Ozarks Alive

01/26/2025

Redings Mill is close to Missouri’s western state line and also holds a collection of unexpected landmarks within its small boundaries. That list includes an ice cream shop with homemade varieties of sweet treats that you can eat in a train car; the crumbling remains of a very vintage pool; a rock “castle” atop a hill; and an inn that has ties to the 1870s.

I was at the Newton County community today to get pics for a story on the former Redings Mill Swimming Pool, which was a landmark for decades starting in the early 1900s. It’s been closed and abandoned for years, although some had hopes for its restoration. The property is now for sale and I’m researching its past, so stay tuned for more on its history.

Of course, while I was there I also had to stop at All Aboard Ice Cream (which also sells locally famous Whistler’s burgers). If you’re in the area and enjoy good ice cream, they are another place to put on the list — all of what they sell, they make. I’ve written about them in the past; if you want to read more, please check out the link in the comments.

01/25/2025

Community can look like a cup of coffee and a game of bingo.

That came to light tonight when I stopped by the Sarcoxie Red Front to get some of that coffee. I’ve shared about this special place before — the combination coffee shop, library and license office on the square opened in 2023 in the small Jasper County town as a community hub. It’s somewhere neighbors can gather in a place with few options. And tonight, I learned, that spirit manifests through bingo night.

I asked the barista if this was a regular thing. He said they do often have bingo and other events in the small town with not many, if any, other attractions on a Saturday night. There are “regulars” who show up, and a few new faces. Overall, he said, “It’s just fun seeing everyone smile.”

I’m one of those who is smiling. Creating moments of community doesn’t have to be hard. It just has to take someone who cares.

01/25/2025

Today is National Seed Swap Day. Given the focus of the day, I wanted to share the story I wrote about Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company in 2023 (so some things may have changed). This huge Ozarks-based business has made a massive impact on heirloom seeds -- locally and around the world -- and I really enjoyed learning more about its work.

“Probably the biggest thing is finding just really unique and unusual varieties; finding a new pansy or a new tomato or something that I haven't seen yet,” Jere Gettle, Baker Creek's founder, told me of what he finds fulfilling. “Growing it and tasting it and trying different things; trying things that aren't supposed to work. Finding varieties that will grow here. Figuring out how to grow things bigger and better. New varieties, I think, is the biggest thing — and then connecting people with those varieties.

“It’s kind of a combination — because people introduce us and you meet those people, and you pass the varieties on to other people. It's the whole connecting people; sometimes with their past, like their historical varieties, but then also introducing people to varieties that might be from a different culture.

“There's not a single piece I don't really enjoy other than taxes and paperwork.”

https://www.ozarksalive.com/stories/baker-creek-heirloom-seed-company-marks-25-years?rq=baker%20creek

01/25/2025

Mountain Home, Arkansas — the seat of Baxter County — dates to the early 1800s and was originally known as Rapp’s Barren or Talbert’s Barren.

Despite its depth of presence, the community’s most significant chapters have been closer to today than the early 1800s, and center around the development of the Baxter County seat as a tourist and retirement destination.

The latter came about in the 20th century because of a four-letter word: LAKE. Or maybe two of them, since there ended up being two dams – Bull Shoals and Norfork – that changed the face of the area.

“The construction of the dams was the most important event in the history of Mountain Home,” notes an Encyclopedia of Arkansas entry on the community. “The town was ideally situated about midway between the two projects. Formerly an isolated rural community with few businesses or paved streets and fewer employment opportunities, Mountain Home suddenly became a boomtown with workers attracted by high-paying government jobs moving into the area. New businesses were established and houses built, while farms in the county that had been abandoned during the Depression were reoccupied, safe from the threat of future flooding.

“Over the long term, the dams and the formation of Bull Shoals and Norfork lakes transformed the area into a tourist and recreational region.”

I meandered to Mountain Home today from Yellville, where I woke up to a frosty morning made especially cozy by the warm house where I stayed last night with friends. There were a few stops along the way, such as in Cotter, where boats were moving and at least one fisherman was reeling. The main chunks of my time were spent looking at thrift stores, working at Cove Coffee, a coffee shop with wonderful vintage vibes. (I’m sorry I neglected to grab a photo, but be sure to check it out if you’re in town.)

