CMYK - Wellspring Publishing

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2 ~ Destination Branson
CMYK
Destination Branson ~ 3
CMYK
Fine Dining
Fine Art
Carriage Rides
Retail Shopping
Crafts and Supplies
Specialty Clothing
BleuO
Olive
Mediterranean Grille & Bar
Chef / owner & family operated specializing
in Greek, Italian, Spanish & Provençal cookery.
204 North Commercial St. Branson, Missouri 65616
Located on the lower level of Chappy Mall.
Tel: 417-332-BLEU (2538)
4 ~ Destination Branson
www.bleuolive.com
CMYK
Destination Branson
6
8
14
Oak Ridge Boys:
Still Crazy After All These Years
Meet the Oak Ridge Boys in this series of backstage interviews.
Branson League of Theater Owners
and Show Producers
Review the stars, theaters and shows of the “live music show capital of the world.”
Sticks, Stones and Rabbit Holes:
Scotland’s Royal and Ancient Game
Explore the history of golf and its ascent as a beloved game.
Wanted:
publications
L.L.C.
Editor: Dale McCurry
Editor/Writer: Donice Woodside
Manager/Marketing Director: Jennifer Mandaville
Art Director: Melody Rust
275 Spring St., Ste. A, Eureka Springs, AR 72632
P.O. Box 713, Eureka Springs, AR 72632
Phone: 479-981-3488
Email: mccurry.dale@gmail.com
WellSpring Publications is looking for
motivated representatives to sell advertising in
a number of publications in the Ozarks region.
Benefits include:
• Excellent compensation package
• Flexible work hours • Leads provided
• Several markets from which to choose
• A substantial portfolio of products offered
Contact Jennifer Mandaville,
Office: 479-363-9995
Cell: 479-981-3488
Email: jmandaville@gmail.com
Destination Branson ~ 5
CMYK
Oak Ridge Boys:
By Dale McCurry
Still Crazy
After All These Years
Joe Bonsall
Joe Bonsall is learning to play banjo.
Bonsall has been with the Oak Ridge Boys since
1973, singing tenor on three decades of hits that began
with 1977’s “Y’all Come Back Saloon.” He has sung
with everyone in Nashville. He has published four
“Molly the Cat” children’s books and various short stories. He has been writing the “eternal novel” for years.
And he’s decided to take up the banjo.
He holds it while he talks, plucking an occasional
roll to emphasize a point, not unlike a rimshot.
“I like playing here,” Bonsall said. “But it’s not like
we died and went to Branson. [Earl Scruggs roll] We
have this beautiful, state-of-the-art theater that we will
play twenty-seven days this year. We’re not doing
mimes and clowns, though. Just music; and we love it.
We are four guys who love to get on the bus and go
sing.”
Along the road, the Oak Ridge Boys have experienced a wellspring of performances with everybody in
country music, but when asked for a story about a big
star with whom he had performed, it was memories of
Johnny Cash that made Bonsall decide to just take it
home to Hendersonville, Tennessee, and recall a chat
with a neighbor.
“One day, I was in the drug store and I saw Johnny,”
he said. “He was all in black, dressed as if ready for a
show, with a grocery cart full of hairspray, like a hundred cans. I said: ‘How you doing, Johnny?’
“‘Aw ... the devil just keeps nippin’ at my heels,’ he
said, “but I’m winnin’.’ [Foggy Mountain roll]
“Johnny was the first to believe in us. I will know
this on the day I die,” Bonsall said, turning his glistening eyes to the window, “we made it because Johnny
Cash told us we could.”
PHOTOS BY RICHARD QUICK
Duane Allen
“I planned to retire years ago,” said Duane “Ace”
Allen, lead singer with the Oak Ridge Boys since 1966.
Unlike the other “Boys,” Allen was ready to take the
stage in full Nudie Cohn-worthy country-starsequined regalia during his interview. “I mean I
planned for it; was prepared, if you know what I mean.
Lined up some businesses, things to keep paying the
bills. Then came the time and I was like: What? I don’t
golf. What am I gonna do?
“Who’s not going to keep doing what I do if he has
a chance? I wouldn’t do it if I didn’t enjoy it.”
Allen does have other interests in addition to
singing. His Hendersonville menagerie includes beef
6 ~ Destination Branson
Joe Bonsall
Duane Allen
cattle, horses, burros and Canada geese. He collects
“anything with wheels” – old cars, motorcycles, tractors.
“And all that is great, but when it is time to go
sing, everyone in this group just loves to do it.”
Allen sold his recording studio to Ricky Skaggs.
“Been there done that; don’t need to do it again. I
sold everything that takes my God energy, and I
bring that energy to what I love. I may sing the rest of
my life.”
William Lee Golden
Richard Sterban
Allen says the dates in Branson suits the Oak Ridge
Boys’ schedule well. “We are in Branson at times that
are soft on the road but well-attended here. It’s a perfect fit. The theater is top-shelf, really, great sound and
lighting, great seating – there’s not a bad seat in the
house. And they named it for us. What can I say? It’s
sweet.
“It’s a joy for us to play anywhere, really, and we are
going to keep doing it as long as folks show up. I
didn’t get here to quit. I don’t know how to not work.”
CMYK
William Lee Golden
“I broke too many rules – had way too
much fun – so they voted me out,” said
William Lee Golden of his 1987 estrangement from the band he began singing
baritone with in 1965. He was gone from
the group a considerable period of time,
rejoining the Oaks in a New Year’s Eve
performance the last night of 1995.
“But the time away gave me a chance
to reunite with my older sons,” Golden
said, grinning through a soft expression
of satisfaction. “It was a valuable time to
bond. They were playing music and I
got to participate. [See sidebar by
Golden’s son, Chris, on this page] I
gained a great respect for their talent and
who they are, and it was a perfect opportunity for them to get to know me as
a man. How can I regret any of that?”
Easily recognizable with the hair, beard
and stature of a mountain man, Golden
has long studied Native American faiths
and practices and enjoys a good sweat.
“I have been in lodges so hot it gives you
a chill. And I only will participate with
high-ranking medicine men. It is powerful to listen to those prayers,” he said.
“You know, every day has a distinct
memory,” he said. “We may go back to
the same town; may sing many of the
same songs; may even see some of the
same folks in the crowd. But every time it
is a new day and a new experience.”
Golden is quick to point out that more
than a healthy chunk of the Oak Ridge
Boys’ success occurred with the lineup as
it stands today.
“We are still what people want and
who they come to see. And the four people they will see tonight are the four who
made the hits.”
