Part 2 Virgin Bluff

      I shared on the previous blog the history of the area and the Legend that most hear, but I would like to go into it with more detail from what I have read.
      Before the white settlers came from the east the Spanish soldier's spent time here with the Indians.  During that time a handsome young soldier fell in love with the Chiefs daughter by the name of Moon Song.  Moon Song fell in love with him to and agreed to marry him and return to the Mexico territory. Moon Song was the Chiefs only daughter and he had already picked a strong young brave to marry her so he would have a grandson to lead his tribe in the future.
     If fear that Moon Song would run off with the young Spaniard he sent young braves to kill him. The young man fearing for his life he left the area to never return.
     Moon Song refused to marry the brave and for several month's she waited for her love to return. But after waiting and waiting she realized that he was going to never return she gave up. Early one morning at daybreak she went to the edge of the bluff. She jumped 300 feet to her death into what is called the James River. Extremely upset the Chief had the medicine man cast a spell on the bluff and it was forbidden for anyone to go there. The bluff and the area was saved for Moon Songs ghost.
     The earlier white settlers heard the story but didn't believe it until strange things started happening to those that visited the bluff area.
     The water below was called Virgin Shoals and was the most dangerous of the river. With the swift waters as boaters would go through it, the water would swirl and boats would capsized, also told that hunters would be found dead in the area.
     In the early 1900's a engineer was going to put in a tunnel style dam. With the swift water going through it they can generate power for a power plant. There was so many accidents over and over, also resulting in death, no one would work there and so it was cancelled. Also said, that it was even a problem trying to photograph the bluff, the pictures wouldn't turn out right.
     Still after Table Rock lake filled the valley below home owner and people say strange things still happens, freak accidents,  lake homes burning, and other stories. Fisherman and others still report of being able to hear Moon Song crying and weeping for her love.
      I hope you enjoy some of this history and folklore of the Ozarks.  God, family, country,  may God bless us.

Legends of Vigin Bluff

Before I tell you about the folklore I am going to tell you some history about that area that I have been told and read. Cape Fair is the closest town that is nearby and it is the oldest settlement in Stone county. In the 1800's, what is called the James Rive valley was given to the Delaware Indians by the government to be called their own, they had got pushed out of the east. Other tribes had settled this area too like the Cherokee that my ancestry was a part of. Eventually they kept getting pushed west as settlers came from the east. During the Civil War the first gunpowder mill west of the Mississippi was built on Flat creek close by. Cape fair was the county seat until the 1850's and then was moved to Galena. In the 1880's the settlement was flooded and moved to higher grown. The old school house built in the 1880's has been preserved and stands today. Around 1960 the lake flooded all the rich river soil, the cabins and caves, forcing people to higher grown. Now the awesome view from the top of the hills looks over Table Rock lake that people come from miles away to visit. Virgin Bluff is roughly a 1,000 feet long and 300 foot tall in which the James River ran under it. In the 1970's my grandfather and uncle bought the land on the bluff and cleared out some timber. They sold 30 acres to a builder that built a few houses and then they traded 70 acres to a development company out of Springfield for stock in the company. Well the company went belly up with only leaving them with a lot of worthless paper bonds that they still have.
      So the Legend of Virgin Bluff is as following.  When DeSoto and his men reached the area before the white man, they made friend's with the Indians,  the Chiefs daughter fell in love with one of the men. The Chief refusing to let his only daughter marry outside the tribe, she jumped off the bluff. They say some strange things happen there like being able to hear the maiden sing,  some say its just the wind blowing through the rock.
      Come back tomorrow and I will tell you another story of the Legend of Virgin Bluff.
God, family,  country,  may God bless us

So tell me that agin

As we all go through life we come across some mighty big bumps and hills that is in our way to get to where we are going. It seems to take awhile to get there sometimes,  maybe we are walking awhile and get tired and rest or even turn back. I hear stories of how God delivered someone from a certain problem that they are going through and they are so thankful.  God is able and can do that supernatural and what a blessing,  but sometimes when you really talk to them and hear it agin, they left out that it took time, and they gave up several times, but by Gods grace, they kept on and got delivered from that problem and got over the hill. So just keep trusting the Lord and his timing is always perfect and on time. So when we reach that wonderful blessing,  we must share how God was  carrying us through it all the time and what we learned and how it made us better. God, family,  country,  may God bless us

