What comes to mind when you think about the Ozarks? Perhaps it is its unique geographic features or rich history. It may be the hillbilly stereotype or story of the Baldknobbers. With the goal of presenting the region’s most complete portrait, historian Dr. Brooks Blevins started to write a comprehensive history of the Ozarks a few years ago. It resulted in a trilogy. The first … [Read more...] about Delving into modern Ozarks
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 … [Read more...] about How was life in the Ozarks during the Civil War?
Frontiersmen, hillbillies, moonshiners and banjo players — these are a few stereotypes of Ozarkers. But Dr. Brooks Blevins, the Noel Boyd professor of Ozarks studies at Missouri State University, works to change these misconceptions through his research. “It’s often a warts-and-all story like the American experience in general,” Blevins said. “But there are many interesting and … [Read more...] about Ozarks history through a realistic lens