Spreading across roughly 40,000-45,000 square miles, the Ozarks covers much of the southern half of Missouri and a large part of northern Arkansas. It also extends into northeast Oklahoma and southeast Kansas.

There are many stereotypes about the Ozarks and Ozarkers. They range from frontiersmen to hillbillies and moonshiners.

With his research on Ozarks history, Dr. Brooks Blevins tries to dispel those misconceptions and present the most complete portrait of the region.

About six years ago, Blevins, who is the Noel Boyd professor of Ozarks studies at Missouri State University, started to write a comprehensive history of the Ozarks. It resulted in a trilogy. “A History of the Ozarks, Volume 1: The Old Ozarks” was published last summer. “A History of the Ozarks, Volume 2: The Conflicted Ozarks” came out this summer. Volume three is in the works.

Blevins discusses his research and shares highlights from volume two of his trilogy.

The mid-1800s: Challenging times in the Ozarks
The mid-1800s: Challenging times in the Ozarks

Read the full transcript for part 1

Read the full transcript for part 2

Volume two is available for purchase online.