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The
Shepherd of the Hills History
 In
1907, a novel was published that forever changed the way of
life for Branson area residents. That novel, The Shepherd
of the Hills, went on to become the fourth most widely read
book in publishing history, selling millions of copies and attracting
many people to the Ozark hills around which its story is centered.
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The author of this novel, Mr. Harold Bell Wright, began coming to
the Ozarks in 1898, having been instructed by his physician to find
a climate more suitable for his health. Wright decided to venture
southward from his home in Kansas, where he was a preacher. He happened
to wander upon the homestead of John and Anna Ross, known as Old
Matt and Aunt Mollie in his novel, who welcomed him and allowed
him to pitch a tent on their land. The tent went up on Inspiration
Point, thus named because of the awesome views of the rolling Ozarks
hills that the ridge provides. Wright woke every morning to these
views, and describes the scenery perfectly in The Shepherd of
the Hills. |
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Though
the setting was of great importance in the book, it was the
storyline that made it an epic. The characters involved were
based on real people that Wright encountered during his eight-summer
camp-out on the Rosses' homestead. The Rosses' son was portrayed
in the book by the character of "Young Matt." "Sammy Lane" was
reportedly based on three different young ladies. There is
a story behind every character in the novel, which makes
Wright's work even more special to the area and its history.
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|  Following
the publication of The Shepherd of the Hills, natives
began noticing a great influx of visitors wishing to see
all that Wright had told of. After a few years, feeling the
strain of the Ozarks' custom of treating visitors like family,
the Rosses chose to sell their homestead and move to nearby
Garber. The homestead was purchased by Miss Lizzie McDaniel,
a feisty lady from Springfield who appreciated the story
written by Wright and wished to see the homestead prosper.
She relocated to Inspiration Point to welcome the visitors,
living in the Ross cabin for a time before moving her parents'
home down from Springfield. She even began putting on the
very first dramatization of the story, right on her front
lawn.
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|  The
Shepherd of the Hills has been translated into 7 different languages,
and produced by Hollywood 4 times... one starring John Wayne in
his first Technicolor film.
In
the 1950s, Dr. and Mrs. Bruce Trimble purchased the farm. Together
with their son, Mark, the Trimbles envisioned great things
for the homestead, and decided to begin a nightly play based
on the novel. Sadly, Dr. Trimble passed away before he could
see his dreams become reality. However, his wife and son persevered
and came through with what is now The Shepherd of the Hills
Outdoor Theatre, with the nightly drama just down the hill
from the original cabin that the Rosses lived in. With the
Trimbles' guidance, the homestead became a popular place for
visitors to come and tour Old Matt's Cabin, peer into Little
Pete's Cave, and at night, experience the legend of The Shepherd of the Hills.
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| In
1985, former cast member Gary Snadon and his wife Pat purchased
the farm from the Trimbles. Inspiration Tower was built in 1989,
on the 100th anniversary of Harold Bell Wright's first visit to
the area. In 1996, the play was performed for the 5,000th time,
making it the longest-running outdoor drama ever. It continues
to break records with every performance. The 40th season anniversary
of the outdoor drama was celebrated on September 25th, 1999, and
a special show welcomed hundreds of previous cast members who
came back for the occasion.
Many
people have shared in making The Shepherd of the Hills Homestead
and Outdoor Theatre what it is today: a legend. We invite you
to experience the legend for yourself.
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