Ozarks Harmony
Photographs by Randy Olson
Text by Lisa Moore LaRoe
The clatter of pickups and braying of hounds still sound through many an Ozarks town. Yet new chords are being struck by swarms of transplants who have "discovered" the natural beauty and hands-off freedoms of this heartland plateau. "We're facing the most profound change since the Civil War," says a local historian.
People seek a variety of treasures in the Ozarks—opportunity, escape, easy living, cheap land, natural beauty, fat fish and few rules. So many are coming that the population is growing at a rate nearly twice the national average—an influx that is changing the cultural landscape. While it is still possible to float down the Jacks Fork River or attend a hootenanny, it is also common to drop in for a show at one of the jumble of theaters in Branson, Missouri, which boasts more seats than Broadway.
Change is about as welcome as tick season. Though kindness is quick, acceptance comes slowly. One longtime native summed it up: "You’re only a stranger for five minutes, but you’re a newcomer for 50 years."
NGM 1998/04