Bill Black, Superintendent at Fort Smith National Historic Site in Arkansas, has been selected as the new Superintendent at Ozark National Scenic Riverways in Van Buren, Mo. Black served in an acting capacity in the position for 4 months earlier this year, and takes the position permanently in mid-summer.

Bill Black - NPS furnished photo

In announcing Black’s selection, National Park Service (NPS) Midwest Regional Director Michael T. Reynolds said, “The depth and breadth of Bill’s experience both within and outside the National Park Service, coupled with his intuitive understanding of building lasting relationships and partnerships with local, regional, and national communities, organizations, and groups, makes him an ideal choice to lead Ozark National Scenic Riverways.” Continue reading Bill Black named ONSR superintendent

(Article from MDC newsblog.)

Posted by Joanie Straub

PERRY, Mo – A little luck nabbed a record size largemouth bass for 20-year-old Dylan Gilmore of Perry. Gilmore and his friend, Austin Lake, had set their trotline on April 27 using goldfish as bait, hoping to catch some catfish at Ka-Tonka Lake, located in Ka-Tonka Game Preserve and Sporting Clays Club in Ralls County. When they returned the next day to check their line, Gilmore realized they had caught something. When pulling the line to their boat, what he assumed was a catfish instead turned into something a little more.

Dylan Gilmore with fish, Austin Lake (right). MDC Photo

“We knew something was on there,” Gilmore said. “I reached down and grabbed the fish and thought ‘oh my gosh, this thing is huge.’ It felt like a dream at first. I have never seen a bass that big in person.”

Gilmore was not quite sure what to do with the large fish, so he put it in a cooler with aerated water and headed to the Hobby Hut, a bait and tackle store, on Highway 19 in Perry. Continue reading New largemouth bass state record from Ralls Co.

Kid’s Fishing Day set for Saturday May 19 at Maramec Spring Park

The Missouri Department of Conservation, the Maramec Spring Trout Fishermen’s Association and The James Foundation proudly present Kids Free Fishing Day at Maramec Spring Park. Kids fish free and there will be no parking fee on this day for cars with kids fifteen and under inside!

The entire upper half of the spring branch will be reserved for kids fifteen years of age and younger. Rainbow trout will be stocked throughout the day to help ensure fishing success. Members of the Maramec Spring Trout Fishermen’s Association and Missouri Department of Conservation staff will be on hand all day to assist the kids with fishing. Kids will need to bring their own fishing poles. Continue reading Hook a kid on fishing this Saturday at Maramec Spring

Text and Photos by Jo Schaper

A couple weeks ago when I went to Shannon County for the Current River public meeting, we stayed over because Eugene had work to do on the way home at Montauk on Sunday.

He and Steve Bost, the naturalist there, went off on some A/V maintenance issue, leaving me to take pictures of anglers along the tiny Current River.

When they returned, Eugene was babbling about some owl pictures he had just taken.
Owl pictures? At two in the afternoon? Yes. “I’ve got to get these things to Steve’s office, and then we can go back. I want to go back and get some more pictures.”

After a slight delay, the story came out. Continue reading Tale of the Teenage Montauk Owl

A couple of items came to our attention from the Current Local (Van Buren weekly newspaper) this week.

There will be an Elk Zone Landower Field Day May 19 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Quo da Riva Club near Paint Rock on the Current River. Sponsored by the Missouri Department of Conservation, the session is intended to educate landowner how to manage their property as elk habitat. This management includes woodland restoration, prescribed burning and food plots designed for elk and other wildlife, according to Private Lands Conservationist Mike Gaskins. Continue reading Elk Zone Landowner Field Day; Jury finds Proffer not guilty

By Jo Schaper

Current River State Park has been in a contentious limbo since a 780-acre portion of the old Alton Club/Jerry J. Presley Center was transferred from the Missouri Department of Conservation to the Department of Natural Resources-Division of State Parks in March 2008.

Bill Bryan (midleft) takes question from Shannon Countians

At an open house/picnic on April 28, State Parks Director Bill Bryan, Deputy Director J. C. Kuessner, and other park officials addressed, then took informal questions from approximately 60 mostly local, and mostly male attendees for two and half hours. Continue reading Roads, guns, campers, canoes concern Current River State Park meeting

Photos and story by Jo Schaper

Despite the efforts of reenactment commissions, a modern Civil War encampment can never be anything but an (ironically) more civil replica of the real thing. There are the wives and the children around, for one. Hardly anyone is filthy, tired, out-of-sorts or stinks, not to mention actually injured or dying. And despite the period clothing and cooking and crafts, the effect is often more of a bucolic 19th century picnic with people very seriously and respectfully portraying their forebears in an effort to help the strolling tourists understand a way of life far different than ours.

Having been to several “Battle of” reenactments, the tableaux presented last Sunday in Jefferson City’s Binder Park was one of these more relaxed events. Instead of being all sharp military drill, this event showed more of the culture of the 1860s, and less of the faux horror of war. Maybe the unseasonably hot temperatures in the mid-90s cause more of the open-collar attitude. Here are some captioned snapshots of the event. Continue reading Living History is different than real Civil War

By Tom Uhlenbrock
Missouri State Parks
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Linda Endersby had a ready answer when asked for the strangest item in the collection of the Missouri State Museum. “Ella Ewing’s shoes,” she said. “They’re size 24s.”

Endersby is the director of the museum, which is in the State Capitol building in Jefferson City, and she knows all the surprises found in its 30,000-piece collection.
Ella Ewing was known as the “Missouri Giantess.” Born in 1872 in La Grange in northeast Missouri, she reportedly grew to be 8 feet, 4 inches tall by age 22. The museum has a pair of shiny black high-button shoes, donated by the company that made them for Ewing.

Ella Ewing's size 24 shoe

“Her parents tried to keep her out of the limelight, but did realize they could make money from her size,” Endersby said. “She went out on tour with the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus.” Continue reading Treasure hunting the state museum – State Park Stories

By Jo Schaper

We try to treat everyone equally well around here, but occasionally a special request from a special person gets a special response.

Old sign used to have neon lettering.

About a week ago, Rich Orr asked when we were going to take a picture of the old St. Clair Motel sign. He said he thought that was all that was left. Continue reading Signs of the times…

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo – The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) will soon add 35 wild elk to the Show-Me state’s recently restored herd at Peck Ranch Conservation Area. Peck Ranch is part of a 221,000-acre elk-restoration zone that covers parts of Shannon, Carter and Reynolds counties.

Elk testing in KY -2012. MDC Photo

The elk are scheduled to arrive at the refuge area of Peck Ranch on May 18 from a capture site in eastern Kentucky. The elk are making the 400-mile overnight journey in a livestock tractor trailer. They will join 31 adult elk transplanted from Kentucky in 2011 and five calves born at Peck Ranch last spring. Continue reading More Elk coming on May 18