Branson Travel Manual 1940's

This travel manual from the 1940's predates both "Big Headliners" and the Taney County Health Department's observation that locals being overweight is the second largest health issue proceeding smoking.

*I also think it's important to note that Lake Taneycomo is being branded as a year-round destination.

Joe Dimaggio Branson Landing (April 2008 Photo 50 of 50)

Ozark Mountain Newspapers has a photo of the Branson Lake Taneycomo waterfront at the turn of the century with the words Branson Landing etched long before HCW developed a multi-use facility.

Before the Landing

Property purchased by the city in this "before the Branson Landing" shot of the Taneycomo waterfront sold for a higher dollar amount. The owners had word of land transactions in the surrounding area.

Lake Taneycomo Bridge Hollister Branson Artery

Photo shot over Taneycomo Bridge from Hollister city boundry overlooking Branson Convention Center District

Missouri's Department of Transportation (MODOT) issued a release soveral weeks ago regarding the Lake Taneycomo Bridge connecting Business 65/Route 76 to Hollister from Branson.

Lake Taneycomo Bridge Hollister Branson Artery

Missouri's Department of Transportation (MODOT) issued a release soveral weeks ago regarding the Lake Taneycomo Bridge connecting Business 65/Route 76 to Hollister from Branson.

The gracefully arching bridge was built by the Missouri State Highway Department in 1931-32 across the White River, now Lake Taneycomo at a cost of $160,00. The concrete bridge , 1087 feet long , is one of 30 bridges of this design that remain in use in Missouri and is the highest and longest of all and among the oldest and most ornate. It has five 195-foot long arching spans. with supporting columns in the spandrels or triangular open spaces, between the arch below and the deck above. It is and outstanding example of the open spandrel arch bridge design.
The bridge provides a tangible link to the history and culture of Branson and the Ozarks, which residents visitors and business owners find appealing. It is eligible for the National register of Historic Places. Its rating stands as one of the most historically significant bridges in use on Missouri's highway system. Any major work on the bridge requires care and potentially extra expense to keep from harming the historic significance.

Bridge Condition
The 75--year -old bridge is rated in poor condition. The concrete wearing surface, or floor, has been cracking over the years and has become water-saturated. as a result, the freeze-thaw, regular use of salt to clear the pavement of snow and ice and increasing traffic. have caused the deck to begin breaking up and some of the reinforcing steel inside the deck to corrode. Frequent repairs are needed to the bridge pavement and that slows work traffic.
It is only a matter of time-perhaps 5 to 10 years -- when the bridge will have to closed unless it is overhauled before then.

Bridge Preservation
MoDot is looking at ways to rhabilitate the bridge. No plan has been put together, but an engineering firm with experience in work on spandrel arch bridges has been hired to develop solutions and construction plans.
Whatever overhaul method is adopted, it appears that the bridge must be closed during construction. The deck bears the load between the outside supporting columns because there is not center support column. The deck will have to be replaced all the way across the bridge. If the bridge deck were sawed in half lengthwise to be replaced half at a time, it would fall in (as 4-by-8 foot sheet of plywood, supported by two 2-by-10-=inch boards, would collapse if cut lengthwise)
No timeline is available for how long the bridge would need to be closed. An overhaul probably can be planned and a contract awarded by late 2008, with construction in 2009. MoDOT has been able to budget about $3.5 million for such a project. Detour routes would be marked along state maintained roadways in the area.
In the meantime, MoDOT plans to grind off the top one inch of pavement and lay a driving surface. This will provide a temporary improvement to the ride and reduce repairs short term.

New Bridge
A new bridge could cost $7 million to $12 million-for an environmental study, design, buying property, building connecting road and building the bridge. . MoDOT has only $3.5. million available to fix the lake crossing.
Building a new bridge does not relieve responsibility for repairing existing bridge. If improved to good condition, the bridge rooted in Ozarks and Missouri history, can remain in use and contribute to Lake Taneycomo lakefront ambiance for years to come.

