One of my favorite old steamboats, the 𝙊𝙯𝙖𝙧𝙠 𝙌𝙪𝙚𝙚𝙣. In my perfect world, I would rebuild this Ozark classic as a hands-on, educational museum on the White River. It only takes about 8.3 million and a contractor willing to build it historically correct with the specs.
𝙊𝙯𝙖𝙧𝙠 𝙌𝙪𝙚𝙚𝙣 in Calico Rock, Arkansas, prior to 1896.
Sternwheel, wooden hull, packet, built in Batesville, Arkansas, in 1896.
Dimensions: 133’ x 25.6’
Engines, 9½'s- 3 ft.
One boiler, 44" by 20 ft.
1896: Owner/Master, Capt. C.B. Woodbury for White River service.
1903 (May): Master, Capt. William Shipp & Pilot, John Shipp (Shipps Ferry). The 𝙊𝙯𝙖𝙧𝙠 𝙌𝙪𝙚𝙚𝙣 was in the Batesville-McBees (1 mile N. Of Cotter) trade.
1904 (December): Condemned at Memphis and sold to Capt. M.F. Bradford.
1906: Rebuilt and renamed the 𝙃𝙤𝙪𝙢𝙖 in Madisonville, La. Owned by Bradford Transportation Co. Ran New Orleans, Lower Terrebonne, Sugar Refinery and Houma, and on Bayou Lafourche to Lafourche Crossing.
1909: Capt. T.W. Cook, with A. Rodriquez, clerk.
She escaped a bad windstorm at New Orleans only to be destroyed by fire soon after in September, 1926.
Photo from Dr. Abraham Photo Gallery at the Baxter County Library
Steamboats 𝙍𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙖𝙡𝙡 & the 𝙅.𝘼.𝙒𝙤𝙤𝙙𝙨𝙤𝙣 at 𝐍𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐞'𝐬 𝐀𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐧 below Buffalo City, Arkansas.
The steamboat 𝙍𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙖𝙡𝙡 was Built in 1889 at Sioux City, Iowa, she was 90 feet long, 30 feet wide, and could carry 44 tons and 32 passengers. The 𝙍𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙖𝙡𝙡 bought by Winner and Hadley in 1892 to haul supplies for the Springfield, Yellville, and White River Railroad being built from the mouth of the Buffalo River to Yellville, then planned to go on to Forsyth and Springfield, Missouri. The 𝙍𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙖𝙡𝙡 ran between Batesville and Buffalo City, with many trips to McBee's Landing, near the present town of Cotter. Mr. C. P. Pond was in charge of the Randall. Captain Will Warner of Batesville was the master of the vessel for much of the time.
Captain Charles Woodbury was master of the 𝙅.𝘼.𝙒𝙤𝙤𝙙𝙨𝙤𝙣.
- - - - - - - -
𝐋𝐞𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐍𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐞'𝐬 𝐀𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐧
The legends of 𝐍𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐞'𝐬 𝐀𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐧 assembled by Clifton E. Hull for the 𝘼𝙧𝙠𝙖𝙣𝙨𝙖𝙨 𝙍𝙖𝙞𝙡𝙧𝙤𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧 in August of 1985.
The place was given the unusual name of 𝐍𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐞'𝐬 𝐀𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐧. How it got its name has become a legend, and what is truth and what isn't is impossible to determine. During the bustling days before the railroad was built, a large boarding house was erected to accommodate the growing crews of tie cutters and timber workers. The landlady had more work than she could handle, so she hired a young girl who lived back in the hills near Norfork. The girl's name, of course, was Nellie.
It was inevitable that she would attract the attention of some of the younger boarders, and she finally devoted most of her affections to one particular Cassanova who had a reputation of wooing every girl he met. Their friendship soon developed into a serious courtship and Nellie was in figurative heaven. Then one day her young man was notified that he was being transferred to a similar wood yard at Calico Rock.
The lovers were separated by 25 miles of the twisting White River and the intervening ridges of the wild Ozark Mountains, but he promised he would write to his Nellie frequently until they could be together again. After a tearful parting, he boarded a shallow-draft riverboat and disappeared downstream, borne away by the swift-flowing river. Day after interminable day passed and no letter came.
Nellie waited, hoped, and made excuses, and then, one day she received word from an acquaintance that the gay deceiver was courting one of the sweet young things at Calico Rock. The world of fantasy ended for Nellie that day. In the evening after the chores were done, she went for a walk along the banks of the river, seeking solace from the whitewater rapids and the deep blue-green pools of the swift-flowing river.
