Down By the River Side by Joshua Heston and Dale Grubaugh Ozarkers of Christian County, Missouri, lost an old friend last December. On December 12, 2009, the Riverside Inn (on the banks of the Finley River just north of Ozark) closed for the last time, a victim of misplaced FEMA money and too many summer…
The Legend of Bread Tray Mountain RETOLD BY JOSHUA HESTON In the midst of the 15th century — 70 years before Englishmen stepped into the swamp that was to become Jamestown — Spanish conquistadors journeyed into the Ozarks. They were looking for treasure. It is said they found a special mountain overlooking the White River.…
Artwork above courtesy of Raine Clotfelter, Branson, Missouri US Navy Swift Boat PCF 43 by Joshua Heston The mission was code-named Silver Mace II. The day was April 12, 1969, and the United States was at war in the mangrove swamps and rice paddies of Vietnam. Songs like Hey Jude by The Beatles and Mrs.…
Turkey Creek Art by T. Adkins The Meeting by T. Adkins Lawlessness prevailed after the Civil War with no legal protection for the settlers of the area. This need for law and order brought the citizens together to form a vigilante group to drive the criminal element from the area. This group of law-abiding men…
Press-run booklets produced by regional authors. Each contains little-known bits of Ozark history and folklore. Collection by Mark Kumming. Mark Kumming, Collector of Ozarkiana By Curtis Copeland, The Society of Ozarkian Hillcrofters In the world of the Internet and social media, Mark Kumming is known for his knowledge of Ozarks history and memorabilia. He regularly posts…
Alf Bolin: Ozark Tales of a Bushwhacker by Tara Wolf I’ve read many stories, books, documents (and heard tales from many Stone County locals) about the infamous Alf Bolin. To decipher fact from fiction is so difficult these days with there being so many tidbits that are slightly different from each other. There are also…
Bollinger Mill History by Clint Lacy Bollinger Mill is located in Cape Girardeau County, Missouri next to the Whitewater River, six miles west of Jackson, Missouri on Highway 34. Originally established as an Indian trading post by George Bollinger, who in 1797 received a land grant from the Spanish Commandant in St. Louis under the…
Memories of Bloody Hill by R’vyn Grega-Szabo “Quiet!” whispered a Union soldier as one of his brothers stepped on a stick. The cracking sound had echoed through the woods. The Union soldiers moved quietly through the dense forests of the Ozarks. The surprise attack was almost perfect until they had a run-in with opposing troops,…
Armistice Day in West Plains- April 21, 1919 Richards Elementary, 3rd Grade Mural, 2006-2007, West Plains, Missouri At the conclusion of the “war to end all wars,” a battle tank was brought to West Plains, Missouri, on the railroad. After unloading the tank from the train, a parade was organized to celebrate the end of…
Cold Dark: Eureka Springs’ Art by Joshua Heston Into the cold dark. Rainwater glistened black streets. Rising clouds of mist obscured tops of ancient buildings. Normally unnoticed trees became ghost sentinels, undulating in a haunted night. Above the narrow alleys and close crowded windows and beyond the now-silent streets, the rainbow lights of Eureka Springs’…