Branson Music Show Pioneer,Bessie Mae Presley Passes Away At Age 84

Branson, MO — Bessie Mae Presley, 84, of Branson, passed away peacefully at Skaggs Community Health Center on Sunday, August 12, 2007. The matriarch of Branson’s nationally renowned musical family and owners of Presleys’ Country Jubilee, Bessie Mae courageously battled pulmonary fibrosis and diabetes for the past several years. With a laugh in her voice and a twinkle in her eye until near the very end, she left this Earth in the way she wished — surrounded by members of her large, loving family.

Born Bessie Mae Garrison near Cleveland, OK. on July 4, 1923, she and her twin brother, Jesse, were two of eight children. The family moved back to Alpena, AR. in the late 1930s, where Bessie Mae completed high school in three years. Upon graduation, she moved to Springfield, MO. to attend Drauhon Business College. It was at Springfield’s Doling Park (at the bumper car rides) that she met her husband-to-be, Lloyd Presley. They were married on November 4, 1942 and were nearly inseparable for almost 65 years. The couple, with their four children, lived in Springfield for the first 25 years of their marriage.



In 1967, Lloyd and Bessie Mae moved to Branson, and along with their children, Deanna, Gary, Janice, Steve, Deanna’s husband David Drennon and Gary’s wife Pat, opened the Mountain Music Theater (now Presleys’ Country Jubilee) on Branson’s Highway 76. Theirs was the first music theater on what was then a lonesome stretch of asphalt, a far cry from the entertainment mecca Branson is today. The entire family continued to work numerous outside jobs in the early years. Bessie Mae’s steadfast encouragement and tireless dedication inspired the family to persevere year after year as they watched their business grow. Although never appearing on stage, Bessie Mae’s work behind the scenes was a major contributor to the theater’s success. Bookkeeping, sewing costumes and selling concessions were among her many jobs through the years. In the last few years, the job she loved the most was greeting the many friends and fans that attended the show.



On June 30, 2007 the Presley family celebrated their 40th anniversary of live performances in Branson. Bessie Mae, together with the other members of her family, was honored by Missouri’s Governor Matt Blunt, the State Legislature, City of Branson, the Branson/Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce, and the Taney County Commissioners for their outstanding contributions to the entertainment industry in Branson.



Bessie Mae was beloved by not only her loyal and tight-knit family, but by the Branson community and the many friends she had come to know through her work at the theater over the years. Always ready to help those who might require a hand, she consistently placed her needs behind those of family and friends. It could easily be said that Bessie Mae Presley never met a stranger…but if she did, they did not remain a stranger for long.



Funeral services for Mrs. Bessie Mae Presley will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, August 16, 2007 at the Tri-Lakes Church in Branson. Visitation will be held from 4p.m. to 6p.m. on Wednesday, August, 15, 2007 at Greenlawn Funeral Home in Branson. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested memorials be made to:



Skaggs Community Health Center Foundation

In Memory of Bessie Mae Presley

P.O. Box 650

Branson, MO. 65615

Phone: (417) 348-8002

Presley Matriarch Passes - Branson Mourns

       The Presley's are Branson's first family which makes Bessie our first lady. The chronicles of the Presley family's legacy in Branson is being documented by her son Steve in a book that will be released later this year. This book now holds new meaning as the first 40 years of the Presley's show in Branson represents the final chapter in Bessie Presley's life. Bessie and Lloyd Presley are part of the first generation who helped our town become "the community that could".
We all owe a great deal of gratitude to the Presley's for their endurance, vision and dedication to creating the community Branson is today.
Our hearts go to the family and all of us mourn with them today.

Baldknobbers past and present

"The threat is forever changing," Lopes continues. "Intelligence is what gives us our edge, our crystal ball if you will. We've seen terrorism become more localized, more homegrown since 9/11. What shape will it take tomorrow? That's what we have to be continually on the look out for."