I also visited the Donald W. Reynolds Library where my friend Vince Anderson works in history and reference. Vince regularly researches a variety of topics pertinent to Ozarks history; today, he showed me a collection of local arrowheads that were gifted to the library years ago. Some of his research is shared on “Ozarks’ History,” his YouTube channel. Other topics are shared via a weekly radio show – “Retracing Our Roots” – on radio station KTLO. If you’re in the area, tune in for the shows on Saturday mornings at 11 a.m.

01/24/2025

Is it an art gallery? Is it a store? Is it a community space?

Yes.

Last night I visited Lucky Star Handmade, a stop in Yellville, Arkansas that opened last fall. It’s a nonprofit art cooperative filled with artist-made jewelry, fiber art, pottery, paintings and more.

I was there because of an event they were hosting centered on pies — and two seperate friends thought to tell me about it, which I took as a great compliment. My status as one who is pie-obsessed is being baked in (no pun intended). 🥧

The event — in honor of National Pie Day — included a theatrical performance and a pie-tasting potluck (I brought raisin and apple). Folks enjoyed their pies while they had a chance to socialize and connect with friends, meet new folks and exchange stories.

I love all of this. I love that there’s a new community gathering space (where events and classes are expected to be held) and people who want to gather together. I was in awe of the art that filled the space, which is very high quality and was created by people who are talented (and mostly local) artists.

I talked with a few of the artists afterwards, and they said the response to the store has been great. “It’s been amazing,” says one of the folks behind the desk. And even for them, it’s been a journey of discovery.

“Once we started doing this, we started finding out about so many other (local artists).”

If you’re in Yellville, take time to take a look.

01/23/2025

Few historical suspension bridges exist in Arkansas today. One that remains is Haggard Ford Swinging Bridge near Harrison, which was built by the WPA between 1938 or ‘39 and 1941.

Apparently its construction was needed because Bear Creek’s gravelly nature was cumbersome for vehicles to cross. Local workers were paid $1 a day to help with its completion.

I stopped by to see the bridge on my way into Arkansas this afternoon. I’m not sure who owns or maintains it today, but it appeared that visitors were welcome.

This particular landmark is one I learned about from Google Maps — I always try to look ahead and see what other things are nearby I might visit while I’m there. I’m glad I found this one, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1995.

The wooden bridge served for 20 years; in 1961, a flood rendered it unsafe for vehicles and it was closed to cars. The next decade, it was nearly torn down — but locals rallied for its preservation, leading to its restoration and use as a pedestrian bridge.

01/23/2025

I mentioned my visit to Papaws Kookies & Kream last week -- here's the full article about this sweet spot along Route 66.

This ice cream shop sells by-the-scoop ice cream and sherbet, homemade waffle cones, shakes, malts and other treats -- including spaghetti ice cream, which is a creation of pasta-like ice cream, strawberry or cherry sauce, a chocolate ball and shaved almond bark.

Those elements are reasons to visit the shop. But the couple behind the business is another element: Denis and Clydie George, a husband-and-wife who have lived in the Strafford area for decades.

Today, it's a place where kids from school, community members and others traveling from far-off places stop on their way down Route 66. (And even though the adjacent coffee shop is closing, they want folks to know they are still in business.)

“I've known too many people that have retired … and they end up sitting around, and in six months to a year, they pass away,” Denis told me. “Because we've got good health, we just decided, ‘Well, we're just gonna keep it as long as we can.’ That was a big inspiration in keeping us wanting to stay active and in business. And we enjoy meeting people.”

Thanks to I Love Springfield, MO! for sponsoring the creation of this story.

Denis George and his wife, Clydie, own Papaw’s Kookies & Kream, a shop along Route 66 in Strafford.

01/22/2025

The Ozarks' ongoing evolution is something that I frequently ponder as I traverse the region. How are parts of the past influencing how things are today?

In this month's column in The Daily Yonder, I consider this with regard to mills.

Most local mills have been shuttered for many years. Today, for most people there is no direct personal connection with their original purpose.

Yet the ones that still stand generally evoke a strong reaction. I think they form a different emotional connection for people today — through beauty, or a representation of a simpler time, perhaps — and that's why they continue to be relevant.

Being able to find those connections, in my opinion, is of key importance to lasting historical preservation. It doesn't always work to tie something to what was — you also have to make it meaningful to people today.

