a lot to say about…
Ye Olde English Inn by Caleb Brubaker To understand the history of Ye Olde English Inn, it is best to begin with the vision of William H. Johnson. Johnson came to Taney County after the discovery of zinc and soon turned his gaze to Hollister. “Johnson looked upon a lovely valley nestled between sheltering hills…
Christmas Trains.The magic of the Christmas train has endured. Recently, Rusty Hamblin of Branson Hobby Center gave me a tour of the magic that is the business’s main floor. This is childhood enchantment at its best…
Frost Flowers by Tom Koob Today I found frost flowers. The night had been clear and cold; the first hard cold snap. It was a bright, crisp morning. The sun shone in clear yellows through the now mottled leaves that the oaks and hickories reluctantly refused to release. A path ambled through the forest. And…
The Tinsmith’s Gift by Tom Koob Stanley was a tinsmith, and a good one. He cut and molded and soldered tin into useful items- candle snuffers, jewelry boxes, ladles. Stanley lived alone in a small cottage a mile from the village. His home was alongside a rivulet running through a forested glen. Every few days,…
No Good Deed Goes Unpunished by Dave Loftin When your children grow up and move out, it is always hard to adjust to the empty nest syndrome. At least I was lucky. Both mine only moved into Springfield, not more than 12 miles from our house. After a few years, both are married and we…
Through The Eyes Of A Child by Lisa Ray Through the eyes of a deaf girl Though she sees everything, She can’t hear a word Or a voice that can sing Through the eyes of a blind child Although they can’t see But sometimes they can see better Than you and me Through the eyes…
Hulston Mill Memories by Raymond Keith Farmer Samuel Farmer, my great-grandfather, owned the mill from 1916 to 1941, when he sold it to Frank Nixon. I was raised in Dade County, Missouri, just seven miles northeast of Greenfield. My grandfather Howard Farmer was Samuel’s son. Samuel also had a daughter, Nona (my great-aunt), and she…