A Blessing in the Ozarks

Sorry I haven't wrote on here in a few days,  I have been busy with the garden and some of my wifes family visiting and congratulations to our niece Corrine on her 16th birthday, and its always fun having people visit the Ozarks. I sell vegetables that we grow out garden and my uncle grows tomatoes on a farm that has been growing vegetables for many years and with the rocky black dirt they give a flavor like no other. The blessing that I want to share is that we have had no rain for several days, even month's,  but we got a great rain several times in the last few days to make our gardens continue to grow. It is so awsome to be able to visit with people that is local and just here on vacation from all over and share the flavor of the vegetables,  and hear there stories.  So if the Good Lord blesses you with a great wife, loving family and friend's,  a job that you can ride your atv to work, and do what you love. I would say you are blessed.  God, family, country,  may God bless us.

Cures and remedies of the Ozarks

As I was reading thru a old book,  I came across some old cures and remedies from the  Ozarks so I figured i would share some of them with you, but I dont know if any of these work or if they are even safe to try. So please dont try these.
     Various mountain medical methods was used down through the years because they didn't have the moden medicine that we have now.

    Diptheria,, a glass of soured milk with a pinch of gunpowder.

    Colic,, breast milk In a cup and then with a reed pipestem blow tobacco smoke through it into the milk so it bubbled up though the milk.

     Worms,,, turpentine was given for worm medicine and still used today by some, but it can have a affect on the liver.

      Poisoning, , they say that if you eat fried fish with sweet milk it can poison you,
Hemp tea was the only thing that would cure it.

     Cuts and Sores,, molasses mixed with chimney soot or spider webs is good for open cuts and sores, and to stop bleeding.  If you get poked by a rusty nail, tie a old corroded peny to it, the green on the penny will draw out the poison stopping tetanus.

      Hives,, they say to put 9 buckshot in a glass of water (no more and no less) then drink a teaspoon every 2 hours. Or you could rub maple leafs on the rash.

      Colds,, use skunk oil for colds

      Fever,, mix 1/3 tsp. Of turpentine,  1/3 tsp. Of sugar, 1/3 tsp. Of castor oil then combine.

      Tonsilitis,, tie a cooked onion around your neck

       Croop,, take the grease out of skunk oil and mix with kerosene and then rub it on your neck at bedtime.

       Prolonged life,, ginseng or sang root, some people still use this but it is expensive.

I know there are a lot of these out there but I thought I would share a few of them,  I hope you enjoyed it.
God, family,  country, may God bless us
     

"Last Standing Baptist Mountain Mission School in Arkansas"

