Ozark National Scenic Riverways - History & Culture (U.S. National Park Service)

The Ozark Region is rich in history. People have lived here from the late Ice Age, some 10,000 years ago to the present. Every time and every group of people has a story to tell. This page will help you learn some of these stories.

National Park Service References:

Alley Mill
Osage Indians of the Ozarks (.pdf)
Cultural Affiliation Study (.pdf) A study of the park's Native Americans and their modern descendants.
Pulltite or Pulltight?
Cemeteries in the Ozarks
Place Names in the Ozarks
One Room Schools in the Ozarks
Welch Hospital
Klepzig Mill
Rymers Ranch and the Birth of the Ozark Riverways
Establishment of the Ozark Riverways
Civilian Conservation Corps in the Ozarks
A Homeland and A Hinterland (Excellent online book about the history of the region)

External Links to Information:

Olde Tyme Gigging (A look at local residents trying to pass along the old ways of life on the Current River.)
Ozark Johnboats on the Current River (.pdf)
Life on the Ozark Rivers, "Buildin' Boats, Giggin' and Foolin' Around is All Fun." (.pdf)
Powder Mill Ferry (Historic interview from "Bittersweet Country")
History of West Eminence Lumber Era
History of River Ferries in the Ozarks (from "Bittersweet Country")
The Preservation of Suzie Nichols Cabin and Klepzig Mill
Bow Hunting and Gigging History
Fox Hunting and Fish Gigging, an oral history interview
Traditional folk song recordings
Index to Ozark History Documents at Springfield Library
List of folklore links from Missouri Folklore Society

This was the scene at the Civilian Conservation Camp that filled the field in front of the Big Spring Lodge in the mid 1930s. In time the tents were replaced by wooden barracks. The CCC helped young people build self esteem through work skills, allowed them to send money home, and helped build the infrastructure of today's national and state park systems.

This is a typical log house of the early Ozark settlers. Houses like this were in use from the 1840s until fairly recently. Some are still in use as hay barns and sheds. Note the family is dressed up for the rare and formal occasion of having their picture taken.