Netflix’s original show OZARK released its third season. If you haven’t seen it yet, it’s a great quarantine-watch and will keep you on the edge of your seat. Plus, you can’t really beat a show staring fan-favorite Jason Bateman. The show is filled with bad bosses & cartels set in the real-life Ozarks. If the scenery has you wanting a real history of the area, we have some book recommendations to follow up the show with:
Arkansas Ozarks Legends & Lore by Cynthia McRoy Carroll
The unspoiled, wooded landscape of the Arkansas Ozarks is steeped in traditions, where legend and myth are a huge part of history. When a cast-iron stove fell on Grace Sollis’s baby, she gained superhuman strength, picked up the stove to free the baby and then ran circles around the log cabin until she came to her senses. After patiently waiting years for her promised dream house, Elise Quigley and her five children tore down their three-room shack and moved into the chicken house after Mr. Quigley left for work. Join author Cynthia Carroll, a descendant of six generations of Ozark natives, as she details the legends and lore of the Arkansas Ozarks. You can find this book here!
A People’s History of the Lake of the Ozarks by Dan William Peek & Kent Van Landuyt
For tourists, the beautiful Lake of the Ozarks must seem in complete harmony with the natural order of its surroundings. Even lifelong natives can struggle to imagine a time when the reservoir created by the Bagnell Dam didn’t exist. But beneath the placid waters of the lake that draws bustling visitors to its shores lies the drama of a remote Ozark community suddenly thrust into an urban world. True locals Dan William Peek and Kent Van Landuyt piece together the fascinating story of how that community adapted to the lake that redefined their home. You can find this book here!
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Ozark Images of America by Michelle Korgis-Fitzpatrick
The name Ozark comes from the French Aux Arcs. The town of Ozark may have gotten its name because it is at the bend of the creek. Today the term Ozark refers to the large upland region that covers parts of Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Kansas. Ozark, Missouri is nestled in the hills of this region and serves as the county seat of Christian County. This book looks at Ozark’s 150 year history, using vintage photographs from the Pegram Collection to capture the spirit of the town and surrounding areas. Ozark has long prided itself on its hospitality, and that is evident here in the images of people, events, schools, railroads, and more that have made Ozark the warm and friendly town it is today. You can find this book here!
Lake of the Ozarks: The Early Years by H. Dwight Weaver
Seventy years ago in the Ozarks of southern Missouri, Bagnell Dam was built across the Osage River, creating the beautiful Lake of the Ozarks. Using over 200 images and in- depth captions, author H. Dwight Weaver takes readers back to the origins of this man-made treasure and the towns that surround it. Construction on Bagnell Dam began in 1929, employing thousands of men during the Great Depression. Inundation of the Osage River valley destroyed the area’s most fertile farmlands, covered numerous historic sites, and even destroyed Linn Creek, the county seat. But the development also created new towns and a new economy. The images in this new book follow the growth of towns along U.S. Highway 54, including Eldon, Tuscumbia, Bagnell, Osage Beach, and Linn Creek, through the Depression, World War Two, and finally the booming 1950s. You can find this book here!
Want to read more? You can check out other similar titles at arcadiaublishing.com!