In a earlier post I had mention the MO-ARK Academy building that still stands on the Missouri and Arkansas line in Blue Eye. A local person by the name of Pam Jones- Sheridan had contacted me and gave me some great info on what we called MO-ARK Academy growing up. I would like to share what she sent me.           History of Mountain Mission Schools. Following the Civil War, northern churches decided there was a need for schools to educate the children of the newly freed slaves. At that time there were a lot of southern churches not anxious to take up that cause. So they decided instead that there was a need to educate children in the poor, remote areas of Appalachia.The first schools opened circa 1880,(circa is Latin for around about,Circa is widely used in genealogy and historical writing when the dates of events are not precisely known) and eventually they spread west of the Mississippi to the highlands of Arkansas circa 1915. Mountain Mission Schools differed from other church sponsored schools in that they also championed social uplifting. They offered classes in agriculture, blacksmithing, carpentry, printing, crafts and domestic skills. Some schools opened their communities first health clinics. They often campaigned for improved roads, and battled bootleggers and moonshiners. Mountain Mission Schools maintained an emphasis on improving a communities standard of living. They crafts were often sold to support the family or school. They found a large market for these "mountain crafts" in the big cites on the east coast. Mountain Mission Schools faded from existence during the Great Depression. A lack of funds and the building of public schools were responsible for their demise. Their academic standards were emulated by new local public schools being built at the time. Most Mountain Mission schools ceased to exist once a community found the funding to build a public school system. The Mountain Mission schools improved educational opportunities for children in rural communities. Their graduates were often the first in their community to attend college.Sources "Mountain Mission Schools" by Brooks Blevins in the Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture. "Mountain Mission Schools in Arkansas by Brooks Blevins in Arkansas Historical Quarterly, Winter 2011.                                                                                                                                                                              The Last standing Baptist Mountain Mission School in Arkansas. There appears to have been about 15 Mountain Mission Schools in Arkansas.They were operated by 7 different denominations.The Baptist operated more M.M. schools in Arkansas than any other denomination. In 1915 the Home Mission Board of the Southern Baptists stated to take up the Mountain Mission work in Arkansas. it launched a campaign that would bring 5 academies and 1 junior college into their Mountain Mission School program. The first 2 Academies to open were located in existing buildings. The third , the Carroll County Institute appears to be the first to be built from the ground up. . Baptist Mountain Mission schools were located in Randolph, Baxter, Carroll, Johnson, Newton, Montgomery Counties.                     The  History of the Mo-Ark Academy. The Academy began in 1916 with the first class attending in 1918. It was located on a 10 acre campus, the land being donated by Wilson E. Butler. The Academy had many names over the years but is known by most as the Mo-ark Academy. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Mo-Ark Academy. It was first named the Carroll County Academy, then the name changed to the Montview Institute. It was called the Armo Academy for a period of time as well. The campus included 3 buildings, the school, a girls dorm and and later a boys dorm was added. The girls dorm and school are still standing. Student tuition was $2.00, grades 2-5, and $5.00, for senior high school. The Principal was LouElla Austin, she was a college trained teacher from Texas. Taken from the "Oak and Laural, A Study of the Mountain Mission Schools of the Southern Baptists" by Mabel Swartz Withoft, " the Montview boasted an impressive 2 story schoolhouse featuring a auditorium and stage that could seat 175 People." The stage remains in its original condition today. The brick for the building was made on-site. The one in Blue Eye appears to be the last one of the six Baptist Mountain Mission school still standing.                                                                                                                                                        I have written the history of the Mo-Ark Academy for the Mo-Ark Academy Restoration Fund. We are trying to restore the structure so that it can function as a community center. It is in fairly good condition considering the age and deterioration due to a leaky roof. So far money has been raised through fund raisers and material and labor volunteers to repair the roof, replace some floor joists and support beams, a asbestos survey was done ( none found) and we have begun work on replacing the windows of which there are 48 in all.
       So I asked Pam if I could post on here where to send donations if people wanted to help restore. a Historic Land site and this is what she sent me. So if you can find it in your heart and can afford to help, here is the info.                                                                   

 Donations can be made to the Mo-Ark Academy Restoration Fund, P.O.Box 93, Oak Grove,Arkansas 72660. Or contacting any member. Johnny Bilyeu , President, Pam Jones Sheridan,Secretary or Donna Plumlee Curtis, Treasurer. We also have a facebook page "Mo-Ark Academy". We will also have a fundraising booth at the Blue Eye Reunion on Aug. 31, 2013.

