State Highway 265 Branson, MO 65616

A short time ago the beauty of the Ozarks was a secret known only to those who lived among its rolling hills and hollers amid the forested ridges and meandering creeks. Life in the Ozarks was simple and slow. It was a life of perseverance and faith, with deep roots that stemmed from the hardships of... settlers who moved to the area from neighboring states after the passing of The Homestead Act of 1862. Among these settlers was a man by the name of Truman S. Powell, better known as 'The Shepherd', from 'The Shepherd of the Hills' novel written by Harold Bell Wright in 1907, a novel that would go on become one of the most widely read books of it's time and would launch Branson into its first tourist era. It's been over a century since Wright's novel forever changed the Ozarkss and turned it into what it is today. Very little remains untouched from its pages, with one exception being the homestead of 'The Shepherd', Truman Powell. Now lovingly referred to as Shepherds Glade, hilltops and valleys blanket the landscape of this 56.8 acre property like a fingerprint, no two parts the same as it rolls up and down, changing and curving. Down in the valley, the headwaters of fall creek trickle along through the creek bed, while cool air permeates from a deep cave carved into the hillside above. Though not much is left from the old Powell homestead, on a quiet day you can almost hear the faint humming of the old sawmill along the bank of the creek, a sound that has been long replaced by the distant whistle of the Frisco Silver Dollar Steam Train. When 100 years ago, this property was surrounded only by natural beauty and untouched ground, today you are nestled directly off of Highway 265, just minutes from the Branson Strip, and only a stones throw to Silver Dollar City and The Shepherd of the Hills attractions, both of whoms own histories are intertwined with that of the old Powell homestead. Continue reading