Lost Silver Mine Drama

jmc75 · August 26, 2011, 06:03:53 PM

I would buy one probably two

sanddunerider · August 26, 2011, 06:55:20 PM

Put me on that list!

And dont forget a copy for the coffee table at the +2000 club

rubedugans · August 26, 2011, 07:47:58 PM

Thanks for the pep talk everyone, This is just what I needed to step up and get some work finished!

thelarsonsix · August 27, 2011, 07:40:31 PM

I was talking about the bench.

But I'd love to have the book too!

Junior · August 27, 2011, 09:53:50 PM

I still have one copy left of my "Dugan Daze" book that I guess I will have to donate to the 2000 Plus Posts Clubhouse!

clancomyn · October 03, 2011, 01:47:14 PM

I was not only at the reunion you described, but I am also a Yocum descendant, albiet not the family of Yocums traditionally associated with the legend -- my Yocums came from Pennsylvania and settled in Illinois and Iowa, and remained there until my grandparents bought a motor court near Roaring River State Park in the early 1970s.

I have a copy of the Ayers book that my mother purchased at the reunion, and I vaguely remember playing on a Medicine Show wagon that was part of the act.

For the "rest of the story", the noted Ozarks historian Lynn Morrow wrote a detailed article about the Yocum Silver Mine legend for the Missouri Historical Review back in the 1980s. I used it as one of my sources for a paper on the Yocums I wrote for my Ozarks Geography course I took in the early 1990s with Dr. Milton Rafferty at Southwest Missouri State. Rafferty references Morrow's findings in his book, The Ozarks: Land and Life, which I believe is still in print from the University of Arkansas Press.

Regards,

Todd

clancomyn · October 03, 2011, 01:58:38 PM

Quote from: Junior on March 25, 2010, 07:02:26 PM
In one of the little booklets picked up in the Branson area in the last five years, there is a short paragraph saying that in the 1990's some gift shop in downtown Branson was selling what they billed as reproduction Yoakum Dollars made from the ORIGINAL ANTIQUE COIN PRESS the Yoakum's used. Anybody know anything about this? I would love to get my hands on something like that. I did ask about this in the last two or three years at one of the gift shops in the downtown area that has been there for decades, but the guy I asked knew nothing about it, and looked at me like I was nutty.

The Local History Department of the Springfield-Greene County Library Center has some information about a few of the claims of individuals to have found either bona fide Yocum silver dollars or the presses, but no one has ever confirmed that they are genuine. -- T.

thelarsonsix · October 03, 2011, 05:02:59 PM

Quote from: clancomyn on October 03, 2011, 01:47:14 PM
I was not only at the reunion you described, but I am also a Yocum descendant, albiet not the family of Yocums traditionally associated with the legend -- my Yocums came from Pennsylvania and settled in Illinois and Iowa, and remained there until my grandparents bought a motor court near Roaring River State Park in the early 1970s.

I have a copy of the Ayers book that my mother purchased at the reunion, and I vaguely remember playing on a Medicine Show wagon that was part of the act.

For the "rest of the story", the noted Ozarks historian Lynn Morrow wrote a detailed article about the Yocum Silver Mine legend for the Missouri Historical Review back in the 1980s. I used it as one of my sources for a paper on the Yocums I wrote for my Ozarks Geography course I took in the early 1990s with Dr. Milton Rafferty at Southwest Missouri State. Rafferty references Morrow's findings in his book, The Ozarks: Land and Life, which I believe is still in print from the University of Arkansas Press.

Regards,

Todd

It's great to have you on board here. You'll find a lot of us are very interested in general Ozark history in addition to SDC. Any information you provide will be greatly appreciated, consumed, discussed and most likely referenced in future posts. Please contribute generously, looks like you've got a lot to share. And welcome!

rubedugans · October 03, 2011, 05:48:15 PM

I have seen those same claims in the periodicals...who knows if they are accurate or not. I know there are many that have continued to search despite any hard evidence.

clancomyn · October 03, 2011, 09:35:05 PM

Quote from: thelarsonsix on October 03, 2011, 05:02:59 PM
Quote from: clancomyn on October 03, 2011, 01:47:14 PM
I was not only at the reunion you described, but I am also a Yocum descendant, albiet not the family of Yocums traditionally associated with the legend -- my Yocums came from Pennsylvania and settled in Illinois and Iowa, and remained there until my grandparents bought a motor court near Roaring River State Park in the early 1970s.

I have a copy of the Ayers book that my mother purchased at the reunion, and I vaguely remember playing on a Medicine Show wagon that was part of the act.

For the "rest of the story", the noted Ozarks historian Lynn Morrow wrote a detailed article about the Yocum Silver Mine legend for the Missouri Historical Review back in the 1980s. I used it as one of my sources for a paper on the Yocums I wrote for my Ozarks Geography course I took in the early 1990s with Dr. Milton Rafferty at Southwest Missouri State. Rafferty references Morrow's findings in his book, The Ozarks: Land and Life, which I believe is still in print from the University of Arkansas Press.

Regards,

Todd

It's great to have you on board here. You'll find a lot of us are very interested in general Ozark history in addition to SDC. Any information you provide will be greatly appreciated, consumed, discussed and most likely referenced in future posts. Please contribute generously, looks like you've got a lot to share. And welcome!

Many thanks for the welcome! I have taught Ozarks history and culture at OTC, and a friend of mine and I present programs on local ghost stories and superstitions. The Yocum dollar story has a connection to Breadtray Mountain near Lampe, which the Yocums may have used as a cover for their "operations".

Heck, we even had Baldknobber masks made up for our program.

Todd

clancomyn · October 03, 2011, 09:38:17 PM

Quote from: rubedugans on October 03, 2011, 05:48:15 PM
I have seen those same claims in the periodicals...who knows if they are accurate or not. I know there are many that have continued to search despite any hard evidence.

I have Rafferty's book at my office; I know he discusses at least one claim in the text. It certainly would be something to find a bona fide Yocum dollar -- if nothing else, the search is more fun then the actual goal!

T.

clancomyn · October 03, 2011, 09:51:52 PM

Here's a nice summary of Morrow's research from a past issue of the White River Valley Historical Society's newsletter:

http://thelibrary.org/lochist/periodicals/wrv/v8/n2/w83l.htm

And Morrow's article (or a version of it, anyway):

http://thelibrary.org/lochist/periodicals/wrv/v8/n11/sp85d.htm

Note the SDC reference.

T.

rubedugans · October 14, 2011, 08:48:00 PM

Thanks T. I love reading articles from the White River Valley periodicals. And yes, SDC in fact is the real silver mine!!!

Junior · June 02, 2013, 10:03:00 PM

Bringing back an old, old topic here. But I found a 1984 brochure of the Lost Silver Mine Drama which was located on the current grounds of the Walmart Supercenter at Branson West. Several SDC people took part in this drama as actors, singers, and so on back in the day, including at least two former diving bell guys I worked with. Glenn Braden, who plays Old Matt and Wash Gibbs at Shepherd of the Hills, had a lead role in this drama back in the day. Anyway, the brochure I dug up in my files is posted at my Flickr site, so take a look: http://www.flickr.com/photos/juniordugan

Troydbeau · July 02, 2013, 10:59:47 PM

I have been looking for info on the lost sliver mine play. trying to locate some people, and i came across this. You see I use to be in that drama years ago. before Walmart was sitting there. It is good to see the pics and to know that it is still back there.