The Ozarks early 1900's

I have read and listened to stories of this time from my granny.  Hillbillies or hill folk came to the Ozarks from all over the world looking for land to live off of and to make a living and feed their family's.  Some came as far away as Sweden,  Italy, Ireland, Germany,  Norway,  and other places. I have a lot of Irish and Cherokee in my bloodline.  Most people were born in cabins with dirt floors and grew up on the farm and fields working daylight to dark. People most of the time had a lot of children to help them work the farm. Starting before daylight sometimes doing chores like slopin' hogs, milking the cows, feeding the mules, horses, chickens, picking eggs, or working the garden. If there was a one room school house in the area, they would walk to school and sometimes with out shoes. If you could afford shoes, sometimes they where saved for church on sunday along with your best outfit. Teachers wasn't payed much at all and sometimes instead of pay, they was payed with eggs or vegetables.  They carried their lunch with them such as a hardboiled egg, biscuit,  or cured meat. The pioneer's really had a way with cooking with what they had available to them. Since everything had wood stoves for heat and cooking,  a lot of the discipline was cutting and chopping wood with hand saws and a axe. Dinner would most always include prayer and giving thanks to God, and would be some type of soup, beens, cornbread, maybe even pork or goat. I was told most of the time the meat was goat, pork, or chicken. The beef was to valuable to eat because you got your milk from the cows and sold or traded the beef, a lot of people even drank the goats milk and made butter with it and cheese. After dinner they might bring out the fiddle or instruments they had or made and play and sing for entertainment unil bed time. The weekends sometimes was filled with barn dances,  square dances,  church socials, it was full of friends and family's that would dance and visit. They had games such as marbles for the kids and a lot of the time they made there own marbles by picking out a round rock and rubbing or sanding it down smooth.  Adult games might be arm wrestling,  or seeing who had made the best pie, most everything was simple in the way they lived except the hard work they did. On Sundays most everyone went to the local church that everyone had pitched in and helped build, a lot of the times the pews was made out of logs cut in half. Most people lived along the creeks and rivers and the trail would most usually pass close from one cabin to the other. But if you was on a long trip by horse, mule, or even walking they would camp in the woods along the trail. If you passed by a cabin people would always invite you in for some food and rest. My granny told me it was scary to travel at night sometimes because you could hear a panther, mountain lion, or something follow you and all you could do was keep your lantern turned up bright and hope you had enough oil in it to get to where you where going. I wish granny was here to see me writing on this touch screen tablet and see how easy we have it today. Most of us garden and raise animals for a hobby instead of a living. I wish I could taste her homemade pies that we can not reproduce no matter how much we read her recipes and try. I loved listening to her stories and hearing her sang hymns no matter if she was in the garden or cooking.  Even though I got to spend a lot of time with her and learned stuff as a young boy I would love to ask her so many questions now. So I am writing a blog to share the stories and folklore of the Ozarks,  so that my children and others might take a interest in the history here and the long had struggles,  peace, happiness,  and the love of the Lord, will not be forgotten.

Blue Eye and the Wilderness Road

About 30 miles or so southwest of Branson Missouri is Blue Eye, stone counties most southern city.  It is so southern that there is a Blue Eye Missouri and a Blue Eye Arkansas. It is told that Indians use to live here prior to the white man coming here to settle.   Earlier settlers found numerous arrowheads, Stone hammers, and corn grinding trays which was made out of rock. The pioneers came from Kentucky, Tennessee and the Carolinas. As more people moved into this area a rough wagon trail  was formed from Springfield through Reed Springs, Blue Eye, and then to the northern Arkansas and it was called the Wilderness Trail. As the locals hauled eggs, butter, poultry, and goods on a 60 mile or so trip to Springfield Missouri to sell and trade it took roughly 3 days 1 way. The wilderness trail partly exist still today along the state highway 13 wondering back and forth across the hills and hollers. Elbert Butler,  a dark haired, blue eyed veteran of the civil war was the first postmaster when the post office was established in 1870. Then called him blue eye's and this is one of the stories of how Blue Eye got its name. In the year of 1883 the first Baptist church was formed,  and in 1918 the Southern Baptist Conventional and locals built a school known as Mo-Ark Baptist Academy. My grandmother told me she would walk there from the Oak Grove area to school.  It closed in the 1930's and so, with help of the W.P.A. (work projects administration), a new school was built with part of it still including the Blue Eye school.  The old school building still stands on the Missouri and Arkansas line. These are the facts that I have found and apologize if any of them are incorrect.  The one thing this hillbilly can say is that I loved the school, teachers, and the community. The friend's and neighbor's was so good to help each other and I can't think of a better place to grow up in and live and raise my children and grandchildren.  In 1987 I graduated  in a class of 32 people that I love dearly, even though it was a small school we were always ahead in everything we did and kids now are even going to colleges like MIT and all over. Maybe its the times of growing up in school that I remember that we had a bible teacher that came to our classroom and and taught us about God in my younger years until the government said they couldn't.  I remember growing up with friend's that we went to church together before we even started school. I am so proud that even for many years the kids and teachers cant have a open bible class but they still teach and learn with all the honor, that they can give Christ the glory still.  If I offended you through my blogs talking about God I am sorry but I can't apologize.  Thank you for reading these words from someone born here in the Ozarks. God, family,  usa, may God bless us

