Historic Sites of Branson, Missouri - Part One

We turn our focus today on the major Southern resort city of Branson, Missouri.

Known around the world for its music and live entertainment, there is also a great deal in Branson for the history minded visitor.

The city is located in the beautiful and mysterious Ozarks region of southern Missouri. These mountains, hills and valleys fostered a lifestyle unique in the South during the decades before the Civil War, during and after the Civil War.

As they drifted west from the east, settlers roamed into the mountains and established small farms, mills and trading stores. They were tough, determined people who scratched a living from the mountain soil and developed a culture unlike any other in America.

Union and Conferate forces moved through this region during the Civil War, as did irregular bands of guerrilla fighters. Jesse James is among the names often mentioned in the area. There were also regular armies, however, and the Battle of Wilson's Creek was fought just 50 miles north of Branson on the outskirts of Springfield.

Over the next few days we will be looking at a wide variety of historic sites in and around the Branson area. I think you will find this to be a fascinating journey into the Missouri Ozarks and hope you will check back often.

Until the next post, you can learn more by visiting www.exploresouthernhistory.com/branson1.

Robbers Cave State Park - Oklahoma

Robbers Cave State Park is one of Oklahoma's most fascinating and picturesque historic areas.

Located near the town of Wilburton in the Sans Bois Mountains of eastern Oklahoma, the park preserves thousands of acres of beautiful mountain scenery, including unusual caves and rock formations. According to local legend, the park area was a hideout for the notorious "Old West" outlaws Jesse James and Belle Starr.

It is certainly possible. James was active in nearby Arkansas and Starr lived for a time in a cabin about 20 miles north of the park. Positive proof, though, is difficult to come by.

Giving the park an interesting modern distinction is the fact that it was named one of America's most romantic spots by a major national magazine a few years ago.

Our new Robbers Cave State Park pages are now online at www.exploresouthernhistory.com. Just follow the link and look for the heading.

Natural Bridge - Eureka Springs, Arkansas

This unique formation is one of several fascinating natural features at Pivot Rock Park in Eureka Springs, Arkansas.

Encompassing a large parcel of beautiful mountain country in the Ozarks, the park features the small natural bridge seen here, as well as Pivot Rock, the unusual formation that gives the park its name.

According to legend, this area was one of the hideouts of the notorious outlaw Jesse James and his gang.

To read more about Pivot Rock Park and other points of interest around Eureka Springs, please click here and look for the Eureka Springs heading.

Robbers Cave State Park - Oklahoma

If you like natural beauty and the outlaw history of the Old West, Robbers Cave State Park in eastern Oklahoma is a must see. This photo was taken looking out from the inside of the cave that gives the park its name.

According to legend, the cave and surrounding rock formations in the Sans Bois Mountains of Oklahoma were used as a hideout by outlaw gangs during the years following the Civil War. The names Jesse James and Belle Starr are among those linked with the cave, which definitely as a Wild West feel to it.

If you would like to read more about Robbers Cave, just go to www.exploresouthernhistory.com and look for the link under the "Oklahoma" heading at the bottom of the page.

Robbers Cave State Park - Oklahoma

Robbers Cave State Park is one of my favorite places in the South. Located near the town of Wilburton in eastern Oklahoma (about an hour or so southwest of Fort Smith, Arkansas), the park is nestled in the beautiful Sans Bois Mountains.

Noted for its scenic beauty, the park has a lake, bluffs, caves, unusual rock formations and more. It is a popular place for sightseeing, hiking, picnicking, camping, swimming and more. The park also offers cabins, a lodge, a restaurant and more.

For history buffs, though, Robbers Cave State Park offers a chance to explore a little of the history of the Old West. The caves and ravines in the park were said to be hideouts for a number of notorious outlaws during the "gunfighter" days following the Civil War. Among the names linked with the park are those of Jesse James and Belle Starr. James, Starr and other outlaws are said to have used the park area as a hideout to avoid capture by Deputy U.S. Marshals hoping to bring them to justice at the court of "Hanging Judge" Isaac C. Parker in Fort Smith.

It is worth noting that in the main cave at the park can be seen a carving dating from 1877, the ideal time for the area to have been used by "Old West" outlaws.

To see more photographs and learn more about Robbers Cave State Park, please visit our Robbers Cave pages at: http://www.exploresouthernhistory.com/okrobberscave.html.