Thanks to the many Ozarks folks who helped contribute thoughts for this piece:

- Barbara Baird, who recently published "Milling Around," a book about regional mills
- Joe Bob and Betsy Townsend O'Neal of Friends of Topaz Mill, Inc.
- Dan and Betty Manning of Wommack Mill in Fair Grove
- Lyndell Strong, who shared her memories of Dawt Mill last summer during an interview (cc: Jerri Sue Crawford)
- Bob Haskins of Jolly Mill Park, who shared about his family's legacy during a mill tour, also from last summer
- Toney Aid, whose family once owned Aid-Hodgson Mill

What do you think? Why do mills remain of interest to you today?

Rural Ozarks mills once transformed corn and wheat into meal. Long shuttered for their traditional purposes, these landmarks instead create something else: a sense of nostalgia.

01/20/2025

There are many places in the Ozarks that feel tucked away, but Cedarcreek is more hidden than most. Located on Route M, a road in rural Taney County that ends at the lake, little has remained in recent years to mark the settlement. For years, there was a convenience store, but I’ve been told it closed. But there is still a post office and a church – and the Cedarcreek Fire Protection District’s Resale Shop.

This shop caught my attention several years ago when I was exploring the area because of how it hits several notable elements of rural life. (I’ve linked to the story I wrote back then in the comments.) There’s the fact that it represents the local volunteer fire department, a key part of so many communities. There’s the somewhat wonderful randomness that a resale shop exists in such a remote place. And there’s the fact that both are housed in the community’s former rock school, which operated through the early 1990s and still contains glimpses of its past life.

I haven’t gotten to visit as often as I’d like, but I did get to stop by on Saturday. I once again was struck by the value of community, and also how these places evolve over time.

At one point, the department was struggling with its number of firefighters. While there’s always work to be done, I’ve been told that has improved in recent years as more people have moved to the area. COVID was a factor, folks at the shop tell me, which – as we’ve seen throughout the region – drew people to the Ozarks.

Of course, there’s always work to be done and all hands are needed to make it happen. But it was good to hear that things are headed in a positive direction.

My devotion to thrifting compelled me to pick up a few things while I was there, including this “smocked” apron. It was one of many things that fill the former school, including a range of clothing items, household goods and other wares you’d expect to find at a thrift shop.

And while the funds raised contribute to the department, it also exists for other reasons: community service.

It’s a convenience for neighbors who might need something and not want to make the half-hour drive to the county seat of Forsyth (or beyond) to shop. For example, “(Parents) can come here if they need a coat for their kid,” one shop worker shares.

Additionally, if local folks experience a fire, the store is a resource for things they may need.

“After a fire, whatever they can use is theirs,” says another worker at the shop.

From fighting the fire to helping in the aftermath, it’s another example of neighbors helping neighbors right at home in the Ozarks.

“It takes a community to keep it going.”

01/19/2025

I was in Strafford on Friday visiting Papaws Kookies & Kream, a very cute ice cream parlor on Route 66 run by "Papaw" Denis George and his wife, Clydie. Stay tuned for a story about this stop, which serves more than 30 flavors, sundaes, malts, milkshakes and even "spaghetti" ice cream.

(Thanks to I Love Springfield, MO! for sponsoring this story!)

01/18/2025

Brown School is tucked out of the way, but was exactly where it needed to be for students more than a century ago.

This little former school in very rural Taney County is along dead-end Route M on the way to Cedarcreek, a tiny community that primarily exists around its fire department, post office and thrift shop (watch for a post on that soon). Based on a 1998 article from the Taney County Times, the school was built in 1898 and served the local community through the late 1940s. There’s also a cemetery (with some distinctive gates) across the road.

Years after the school closed, the Brown Community Club was given permission to use the building, where they long met for meetings and quilting.

I’m not sure if the club is still active today. (Does anyone know?) I hope so. It’s beautiful country, with peaceful vistas that lead to the lake — and I’m sure the club offered an appreciated way to connect with friends and neighbors.

If you’re out that way, you can bring a picnic lunch to enjoy. The former school has a pavilion, one of several installed at local historic sites in connection with Taney County’s commission and park board.

01/15/2025

We love a good mystery in the Ozarks – especially when it's one that helps people. That's the essence of the Angel of Ava, the story of a person who began sending money anonymously to folks around Douglas County in 1940.