The quote is from a post submitted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) submitted by the FBI this morning. As a sidenote, the FBI has joined the ranks of the NSA and CIA in submitting breaking news to bloggers.

Home grown terrorism is a very real part of Southern Missouri history. This unfortunate legacy exists today. Heaviest activity seems to lurk in the Stone, Southern Christian, north and eastern Taney counties.

Controversy over the historical facts begins with those that wrote the history of the day. Consider the Spanish word for newspaper - "Politico" -

Some would say the Baldknobbers were absorbed by the KKK - a hate group that operates in our region to this day. Leaders of this hate group will tell you they're protecting a "family line".

Another complication lays with the fact that at every possible junction, our local hate groups burn down every shred of historical evidence they can. Whether it's a fire in Branson while the whole town is at a courthouse or the whole courthouse (attorneys) deciding to burn the thing down together, little remains by those who didn't want it seen.

If there is a lesson in history, they've been hid well enough that little remains that isn't open to conjecture - even by those that have spent vast amounts of money trying to recover what fact remains.

I've been asked why I allude to the the Senator from Kansas City - Jolie Justus. It's pointed out to me that her politics are hopelessly liberal. It's because this historical record is about Branson and few can prove their ties to this land as clear as hers. After all, her Great Grandfather signed the original documents that turned little old Lucia into the City of Branson.

As much change as Branson has seen, things remain the same. A hundred summers ago they were arguing about alcohol at the Branson Landing.

Outsiders would come - they would invest - someone would burn it down. Seems to summate the cycle.

The underground society of the Baldknobbers gives me the chills. As does an organization reciting their "oath of blood" in our counties town squares.

Pictures From Political Past

 

 

 

The pictures posted above are from an important meeting in Branson's history. The great "skyrise" debate which ended up being a non-issue. Rick Huffman, seen above, pulled the plug on the project after a feasibility study.

Brief History of Branson Missouri Area 1808-1924

As Compiled by "Spiritual History of the Ozarks author Gaye Lisby"

1808- Osage Treaty ceded rights to land including Ozark Mountains to U.S. government.

1818-Schoolcraft is first White to chronicle travels through interior of Ozarks. Notes only a few White families in what is now known as Stone, Taney and Christian Counties. Notes Indian settlement at what is now Shadowrock Park, Forsyth and mouth of James River in Galena.

1820’s-Displaced woodland tribes and early re-settlement Cherokee begin to appear. Delaware, Peorias, Weas. Piankashaws are included.

1821-Missouri Compromise – Missouri becomes a state after the government compromised to add Missouri as a slave state after Maine is added as a non slave state

1824-Missouri passes a law making it illegal for Indians to remain in the State.

1837-Taney County Formed. First Post Office is established at what is now known as Shadow Rock Park.

1837-Jesse Jennings settler in valley, now known as Rockaway Beach. First country courts convenes at his log cabin home.

1838-Mormon extermination order made by Governor Boggs. Mormon’s forced out by state militia in what is now termed the “Mormon Wars.”

1838-1839 Forced removal of the Cherokee in what is known as “The Trail of Tears.”

1838 Baptist Circuit riders preachers make semi-annual tours through the Ozarks.

1839 Roving bans of bushwackers begin random acts of violence on region’s settlers.

1840 Jesse Jennings conducts Taney County’s first census. Only five slaves are listed.

1841-Methodist Church adds Taney County circuidt to their Southern District’s missouary ministry. Preachers travel through about every other month.

1851-Stone County formed after Taney County

1852-Steamboat, The Yohogony, was the first to reach Forsyth.

1857-Fancher Wagon Train, Composed of people from the Land of Taney was massacred at Mountain Meadows, Utah by Mormons and Indians

1859-Christian County established out of territory from Taney, Greene and Webster counties.

