From The local Shell Knob Missouri paper-The Knob Rock
Rattler-2/7/96
Source #1: The Sesquicentennial Book, 1985, Mildred Roden &
Joplin
Globe article by Steven McReynolds
"Barry
County was organized January 5, 1835, from a
part of Green County, Missouri. The settlers would no longer have to
travel to
Springfield to pay their taxes or to transact business." According to
Mrs. Roden's book: On October 17, 1835 Henrey Schell and Elizabeth
Yoachum were married and established a "trading post" at the foot of a
mountain, known as Schell's Trading Post now known as Shell Knob
Mountain. The site is marked on YY road by a huge rock. During the
sesquicentennial celebration in 1985, a bronze plaque was affixed to
the rock. Schell
was of German descent and the American spelling became Shell. Elizabeth
(Yoachum) Schell was born in the area where the James and White Rivers
meet. The
couple had 13 children. The first 4 were born in Shell Knob and the
rest in
McDonald County where the couple moved in 1845. He built a home there
in 1846
and bought adjoining land in the Sugar Creek Bottoms having 1000 acres
when he was killed by Bushwhackers during the Civil War on July 11th,
1863.
Schell also built a mill on Sugar Creek and operated a large distillery
nearby
with three huge copper cookers. Among the names of the pioneers of the
Shell
Knob area are those of Blythe, Brock, Brown, Butler, Carney, Cave,
Cooper,
Cottrell, Dodson, Epperly, Gray, James, Kimball, Ledgerwood, Leonard,
McCerly,
Painter, Pinkley, Rector, Sanders, Schreiner, Sizemore, Smith, Taylor,
Waddell,
Whisman, Wilcox, Yocum, and probably many more. Many of these names
appear in the Painter
Cemetery Records. One gravestone in the cemetery is that of Willie
Sikes, who drowned in the White River at about 12 years of
age. Jack and Cordelia Kearney, great uncle and great aunt of Maurine
Cupps, a present resident of Shell Knob, built the first general store
in
what is lovingly referred to in this day as "Old Shell Knob", in
the1890's. They were murdered in their store, and their murderer was
the
last person hanged in Barry County. Maurine Cupps' father Isaac
Epperly, built
two of the remaining Old Shell Knob buildings. The general store and
neighboring
businesses drew customers from 15 miles around. Perry Epperly, an uncle
of Maurine Cupps, was the village blacksmith. His shop was located on
the east side of the street near the Epperly General Store. S.T.
Ledgerwood also owned a grocery store in Old Shell Knob around the turn
of the
century. There were stores on both sides of the road. There was a
public scale
where people weighed their loads and a public well to water their
livestock,
Mrs. Cupps recalls. In 1935, Route 86 was built across Main Street.
Other stores
were built, giving the town a business district of four stores, two
churches, a canning factory, and a wooden-stave factory. Table Rock Dam
was
finished in 1959 bringing many changes to the area. As farmers were
bought out
by the government, the stores lost customers. One general store went
out of
business, while another was sold. Millard Whisman ran his store until
he died in the early 1980's. John Cupps ran the Epperly store and the
farm until he retired in 1955.
From the Cassville Missouri Democrat, 8/23/95
Shell Knob Growth Attributed To Table Rock Lake
Shell
Knob is often called the "Friendliest
Town in Missouri", and it truly lives up to that name. Shell Knob is
situated on Table
Rock Lake, surrounded by the mountains and forests of the Ozarks.
Because of
it's location, Shell Knob offers unspoiled beauty and tranquility, and
at the same time, the excitement of lake activities. Shell Knob was
established in 1835, when Henry and Elizabeth Schell built a trading
post on the
banks of the White River. Schell's Trading Post was located at the foot
of a
mountain near what is now YY Hi-way. When the post office was
established in 1872,somehow the "c" was dropped from Schell's Knob.
Since the
Schell family had left the area, no one protested the name change. The
rich
fertile soil along the White River brought many settlers to the area.
It was
discovered that tomatoes grew well in the Ozarks. In the 1920's, many
tomato
canneries were built in the White River area. Tomatoes were called the
"red
gold of the Ozarks." It was a thriving business until government
restrictions and a tight labor market caused tomato growing to be
unprofitable. In the1950's, the construction of Table Rock Dam and Lake
brought great
change to the small town of Shell Knob. The lake delivered a
flourishing tourist
industry and growing retirement community to the area. The town offers
all the services needed to enjoy a great family vacation. There are
resorts, public marinas, boat and canoe rental, and camping and R.V.
parks. The
annual Fourth of July fireworks display is well known. People come from
miles
around to watch the fantastic light show in the sky. For a change of
pace, there
are walking trails in nearby Piney Creek National Wilderness Area.
Shell Knob has it's own public school system, public library, volunteer
fire
department, airport with 3,800 foot airstrip, golf course, banks, many
churches,
social organizations, and convention facilities. Shell Knob is a
community of about2,600 homes scattered along the winding lake
shoreline. The area has a
population of 10,203 with 7,704 full-time and 2,499 part-time
residents. The
Shell Knob Chamber of Commerce estimates that 128,000 tourists visit
each year.
The Chamber's membership has increased 27 percent since 1994. There is
a minimum of 1,500 lots currently under development. Once the lots are
finished and sold, the population numbers could increase by another
4,500
people. Shell Knob is an extremely stable community. Area residents
attribute
the steady growth to Table Rock Lake. "We get a lot of business of the
lake and people retiring here," said Jennifer Dougherty of
Richardson Interiors. Anna Cryderman, of the Shell Knob Chamber of
Commerce,
loves the area. "I wouldn't be here if I didn't think it was
terrific", Cryderman said.