Richard Sterban
If daddy sang bass, it is a mystery just
what Richard Sterban sings. According
to the Oak Ridge Boys’ fansite, the lowest
note Richard has recorded is an E-flat
below low C. Folks, do not try this at
home.
Surely no one in America doesn’t
know his “ba-oom papa oom papa mow
mow” from “Elvira.” Previously touring
with J.D. Sumner and the Stamps Quartet, who were singing backup for Elvis
Presley, Sterban joined the Oak Ridge
Boys in 1972. But he is still excited about
the new stuff.
The new stuff includes an album due
out in the fall produced by David Cobb.
Cobb also produces Shooter Jennings,
“You know, every day has a distinct
memory. We may go back to the same
town; may sing many of the same
songs; may even see some of the same
folks in the crowd. But every time it is
a new day and a new experience.”
– WILLIAM LEE GOLDEN
the only son of Waylon Jennings and
Jessi Colter.
“It’s out there a little bit,” Sterban said,
“but I like it that we are out of our comfort zone. It’s a total departure from what
we have done and enjoyed for years. On
one song, we recorded with the four of
us around one mic. On another, I just
sing the bass line instead of using the
stringed instrument.
“It’s just not the typical Nashville
record.”
A fitness buff, Sterban is known as the
Oak who keeps a bicycle with him at all
times. He also enjoys sailing and
snorkling.
And, yes, singing bass lower than
daddy ever dreamed.
“Physically, you don’t get tired of
doing what we do,” Sterban said. “I have
no thoughts of stepping down.”
After All These Years
The band’s lineage goes back fifty
years to the gospel-performing Oak
Ridge Quartet.
Collectively as the Oak Ridge Boys, inductee into the Vocal Group Hall of
Fame, this foursome has been getting on
the bus long enough to produce twentynine top-ten hits and sixteen chart-toppers. Within a year after their first big hit,
when Paul Simon needed that certain
gospel-based four-part harmony sound
as backup for “Slip Sliding’ Away,” it
was the Oaks he called. The group’s last
number one to date was “No Matter
How High” in 1990.
“It’s been a long crazy ride, but here
we are,” Bonsall said with the devilish
grin of an eleven-year-old boy contemplating the manifestation of mischief,
“still crazy after all these years.”
Reflections of a Son
BY CHRIS GOLDEN
y father joined the Oaks
when I was two years old,
so my mother pretty much
raised me. Back then, the [Oak
Ridge] Boys worked 250-plus days a
year on the road, and when they
were home, Dad was usually at the
office trying to make things happen
as CEO of the group. He was a
“hands on” man. We (my brothers
and I) would sometimes get to go
out on the road with him if the trip
was not a long one, and we always
looked forward to it. Buses, hotels,
concert halls, show clothes, hairspray, music and crowds were all
very appealing to an elementary
kid, and it looked like a fun way to
make a living. The Oaks were always
one of the top groups in gospel, but
I thought they were as big as the
Beatles. I didn’t know any different
until much later. Now I know the big
difference is that the Boys are still
out there making music together.
The day the Oaks decided to let
Dad go, my brother Rusty and I
were in the studio recording our
debut album for Columbia Records
as The Goldens, and we invited him
down to the studio to sing on a couple of songs with us. He always told
us music had a healing power, and
he seemed to be needing some
that day. For the next nine years, we
recorded for separate labels, had
separate management and booking, but we always toured together.
It was kind of like when The Band
toured with Dylan. A one-two,
knock-out punch. We would come
out and do our thing, then we’d
take a step back and let him shine
while we backed him up.
Not only was it a musically inspir-
M
ing time, we had big fun out there
rolling down the road together, and
we finally got to take that “family
vacation” we had never been on. Although it was a working situation,
we always treated each day and
show as an adventure that we carried the crowds on along with us.
We were all over North America, at
some of the biggest festivals and
fairs of those years. Looking back, I
can say they were the best times I
ever had on the road, and the closest our family had been.
We had a special kindred spirit
amongst the brethren that traveled
with us as well – all long-time
friends of the family. We shared a
passion for the music, and we were
all hungry. Perhaps that helped
bring us closer than anything: making music and making friends.
I had just started producing a
solo project with Dad when he
was asked to come back with the
Oaks. He wanted me to tag along
to “watch his back,” and to help
take care of the music. In the tenplus years since, I have played
acoustic guitar, mandolin, piano,
drums and sang Richard’s or Dad’s
part. The old saying “time flies
when your having fun” rings so
true. It truly has flown by.
Now that we are on different
buses, I don’t see him nearly as
much as I used to, or would like to,
but I still have his back.
Information
For More Information including performance dates, photos, biographies,
band discography and more, visit .
[Editor’s Note: Chris Golden, current drummer with the Oak Ridge Boys
Band, is the son of William Golden, baritone with the Oak Ridge Boys.
William was estranged from the group for eight years.]
Destination Branson ~ 7
CMYK
Tri-Lakes Center presents...
Roy Clark
Roy Clark is appearing at the Tri-Lakes
Center in September. Roy became a Grand
Ole Opry member in 1987. He was a
favorite recurring actor on the classic television sitcom “The Beverly Hillbillies” which
spawned several acting roles on television
and the movies. Roy was the first country
music artist to guest host Johnny Carson’s
Tonight Show! He also hosted the incomparable “Hee Haw” show for over two decades.
Tri-Lakes Center
417.335.5715
Tickets: 417.336.0219
www.TriLakesCenter.com
2527 State Highway 248
Branson shows are fun for
everyone. With over a hundred
shows Branson visitors can experience a fabulous smorgasbord of
singing, dancing, comedy, and
more. The variety of musical
experiences includes pop, country,
rock-n-roll, gospel, Motown, western, Broadway,
blues, swing, big band, music from every era from
today’s favorites to the 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, and more.
Tri-Lakes Center presents...
Mark Lowry
Pickup Man...
Joe Diffie at Yakov’s Theatre!
Funnyman Mark Lowry brings his act to
the Tri-Lakes Center in November. Mark
is best known for his singing, comedy and
gift for sharing with his audience in a
unique way.
Mark Lowry has been making people
laugh, cry and think for over 28 years.
Singing publicly and recording albums
and videos since age eleven, you could say
that Mark has done this most of his life.
Joe Diffie performs at the Yakov Smirnoff
Theatre in 2008. Joe’s credits include 12 #1
hits, over 20 top 10 hits, 2 platinum albums,
2 gold albums, CMA, Grammy & more! Joe’s
show also features comedian Paul Harris and
on selected dates, comedian Bob Nelson.
Shows at 8:00 PM September 6 through
December 11.