1861-Civil War erupts. Forsyth courthouse destroyed by artillery shells in actions known as Sweeny’s Raid on Forsyth.

1862-Congress enacts the Homestead Act which gave 160 acres of land to the head of every family who could “prove up”

1862-Infamous bushwacker, Alf Bolin, killed by Union soldier. His head is cut off and carried to Ozark where it is mounted on a pole. His body is thrown into a ditch near Swan Creek.

1872-Forsyth Masonic Lodge is established. First Masonic Lodge in Taney County.

1880-Knights of Labor founded Eglinton Colony,a secular, utopian, socialist colony near Taneyville. Most of the members had attended school in the “old country” and had belonged to the Church of England.




1882 Reuben Spalding settles on seven acres of land purchased from Thomas Jefferson Berry and applies for US Postal Permit. Branson is founded.

1882 Nat Kinney slips out of Springfield and reappears in Oak Grove (Down T-Highway)

1884-1889 Bald Knobber years

1898-November, Jimmy,Pete and Steve Bilyeu killed in a shootout by Bud and Bob Meadows and Hosea and Martin Bilyeu near the Christian Taney County line

1901-August. Jennie Silvey murdered by Sam Ward who then committed suicide

1901- Terrible drought. No rain for 100 days

1901 –Reverend James Forsythe, Prysbyterian missionary to the Ozarks arrives to stay

1901- William Hawkins re-files Branson Postal permit in the name of Lucia

1902-Feburary. Thomas Berry Jefferson supposedly hangs himself in Branson.

1903-May. Henry Berry, T.J.’s son mysteriously dies

1903-October 2, plat of Lucia filed. October 26 plat of Branson filed. First lost sold from Branson plat is for saloon. Henry Sullenger, owner.

1903-December.Henry Barchman shot at Kirbyville store by owner Jjames Madison Parnell.

1905-Presbyterian minister Harold Bell Wright travels to the Ozark Hills and begins writing his novel

1906 Trains begin traveling through Ozark Mountain country with stops at both Branson and Hollister.

1907 Reverend Forsythe begins The School of the Ozarks . Masonic Lodge donates cornerstone.

1907 Wrights’s novel Shepherd of the Hills is published and becomes an immediate best seller. First American novel to sell more than one million copies.

1908-Spearheaded by Dr. Elizabeth McIntyre, Branson residents begin a fundraising drive for the construction of Branson’s first permanent church structure. Saloon keeper, Henry Sullenger is first contributor.

1909-The Temperance League attempts to outlaw strong drink. Law is defeated.
1911-New church is finally completed. Now known as Old Stone Church.

1912-January, Jim Miles kills Enos Rush in the downtown meat market

1912-August . Fuire destroys nearly all of Branson. Most residents are at the Miles trial in Forsyth that day.

1913-Powersite Dam finished. And Lake Taneycomo is formed flooding Old Jesse Jennings Cemetery where Indians are buried.
Willard Merriam begins Rockaway Beach where a resort community begins to flourish.

1916-Willard Merriam begins Rockaway Beach where a resort community begins to flourish

1917 WWI takes its first group of Taney County draftees.

1918-Francis Jennings, one of the first draftees, becomes Taney County’s first war casualty.

1918-Flu epidemic sweeps the country including Taney County. Many dir.

1920-Town of Melva swept away by enormous tornado.

1922-John Carroll, struggling father of nine children, opened a White River mussel shell and found an enormous pearl worth $336.00

1924-Congress granted citizenship to all Native Americans born in the U.S.

Baldknobbers Brochure - Branson, Missouri Artifact

 

 

 

Some say it was ingenious - exploiting an organic hillbilly culture for a quick buck. Biggun's a buck a piece. A Kansas City minister recalls the early roots of the Baldknobbers, a Mabe with a megaphone driving down the road for a show at a local barn. There is an underground culture that lives in Branson today with late night jam sessions with rock and blues pouring until daybreak.