One of our local fruits called Persimmons

Here in the Ozarks we have a tree called a persimmon tree, I still have several growing wild at my house. A lot of time's they grew close to gether. As kids we would climb them and sway them back and forth until we could grab another one to climb into (I guess it was cheap entertainment for us). We also would climb a small hickory tree until it bent over and tie a rope to the top and one at a time you would get on the tree while everyone else held the rope and tried to buck you off, but that's another story...lol.. Ok back to the persimmons. Persimmons grow to about the size of a golf ball and they have a seed in the middle of them. Many times we picked out the seed and split it open to see what the winter weather was going to bring. This is not a lie or folklore,  I have done it many times. When you split the seed the vain in the the center would resemble a fork, spoon, or a knife and I have seen all three at different times. The fork called for a mild winter that there was no snow to shovel,  the spoon called for a lot of snow you better get out the shovel, the knife called for a long cold sharp winter, I still check it every year and they have not been wrong yet. In the late fall the persimmon looks good and ripe and even falls off the tree, BUT if you dont wait until they are completely ripe, when you take a bite of one, your mouth will pucker and you will never forget the taste. When ripe they have such a sweet taste that our deer long for them also. As I read back thru old recipes that have been passed down I have came across some for persimmons. I dont know who the author of these are so I cant give them credit but I am sure glad they were passed on but I will put them as they read... _____Ozarks persimmon loaf,,,, mix 2 tbsp. of lard,, 3/4 cup of sugar,, 1 egg,, 1 cup of flour, , 1 tsp of baking powder, , 1 tsp of soda,, 1 cup of persimmon pulp,, 1 cup of black walnuts,, pour into loaf pan. Bake around 350 for 45 min. or until done. Makes 1 loaf.........____Persimmon bread...1 1/2 cups of sugar, , 2 eggs,, 1 3/4 cups of flour, , 1tsp of soda,, 1/2 tsp of cloves,, 1/2 tsp of nutmeg,, 1/2 tsp of raisins,, 1/2 cup of cooking oil,, 1 cup of persimmon puree,, 1/4 tsp of baking powder,, 1 tsp of salt,, 1/2 tsp of cinnamon,, 1/2 tsp of allspice...first make a puree by rubbing persimmons through a sieve or through a food mill. Measure oil in  mixing bowl,  add sugar and mix well. Then add eggs, persimmon puree, spices sifted with flour and lastly the raisins.  Turn into 3 or 4 oiled pans, filling each one-half to two-thirds full. Bake 45 min at 350 or until bread is done........._____Persimmon pudding...1 c flour,, 1 tsp salt,, 1 tsp cinnamon,, 1 c persimmon pulp,, 2 tlb melted butter,, 1 c chopped dates,, 1 c sugar,, 1 tsp soda,, 3/4 c milk,, 1 tsp vanilla,, 3 egg yokes beaten,, 1 c chopped nuts... combine and sift all dry ingredients, add the remaining ingredients,  mix and pour into baking dish, bake at 350 until done.........I am looking forward to trying these recipes,  but most of all I found another recipe that even sounds better.
The recipe for a happy home...
8 cups of love
4 cups of loyalty
3 cups of understanding
2 cups of caring
4 spoons of hope
2 spoons of tenderness
1 bushel of faith
1 wheelbarrow load of laughter
Take love and loyalty,  mix thoroughly with understanding.  Blend it with caring, hope, and tenderness.  Add faith and laughter.  Mix well. Bake it in sunshine and serve in huge portions every day.
God, Family,  USA, may God bless us