Your favorite Joe Diffie songs include:
Tri-Lakes Center
417.335.5715
Tickets: 417.336.0219
www.TriLakesCenter.com
2527 State Highway 248
Tri-Lakes Center presents...
Dino Kartsonakis
Dino returns to the Tri-Lakes Center
beginning November 2 – December 4
with his dazzling Christmas show. A
recent Carnegie Hall performer, Dino
brings elegance and excitement to Ozark
Mountain Christmas with this world class
production. Dino’s showmanship is
unmatched in Branson! Don’t miss this
beautiful Christmas production.
Tri-Lakes Center
417.335.5715
Tickets: 417.336.0219
www.TriLakesCenter.com
2527 State Highway 248
8 ~ Destination Branson
BRANSON
Home • Pickup Man • John Deere Green • If You Want Me To
Third Rock From The Sun • Prop Me Up Beside The Jukebox
If The Devil Danced In Empty Pockets • Bigger Than The Beatles
New Way To Light Up An Old Flame • Ships That Don’t Come In
At Yakov’s Theatre at Hwy 248 & US 65
1-877-4U2-LAUGH (1-877-482-5284)
www.JoeDiffie.com• www.Yakov.com
The Hughes Brothers
& The Worlds Largest Performing Family
The Hughes Brothers’ powerful masculine
voices have the ability to stun you to the
core and send shivers up your spine. It’s no
wonder they were voted Best Vocal Group!
The Hughes Wives are stunning. The five
wives’ talent on stage, breathtaking dances
and sweet harmonies add even more class
to the award winning show. The Kids steal
the show. Over 20 children take the stage daily with
unbelievable talent ranging from amazing instrumental solos to ensembles. “You’ve never seen so much talent in one single family!” Combine
all the cherished family sentiments – joy, sadness, laughter, chaos, wonder, discovery and
faith; mix them into a show that’s brimming with life and you get the recipe for the Hughes
Brothers Show. It makes you feel like a member of the family.
Avoid the restaurant rush – Ask about our VIP Dinner Theatre.
417-334-0076 • 800-422-0076
www.Hughes-Brothers.com • 3425 W. Hwy 76
CMYK
Jim Stafford –
The Live Music Show
Laughing Out Loud!
Capital of the World! For
The Jim Stafford Show takes laughter to a new
Our family friendly shows offer comedy,
magic, acrobats, dancing, theatrical dramas, ventriloquists, exotic animals, a diversity of cultural
performances, and more. The quality and variety
of shows available in Branson is truly amazing,
especially to the first-time visitor. From classic
stars to touring headliners to our homegrown
shows the quality and variety of shows available
in Branson is truly amazing. We guarantee we’ll
leave a smile on your face!
Danger...
Explosive Laughter with Yakov!
There ought to be a caution sign as you enter the
Yakov Smirnoff Theatre. It should read “Warning! Hold
on to your seat ‘cause this guy is about to blow you away
with dynamite comedy!” This funny ‘guy’ of course is
Yakov Smirnoff, the famous Russian Comedian.
From the heartland of America, our funny
philosopher brings us unique insights into life,
family, and these United States. During the
fast-moving, joyful show you’ll meet Lady
Liberty, share in Yakov’s journey as an United
States citizen, discover the Laboratory of
Laughter, enjoy some razor sharp humor with
a band of pirates, enjoy a dazzling Russian
Dance Troupe and more!
Yakov’s theater is the first one in Branson as you arrive from the North on US Hwy 65.
1-877-4U2-LAUGH (1-877-482-5284) • www.Yakov.com
Millions Amazed!
Kirby & Bambi VanBurch
It’s a thrill-a-minute production with
the master of magic, Kirby VanBurch!
From awe-inspiring escapes to astonishing disappearing acts, Kirby’s largescale illusions are amazing!
It’s truly a family affair as Kirby’s
delightful wife, and producer, Bambi
joins him on stage. She adds a special
brand of pixie dust to the show with a
Tinker Bell smile and a vanishing magical unicorn! Plus, after the show, you
can take a Magical Mystery Tour with Kirby and his big cats backstage –
up close and personal!
2353 State Hwy 248
417-337-7140 • 1-888-DISAPPEAR • www.KirbyVanBurch.com
Millions have been amazed – now it’s your turn!
art form! Critically acclaimed as the “Victor
Borge of the Guitar”, Jim creates hilarious antics
from everyday life – out of his mind and into
your heart! Famous for his million-selling
records, “Spiders and Snakes”, “Cow Patti”,
and the infamous “My Girl Bill”, Jim satirizes
the obvious with his music and comedy. Only
Jim Stafford can combine hysterical comedy with
masterful performances on the classical guitar and
heart-warming stories of the human spirit, a
must-see show in Branson for 20 years!
3440 W. Hwy. 76
417.335.8080 • www.JimStafford.com
The Duttons...
it’s what Branson is all about!
All in one family, this skilled troop is a
Branson must see. Fiddles, guitars,
banjos and music of all genres, the production and variety of this show is amazing. Says Simon Cowell of this incredible family, “I loved it, I absolutely loved it!”
You saw them take the nation by storm
on NBC’s “America’s Got Talent.” You
saw them light up the show on the Jerry
Lewis Telethon. You and your family
were glued to the television for “Making
Music” and their Christmas specials on
PBS. Now see the show that the whole
country is raving about!
The Duttons • 3454 W Hwy 76
1-888-388-8661• 417-332-2772 • www.TheDuttons.com
Acrobats of China…
featuring the
New Shanghai Circus
Over 40 Acrobats of China bring the
Orient to Branson in a fast-paced,
exciting production featuring internationally award-winning acts. In its
10th season in Branson, the New
Shanghai Circus celebrates the exotic
wonders of China while showcasing
dramatic interpretation of classic
Chinese dance and physical performance art. Featuring spectacular
backdrops, beautiful costuming, and
state-of-the-art lighting this show is a
thrill a minute!
“Qing da jia lai kan wo men!” Translation: “Ya’ll come see us!”
1-877-21 CHINA (1-877-212-4462) • www.AcrobatsOfChina.com
Destination Branson ~ 9
CMYK
Branson Variety Theater delivers the
heart-pounding excitement of dance in
Spirit of the Dance
Spirit of the Dance is celebrating their 10th
Year Anniversary in Branson this 2008 season.
