Historic Sites of Branson, Missouri - Part Two

Long before the world ever heard of Branson, Missouri, this rough and picturesque mountain setting in the Ozarks was made famous by the talented novelist Harold Bell Wright.

Wright's 1907 book, The Shepherd of the Hills, brought the mountains, valleys and wilderness of the Branson area to life for readers around the world. A remarkable achievement in Southern literature, the book was the first novel in history to sell more than 1,000,000 copies. It also sparked a flood of visitors to the Missouri Ozarks, initiating the tourism industry that would eventually make Branson what it is today.

The Shepherd of the Hills is a haunting story about a man who suddenly appears in the mountains seeking peace and redemption for a dark secret. He endears himself to the people of the area and, in the process, comes to better understand life, love, nature and God. It is a magnificent book that has been enjoyed by millions of readers and is as timeless today as it was when written.

Many of the sites associated with the Shepherd of the Hills can still be seen today at the Ruth and Paul Henning State Conservation Area in Branson. The park offers beautiful Ozarks' vistas that include the valleys, mountains and forests brought to life in the book. Wright based his novel on real places around Branson and in doing so preserved forever the settings of a century ago.

Paul Henning, a native of Missouri and the creator of such classic television shows as The Beverly Hillbillies, Green Acres and Petticoat Junction, fell in love with the settings described by Wright and, with his wife Ruth, preserved many of the locations from the book. Thanks to their civic mindedness, much of the land is now incorporated in the Henning State Conservation Area.

To learn more, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/branson1 and look for the link. If you have not read Shepherd of the Hills, it can be read for free online by clicking here. The book is also still in print and available through most bookstores.

Our series on the historic sites of Branson, Missouri, will continue.

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.

Spring Travel Part Seventeen: Henning Conservation Area, Missouri

One of the classic books about the South is Harold Bell Wright's Shepherd of the Hills.

The first American novel to sell more than 1,000,000 copies, Wright's book tells a captivating story about people living in the Ozarks of southern Missouri and was largely responsible for the beginning of tourism for the resort city of Branson.

Many of the settings from Shepherd of the Hills can be seen today on the outskirts of Branson where they are now part of a large state conservation area. They were preserved largely due to the generosity of the creators of another Southern icon, The Beverly Hillbillies.

The Ruth and Paul Henning State Conservation Area in Branson, Missouri, preserves a historic setting of Ozark "balds," valleys, mountains, caves and more. Paul Henning, a native of Missouri, was the creator of such 20th century television classics as The Beverly Hillbillies, Green Acres and Petticoat Junction. He and his wife, Ruth, loved the Missouri countryside around Branson and helped save and make public the tract that preserves many of the settings from Harold Bell Wright's great novel.

To read more about the Ruth and Paul Henning Conservation Area, please visit: www.exploresouthernhistory.com/henning1.

Branson, Missouri - History and Music in the Ozarks

While many people have heard of Branson, Missouri - the "Live Country Music Capital of the Universe" according to 60 Minutes - few realize that the Branson area is rich in history and culture.

The Branson area was the setting for the novel The Shepherd of the Hills, one of the best-selling books in American history. In fact, it was the book that first began bringing tourists to this section of the Ozarks. They came to see the landscape and hill cabins described in the novel and fell in love with the area, creating the modern Branson tourist industry.

Branson is home to numerous historic sites and natural wonders, as well as its scores of noted musical and live entertainment theaters. To learn more about the history of this fascinating area and some "off the beaten path" historical attractions, please visit our newly expanded Branson section at www.exploresouthernhistory.com. Just look for the Branson heading on the main page.