Harold Bell Wright, a Kansas minister who had been diagnosed with consumption, came to the Ozarks to breathe the wholesome mountain air. Due to flooding on the White River, he asked for shelter at the John Ross cabin, intending to stay only overnight. In keeping with the customs of the Ozarks, Ross and his wife, Georgianna, and their son, Matt, welcomed him to their home. Wright stayed for eight summers.
Wright eventually pitched a tent on the Ross homestead, making for himself a summer home on what would one day be known as Inspiration Point. During winter months, he moved into the cabin warmed by the old stone fireplace. Over several years, Wright made notes of his adopted Ozarks family, their neighbors, and the customs and traditions of mountain culture. He roamed the hills and valleys, storing in his imagination scenes for The Shepherd of the Hills, a novel published in 1907.
Over a hundred years after the novel brought droves of tourists to the quiet Ozarks to view up-close a picturesque pocket of earth and its peculiar populace, the story still entertains tourists as an outdoor drama in the amphitheatre at the Shepherd of the Hills Homestead. In the 2014 season, the play runs four nights a week during the summer months and weekends only during the fall. With the old grist mill as a backdrop, a city slicker pursues the hand of the community’s comely miss, troublemakers incite fist fights, and masked horsemen torch a cabin.
Ninety actors perform in the drama, bringing to life the history of the Ozarks Mountains and the story Harold Bell Wright wrote. The directors consciously type-cast local residents in the roles that fit personalities and body type. The roles are scripted, but each actor has his or her own mannerisms and ad-libs. In fright, one of the Ollie Stewart characters runs and jumps on a tree like a tree frog. While the Shepherd of the Hills Outdoor Drama is the centerpiece of the Homestead, visitors find plenty to see and do throughout the daytime hours.
A ceiling lamp in the living room once hung in Harold Bell Wright’s tent, pitched on the lawn. A spinning wheel and a weasel for making skeins of yarn both sit by the old stone fireplace. Various kitchen tools and Anna Ross’ size four shoes are displayed. Through the diligence of Lizzie McDaniel and her dedication to preserve a long ago setting, the cabin, once a home for the Ross family and the Kansas preacher who made the Ozarks famous, stands as the showpiece of The Shepherd of the Hills Homestead.
Going back to the authentic roots of the Great American Cowboy in a variety of musical styles, harmonies, instrumentations, and songs, as well as cowboy poetry, “Roundup on the Trail” features the same cast that entertained for the past 10 years in “Christmas on the Trail,” one of Branson's most popular and unique Christmas shows, Performing in the Pavilion Theatre at Shepherd of the Hills, the show and a chuckwagon dinner precede the Shepherd of the Hills Drama. The dinner menu includes: Texas brisket, maple-smoked turkey breast, campfire beans, Dutch-oven trail taters, fire roasted ears of corn, cookies, hot rolls, and cobbler. Afterward, the Jeep-drawn tram transports guests down the hollow to the amphitheatre for the evening drama.
More than a century has past since The Shepherd of the Hills books passed through the mail at the old Notch Post Office and into the hands of Ozarks hill folks. The Shepherd of the Hills marked a turning point in Harold Bell Wright’s literary career. The book’s success also marked a milestone in the history of the Branson story. Families still come to relive the history of the story of the Ozarks. Visitors, who came as children, now return with grandchildren and great grandchildren. Shepherd of the Hills Homestead and Outdoor Drama are integral pieces of Ozark history—pieces to be savored and preserved.
For information on daytime activities and tickets for Shepherd of the Hills Drama, go to www.oldmatt.com or call: 417-334-4464, toll free, 800 653-6288.
