Shepherd of the Hills Homestead and Outdoor Theater
Harold Bell Wright first visited the Ozarks in 1900. When bad weather forced him to halt his journey to northern Arkansas, he had the good fortune to meet and stay with John Keever and Anna Ross, homesteaders at Low Gap, the valley between Dewey Bald and Inspiration Point. Wright returned several times to the area, sometimes staying with the Rosses, sometimes lodging in Branson and Hollister, and sometimes camping at Marvel Cave. He began writing The Shepherd of the Hills in 1905, weaving qualities of the Ozarks landscape and residents into his fictional story of secret love, bitterness, and forgiveness.
The novel was published in 1907. In the following years many fans of the novel visited the Ozarks in search of Shepherd of the Hills Country. Unfortunately by 1909 Wright had moved his family to California, and the Rosses had moved from Low Gap to Garber. Finding the Ross homestead unoccupied, bold visitors took pieces of wood and farm machinery as souvenirs. As tourists continued to arrive, local businesses began to accommodate their interest in Wright's novel. Cashing in on the popular sentiment for Wright's young heroine, a riverboat in Branson was named the Sammy Lane, and, after Powersite Dam was finished in 1913, tourists could cruise Lake Taneycomo on the Sammy Lane Boat Line and lodge at the Sammy Lane Resort in Branson.
For the most part, area residents seemed to enjoy the notoriety they received as the inspiration for Wright's characters. A local postmaster, Levi Morrill of Notch, was quickly identified as Wright's character Uncle Ike. J. K. and Anna Ross were identified as Old Matt and Aunt Mollie. To the delight of visiting fans, both the Morrill and the Rosses began to answer to their fictional names and tell stories about Shepherd of the Hills Country. In 1913, though, J. K. Ross wrote in his autobiography, Old Matt's View of It, that "someone has unconsciously been made a victim to give certain details to the story" (qtd. in Van Buskirk 27). It is likely that the Ross family tired of tourists' never-ending questions about Maggie and Little Pete, the fictional daughter and illegitimate grandson that Wright had given Old Matt and Aunt Mollie.
The popularity of the novel was renewed in 1919 when a silent film recounting the story was released. A new stream of tourists were chauffeured through Shepherd of the Hills Country by an enterprising taxi driver named Pearl "Sparky" Spurlock. For twenty-five years, Pearl Spurlock, dressed in calico and smoking a corncob pipe, enthusiastically retold the story to countless passengers. When J. K. Ross and Ike Morrill died in the 1920s Pearl Spurlock raised $500 so that each grave could be marked with a headstone. John G. Neihardt, a poet living in Branson, Dr. Robert M. Good, president of the School of the Ozarks, and Congressman Dewey Short also took part in the memorial ceremonies.
Lizzie McDaniel visited Low Gap in 1926 and found the Ross homestead "overrun with pigs and squatters" (qtd. in Van Buskirk 30). Wishing to preserve as much as possible of the site, she purchased the land, repaired the cabin, and furnished it with as many pieces of authentic furniture and memorabilia as she could find. While living in the cabin, McDaniel welcomed visitors and entertained them with an outdoor dramatization of The Shepherd of the Hills. Interest in her "living museum" increased in 1928 after a second film version of the novel was released. A third film version starring John Wayne was released in 1941 and a fourth in 1963. The publicity from these films and new editions of the novel helped keep interest in Shepherd of the Hills Country alive.
In 1934 Lizzie McDaniel decided to move her Springfield house to Low Gap. This feat was accomplished by disassembling the house, transporting it by train and wagon, and reassembling it in Low Gap. In 1936 McDaniel agreed to lease Inspiration Point to the State of Missouri for a nominal yearly fee of one dollar. One of the first events held at the new historical park was a sunrise Easter service. In 1945 Lizzie McDaniel notified the Branson Civic League that she wished to name the league as her beneficiary, but she died before the documents were completed. Nonetheless, the league felt an obligation to care for the land. After securing a down payment for the property, the league leased the property and buildings to a retired couple from Kansas City, Dr. Bruce and Mary Trimble.
In 1954 Dr. Trimble organized a competition to design statuary for Inspiration Point. The first statue was a representation of Wright's Shepherd designed by a fifteen-year-old student at the School of the Ozarks named Wally Nickel. Nickel's design was sculpted by Roberta Stoneman Baker, an art teacher from Springfield. Two more statues, one of Aunt Mollie and one of Little Pete, were added the following year. The remaining statues-Old Matt, Young Matt, Sammy, and Uncle Ike-were sculpted by Michael Lee, another local artist, and added to the park in later years.
Dr. Trimble died in 1957 before the amphitheater he planned could be built, but the project was completed by Mary and Mark, the Trimble's son. The Old Mill Theater opened on August 6, 1959. Lloyd (Shad) and Ruth Heller not only played the Shepherd and Aunt Mollie but also managed the theater for five years. In 1965 the Trimbles expanded the amphitheater to accommodate 1,700 seats. In the following years, several changes broadened the appeal of the pageant: the season was extended, the cast and set grew more elaborate, 3000 theater seats replaced the old seating, and a rain shelter was built.
Mary Trimble was also an avid collector of Kewpie Dolls and memorabilia. She converted Lizzie McDaniel's house into a museum for her collection and was instrumental in establishing the International Rose O'Neill Club. Mary's contribution to Missouri tourism was acknowledged in 1974 when the Branson/Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce established the Mary Award in honor Mary Trimble and Mary Herschend of Silver Dollar City and again in 1979 when she was inducted into the Ozarks Hall of Fame. Mary Trimble died in 1982.
