By: James F “Jim” Barrett 

Well, as my wife would say, “As usual, you’re wrong again, Jim.” I thought we’d get back to the conclusion of our dissertation on the Shepherd of the Hills Farm and Theater in this article, after “doing” the old Ozark Playground Association map last time. But I failed to get things done so we could do so. By the way, no one has come forward with definitive information regarding that organization. I’d love to know how, when and by whom it became organized. I meant to call the original owners of SoH and interview them for the conclusion of the tale. But the holidays and all that stuff has interfered and I haven’t gotten it done. So, maybe in our next chat we’ll get around to it. more…

By: James F “Jim” Barrett

Before we conclude our chat concerning The Shepherd of the Hills Farm and Theater I’d like to interview the remaining members of the theater’s founding folks, the Mark Trimble family. I also intend to interview some of the people who have made the Shepherd of the Hills play so famous and popular for many years. Bear with me then, friends, until I can get that wonderful, personal information for you to complete the Farm and Theater story. In the meantime, we’ll look at a closely allied situation. more…

by, James F “Jim” Barrett

I just had a very exasperating and humbling experience – my word processing program crashed and I lost an entire, completed, article. I thought I had been “saving” right along as one is supposed to do. But some glitch, some mysterious “bug” had secretly locked up my program. While the typing part went right along, the saving part was somehow blocked. So, when I did my last “save” and told the darned thing to print – nada! – nothing! It went dead. Finally my cursor even locked up and then I knew I was in deeeeeeeep trouble! That’s the first time such a simple program as a word processor has locked up on me. How terribly frustrating, and how humiliating. But once again it taught me a lesson. We’re the “boss” only so long as God, time and circumstances permits. Life, like our computers, can mysteriously “lock up,” or “crash” at any moment. I’ll try to keep that in mind, it’s terribly important. In life, as at our computers, we must “save” regularly. I don’t mean save “cash,” I mean, save experiences, good things, happiness, love and other such valuables which we don’t want to “lose” to some glitch in life. Or fail to enjoy before our “program” “crashes.” So, back to local Ozarks history, or Editor Ed will tie me to the Message Tree’s front porch post, pile old newspaper issues at my feet and turn me into historical toast. I can see it in his eyes sometimes. more…

By JAMES F. (Jim) BARRETT
©2001

The history of western Taney County and the history of Stone County have been inexorably intertwined since the beginning of the White Man’s exploration and settlement here. When steam boats docked at Forsyth, their freight scattered into eager hands across both Taney and Stone Counties. And they returned to the Mississippi laden with hides, furs, bee-tree honey and bear fat taken by the settlers of both counties. The Wilderness Road was built by Joe Philibert and W. W. Kimberling and a lot of returning home Civil War soldiers. It came up from Harrison, to Berryville, to Blue Eye, to Linchpin (Branson West), to Stutts (Reeds Spring Junction), to Dutch Store (Highlandville) and on to Springfield. The freight, peddlers, preachers and travelers on the Wilderness Road benefited all of both counties, as well as all of north western Arkansas. Then the Boston Road branch of the Wilderness Road was built from Harrison to Stutts, whereupon the benefits to both counties was compounded. more…

Beneath The Town That Deliberately Grew Old

By James F. (Jim) Barrett  
We’ve talked in past columns about ghost towns beneath our lake’s waters. Now let’s get to some that are up on dry land. The first one is on dry land sure enough, but like the ones lost in the lakes, it’s now buried beneath new construction. However, the spirits of the old ghost town are still around, so we can go there, close our eyes and listen for them and think about what used to be.

more…

by JAMES F. BARRETT
Where Ozark Commerce and Travel Began!
Part II

We always seem to think of Ozarks roads as being “high-roads,” running along the ridges to seek level routes and avoid creek beds. In most cases, the main ones now are indeed high-roads. However, a careful examination of older maps, such as the 1907 Forsyth USGS Survey map, show many little unpaved, unimproved paths running through the semi-flat areas along hundreds of stream beds as well as up and down the gullies leading to them. In the early days it may have seemed easier to drive one’s wagon up a creek than to wind through the dense forests which, in those pre-tie-hacking days, covered the ridges of the hills. Thus it was with the Springfield-Harrison Road north of the White River. more…

By James F. (Jim) Barrett

I promised you that we would one day talk about the criminals and other villains that have played upon the green stage of our Ozark Mountains. It’s going to take more than just one column to get it done because there were bunches of them, starting with the Bushwhackers who raided in the Ozarks during and after the Civil War, and going on through the Bald Knobbers and a host of more contemporary ruffians. more…