Irish in origin, the International dance sensation that captivates audiences world-wide is
bigger and better than ever with exhilarating
effects and powerful dance segments. Spirit of
the Dance takes you around the world of dance in this breathtaking production that features a
spectacular blend of traditional culture that masterfully weaves together dramatic Irish Dance
with the exhilarating forces of Classical Ballet, Flamenco, Red Hot Salsa and Jazz. The electrifying troupe of dancers will captivate you as they perform with military precision: as not one Irish
dance shoe steps out of line as their thunderous feet perform as one! This THRILLING, FOOT
STOMPING performance will leave you breathless!
Enjoy the amazing world of dance with Spirit of the Dance
at the Branson Variety Theater Performing March thru October
888-462-7267 • www.BransonVarietyTheater.com
Day Time and Night Time – it’s Always
Show Time in Branson, Missouri!
We’ve got
more stars
per square
inch than
anywhere
else in the
universe!
Branson Variety Theater
presents the amazing harmonies of
The Twelve Irish Tenors
Captivating to audiences of all ages, the
overnight blockbuster hit, The Twelve Irish
Tenors continues to deliver the greatest
voices to ever ensemble together on stage!
These twelve handsome, incredibly talented, harmonizing young men showcase their
amazing harmonies while performing a large variety of the greatest music of the 20th
Century. With a touch of Irish charm, this masterpiece showcases their unbelievable
vocals and choreography to a cleverly constructed selection of Irish folk, Opera, Pop,
Swing, Jazz and Gospel. They deliver hit after hit, including favorites such as; “Danny
Boy”, “Hey Jude”, “I Believe” and the NEWEST additions for 2008 including; “We are the
Champions”, “Unchained Melody”, “Hello” and a SPECIAL Glenn Miller segment featuring;
“Don’t Sit Under the Apple Tree”, “Pennsylvania 6-5000”, “In the Mood” and more.
Enjoy the mesmerizing sounds of The Twelve Irish Tenors performing at the Branson Variety Theater.
888-462-7267 • www.BransonVarietyTheater.com
Branson Variety Theater
offers all the glitz and glamour of
Broadway!
The Star-Spangled Celebration
Performing in their 6th exciting season in Branson,
Broadway! The Star-Spangled Celebration entertains
audiences New York Style in this spectacular musical
extravaganza. This award-winning, brilliant production
features state of the art lighting effects, amazing choreography and a fabulous cast of singers and dancers
that bring the excitement of Broadway to Branson. You will be amazed as this star-studded cast lights up
the stage in gorgeous and glittering costumes while performing your favorite Broadway hits with musical arrangements of song and dance from over 20 different Broadway musicals. Dazzling segments
include scenes from Grease, Mame, Oklahoma, Cabaret, Phantom of the Opera, Chicago, 42nd Street
and lots more.
Enjoy your favorite Broadway hits and experience the excitement of Broadway
with Broadway! The Star-Spangled Celebration! at the Branson Variety Theater.
Performing March thru October.
888-462-7267 • www.BransonVarietyTheater.com
10 ~ Destination Branson
We’re looking forward to seeing you soon! One
note of caution: after seeing all we have to offer,
you’ll want to make plans to come back again and
again so that you can see all of our shows!
There’s so much to see and do – music of all
kinds, incredible dancing, outrageous comedy,
unbelievable magic, reviews of the decades – what
happens in Branson will leave you smiling for ever
– in fact you’ll want to tell all your friends and family about your vacation experience in Branson – the
Live Music Show Capital of the World.
Jimmy, Wayne and Jay Osmond starring in
Spirit of Christmas
Your Christmas trip to Branson wouldn’t be
complete without attending The Osmonds starring in Spirit of Christmas! Take a ride on this
festive musical holiday journey to a gorgeous
New York Holiday style production! A sparkling
cast of singers and dancers decked out in stunning
and elaborate costumes perform your favorite
Christmas songs put into high-energy segments
with dazzling scenery, incredible dancing and the amazing harmonies of the Osmond Brothers. The
Spirit of Christmas heightens as these charming, multi-talented brothers take center stage throughout the show performing in perfect harmony a variety of their favorite hits while showcasing their
unique charisma and choreography, their witty humor and amazing vocals. Jimmy, Wayne and Jay
Osmond starring in Spirit of Christmas is a shining star of Christmas excitement and tradition and
is sure to make a lasting impression on audiences of all ages!
Ring in the Christmas season with The Osmonds starring in
Spirit of Christmas at The Branson Variety Theater
888-462-7267 • www.BransonVarietyTheater.com
CMYK
Mickey Gilley Theatre
There’s no place on earth like Branson.
Celebrating his 20th season in
Branson, Mickey Gilley is an
Where you can go on vacation and find... extraordinary entertainer. Join
• Over 100 live shows!
• Entertainment that bridges the generation
gap… everybody has fun!
• Over 50 theaters with over 55,000 live
theatre seats!
• World Class Theme parks including
Silver Dollar City, Shepherd of the Hills
Outdoor Drama, and more.
• A wide variety of attractions and museums.
• International quality entertainment at
affordable prices.
• A theatre district lying beside beautiful
Ozark Mountain lakes
• The security of a small, hometown
• The best shopping and restaurants in the
Midwest
• Great hotels and resorts within walking
distance to the shows
• Surrounded by the scenic outdoors,
rolling hills, and three pristine lakes.
The Shepherd of the Hills
Historic Homestead
and Old Mill Theatre
Spend the day exploring the past at this
much-loved Branson attraction. During the
day there are guided tours of the historic
homestead including a visit to Old Matt’s
Cabin, which is on the National Historic
Registry, visit Inspiration Tower, enjoy horseback trail rides, and great shopping and
unique crafts. Each evening 90 actors and
actresses gather under the stars to recreate
Harold Bell Wright’s legendary tale of love, loss, and betrayal. Based on the best
selling novel published over a century ago, this is the story of the lives and loves
of the pioneer homesteaders that lived in the Branson area in the late 1800’s.
There’s something for everyone at The Shepherd of the Hills.
Don’t miss this time-tested favorite!
www.TheShepherdoftheHills.com • 1.800.653.6288
us for an evening of timeless
music and hilarious humor.
Journey down the comedy trail
with Gilley and sidekick Joey
Riley....it’s a great ride as they wisecrack their
way through the evening. Joey’s zany antics,
and that crazy face of his...you’ll laugh until
you cry! Mickey Gilley’s Urban Cowboy
Band is a Grammy Award winning ensemble
of talented musicians. Kaci Bays and Katie Lynn, the “Urbanettes”, add a beautiful touch
to the show. With their outstanding vocals, Gilley’s charm, and the wonderful music,
the talented cast offer you an evening you will long remember. Experience the legendary
entertainer live on stage in his own theatre. It’s a must see show!