Welcome to Shell
Knob,
Shell Knob was established in 1835 with the building of a trading post
on the banks of the White River by Henry Schell and his wife,
Elizabeth. During the Civil War, while no actual battles were fought
here, Bushwhackers roamed the area killing and robbing the local
people. In the 1890’s, Pearls were found in the clams of the White
River. The shells provided the basis for another industry — the
manufacture of pearl
buttons. During the 20’s, the area proved to be suitable for growing
tomatoes, and Shell Knob, Viola and Jenkins had tomato
canning factories. Viola at that time had over 100 homes. It was during
this era that a Post Office was established at Schell’s Knob and
someone in the main office lost the "c” from Schell. Since the Schell
family had left the area, nobody protested the change of
name. The 1950’s brought the construction of the dam and the filling of
the lake in 1959.The ‘60’s and ‘70’s brought unparalleled growth to
Shell Knob with its burgeoning tourist industry and retirement
community. With steady growth in the ‘80’s, a community of 2,000
celebrated the 150th Anniversary of Shell Knob’s founding with a
pageant and rodeo. Our Fireworks display on July 4 is well
known. In 1981 a library was established and houses over 10,000 volumes
and is part of
the Regional Library System. Shell Knob area is only a short scenic
drive to country music shows, Silver Dollar City, Shepherd of the Hills
Play, Roaring River State Park, shopping, or to the Eureka Springs
Area, home of the Great Passion Play. Shell Knob offers all of the
services needed to enjoy a GREAT vacation — resorts, public marina,
groceries, boat and canoe rental, camping and R.V. parks, and
restaurants. There are walking trails in the 8400 acre Piney Creek
National Wilderness area and the variety of resorts and a public marina
offer fishermen access to some of the world’s best fishing. Come to
Shell Knob and enjoy our peaceful, relaxing playground in Ozark
Mountain Country.
Shell Knob Missouri Information
General Services
U.S. Post Office
GTE of Missouri Telephone
Carroll & Barry Electric C0-ops
Gas companies
Shell Knob Branch Library
Local Banks
Trash Service
Delivery services
Daily/Weekly newspapers
OATS Bus
Land & Homes
Average lake home $200,000 - $300,000
Average lake lot $45,000 - $100,000
Average non-lake home $85,000 - $150,000
Average non-lake lot $5,000 - $30,000
Population Estimate
(Includes Shell Knob general area serviced by
Postal Service,
Carroll and Barry Electric, and Fire District for Barry and West Stone
Counties)
7705 Permanent Residents
2499 Part Time Residents
10,203 Total
Weather Information
Rainfall average 41" per year
Snowfall average 10" per year
Spring temperature average 67 day, 43 night
Summer temperature average 88 day, 64 night
Autumn temperature average 69 day, 45 night
Winter temperature average 45 day, 24 night
Convention Facilities
Community Building - seats 200 people for
meetings and shows, full kitchen
CCC Recreation Park - pavilion with kitchen, picnic tables, volleyball
court, children's playground, croquet court, scenic overlook
King's Harbor Resort - meeting rooms
ShamRock Village Inn - meeting rooms
Shell Knob School - Auditorium
Airport
North/South 4,000 feet grass strip at 1,000 feet
elevation at
Turkey Mountain
Construction Costs
Average is $75.00 - $95.00 per square foot
residential
Things To Do
Shell
Knob, surrounded by the crystal-clear waters of Table Rock
Lake and nestled among the lush, forest covered hills of the Ozark
Mountains,
offers a variety of activities locally or within a short drive. In
Shell Knob, a person can get away from the traffic congestion of most
tourist areas and do what vacationers want most.....relax, be
entertained, and enjoy!
Shopping
Antique shops, flea markets, and craft stores offering a
variety of handmade items, are abundant in the area. Arts & craft
shows and
local festivals provide unique shopping opportunities of their own.
Branson,
Missouri, and Eureka Springs, Arkansas, both less than an hour drive,
offer
outlet shopping and one-of-a-kind stores. Bass Pro Shop, in
Springfield,
Missouri, is known as "The World's Greatest Sporting Goods Store", and
it can be reached within 1½ hours..
Entertainment
Branson
is known as the music show capitol of the world.
Enjoy the lake from one Shell Knob's fine resorts and be only 45
minutes from
Silver Dollar City, Mutton Hollow, The Shepherd of the Hills outdoor
theater and all the big-name shows for which Branson is knows. Eureka
Springs,
also about a 40 minute drive, offers shows unique to their area such as
the
Great Passion Play, one of the most famous outdoor plays in the
country. In
addition, Eureka Springs plays host to the Arkansas premier botanical
gardens, containing33 acres of vivid color, rich fragrance, and beauty.
History
Local
museums (within 30-50 minutes) offer Indian
artifacts, gun collections, war relics, minerals, and Ozark heritage.
The unique
log cabin housing the Shell Knob Chamber of Commerce is a piece of
history in
itself. Built in 1883, on a government land grant, the Chamber's office
is built of hand-hewn oak logs. It was moved to it's current location
in1994, where it stands as a tribute to the early settlers who set root
here.
Shell Knob, on Table Rock Lake is the place to "get away"
and still be in the heart of everything!
For more information, contact the
PO
Box 193,
Shell Knob, MO 65747
417-858-3300
E-Mail the Shell Knob Chamber of Commerce