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Discover Mid-America — December 2008

Oldest Branson show
still a favorite

Back in 1960, if an eastbound traveler drove into Branson, MO along Hwy. 76, he wouldn’t find much to slow him down. From the newly opened Silver Dollar City to the sleepy downtown, the only attractions were Old Matt’s Cabin and a couple of Ozark novelty shops selling baskets and country crafts. A small L-shaped grass strip attracted a few local tail-dragger pilots.

Some say important events tend to happen in threes. Downtown, a group called the Baldnobbers, named for vigilantes that rode the hills in the 1860s, opened a Hillbilly Jamboree Show. Near Branson West in a cavern they called the Underground Theater (now Talking Rocks Cavern), the Presley Family began its long and successful history of country entertainment. At the Shepherd of the Hills Farm where Harold Bell Wright penned his best-selling book that brought fame to the area in 1907, a theater group was formed to bring the story to life. The first performance of the “Shepherd of the Hills Outdoor Drama” was held in August in a new outdoor amphitheater on the Ross homestead.

Today, a traveler approaching Branson on Hwy. 76 will find a different world. The Ross homestead includes restored buildings that were central to the Wright bestseller, and a 230-foot Inspiration Tower built in 1989. But to the east, the grass strip with its tail-dragger airplanes is long-gone.

In its place begins a two-mile-long fantasyland of shows, restaurants, hotels and attractions that stagger the imagination and attract eight million visitors annually. More than 70 shows in 40-some theaters offer everything from trained animal acts to country fiddlers and guitar pickers to big band entertainment. If you’re hungry, you can chow down on food ranging from sushi to barbecue ribs in more than 350 restaurants.

Overnight guests can count on 23,000 rooms in more than 200 lodging facilities and 5,000 camping spaces. For the history-minded, there are museums featuring toys, ‘50s cars, military memorabilia, wax figures, American presidents, Kewpie dolls and more. There’s even a recreated Titanic ocean liner filled with photos and artifacts.

But with all the hoopla and flashing lights along the “76 Strip” and the “Red and Blue” routes that handle overflow traffic, the most popular show in Branson can still be found at the Shepherd of the Hills Farm on the Ross homestead. It’s the No. 1 historical attraction in Missouri, and America’s longest-running outdoor drama.

A few years after it began, the amphitheatre’s seating area was increased from 275 to about 2,800. The action is set on a football field-size stage not far from the original Ross cabin and near Old Matt’s gristmill and steam engine.

From May through October, the drama of the Shepherd of the Hills saga unfolds under the night sky. Ninety local actors and actresses, assisted by a herd of sheep and 40 horses, portray Wright’s characters and their real-life counterparts. During each performance, gun battles are waged, a log cabin is set afire and young lovers struggle with their feelings. At intermission, the audience is invited to join the cast members in a square dance.

A visit to the 160-acre Shepherd of the Hills farm begins with a tram tour, scheduled hourly. Our guide was Jeanne Skrzeczkoski, an avid historian of the Ozarks who calls herself “Yankee Gramma.” Originally a medical illustrator from Wisconsin, Jeanne has lived in the Branson area for 18 years.

“I quickly developed a passion for the Shepherd of the Hills farm,” she said.

“Harold Bell Wright really made the Ross homestead come alive,” she added. “He was a country minister and writer who suffered from tuberculosis – in the late 1800s they called it consumption – and he came to the Branson area for his health. A flood on the White River forced him to stop at the Ross homestead where he set up a tent at Inspiration Point. He fell in love with the area and returned to it for seven years, eventually writing 19 books. But the most famous was the Shepherd of the Hills, which in 1907 would become the first American book to sell a million copies. That book really started the tourist boom in the Ozarks.”

Jeanne said eight of Wright’s books were made into movies including The Shepherd of the Hills film, which John Wayne starred in 1941. “The movie depicted the Ross homesteaders as moonshiners, which they definitely were not,” said Jeanne. “Although he had no control of the script, John Wayne was dismayed by this and wrote a personal note of apology to the Ross descendents.”

The present-day Old Matt’s Cabin is the original 1884 cabin of John and Georgiana Ross. Although the cabin was enlarged in 1889, the original one-room portion where the couple lived is still intact. Many tools and appliances of the late 1800s and early 1900s can be seen, including wood planes, a drawknife, a butter press and other items. Both John and Georgiana died in 1923.

When the tram reached the amphitheatre, Jeanne took us to the original sawmill and gristmill that were powered by a steam engine. A little snooping in a shed revealed a 1908 DeWitt automobile used in the outdoor drama.

The Shepherd of the Hills drama has had its moments when things didn’t go exactly as planned, said Jeanne.

“During one performance, an actor portraying Wash Gibbs, the leader of the outlaw gang, was on stage playing an intense scene. He was in the middle of his dialog when a stray cat wandered out of the woods and onto the stage. The cat noticed a nice pile of sawdust and proceeded to ‘do its business,’ carefully covering it up when it was finished. The audience applauded enthusiastically.

“But that’s not the end of the story,” Jeanne continued. “The following week, three parties bought tickets expecting to see the cat repeat the act.”

During November and December, a special “Trail of Lights” is offered at the homestead, along with a “Christmas on the Trail Cowboy Dinner Show.” Both tours include admission to the Inspiration Tower. For details, go to www.oldmatt.com.

Ken Weyand can be reached at kweyand1@kc.rr.com

> Traveling with Ken Archive — past columns