3455 West 76 Country Blvd
(800) 334.1936 • 417.334.3210 • www.Gilleys.com
The Starlite presents...
Liverpool Legends
Liverpool Legends, the Ultimate Beatles
Experience, presented by Louise Harrison, sister of
the late George Harrison; bringing the Beatles to
Branson now in their new home and Beatle
Themed theatre, the Starlite. The theatre is complete with Strawberry Fields, English Red phone
booth and the famous Abbey Road Crosswalk.
Coming in 2009, the only Beatle Museum in America will be
here at the Starlite theatre in Branson MO. Enjoy beverages
of choice in our Sgt. Pepper style diner before the magical
experience of Liverpool Legends takes you back to the Ed Sullivan Show, the psychedelic Sgt.
Pepper era and Abbey Road via the perfect live recreation of the music that rocked the world.
The Beatles’ music transcends all ages, changed the face of rock-n-roll forever and weaves the
message of love and peace through songs that live on as if it were written for today!
3115 W Hwy 76
417-337-9333 • www.LiverPoolLegends.com
Branson’s White House Theatre
Magnificent Seven
Branson’s Magnificent Seven Variety Show is
a blockbuster wave of entertainment spanning
Seven amazing Decades of music! Featuring
Tamra Holden, Joe Tinoco, 16 multitalented
entertainers and musicians, and hit after hit of
the greatest music ever recorded, this show
spans 300 costume changes and over 75 different musical productions including swing,
country, Rock & Roll, 1960’s crooners, big
band classics, the disco era, MTV favorites,
and fabulous contemporary hits. Kids 11 and under FREE, and you can add a fabulous
four-course dinner for just $9.95!
And start your day off with our hearty Country Breakfast and the hottest horns in Branson
with the Dixieland Breakfast Show! Featuring Award Winning Pianist Tracy Heaston, it will
put a smile on your face and have you “hand slappin” and “toe tappin” to the very best of
American music, comedy, and that great Jazz Band sound!
Branson’s White House Theatre • 877-487-2386
www.BransonWhiteHouseTheatre.com
Destination Branson ~ 11
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Live tribute show...
Legends in Concert
Want to know what Branson is all about?
The world’s greatest live tribute show, Legends in
Concert, is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see your
favorite performers “LIVE” on stage! Dubbed “Show of
Shows” by the International Press Association, Legends
in Concert is the most respected and largest show of its
kind. Due to the incredible success of the Legends
show, specific tribute artists are selected from the best
in the world to perform in the live entertainment
capital of the world, Branson, Missouri. You will be
mesmerized by such legendary greats like Garth Brooks,
Tina Turner, Bobby Darin, Buddy Holly, Marilyn Monroe,
George Strait, The Blues Brothers, Elvis and many more of you favorites! The incredible
variety at Legends in Concert will astound you as the cast changes Spring, Summer, Fall
and Winter. Using their own natural voices, joined by the Legends Orchestra and Legends
Singers/Dancers, you won’t believe your eyes!
3416 West Hwy 76
800-374-7469 • www.LegendsInConcert.com
The Little Opry Theatre
The Little Opry Theatre, inside Branson’s IMAX
Entertainment Complex, features what can only be
described as both Branson’s best kept secret and it’s
most surprising value… offering unparalleled live
entertainment… featuring some of the most talented
musicians, singers and comedians that Branson
has to offer!
Get up close and personal with the stars in a venue
so intimate, so personal… there’s not a bad seat in the
house. Created specifically to enhance premier,
nuanced performances of truly gifted entertainers, the Little Opry Theatre
doesn’t rely on special effects, lighting shows or flashy ensembles, but
rather the raw talent displayed by each entertainer that takes its stage.Yet
who would have thought that such an intimate little live theatre would offer
such BIG Branson shows? You will experience some of Branson’s finest
Bluegrass and Country Music.
For more information on our SEVEN BIG LIVE SHOWS visit
www.BransonImax.com or call 1-800-419-4832.
For more information on shows and theaters in Branson
visit ShowsInBranson.com the official website of
The League of Branson Theatre Owners & Show Producers.
About The Branson Show League
The League works to increase the success and well-being of the theatrical
industry in the “Live Show Capital of the World”, Branson, Missouri. With
over 120 live shows featuring music, comedy, magic, dancing, acrobats, theatrical plays, and more, the diversity and variety of choices of live shows make
Branson a unique and fun-filled family vacation destination. The League
strives to increase interest in Branson shows and show attendance, increase
profitability for the Branson show community, and to promote communications between shows, as well as throughout the Branson community.
Upcoming events:
Spotlight On Vendors Trade Show ~ December 9, 2008.
For more information call 417-334-8287
or e-mail director@showsinbranson.com
12 ~ Destination Branson
Planning a trip to Branson soon? At
www.ShowsInBranson.com you have found
the address of the stars of Branson, The League
of Branson Theatre Owners and Show
Producers (The Branson Show League)! This is
the place to get to know the entertainers as well
as their show schedules. You can find out how
to purchase your show tickets and in many
cases purchase your tickets on-line.
At The Branson Show League’s website, you
are reviewing information provided direct from
our individual theatres & shows. When you
sign up for our VIP Fan e-club we will not sell
your information and your information will
only be used by The Branson Show League.
This is the official website run by the
Branson stars themselves. While there is plenty
of information available about Branson this is
the ONLY website that is created by the Shows
In Branson! And because we are the Shows in
Branson our ONLY goal is to help you have a
fun-filled vacation laughing, clapping, singing,
dancing, and grinning at our shows, shows,
and more shows!
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The Oak Ridge Boys Theatre presents...
Country Tonite
Old country – new country – hot country – it’s
all here at the show that began the hottest trend in
country music entertainment! You’ll enjoy the
best of the best – musicians, singers, dancers,
comedy, and specialty acts for a two hour country
musical journey!
Other Must-See Shows...
The Oak Ridge Boys & Dalena Ditto
(417) 239-1333
www.TheMansionTheatre.com
The Mansion Theatre presents...
The Promise
The Promise dramatizes the greatest story ever told
– from the creation, to Christ’s birth, life, death, resurrection and ascension. Performed by one of
Branson’s largest cast of singers, dancers, and performers – The Promise enables you to rejoice for
two hours in God’s promise to us all.
And don’t miss...
Celebrate America!
The Mansion Theatre
189 Expressway Ln • (417) 239-1333
www.TheMansionTheatre.com
Destination Branson ~ 13
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Sticks, Stones and
By Donice Woodside
Rabbit Holes
Scotland’s Royal and Ancient Game
e love stick and ball games – always have. Regardless of our cultural origins, our ancestors played
games with sticks and balls.