The gifts – which just suddenly began to arrive – were generally around $100. One of the recipients was Mrs. Henry S. Wilson, a widow living in a 15-room home who received $50. She said her gift was truly divine intervention.

"Do you know," the woman told a reporter, "this is actually an answer to my prayers? I've been trying to run this old place and make both ends meet, but the taxes have not been paid for so long that they were piling up to where I thought I might lose it. So, last night I knelt down and prayer to heaven to find me some way out of the fix I was in, and here this morning I received the check in the mail."

Perhaps it was preserved for a greater purpose: Today, that house is home to the Douglas County Museum and Historical Society.

The gifts continued for a few months but they eventually stopped. Even today, it's not publicly known just who the "angel" really was.

In the 1940s, a number of residents around Ava, Missouri, were surprised to receive money from an anonymous source known as the Angel of Ava.

01/11/2025

Have you seen me sharing all of these Ozarks pie recipes and wondered why? Here's the story of the Ozarks Pie Project -- how it got started, and what I'm trying to accomplish. (It also includes three recipes I've tried and love!)

The Ozarks Pie Project is an effort by Ozarks Alive founder Kaitlyn McConnell to bake (and share) pies from vintage regional cookbooks.

01/10/2025

I admire — and appreciate — people who took much time to create scrapbooks of newspaper clippings. These are sources of information, but also tangible reminders that someone cared enough to do this work.

I spotted this decade-spanning set recently at the Cole Camp Museum. The lady at the museum I asked about them thought they were compiled by one person. What dedication! I hope to be able to get back up there and look through them more closely in the future.

As an aside: Some scrapbooks also provided a way to look back at the past and remember what happened and when — you didn’t have Google or searchable newspaper records online as we often do today. Do you have any of those little-of-everything scrapbooks that you or your ancestors made?

01/08/2025

Roadside farm stands = quaint Ozarks moments, in my opinion. I love seeing what eggs, produce and other locally made goods folks have for sale.

Most of the ones I see are open-air. But the folks at P&D Honey farm near Fair Grove take things to the next level: An adorable self-serve honey cottage allows passersby the chance to stop by and stock up on a variety of honey-focused products. Of course, I had to get a jar to take home with me. ☺️

What are some of your favorite stands to stop by?

01/05/2025

One’s own culture can be complex and multifaceted. That’s the case for Nathan McAlister, an Ozarker whose work to live his own story includes Ozarks music – and expertise playing fiddle, banjo, guitar and dulcimer – his abilities as an artist and teacher, and his celebration of his Wyandotte heritage.

“I think you can have both,” Nathan says of his Native American and Ozarks identities. “The way I see the Ozarks is people moved here or were moved here due to their circumstances. Obviously there were people here a long time ago that were originally here, but when it comes to Wyandottes, we're just another part of that story. I definitely see myself as an Ozarker and a Wyandotte citizen. So I think you can have it both ways.”

More of Nathan’s story is shared in this article, which includes his role as a master fiddler in the Missouri Folk Arts Program's Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Program, and time as a participant in the Smithsonian Folklife Festival’s 2023 program featuring the Ozarks.

Nathan McAlister is a musician, artist, tornado chaser and member of the Wyandotte Native American tribe. Those elements (and more) combine in a story that has taken him from the Ozarks to share his talents, including this moment in 2023 when he performed in Washington D.C. as part of the Smithsonia

01/05/2025

It feels like winter has arrived! What are things like where you are?

01/05/2025

Topaz is a tucked-away time capsule that keeps drawing me back. About a century ago, the tiny Douglas County community included a mill, a general store, post office, barbershop and more. Today, long after their operation ceased, its mill and store still stand as time capsules to the past, drawing hundreds of visitors each year.

I began visiting several years ago, and have returned several times over the years. Today I stopped by to see its caretakers, Joe Bob and Betsy O’Neal, for my next Ozarks Notebook column in The Daily Yonder. The topic: Ozarks mills, and how they have shifted from centers of community to centers of nostalgia.

The question — why are mills still so important to us? — intrigues me, and I want your opinion. Most of us never saw rural mills in action as they were traditionally intended, but significant interest in these landmarks remains. Is it because they’re rare? Or because they tie to a simpler time and, at least in this one way, that’s a place we wish we lived? Or something else?

What do you think?