The Legend of Bread Tray Mountain

Bread Tray Mountain is located 3 miles west of Lampe, mo. on Highway H. If you look at this mountain from a distance it slopes up on each side and flat on the top the resembles a loaf of bread on a tray. I have heard several stories about this mountain.  This is one of them. It is said to be haunted but by what? When the wind is blowing out of the north-west you can hear a howling sound, some say that it comes from a cave. One story is told that the Spaniards hauled gold in buck skin bags and hid the gold in the cave. They where completely wipe out by the Indians, and they sealed of the opening or the cave. Another story I hear was from a old Indian that was the last of his kind, he would come to the trading post located at Highway 13 and H (What is known as Ha-Bobs station now) and trade for food. According to him the story goes that they hated the government for taking their land and way before the lake came in it was a fairly shorter trip to the Cassville area, they just had to cross the White river that is now coved up now by Table Rock Lake. They stole 40 pony loads of gold and silver that the government was moving west. They had no need for the white mans money so they buried it in a cave and sealed the entrance off with a rock that no man could move. He said that it was on a mountain close by, that when you stood on top the river wrapped around it. I myself have stood on Bread Tray mountain in the winter (the leafs was off the tree's so you could see good). As you look you can see the lake (what was the White river) from over your back left shoulder, all the way around you to over your right shoulder. Also told that a ladie was on the mountain herding some cows off of it back to thier farm and came across the cave opening, and with so much excitement she ran down to get here family to show them, but when they came back they couldn't find the opening. I have read that in 1901 the government cleared off the top of the mountain but left only one tree, and beside it stood a copper marker. Its told that every winter a Bald Eagle would come and perch on that tree, but when summer came along it would leave and then return the next winter. The mountain returned to its fully natural growth now but some say that just before the sunset you can see the ghost. Just a few years back the government tryed to sell the mountain to a individual,  but with great thanks to  the Lampe-Baxter association stopped the sale. Now we can still hike up the mountain and enjoy the sight and think about all the stories that was told about it. Maybe you will see a ghost or hear the sound of the mountain,  but if you find the cave full of gold and silver plz give it to the government,  they need it more than we do. Lol I will be posting more folklore on here about the Ozarks,  if you have any I would love to hear them. May God Bless the USA.

Gardening in the Ozarks

Me and Ames (My beautiful wife, her name is Amy but I like calling her Ames). We have been blessed with a wonderful garden each year. We have cucumbers,  strawberries,  zucchini, dill, among other things but the tomatoes are something that you just have to taste to believe the flavor,  Homegrown is always better than the greenhouse tomatoes you get at most of the supermarket's and restaurant's. But the tomatoes grown in the Ozarks have a whole different flavor,  it comes from the rocky, but very rich black dirt that forms on our north and east slopes of our hills, they also grew strawberries and tobacco.  I will talk about that later along with our trade and money here from the old days. My uncle told me when he was at driving age he would load up the first batch of homegrown tomatoes and drive to Wichita kansas to sell them. He said they would always go fast and people wanted more. People here picked tomatoes for a living when they where in season.  I was told that a 40lb tomato create payed 10 cents to pick and it went to the local canning factories,   and a 25lb basket was  called a half bushel payed 25 cents, but the half bushel only was the very best of the tomatoes that was sold to the markets. You could make more money with the 40lb create because you could pick them faster and  they went to the local canning factories that was then shipped all over. They grew tomatoes named Sioux,  that came from the Sioux Indian. (I have found some seeds of the on a web site called tomatoe fest out of Oklahoma,  so we planted some and can't wait to try them).  If you visit the beautiful hills of the Ozarks make sure you stop by a farmers market or a local stand and taste the blessing of the fruits that God has blessed us with.

Independence Day in the Ozarks

What away to celebrate our independence. So many family and friend's come down for vacation to enjoy the Ozarks,  they are from all over the great states of America. We get to enjoy all the fireworks,  fishing and skiing, canoeing down the river's and creeks,  riding golf carts and atvs around the subdivisions or the trails thru the woods (most of them covered with red, white, and blue colors or lights and flying our great American flag). I think the reason people come here is not only for the wonderful landscape,  lakes, and river's,  but also for the friendly, very nice people that they meet, and wonderful memories that they can bring thier children back too. I hope you all have a wonderful 4th of July.

Yard sale's

My grandmother and grandfather loved to go to yard sale's.  I remember growing up we would leave out going to yard sales with a truck and trailer and fill them up. Grandma couldn't wait to get the newspapers to see where all the sales was at for the weekend. Well this last weekend we had a yardsale at her house following her passing of going to Heaven to see grandpa and other loved one's.  It was hard going thru all the belongings,  it brings alots of memories and all of them are good one's. As people came in and gathered stuff, I know my grandparents  would not of had it any other way. Things went to locals,  friend's, family's and just people passing thru.  Their little treasures was passed to family's that would hang  in the local house hold, to a summer cabin at the lake that fills memories when visiting,  or to a home several miles away. With that said, it will carry on more memories with the children,  grandchildren,  and friend's.  I am so thankful that someday another grandchild will say "I want that please I am going to pass it on some day to my children". So please just remember if you have a box full of whatnots, clothes,  bed, tool, or whatever the case might be. Have a yardsale and sell it cheap or donate it to a good organization that will give it away to people in need. You will be a blessing to a family or some child that will pass it on.