From simple beginnings, stick and
ball games such as baseball, hockey,
lacrosse, tennis, polo and golf evolved to
lure players and spectators from cultures
far beyond those that created them.
Aside from the stick and ball, however, golf has little in common with
other games. For starters, golf is the
only stick and ball game that targets a
hole in the ground. And golf is not necessarily a team sport; even singles tennis involves direct interplay between
two opponents. A golfer, though, can
play a round entirely alone; the opposing forces being elemental – the lay of
the land and direction of the wind – the
water, sand and trees along the fairway.
Further, golf has no standardized
field of play. Each course is unlike any
other, and any one golf course can
never be understood the same way
twice.
Golf, by its nature, is different.
W
King James VI
Gentlemen Only
Ladies Forbidden
ost golfers have heard someone quip that golf is an
acronym for “gentlemen only/ ladies
forbidden.”
The word golf has its origins, however, in early Scottish history as gowf,
sometimes spelled as gouf, and perhaps a derivative of the Scots word
goulf, which means “to knock” or “to
strike.”
To say that golf stands for “gentlemen only/ladies forbidden” is actually a backronym – the assignment of
a meaning constructed after a word
already exists.
M
14 ~ Destination Branson
were rabbits – more specifically, Oryctolagus cuniculas, commonly called the
Sticks and Stones
European rabbit.
Most historians agree, golf originated
The European rabbit is
on the sand dune pastures of Eastern
prolific on the coastal lowScotland’s central lowlands, perhaps as
lands of Eastern Scotland. It
much as a thousand years ago. During
digs holes in the loamy soil
the High Middle Ages – between
near sea level and lives
900 and 1200 AD – Eastern
in “warrens” of up to a
Scotland’s pastoral peodozen
or
more
ple herded sheep and
adults. Each rabbit
cattle on scattered
runs a perimeter of
grasslands along
one to two acres
the North Sea
from its own hole, incoast. No towns
terlacing with its neighor villages yet
bors’ lands. Together, a
existed, and a
gathering of rabbits into a
lone shepherd’s
warren occupies twentymost immediate
five to fifty acres.
neighbors, aside
During the High
from his flock,
Middle Ages, Eastern
Oryctolagus cuniculas
Scotland’s wealth was built on the husbandry skills of its pastoral people. A
shepherding family ran cattle, pigs and
sheep on land that, coincidentally, approximated the size of a European rabbit warren.
Somewhere in early Scotland, a lone
herder watching a flock found that time
could be more pleasantly passed using
his herding staff to knock pebbles along
rabbit runs and into rabbit holes.
As herders worked together, they
passed time with a game in which the
one who knocked his pebble into the
target rabbit hole in the least number of
tries won.
The Forbidden Game
Over time, many shepherds moved
their herds into closer proximity to
Eastern Scotland’s monasteries, nearer
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ready markets for their livestock’s produce of wool, hides, milk and meat. As
the popularity of the game of “gowf”
expanded, pebbles were replaced with
wooden balls, and the first manmade
rabbit holes were dug in “links” on
the undulating sandy ground near
coastal monasteries. The earliest manmade courses were built along the
shores of Scotland’s eastern North Sea
bays, or “firths.” The links at Musselburgh, in the Firth of Forth, are perhaps the oldest.
By the mid-fifteenth century, as war
escalated between Scotland and England, King James II banned golf, decreeing it should be “utterly cried
down” in the name of national defense. His subjects preferred playing
golf to practicing archery. King James
III followed to reaffirm the ban in
1471, and James IV did the same
twenty years later. For generations,
military might and preparation superceded fun and games.
Finally, at the turn of the sixteenth
century, after the Treaty of Glascow
between England and Scotland, King
James IV repealed the ban on “playing at gowf.” Records show that he,
too, was smitten with the game and
bought clubs from a bow-maker in
Perth. The links at Perth, at the mouth
of the Firth of Tay, are also among the
world’s oldest.
The Royal Game
Within a decade, golf’s popularity
swelled out of Eastern Scotland’s
bounds. Queen Catherine of England
said so in a 1513 letter to Cardinal
Woolsey, mentioning the game’s growing popularity.
By mid-century, the Archbishop of St.
Andrews monastery in Fife, on the peninsula between Musselburgh and Perth, decreed local commoners had the right to
play the links at St. Andrews. Soon, Mary,
Queen of Scots – the first known female
golfer – was criticized for playing golf the
day after her husband’s murder.
In 1592, golf was banned on Sunday,
“in tyme of sermons.” Faithful to his
fathers’ love of the game, however,
King James VI not only lifted the Sunday ban but also ordered his own set of
clubs made by William Moyne, anointing Moyne “the royal clubmaker.”
As clubs evolved to be made by
skilled craftsmen, the ball evolved as
well. The “featherie,” made from horse
or cowhide was stitched into the form
of a ball and tightly stuffed with goose
feathers. It was soaked in water so that,
as it dried, the leather shrank and the
feathers expanded, forming a tight ball.
The process was tedious, and a ball
maker could craft only a few a day.
Golf balls became very expensive –
so much so that golfers hired young
men to wait at the end of the fairway.
When a golfer teed off, the “fore cadet”
watched the ball and marked where it
landed so it would not be lost. With the
expense of crafted clubs and balls, golf
became exclusive, played mostly
among elite society.
In England, King Charles was playing golf when he first heard news of
the Irish rebellion, which triggered
England’s Civil War. He opted to finish
the round. Such self-serving priorities
got Charles into big trouble with his
kingdom. Within a handful of years, he
was forced to surrender to Scottish
troops and was soon beheaded.
A bird of a shot
he first use of the term birdie, designating one stroke under par, is credited to Ab Smith in 1903, commenting
on a friend’s beautifully made shot at
the Atlantic City Country Club.
“That was a bird of a shot,” he said. In
late nineteenth century American slang,
“bird” referred to a thing of excellence.
The bird analogies to golfers’ best play
stuck, and the term eagle followed to
designate two strokes under par – and a
double-eagle, three strokes under par.
T
Destination Branson ~ 15
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Mountain Golf
Taking the Game to Greater Heights
By Donice Woodside
rom its humble origins on the low-lying
grasslands of Scotland’s coastal regions,
golf’s popularity has migrated around the
globe as the world’s great golf course architects navigate landscapes they love most.
The pristine expanse of the Ozark mountains lures many of golf’s greats – players
and architects alike – and, today, Ozark
courses lay along some of the most dramatic
mountain terrain in the country.
