"Lost" attractions in the Ozarks

[Junior]

Back in the 1970s and 1980s when the Trimble Family owned Shepherd of the Hills, they distributed thousands of brochure racks throughout the Ozarks. In addition to placing their own brochures in the racks, they also produced and distributed an "Ozarks Entertainment Guide," and left it in the racks, too. In my files, I've found several of the old entertainment guides, and discovered (or remembered) that since Branson only had limited venues in those days, the entertainment guides included attractions in Eureka Springs, Harrison, and Cassville, too. The guide broke down attractions into several categories, daytime and nighttime entertainment, caves, museums, historic points of interest, and special activities. Here is a glance at some of the "lost" attractions from the 1978 brochure:

     Daytime Entertainment: Dogpatch USA, Sammy Lane Pirate Cruise, Farwell's Dinosaur Park, Fun Spot, Grandpa's Farm, The   
     Zebulon Pike, John the Diver.

     Nighttime Entertainment: Foggy River Boys, Plummer Family, Merle Croney Family, Bob-O-Link's Country Hoedown, Beacon
     Hill Theater at College of the Ozarks, Corn Crib Theater, Mid-Ozark Jamboree (at Dogpatch) and Heart of America Rodeo
     (in Mutton Hollow.)

     Caves: Dogpatch Caverns, Crystal Caverns, Crystal Cave.

     Historic: Jim Lane Cabin, Pioneer Homestead (Forsyth) Rosalie House (Eureka Springs),

     Museums: Memorial Museum (Shepherd of the Hills), Jesse James Museum (Where Veterans Museum is in Branson)
     Carriage House Museum, (says it was 9 miles w of Branson-I don't remember this one!) Longs Wax Museum (where
     the wax museum is in Branson now), The Castle at Inspiration Point (Eureka Springs) and Bryant Art Museum (Harrison)

     Special Events: Kewpiesta (Branson), White Bass Round Up and Fish Fry (Forsyth),  Kimberling City Arts and Crafts Fair,
     Square Dance Weekend (SDC), Hootin and Hollerin Festival (Gainesville, MO), Older American Days (SDC).

Anyone remember any of this stuff? Any childhood memories? Check my Flickr site for a few shots of what the 1978 Entertainment Guide looked like:

                                              http://www.flickr.com/photos/juniordugan

[How-doFolks]

Dogpatch. Was too young to really remember, but Pa has that on "lost video" too.

[KBCraig]

     Daytime Entertainment: Dogpatch USA, Sammy Lane Pirate Cruise, Farwell's Dinosaur Park, Fun Spot, Grandpa's Farm, The   
     Zebulon Pike, John the Diver.

     Nighttime Entertainment: Foggy River Boys, Plummer Family, Merle Croney Family, Bob-O-Link's Country Hoedown, Beacon
     Hill Theater at College of the Ozarks, Corn Crib Theater, Mid-Ozark Jamboree (at Dogpatch) and Heart of America Rodeo
     (in Mutton Hollow.)

     Caves: Dogpatch Caverns, Crystal Caverns, Crystal Cave.

     Historic: Jim Lane Cabin, Pioneer Homestead (Forsyth) Rosalie House (Eureka Springs),

     Museums: Memorial Museum (Shepherd of the Hills), Jesse James Museum (Where Veterans Museum is in Branson)
     Carriage House Museum, (says it was 9 miles w of Branson-I don't remember this one!) Longs Wax Museum (where
     the wax museum is in Branson now), The Castle at Inspiration Point (Eureka Springs) and Bryant Art Museum (Harrison)

     Special Events: Kewpiesta (Branson), White Bass Round Up and Fish Fry (Forsyth),  Kimberling City Arts and Crafts Fair,
     Square Dance Weekend (SDC), Hootin and Hollerin Festival (Gainesville, MO), Older American Days (SDC).

I struck through those I don't remember, bolded those I actually visited, and left plain those I remember but didn't visit.