Gary Snadon, a familiar face to Shepherd of the Hills audiences in the 1960s, purchased the farm from Mark Trimble in 1985. Snadon gave the property its present name, The Shepherd of the Hills Homestead and Outdoor Theater. When the state's fifty-year lease of Inspiration Point expired in 1985, preparations for a 243-foot tower and observation deck on the site began. Inspiration Tower, which opened in 1988, provided a panoramic view of the surrounding hills and valleys. Near the base of the tower, Snadon rebuilt a 1901 Lutheran church. Due to deterioration, the frame of the church was replaced, but the original windows, doors, bell tower, pews, and pulpit were installed in the new frame.
Today the Shepherd of the Hills Homestead offers a variety of attractions in addition to the Outdoor Theater and Inspiration Tower. The Harold Bell Wright Museum, which was originally located at Mutton Hollow, is now part of the Homestead. There are arts and crafts shops, a restaurant, and horseback riding. During the Christmas season, the homestead is illuminated by an elaborate drive-through light display.
The Shepherd Of The Hills Timeline
1884- J.K. Ross ("Old Matt") builds the original room of the cabin.
1889- J.K. Ross ("Old Matt") builds the mill, barn, and completes the cabin.
1896-1904 - Harold Bell Wright spends time visiting the area.
1907- Wright's second novel "The Shepherd of the Hills" is published and quickly sells over a million copies.
1908- Tourist movement begins--thousands of Americans flock to the Missouri Ozarks to see the sites and characters in Wright's novel. This movement lays the foundation and hospitality structure for the tourism industry in The Shepherd of the Hills Country and Branson.
1911- J.K. Ross and his wife Anna (Old Matt and Aunt Mollie) move to Garber, Mo., to escape the onslaught of curious tourists.
1923- Old Matt and Aunt Mollie die of natural causes; Young Matt sells the Homestead.
1926- Lizzie McDaniel buys the Homestead and begins to host live dramatizations of "The Shepherd of the Hills" on the lawn surrounding Old Matt's Cabin..
1934- Young Matt dies in California as a result of a motorcycle accident.
1936- Lizzie McDaniel moves her home from Springfield to the Homestead.
1944- Harold Belt Wright dies.
1946- Dr. Brace and Mary Trimble purchases the Homestead.
1960- The Old Mill Theatre opens and first Shepherd of the Hills Outdoor Drama is shown. The Theatre opens with 435 folding lawn chairs; capacity gradually increases to 1650 seats.
1975- First sound system is installed in the Outdoor Theatre.
1976- The theatre is expanded to hold over 2500.
1983- John Ross' house "Old Matt's Cabin" becomes a national historic landmark as it is listed in the National Register of Historic Places on July 21, 1983.
1985- Mr. & Mrs. Gary Snadon purchase the Homestead & Outdoor Theatre.
1988- The Clydesdales debut on the Homestead: Shepherd of the Hills is a leader in Ozark Mountain Christmas efforts, adding The Newborn King Christmas pageant and the illuminating Trail of Lights display.
1989- Inspiration Tower opens, quickly becoming known as "Branson's Landmark on the Horizon."
1990- 1901 Morgan County Church is relocated to Inspiration Point.
1992- "City Kids & Country Cousins" playground opens.
1993- Grand opening of the Precious Moments Animated Gallery and Gift Shoppe.
1996- Harold Bell Wright accomplishments are recognized as he's inducted posthumously into Missouri Businessman's Hall of Fame.
1997- Shepherd of the Hills Celebrates the 90th anniversary of the publishing of "The Shepherd of the Hills"; Harold Bell Wright is inducted into Writer's Hall of Fame; milestone 5,000th performance makes The Shepherd of the Hills Outdoor Drama "America's Longest Running Outdoor Drama"; and Clydesdale Tour '97 culminates with an appearance in Macy's 71st Annual Thanksgiving Day Parade.
1998- Harold Bell Wright Museum moves to The Shepherd of the Hills Homestead.
Works Cited
Overstreet, Sarah. "Story of the Hills: Two spunky women blazed 'Shepherd's' trail.' The Springfield News-Leader. 1982.
Photograph of exterior of Matt's cabin courtesy of Shepherd of the Hills Homestead and Outdoor Theatre.
Photograph of interior of Matt's cabin courtesy of Shepherd of the Hills Homestead and Outdoor Theatre.
Photograph of Dr. Bruce and Mary Trimble courtesy of Shepherd of the Hills Homestead and Outdoor Theatre.
Photograph of Outdoor Theater courtesy of Shepherd of the Hills Homestead and Outdoor Theatre.
Photograph of Inspriation Tower courtesy of Shepherd of the Hills Homestead and Outdoor Theatre.
Timeline courtesy of Shepherd of the Hills Homestead and Outdoor Theatre.
VanBuskirk, Kathleen. "Shepherd of the Hills Country." In the Heart of Ozark Mountain Country: A Popular History of Stone and Taney Counties, including Branson, Missouri. Reeds Spring, MO: White Oak Press, 1992. 23-35.
Wales, Ed. "Mary Trimble, Ozark pioneer dies at 76." Branson Beacon and Leader 9 Dec.1982.
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