Nellie had failed to return by the time the long shadows of evening came marching across the mountains and her worried friends organized a search party. They hunted along the riverbank anxiously seeking some sign of Nellie, and loudly calling her name. Finally, one of the parties found the large apron that Nellie had been wearing when she left the boarding house. It was lying on the bank beneath a large elm tree. Here the waters of the White River swirled and swished the pool angrily over a rocky shoal to enter a deep dark pool of water.
The next morning the search party dragged the river well downstream, but Nellie was never found. Whether the heartbroken girl had drowned or had simply left her large apron as a decoy while she made her way across the rolling mountains to the oblivion of a new life is a secret kept by the cold, swift-flowing waters of the White River.
Version #2
However, another version of the legend has young Nellie living near the little station on the railroad.
One day, Nellie was walking along the track searching for a cow that had broken out of the pasture, and while making her way along the winding track that closely followed the tortuous channel of the White River, young Neile discovered a broken rail. While wondering how she could notify someone about the danger, she heard the long wail of a locomotive whistle.
Within a few seconds, she knew, the speeding train would plunge into the deep waters of the river, so running frantically along the track, Nellie tore her apron from her waist and began waving it wildly back and forth. The engineer saw her desperate signal and brought his train to a shuddering stop only a few feet from the broken rail.
The station at 𝐍𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐞'𝐬 𝐀𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐧 was removed along with the rails in 1936.
--
The closing chapter of the 𝐍𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐞'𝐬 𝐀𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐧 was written when Norfork Dam was constructed in 1941 on the North Fork River.
Great quantities of river gravel were required as aggregate for the concrete in the structure and one prime source was the heavy deposit known as the Lowe Buffalo Bars, about two miles downstream from the point at which the Buffalo River joined the White River. More than one million cubic yards of gravel were taken from the river, and in the ensuing years, floods on the White River also changed the appearance of the banks in the area.
Today
The only vestige of Nellie's Apron to survive the passing years is the weathered weed-grown embankment where the rails of the siding had lain. Nevertheless, the legend of 𝐍𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐞'𝐬 𝐀𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐧 still lives in the memory of a few old-time railroaders who rode trains along the twisting White River Division of the old St. Louis, Iron Mountain, and Southern Railroad.
Was young Nellie fact or fiction?
Hmmm....
Well the fact is that an Apron on the river bank from Merriam-Webster's Dictionary is:
The area along the waterfront edge of a pier or wharf.
The Buffalo River made headlines again when a rare chunk of smithsonite (zinc carbonate), weighing 12,750 pounds, was mined at the Morning Star Mine on Rush Creek. Initially, plans were made to transport the massive specimen overland by wagon to Walton’s Ferry at Buffalo City, but the weight proved too much for the steep, rough roads, forcing the plan to be abandoned.
1893 - Jumbo Colorization by Vincent S. Anderson
A barge was eventually constructed at Rush, and the specimen was floated down to the mouth of the Buffalo River.
The steamer 𝙍𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙖𝙡𝙡, commanded by Capt. C.E. Pond, met the barge, transferred the heavy cargo onto its deck, and set course downstream for Batesville. With Capt. Pond walking the deck and Capt. Will Warner at the helm, the 𝙍𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙖𝙡𝙡 safely transported the prized exhibit to Batesville, where it was shipped by railroad to the World's Columbian Exposition—commonly known as the Chicago World's Fair—held from May 5 to October 31, 1893, to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the New World.
The Rush, zinc nugget, named "Jumbo," was proudly displayed at the Exposition. However, the fair once again highlighted the significant transportation challenges faced in the remote wilderness of the Buffalo River region.
Steamboat Randall Colorization by Vincent S. Anderson Photo from Dr. Abraham Photo Gallery at the Baxter County Library
I am always grateful for historians of the past like Duane Huddleston, who have documented the history of the White River and the Ozarks. Thanks to his diligence, our rivers have been carefully chronicled.
Elmo Hurst was one of the first guides and outfitters in the Upper White River region in Arkansas. Elmo possessed a profound expertise with the White River, having navigated its waters extensively. Hurst established the benchmark for guides and outfitters in the region, predating the construction of dams and the development of the fishing tourism industry.
Elmo was born near Lone Rock, Arkansas, but when he was just 9 months old, his family relocated to the Cotter area. After graduating from Cotter High School in 1929, Elmo attended Jonesboro State A&M, today ASU in Jonesboro. Elmo graduated with a degree in Animal Husbandry and Agriculture.
