Memories from the Homestead: The building that inspired the Keeter Center

Another vintage view for you today friends, and it looks quite recognizable, doesn't it? Look closely. What you're seeing here is the building that inspired today's Keeter Center at the College of the Ozarks. Yes, the Keeter Center facility is a replica of an earlier structure.  Back when they were still the School of the Ozarks, they called it Dobyns Hall. Prior to that, it was the Maine Club. 

Grab your coffee and I'll give you a few details. Looking back, it was in 1904 that St. Louis, Missouri, hosted the World's Fair, an international event that lasted from April through December of 1904. Known as the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, the gathering attracted over 19 million guests, 62 countries participated, displaying exhibits, as well as 43 states here in the USA. Remember, there were only 45 states in the U.S. at this time.

A number of folks from our area attended the event, including several of our county officials, school teachers and such. Our Fall Creek neighbor Truman Powell attended for a week, taking several with him, including twenty-year-old Susie Morrill (daughter of Notch Postmaster Levi Morrill) who was teaching at the Cove School north of Marble Cave. 

The site of the Fair covered 1,200 acres, with many of the structures being dismantled at the conclusion of the event. A few structures did remain, such as the Palace of Fine Arts building. Today, this structure is the St. Louis Art Museum.

There was a massive log structure there at the World's Fair that was the State of Maine Exhibit. A two-story log building, originally constructed in Maine, was dismantled and hauled to St. Louis for the World's Fair. Measuring at 140 feet by 68 feet, the large cabin resembled a hunting lodge, and when it was built back for the Fair, no nails were used. Then in 1905, it was dismantled.

The structure was purchased by the St. Louis Maine Sportsmen's Club, who had purchased 207 acres of Taney County land overlooking the White River west of Hollister. The building was shipped here piece by piece by wagon and team from the railroad in Springfield. By the time it was completed here for the new sportsmen's club, the new railroad was complete and now club members had an easy way to get in and out. At the height of the club's popularity, 50 members at a time could stay at the facility as three other structures had been completed around the Maine structure.

After a few years, interest sort of faded away, the new Lake Taneycomo had created an opportunity for water recreation; the Club land and buildings were sold to Louis Siebert, who operated the property as a hotel for two years.

 In 1915, the School of the Ozarks purchased the property and buildings for $15,000. They changed the name of the Maine building to Dobyns Hall. This is now the College of the Ozarks campus here at Point Lookout.

Becoming the primary building for the school, I am often asked where was this structure located if we were on today's campus? Well, it was closer to the bluff, very near where the Williams Memorial Chapel would be today.

Unfortunately, the log building was destroyed by fire on February 1, 1930. A huge loss to the school, they would continue to move forward, improving along the way. Beginning in Forsyth as a high school in 1906, they would offer a two-year junior college program in the mid-1950s, and then in 1965, the school became a four-year college institution.

Fast forward to 2004. The College of the Ozarks would open their replica of the Dobyns Hall that year—the Keeter Center—and today the complex houses hotel suites and fabulous dining opportunities at the Dobyns Dining Room. There's also space for banquets and other events. Their military museum inside is without question one of the best. 

So here are two unique images. Here's a close-up of the Maine building as it appeared at the St. Louis World's Fair in 1904. Next, here's a rare picture postcard six years later in 1910, at its location when it was still the Maine Sportsmen's Club. Five years later, it would be the home to the School of the Ozarks.

For more information, visit the Keeter Center website, go to www.keetercenter.edu

Happy trails, everyone!