Ozark Chair Shop, Beaver Dam. Real photo postcard.
Although this was called Ozark Chair Shop, for the passing tourist what caught the eye were the colorful drip-glaze pots in many sizes that filled the shelves and yard. Nut head dolls, cedar boxes and wood carvings were more locally made souvenirs sold along the highways.
“You may also see many small jars in a very attractive variety of colors to please the many tourists who stop there. This craft is known as Como-Craft as originated by Harold Horine,” Pearl Spurlock, explained to her passenger. Her knowledgeable patter informed and entertained many early visitors to the Shepherd of the Hills country. (quoted in See the Ozarks: The Touristic Image).
Beaver Dam on the White River in Arkansas was authorized by the same legislation that authorized Table Rock Dam near Branson. The Army Corps of Engineers webpage for the dam and reservoir notes: Construction began in 1960 and was completed in 1966. Total cost was $6,200,000. James Fork of the White: Transformation of an Ozark River has extensive coverage of Table Rock Dam’s history, controversies, and major milestones.
James Fork of the White is now available on our website at www.dammingtheosage.com for $31.50 (10% off retail price of $35), postage paid.
