Historic Sites of Branson, Missouri - Part Six

This is a view of what the residents of the Branson area call "bald knobs." This one can be seen at the Ruth and Paul Henning State Conservation Area.

This unusual rocky hilltops became known as the meeting places of the "Baldknobbers." These gangs of outlaws and vigilantes met at isolated spots in the Ozarks during the years after the Civil War to plot raids for robbery or to hand out mountain justice as they saw fit.

The groups terrorized the region for a number of years and were the outgrowth of guerrilla gangs that roamed southern Missouri during the Civil War.

The legends of the Bald Knobbers continue to live in Branson. One of the first musical groups to open a show on Country 76, the Branson Strip, was the Baldknobbers and a comical version of the original outlaws has treated train ridders at Silver Dollar City for many years.

The Bald Knobbers figure prominently in the famed novel, The Shepherd of the Hills, and the region is filled with folklore dating back to their reign of terror.

Our series on the historic sites of Branson will continue. Until the next post, you can read more about the area by visiting www.exploresouthernhistory.com/branson1.

Spring Travel Part Eighteen: Branson, Missouri

Continuing our series on some of my favorite Spring travel destinations in the South, no list of great Southern places would be complete without including Branson, Missouri.

Called the "live country music capital of the universe" by the CBS program 60 Minutes, Branson is indeed that and more. A major family resort area, it is home to more live performances than either New York or Las Vegas, amusement parks, museums and a variety of other attractions.

Branson also has a rich history. The town received its first recognition as a tourist destination following the publication of the phenomenal book The Shepherd of the Hills. The first American novel to sell more than 1,000,000 copies, the book was based on the lives of people living in the Ozarks around Branson.

This was also the home of the infamous "Bald Knobbers." So named because they assembled on moonlit nights on the mountain "balds" surrounding the Branson area, these outlaw gangs originated as guerilla bands during the Civil War but continued their predatory ways after the war had ended.

Branson also offers a wide variety of other historic sites and is a center for preservation of Southern music and culture.

To learn more, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/branson1.