Ozark mountain courses are criss-crossed
by streams and waterfalls and bounded by
limestone outcroppings, wildflowers and
hardwood forests. Undulating, multi-tiered
fairways offer unique challenges, distant
views and the chance for a golfer “to use
every club in the bag.”
Meshing the nature of the game with the
nature of the terrain, some of the best mountain golf course architects have negotiated
the Ozarks’ many variables in geography –
preserving the integrity of the game, even
through the Ozark region’s wide seasonal
F
Golf Digest magazine calls LedgeStone Golf Course at StoneBridge Village “a
masterpiece of mountain golf architecture.”
1457 – King James II of Scotland bans
golf, mandating archery and military
practice for wars against England.
1553 – Archbishop gives
locals rights to play golf
on links at St. Andrews.
1641 – King
Charles of
England
hears of the
Irish Rebellion during a
round of golf.
1567 – First known
female golfer, Mary
Queen of Scots, criticized for playing golf
the day after her
husband’s murder.
1687—Thoughts on Golve by
Thomas Kincaid published.
1600
(
1100 1200 1300 1400 1500
variations. The Branson area’s renowned
courses – John Daly’s Murder Rock, Branson Creek, LedgeStone, Thousand Hills,
Pointe Royale, Holiday Hills and Top of the
Rock at Big Cedar Lodge – are open year
round as each season exposes its own extraordinary vistas.
Branson area courses have garnered the
acclaim of such prestigious connoisseurs as
Golf Digest magazine, which named Branson
Creek Missouri’s number one public course
and gave Thousand Hills a three-and-a-half
star rating. John Daly’s Murder Rock is “like
playing two different courses” because of its
varying elevations, and LedgeStone is “ a
masterpiece of mountain golf architecture.”
The human imagination has always
longed toward mountains. Whether we
stand at a mountain’s base or at its pinnacle,
the amazing grace of its contours resonates
in our earth-bound psyches and uplifts us.
It is no surprise that, as one of the world’s
most ancient and beloved games, golf falls
into easy kinship with the mountains.
1100-1200 – Golf believed
to have originated among
pastoral peoples during the
High Middle Ages in
Scotland, first played
hitting pebbles with sticks 1502 – King James IV lifts the
into rabbit holes.
ban on golf after signing the
Treaty of Glasgow with England
and commissions a Perth bow
maker to craft a set of clubs.
16 ~ Destination Branson
1659 – First known reference
to Golf in America bans play on
the streets of Albany, New York.
1618 – The “featherie”
comes into play,
replacing wooden balls.
1682 – First international golf match played
between Scotland and England on links at Leith.
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Greener Greens
The Audubon Sanctuary Golf Course
By Donice Woodside
he majority of golfers may not realize that
their clubs are ideally suited for giving
sanctuary to birds without the slightest inconvenience to the game,” wrote Arthur A. Allen of the
National Association of Audubon Societies in his
1930 article, “The Golf Club as a Bird Sanctuary.”
Allen observed the edges of woodlands – such as
those bordering fairways – harbor more birds than
densely wooded areas, and the “tangled grass of the
rough” offers safe feeding and nesting areas. With
the addition of nesting boxes, fruit-bearing trees,
shrubs and water features, Allen saw golf courses
building desirable bird populations that “rival those
of any bird sanctuary in the country.”
In 1991, Audubon International initiated the
Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program for
Golf Courses to “enhance the valuable natural
areas and wildlife habitats” golf courses provide
and “minimize potentially harmful effects of golf
operations.”
Six years later, Top of the Rock at Big Cedar
Lodge near Branson, designed by Jack Nicklaus,
became the first golf course in Missouri to gain
“T
1743 – Golf
equipment shipped
from Scotland to
American colonies.
certification as an Audubon International Signature Sanctuary.
Of its forty-seven acres, Top of the Rock has left
more than one third of the golf course in its natural
state – planting native grasses, shrubs and trees
along fairways and preserving natural habitats in
out-of-play areas. Shorelines are left undisturbed so
butterflies, songbirds, rabbits and waterfowl maintain cover as they approach waterways.
Preserving the Ozarks diverse eco-system secures breeding and nesting spaces throughout the
Top of the Rock course and ensures enough fruit,
seeds, nuts, berries, nectar and water to nurture a
wide array of life.
The great benefit to golfers is in focusing maintenance on in-play areas, which allows Top of the
Rock’s staff to groom greens into the finest form.
A recipient of the “Governor’s Treescape Award,”
Top of the Rock is an Ozarks gem. As a Jack Nicklaus
Signature Golf Course, it represents the excellence
demonstrated by the “Golden Bear” himself.
Bring your clubs; bring your binoculars; bring
your camera. Top of the Rock Golf Course at Big
Cedar Lodge is one for your record books.
1810 – Earliest
reference made
to womens’
competition at
Musselburgh.
1754 – St. Andrews
establishes annual
silver-cup competition.
1764 – St. Andrews
creates first 18-hole course.
1826 – Hickory imported from
America used to make golf
shafts.
1900
1930s – American players ascend
as champions of the game.
1946 – U.S. dominance of the sport
begins as golf spreads around the world.
2000
(
1800
1914-1918 – World War I costs
Scotland many of its promising
young golfers.
1920s – America becomes
golf’s “promised land.”
(
(
1700
Top of the Rock at Big Cedar Lodge – an Audubon International
Signature Sanctuary
1735 – Royal Burgess Golfing
Society of Edinburgh established.
1744 – First known written
rules of golf codified.
1768 – First clubhouse, the
Golf House at Leith, erected.
1898 – First rubber-wound ball introduced,
increasing driving distances by 100 feet.
1946 – Golf cart invented in Scotland
by John “Doc” Keegan, a retired dentist.
1848—The “guttie” ball, made from gutta-percha
rubber, flies farther and makes the featherie obsolete.
1937-1945 – WWII
decimates Scottish golf courses and creates global shortage of
rubber. U.S. halts production of golf equipment. British Open,
PGA Championship and Masters cancelled for war’s duration.
Destination Branson ~ 17
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Leap of Faith
Homesteading the Ozarks
By Donice Woodside
Sod home of John and Marget Bakken, Milton, N.D., circa 1895. This photograph
was the basis for the U.S. Homestead Act, 1862-1962 commemorative stamp.
The Homestead Act of 1862
By Donice Woodside
n January 1, 1863, the same day the Emancipation Proclamation went into
effect, the Homestead Act of 1862 became law.