After returning home, Elmo began working with his father as a farmer and ferrying people across the White River on the Denton Ferry. It was a 24/7 job until Cotter’s Ruthven Bridge was completed & the toll on its passage was lifted. Denton Ferry was no longer in demand, and Elmo decided it was time to take people fishing.
Elmo married Lucille Marsden on July 28, 1933, and they started the Hurst Fishing Service in the same year. Perched atop the White River's embankment, on the Baxter County side, Elmo and Lucille lived in a house with sweeping views over the White River. Their house was accessible by a set of long, meandering concrete stairs leading down to a launch area. Today, these steps bear the marks of long and frequent use.
Despite its elevated location, their home experienced multiple floods. At times, before the construction of the Bull Shoals Dam, the Hurst family had to use a garden hose to rinse out the house of mud and snakes.
Initially hesitant about Bull Shoals Dam's construction, the Hurst family soon recognized its positive impact. Elmo adapted from warm water fishing of catfish, along with large & small-mouth bass, to the chilly waters hosting German brown and Rainbow trout, then called Jack Salmon.
At one point in his career, Elmo owned 35 boats, each accompanied by a corresponding guide in his business. Hurst Fishing Service boats ran on the White River, Buffalo River, and Crooked Creek. Hurst also provided freshly cooked meals featuring a variety of options, including steaks, chicken, fish, and pork chops, accompanied by vegetables.
Before a group's arrival for a fishing experience on the river, a dedicated cook and commissary boat would go before them to set up the lunch site. By the time the party reached the location, lunch would be ready. Afterward, the cook and commissary boat would continue to the designated overnight spot, where they would arrange tents and prepare dinner.
For a three-day camping trip, ample ice would be brought along, but for a four-day expedition, additional ice would be delivered by an outfitter representative. The outfitter supplied all essential items such as sleeping bags, tents, and cots. While most participants brought their own fishing gear, those who didn't could arrange to rent equipment through the Hurst.
According to Forrest Wood, Elmo set high standards for, “…the integrity and well-run business which he ran from 1933 through 1965.”
Elmo and Lucille were owners and operators of Hurst Fishing Service until they sold it in 1965.
Should we discard a part of history because something blatantly wrong took place? Or should we take on the role of our Creator and strive to redeem those aspects of our past? We must acknowledge the evil and work diligently to redeem our history; otherwise, our chronicling of the past holds no value.
The Invisible Empire was a common term used by the KKK to refer to their supposed authority and influence, often operating covertly and using intimidation tactics to assert control over communities. In 1922, the Ku Klux Klan burned a cross on Wallace Knob. But that’s not the whole story of Wallace Knob.
As a historian, I was invited to give the keynote address at the Baxter County Democratic Party this past May (2024). I was requested to address this situation that happened in 1922. As a Republican, I was honored they would trust me. They are not my enemy. I took a deep breath and prepared my bullet points. I determined to follow the history of a certain knob, or hill, in the north part of Mountain Home, Arkansas, called 𝐖𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐊𝐧𝐨𝐛 because I believe in Redemption. So, I am going to share some of my notes. If you want to know more, invite me to your group. Hint: I tend to get a little preachy.
𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐖𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐊𝐧𝐨𝐛?
The knob was named after Dr. J. H. Wallace. It was not as wooded as it is today, and the top was known to be cleared except for a lone oak tree. The Oak Signal Tree on Wallace Knob, along with Matney Knob, was used in the 1893 Geographical & Geological Survey for Baxter County.
In 1905, the goal was formulated in the Baxter Bulletin for electrical lines to be stretched from Willow Springs, Missouri to Wallace Knob. (Didn’t happen.)
In 1906, the Talbert brothers brought back a mess of turkeys for many people to eat. Also, the Dormitory families from Mountain Home Baptist College gathered a large harvest of persimmons & Cockleburs from this knob.
In 1907, the Big Chunk Mining Claim scored an impressive load of "jack" (zinc) among the 155 registered mines within Baxter County.
Tragically in 1909, fire killed half of the lone, signal oak tree, but it refused to die, and shoots sprouted out. Cries went out from the Baxter Bulletin for children to gather seedlings for upcoming Arbor Days and plant new trees on Wallace Knob.
In 1912, Wallace Knob was the location for Mountain Home students to take geography class trips.
In 1915, fire swept through the knob and surrounding areas of Mountain Home.
In 1916 and 1917, a great harvest of opossums was gathered for good eating.
In 1917, on the north side of the knob, impressive loads of lead and zinc were found.