I really wanted to go see John the Diver and learn SCUBA!

[Hatfield McCoy]

Some great childhood memories in this list. 

Loved Dogpatch as a kid.

Always thought Jim Lane's cabin was interesting.  What happened to it?  Did it burn down?

Used to square dance as a kid with the family and SDC squaredance weekend.  A lot of good memories going down during this time with family and friends.  It was neat to see the park after it closed for the day.

Hootin and Hollerin Festival was also a childhood summer event, but I don't have a lot of memories as most of the festivals my family attended seem to have ran together through the years.

[Junior]

I read in a book that came out in the early 90s that the Jim Lane Cabin was torn down. Apparently the Shepherd of the Hills Historical Society let it sit there next to the entrance to Mutton Hollow and just rot. There were also some occasional problems with vandalism at the site, going back to the late 70s. Don't know what became of the stones that made up the fireplace or the logs used in the walls...seems like those historical artifacts had ought to have been something SOMEBODY would have kept.

[rubedugans]

seems like it doesn't it? But the cabin itself was not the original....

The original cabin burned in 1917 when the Fausett family was living in it. It was rebuilt on the foundation around the same time.

Funny also .....
"Tourists, who signed Mrs. Hall’s guest register kept on the mantelpiece, wanted souvenirs from the Lane farm. Elizabeth Hall began going to the fireplace to remove a small stone to give to the travelers. The strangers left satisfied and as needed, Elizabeth replenished her supply of stones from the field."

[Junior]

Interesting story, Rube! 

[biscuitcreek]

The Hootin' and Hollerin' Festival still takes place in Gainesville, MO one weekend a year.

[Firstvisit1967]

The Sammy Lane what a great time that was.  I used to love going on that ride when I was a kid.  It seems like something like that would still go?  It would be fun if the Butterfield Stage would open back up.  I am sure it was part of the western days time instead of the hillybilly time of the park.

[History Buff]

Loved the pirate cruise!  It was an icon on downtown.  I wish they could have kept it or made it better as a part of the Landing.  I remember wetting my pants (I was much younger then.) just before the captain called me up to steer the ship.  Oops.  Then the pirates shot the cannon at us, which strangely enough, only made a very small hole in our boat.  Some little girl sat on the leak and saved us all from visiting the bottom on Taneycomo.

[Junior]

During my years living in Branson I had one high school friend who became a licensed boat captain and took people on the Sammy Lane Boat Cruise. Remember the pirate attack on that trip? When he was younger, (Before hitting 18 and being old enough to get the captains license) he was the pirate that attacked the passengers. Later I worked with a fellow who was one of the captains at the Lake Queen. In 1981, the place we worked together at rented the Lake Queen for a private excursion at night, and my buddy with the captain's license was our captain. Unfortunately, he had a few too many that night and knocked the corner out of a private dock. The boat was not injured, nor anyone aboard, but when he struck the dock, it made a hell of a racket!  We were all pretty well wiped out and thought it was funny at the time. Now, looking back all these years, we were fortunate no one was hurt and no more property damage resulted. WARNING: Do not get drunk and try to pilot a large boat...or any boat for that matter.

[Zephon]

Or jet ski, car, airplane, motorcycle, ATV, bicycle, roller skates, roller blades, ice skates, skate board, etc., etc.  Heck, it's hard enough just to sit in a chair when you're drunk.

[Junior]

I agree....(hick-up)....it sure is....(burp)....I totally....(Falls to floor.)

[oldsdcer]

I remeber going past Janet Dailey's house when i was younger on the cruise. It was a small plain 2 story house with a nice yard.  Before the cruise closed I took  the trip and now her house is a 3 story mansion with an olympic pool out back. The price of fame must really hurt.

[Junior]

For some reason, I was under the impression that Janet Dailey moved from Branson after her husband passed away about a year or so ago? Anybody know what's up with her? I know a few years ago she got into serious trouble for allegedly plagerising a portion of someone else's book. Anyone remember that?