The Act allowed any man or woman, who was either head of a family, a veteran
or at least twenty-one years of age, to claim 160 acres of public lands for “the
purpose of actual settlement and cultivation.” After five years of continuous improvement and farming, during which time the claimant could be absent from
the land no more than six months, the homesteader was issued a Homestead
Patent. The Homestead Act was offered only to U.S. citizens; claimants who were
not native-born had to become naturalized citizens before they could be issued
Homestead Patents on their claims.
At its enactment, the Homestead Act excluded everyone of African descent,
free or slave, because the Dred Scott decision by the Supreme Court in 1857 denied African Americans citizenship. The Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution, which overturned Dred Scott, was still five and a half years away. In
addition, the Homestead Act was offered only to those who had “never borne
arms against the United States Government or given aid and comfort to its enemies,” effectively disqualifying Confederate veterans and Southerners, generally.
In 1976, after 10 percent of U.S. lands had been claimed under the Homestead
Act, the Federal Land Policy and Management Act ended homesteading, declaring the remainder of unappropriated territories – approximately one-eighth
of the nation’s land – to be public domain.
O
18 ~ Destination Branson
he depression of 1893 was bad. It rivals
the Great Depression of the 1930’s as
being the worst in U.S. history. Unemployment rates hovered at four percent until ‘93
when they soared and
remained in double
digits for a fat halfdecade.
The Midwest was
especially hard-hit.
The tipping point,
which sent many
family businesses
into hopeless spirals,
came in the wake of
the Wilson-Gorman
Act of 1894. Tariffs were reduced – income
taxes increased.
In the absence of protective tariffs, a flood
of European goods – the products of the lowest-paid laborers in the industrial world – glutted U.S. markets.
Among the small businesses that sank was
the Hoten family’s clay pipe shop in the Mississippi River town of Fulton, Illinois. Margaret Gerten Hoten, eleven years old as her
family’s saga began, lived to tell their story
T
and see it published in the White River Valley
Historical Quarterly in 1966.
Her father, who learned his trade in Germany, came to the U.S. in 1869. “This was in
the days when clay
pipes were in great
demand,”
said
Hoten.
“Cigars
were for the banker
and businessmen;
the laboring men
smoked
clay
pipes.”
According
to
Hoton, her father’s
pipe shop was one
of four in Fulton in 1892. By the turn of the
century, she said, there were none. With lowered tariffs, imports of 75,000 pipes a month
arrived in St. Louis.
Although the Hoton children worked after
school, on weekends and vacations, the family could not clear enough money to sustain
the household. After closing their shop, her father decided that rather than search for work
in the forbidding economy he would “go on
the land.” Without resources, however, the
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family’s only choice was to go where land
was open for homesteading.
When word came of the “wonderful climate, pure air and water, and the good life”
in Southwest Missouri, her father and oldest
brother traveled by river boat to St. Louis,
by train to the end of the rail in Chadwick,
and by wagon to.the White River valley
where they searched out a place for their
family in “the promised land.”
Her father was a dreamer, said Hoton,
“but he believed in his dreams.”
The Great Leap
Not all Southwest Missouri homesteaders had the winds of desperation at their
backs; many were simply extraordinarily
ambitious.
The Homestead Act offered, even those
with few or no assets, the opportunity to
choose a place where in five years they
could have a home, land, crops and independence. It was a chance to grasp the
American dream.
Anyone seeking a new start – young
adults, newly arrived immigrants, wage
earners yearning for autonomy – had an
equal chance at a future for themselves and
prosperity for their children.
Although they were a diverse group,
homesteaders had much in common. They
came to the wilderness with deep reservoirs of hope and determination and the
conviction they were born to succeed – not
to fail.
Making Do
Homesteaders staked their claims with
great expectations. As they left the life they
had known and headed into the unknown,
they could only imagine what lay ahead.
For the Hoten family, the reality of their circumstance crept up on them.
In February, after selling the family’s assets, Hoten, her mother, sister and younger
brother traveled by rail to Springfield, where
they caught a daily “freight, passenger and
milk train” that picked up and dropped off
people along the way. It took four hours to
make the thirty-mile trip to Chadwick where
Hoten’s father waited with a hired wagon to
take the family thirty-five more miles to their
homestead near Cedar Creek.
They stayed overnight at a bunk house on
Swan Creek, a precursor to the modern-day
hotel, and arrived at their homestead at
dark. They listened to their father’s plans
and awoke the next morning eager to get to
work. Until then, their only experience with
“pioneering” had been occasional afternoon
outings into the Illinois countryside.
The children’s first task was to gather
enough dry oak leaves to fill their mattress
tickings. The workload quickly escalated
from there.
They cut trees into logs, split logs into
rails, split red and white oak into shingles,
burned brush, pulled roots and stacked
rocks. Hoten and her brother cut logs,
pulling a two-handle cross-cut saw. It was
a big job, she said, but she built muscle and
liked to hear the saw “sing” as it cut through
the wood.
“Make do, or do without,” was a common nineteenth-century admonition. The
ingenuity fostered by such determination in
such austere circumstances formed the
foundation of successful homesteads – and
is enough to make many of us today shiver.
Turpentine and axle grease were common remedies for stings, cuts and bruises;
prickly pear for colds; salt packs for
toothaches. When a tooth had to be pulled,
said Hoten, “the blacksmith had pliers and
would do the job.”
Worn Thin
The family soon found out how much
more than land was needed to build a farm.
Their cash reserve dwindled quickly, and
the unrelenting reality of “roughing it” took
its toll. After the first month, said Hoten, the
family’s initial excitement was “worn thin,
like the soles of our shoes.”
With no hope of income until fall, they
ate salt pork, eggs and corn meal, and studied seed catalogs, longing for fruits and
vegetables.
Crows ate the seed from their small, hillside gardens; razor-back hogs and freeroaming mules tore through fence rails and
trampled their corn; fox, skunks, possum
and hawks carried their chickens away. In
summer months, the surviving hens quit
laying, and the family shared water from
springs with the animals.
The Hoten’s first harvest was a disappointment. Cash, said Hoten, was “scarce
as hen’s teeth.”
Many homesteaders gave up their claims
after the first year. Those who stayed had
faith beyond each season’s hardships and
relished what little had been gained. Another year would come.“Winter would soon
be gone,” said Hoten, “and we would plan,
plant and hope again.”
Meanwhile, they sold their scant harvest
of cotton and peanuts and shelled and
sacked the corn. “Now we had the soft inner
husks to replace the oak leaves that had
filled our bed ticks. We shelled all the cow
peas, and they were very tasty with a piece
of pork. Of course,” said Hoten, “the sauce
of hunger helped a lot.”
Destination Branson ~ 19