In 1918, during World War I, soldiers from Baxter County wrote back home saying they were looking forward to seeing two things: Wallace Knob and pretty Baxter County girls.
In 1921, Professor Ward, a military instructor from Mountain Home Baptist College, put on a display with his students of a Mock Battle for the whole county to witness.
In 1922, the Ku Klux Klan Burned a Cross on Wallace Knob. Read the clippings.
In 1926, fire swept through the knob and surrounding areas of Mountain Home again, and the city ran to their neighbors to help save their homes, barns, livestock, and land. Children to the rescue in planting more trees.
By 1936, the knob was the scene for families and classes to gather and have picnics.
In 1937, churches gathered on the knob to celebrate Easter Sunrise Service.
In 1956, Brownie Scouts braved the ascent, had their own picnic, and earned badges.
By 1960, two 106-foot towers were erected on Wallace Knob for a new cable television company boasting 5 Channels:
Channels 3 & 10 out of Springfield, Missouri
Channels 4, 7 & 11 out of Little Rock, Arkansas.
The towers were such a hit and landmark on Wallace Knob that Arkansas Power & Light (AP&L) placed and lit a public Nativity Scene for all to enjoy!
Not one paying AP&L customer complained about the public display.
Should we talk about 1922? Yes, of course!
It's a band-aid that should be removed.
I love my Ozarks, but I had to join the Air Force to see our beautiful palette of colors of our Father's creation. I love our history and the opportunities we have to change our future. Putting action to our convictions is the Work of Redemption.
Acts 17:24a - And [God] hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth.
If you think any of this is important, Please Share!
Baxter Bulletin - August 4, 1922 Mountain Home, Arkansas • Fri, Aug 4, 1922
👉 We are now translating Ozarks’ History into 149 Languages.
Check CC - Closed Captioning for your favorite language.
If English is your 2nd language, let us know what language you need.
🗣️ We will see if we can put Ozarks' History in your language.
We now have upload Bear Stories from Silas C. Turnbo!
Silas Claiborne Turnbo 1844-1925
Silas Turnbo, or "Claib," wrote at least 816 small stories &
vignettes detailing the history, narratives & reminiscences of life
in the Ozark Mountains. Turnbo spoke of himself in the phrase, "I am
nothing but a Poor Scribbler." Turnbo was also a member of the Arkansas
27th Infantry, Company A, C.S.A. After serving in the Civil War, he also
wrote the History of the Arkansas 27th infantry. Turnbo was well
acquainted and friends with friends & families on both sides of the
bloody ordeal.
Silas Claiborne Turnbo 1844-1925
Silas Turnbo, or "Claib," wrote at least 816 small stories &
vignettes detailing the history, narratives & reminiscences of life
in the Ozark Mountains. Turnbo spoke of himself in the phrase, "I am
nothing but a Poor Scribbler."
Turnbo was also a member of the Arkansas
27th Infantry, Company A, C.S.A. After serving in the Civil War, he also
wrote the History of the Arkansas 27th infantry. Turnbo was well
acquainted and friends with friends & families on both sides of the
bloody ordeal.
We now have upload Red Wolf Stories from Silas C. Turnbo!
Silas Claiborne Turnbo 1844-1925
Silas Turnbo, or "Claib," wrote at least 816 small stories &
vignettes detailing the history, narratives & reminiscences of life
in the Ozark Mountains. Turnbo spoke of himself in the phrase, "I am
nothing but a Poor Scribbler." Turnbo was also a member of the Arkansas
27th Infantry, Company A, C.S.A. After serving in the Civil War, he also
wrote the History of the Arkansas 27th infantry. Turnbo was well
acquainted and friends with friends & families on both sides of the
bloody ordeal.
Silas Claiborne Turnbo 1844-1925
Silas Turnbo, or "Claib," wrote at least 816 small stories &
vignettes detailing the history, narratives & reminiscences of life
in the Ozark Mountains. Turnbo spoke of himself in the phrase, "I am
nothing but a Poor Scribbler."
We now have upload 100 Stories from Silas C. Turnbo!
Silas Claiborne Turnbo 1844-1925
Silas Turnbo, or "Claib," wrote at least 816 small stories &
vignettes detailing the history, narratives & reminiscences of life
in the Ozark Mountains. Turnbo spoke of himself in the phrase, "I am
nothing but a Poor Scribbler." Turnbo was also a member of the Arkansas
27th Infantry, Company A, C.S.A. After serving in the Civil War, he also
wrote the History of the Arkansas 27th infantry. Turnbo was well
acquainted and friends with friends & families on both sides of the
bloody ordeal.
