Pause for a moment, at the top of a bluff, and gaze at
the Ozark forests and the water below. Imagine tribes of Osage
Indians pushing patiently through the trees hunting deer,
turkey and other wildlife. By the streams, they fish and capture
beavers.
 As
the Native American hunters move through the woods, they leave
their signal to those who follow the thong tree.
They select a white oak sapling and a green-forked limb (thong)
from another tree and bend them together. With the sapling
bent horizontal to the ground, it points toward a spring or
cave for the other members of the tribe. Look around on your
walks and hikes through the local woods, as thong trees can
still be found in the area today.
Caves abound in the Ozarks , offering temporary shelter
to the Osage Indians. Ha Ha Tonka State Park is an excellent
example of local "karst" topography which is characterized
by caves, sinkholes, underground streams, large springs and
natural bridges. Just beyond and between the hills and rocky
cliffs, the transition areas of plateaus, where prairie grass
grew and where the Native Americans planted their crops of
corn, beans and pumpkins can be found. Farmers in this three-county
area continue to turn up arrowheads as they till their fields...constant
reminder of the land's predecessors. Picture the white
man moving from the Mississippi onto the Missouri River,
then through the tributaries of the Osage and Niangua Riversto
this beautiful, lush new land.
Possibly the earliest meeting of the Osage and explorers
was in 1710, when a Frenchman named Claude DuTissent visited
and hunted with the Osage tribes. But it wasn't until
a century later that the natural wonders of the Ozarks were
described by Lewis and Clark as they explored the frontier.
The French were responsible for the name of this section
of the country. They had established a post on the Arkansas
River, and the name was shortened to Aux-Arcs... pronounced
Ozark. The term means, literally, to the Arkansas or to the
Arkansas Post.
Gradually, commerce began between the traders from St. Louis
and the Native Americans. The Osage bartered beaver and other
animal skins which found their way to the eastern colonies
of the United States and Europe, where they were fashioned
into top hats for men and capes for women. As the traders
moved into the area, the Osage ceded parcels of land to the
federal government which eventually took a familiar action.
In 1825, the Osage tribe was moved to reservations in Kansas
and Oklahoma.
The Ozarks then became wide open for settlers who came primarily
from Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia. Among them were hunters,
such as Daniel Boone, who made a livelihood of trapping animals
for their skins. However, most of the newcomers were farmers
who built their log homes and churches and tilled their fields with oxen and mules. They
grew crops of hay, soybeans and corn, and raised cattle and
pigs to meet their needs of self-sufficiency.
Life in the Ozarks wasn't all work. The pioneers also
met their need for social interaction by gathering as small
communities, enjoying box suppers and music played for square,
round and clog dancing. These are activities which have been
passed on through generations and which visitors can enjoy
today in the small town street dances and festivals, and in
the music shows where mountain music, country, bluegrass and
gospel tunes are an inherent element.
Fascinating examples of the necessities of pioneer living
can be found in the historical museums of Camden, Miller and
Morgan Counties. Spinning wheels, knitting machines and weaving
looms can be seen at the Camden County Museum where small
rugs can still be ordered. Clothing, furniture and glassware
are among the many items donated to the Miller County Museum
by families of early settlers. The Martin Hotel in Versailles,
dating back to 1877, now houses the Morgan County Museum.
Each of its 23 rooms depicts pioneer life through its antiques
and artifacts.
The tranquility of this area of the Ozarks was disrupted by
the Civil War. There were no battles here, but there were
skirmishes between small numbers of non-commissioned soldiers
who came upon their enemies by chance as they moved about
the countryside. It was said that the winning side could be
determined at any given time by whether Union or Confederate
soldiers were registered at the Martin Hotel in Versailles.
The sympathies of both rural and townspeople were divided
nearly equally. About 600 men from the area were known to
have registered to fight for either the Northern or Southern
armies, although the number who actually went to war isn't
known.
The Civil War had a devastating effect among friends, with
fear and suspicion aggravated by bushwhacker attacks. Individuals
suspected of aiding "the enemy" were killed; property
was burned. Often prominent leaders were compelledat
the risk of their own livesto save their communities
from guerrilla attacks. For years following the Civil War,
Missouri was known as the "robber" state because
of armed bands of guerrillas who found the hills of the Ozarks
and the many caves ideal hiding places.
Gradually, in the latter half of the 19th century, civilization
took hold and small
businesses in the Ozark towns were formed. Education and appreciation
of the arts brought the Chautauqua circuit by train, performing
classical music and lectures.
Families celebrated at County Fairs, showing farm products
and fine livestock including mules, which were used as working
animals. It was a mule from a Morgan County farm which received
the Mayor¹s Award and $10,000 at the 1904 St. Louis World
Fair. Thus, the term "Missouri Mule" originated.
Mule teams were used in the construction of Bagnell Dam. Many were sold to the army for use in WW II.
The construction of Bagnell Dam and the formation of the Lake
of the Ozarks in the early 1930¹s brought about changes,
not only in topography, but also in growth. New towns sprouted
up, offering meals of tasty home cookin and entertainment
for visitors as well as soldiers stationed at nearby camps.
After the war's end, the boom began... slowly at first,
to satisfy the fishermen and tourists who came to vacation
in the midst of nature's beauty. Visitors were drawn
to Lake Ozark where The Strip (just above Bagnell Dam), grew
into a family
entertainment and shopping center, featuring a ski show, various
carnival style rides and games. Lee Mace's Ozark Opry
opened the first Ozark country and gospel music show in 1953.
In the early 1970's, another community was quietly
forming, as Mennonites moved from Pennsylvania, Indiana and
Kansas to farm lands north and east of Versailles.
In many respects, the Lake of the Ozarks has come of age in
the past two decades, and today, continues to draw visitors
to what has become Mid-America's premier family fun vacation destination.
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