The Stone County Historical Genealogical Society and Museum take you on a trip to Akers Corner, Lakeview and now Branson West.
On May 6, 1974, at the Junction of Highway 13 and 76, seven miles north of Kimberling City, the new town of Lakeview was born – the original village.
For twenty years previous to the founding of Lakeview, Woodrow Akers had operated a general store, dairy queen and trailer park and it was where the first Claybough Plaza was located. It was owned and operated by Howard Claybough.
Near Lakeview is where you would have found Linch Pin Campground, an overnight stopover for wagons, buggies and horsemen along the Wilderness Road. The Wilderness Road ran from Springfield, Missouri, to Fort Smith, Arkansas.
The Stone County Post office of Notch was mentioned in the famous novel “Shepherd of the Hills” by Harold Bell Wright. Only a few miles west of the Shepherd of the Hills Farm, the little post office, listed as a site of historic interest in Stone County, looks today much as it did years ago.
Located along the way you would have found Marvel Cave owned by the Lynch family who were the first to open the cave to the public. The Missouri Pacific Railroad would make a stop on Roark Creek, northwest of the cave, and the guests would stay the night at the Lynch homestead. When I was a senior in high school, I had the honor of meeting the Lynch sisters and enjoying tea and cookies with them.
Today on Highway 76 in Stone County you will find the world-famous Silver Dollar City, located over Marvel Cave. Years ago, this was the mining community of Marmaros. In 1946, Hugo and Mary Herschend of Illinois visited the Ozarks. They loved the area and saw the possibilities. In a few years they purchased Marvel Cave and the Lynch property and the rest is Stone County history with the opening and development of Silver Dollar City—the largest employer in the county.
Next you will find the Village of Indian Point—a beautiful area on Table Rock Lake with a view of Table Rock Dam.
For more history on the above, visit the Stone County Historical Museum, located on Main Street in Crane.
Next week our travels will take us to the Reeds Spring and Cape Fair areas.
The second annual gigantic indoor yard sale fundraiser will be held Friday, April 26, and Saturday, April 27, from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. daily, located in the historic Event Hall, across the street from the post office in Crane.
Also on Saturday. April 27: "Meet Me On Main" Street Fair, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Join us in Crane this weekend to highlight and promote small, local rural makers and vendors! Local stores and restaurants will be open. Free admission. Free parking along Meadow Avenue, Lockhart Avenue and the railroad tracks by the Crane City Park.