Silas Claiborne Turnbo 1844-1925
Silas Turnbo, or "Claib," wrote at least 816 small stories &
vignettes detailing the history, narratives & reminiscences of life
in the Ozark Mountains. Turnbo spoke of himself in the phrase, "I am
nothing but a Poor Scribbler."
Turnbo was also a member of the Arkansas
27th Infantry, Company A, C.S.A. After serving in the Civil War, he also
wrote the History of the Arkansas 27th infantry. Turnbo was well
acquainted and friends with friends & families on both sides of the
bloody ordeal.
👉 We are now translating Ozarks’ History into 149 Languages.
Check CC - Closed Captioning for your favorite language.
If English is your 2nd language, let us know what language you need.
🗣️ We will see if we can put Ozarks' History in your language.
From the beginning of 1984 through the start of Autumn, the Marion
County militia & cult known as the Covenant, the Sword, and the Arm
of the Lord (CSA) was in the headlines locally. By the Spring of 1985,
the CSA was receiving national & international attention. The CSA,
as it was locally known, was an organization that was labeled as a
survivalist group. The CSA occupied a 224-acre area in the far
northeastern portion of Marion County, near Oakland, Arkansas, on the
Arkansas/Missouri border since the late 1970s. Except for the occasional
attention brought on it by media from outside the region, the CSA lived
in relative obscurity.
The CSA developed from a Baptist
congregation, and they were locally known as the Zarephath-Horeb
Community Church, which was founded in 1971 in Pontiac, Missouri. By the
Summer of 1978, the church became radicalized. The CSA veered into
unusual theology for the Ozark's region as it strengthened its White
Identity or Superior Aryan Doctrine, in addition to its Plurality in
Marriage. They believed they were soldiers & a haven for the coming
End-Time & Tribulation Period, and they were planning for planning
for Armageddon.
The CSA event came to an apex in April of 1985. More than 300 officers reportedly participated in the 1985 standoff and raid.
Today, the CSA Compound acreage has been divided up, and the main base is private property. So, please respect the current owners. Last Fall, in 2022, I met a new friend, and we took an adventure to visit & walk the former CSA compound.
The Baxter County Library has the Bob Ketchum Video Archive. Within the collection lie some wonderful historical nuggets. I am working on transcribing a TV43 program with news reporter Susan Ketchum interviewing CSA Elder, Kerry Noble. It is full-length, unedited & fascinating.
Some of the key figures during the 1985 escalating events were: CSA Elder, Theologian & Spokesman, Kerry Noble CSA Leader, Jim Ellison Missouri State Highway Patrol, Stephen Bartlett / Air Surveillance - Command Post was out of his aircraft hanger Marion County Sheriff, Roger Edmondson & deputies Ozark County Sheriff, James Shaw & deputies Baxter County Sheriff, Joe Edmonds & deputies Baxter County Deputy, Major McPherson U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas, Asa Hutchinson Missouri Department of Conservation FBI / Federal Bureau of Investigation ATF / Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Arkansas State Police Missouri Water Patrol Minneapolis (Minnesota) Police Department K-9 unit U.S. Corps of Engineers U.S. Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal officers
There are also a few stories on the CSA in Thelma Spencer's biography of former Ozark County Sheriff, Herman Pierce, "Sheriff Takes the Stand." It is currently out of print. Additionally, The Baxter Bulletin & other newspapers detailed the affair and can be found online at Newspapers.com
CSA Founder, Jim Ellison, died March 27th, 2021, at 11:15 from congestive heart failure at the age of 80 years.
Kerry Noble was a true representation of what repentance can do. While in prison, he began to see the error of his way, and he began to sound the alarm for others not to follow the path of White Supremacy. Kerry Noble wrote about his experiences in "Tabernacle of Hate: Seduction into Right-Wing Extremism" & "Tabernacle of Hope: Bridging Your Darkened Past Toward a Brighter Future." Kerry Noble passed away earlier this year on January 9, 2023. According to Kerry's oldest child, Tara, he went, "…into the hospital December 29, 2022, with pneumonia. He had a massive heart attack the morning before he was to have an angioplasty procedure done. Thank you for your prayers for the family."
With all the judgment & condemnation we can throw at one party or person, we should pause to look at our own hearts. In retrospect, sometimes we never realize the wooded path & journey our neighbor travels in a lifetime. Love is quick to forgive & restore. Rest in Peace, Kerry Noble
.png)
