Growing Region
This is what Pomme de Terre Lake looked like when they closed the gates for the first time and water started inundating the land in Hickory and Polk Counties. Dams at Stockton and Warsaw (Truman) were also under construction during that time as was Beaver Dam in Arkansas. It was a period of rapid increase of recreational activities in the area.
This was how it all started in Branson. These fellow are the original Baldknobbers. That's Chick Allen on the jawbone and you'll recognize George Agernite and Droopy Drawers playing with him. This was the original country music Ozarks style.
Once the area south of Springfield started growing with country music shows and the many recreational lakes, a major project got underway to get people safely there and back. The new Highway 65 from Springfield to Branson, with its many cuts through the Ozarks rock, ended up being one of the most scenic drives in the country.
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Updated March 25, 2004
