A History of Branson, Missouri

With the area being settled in the 1880s, the postmaster and general store operator Reuben Branson was who the town came to be named after in 1882. It was never a giant metropolitan community, but it was brimming with music, with talent, and hospitality. Harold Bell Wright was advised by his physician to find a better climate for his health and he came to live in Branson. Being a pastor and a writer, he wrote the bestselling novel “The Shepherd of the Hills” that was set there in Branson and featured the people he knew. Still today, there are live performances of that book at the Old Mill Theater along with other performances. In the very late 1800s, the Marble Cave was purchased by William Henry Lynch and made accessible to tourists. The Herschend family have leased the cave since 1950 and hold square dances in there having modernized it. They are also to be given the credit for Silver Dollar City, a recreation of a frontier town with shops and a dramatic play of the feud between the Hatfields and the McCoys. Today, it is a theme park to be enjoyed by all ages. A theme park that has been given awards before for being one of the best. It should be one you check out for sure. 1912 brought power to the area when they made the Powersite Dam nearby. This made the town easily incorporated and the novel written by Wright started to bring in the tourists. The 1950s brought another dam making a second lake in the area, the Table Rock Dam. These lakes make water sports accessible to tourists and residents alike and thus birthing shopping centers and dining areas there on the water. Boating, skiing, wakeboarding, and scuba diving are all very popular pastimes on the lake. Music was a strong force there in the town. The 60s brought many different theaters to Branson along with performers. Some to have performed here are: Boxcar Willie, Brenda Lee, Johnny Cash, June Carter Cash, Dick Clark, The Presley Family, Mickey Gilley, Oak Ridge Boys, Gladys Knight...The list goes on and on. Even rockers like Def Leppard took their turn at the venues here. Other things to do while you are there include going to the Titanic Museum, Hollywood Wax Museum, Butterfly Palace and Rainforest Adventure, The Haunted House and Monster Asylum, Branson Landing, and Ripley’s Odditorium where the house looks as though it has been broken in two pieces. The last reported census count says that just over 10,000 people inhabit Branson as of 2010. It is a community rich in talent and entertainment enough so that you won’t have to look very far for something to do. Every season of the year brings another chapter of new and exciting things to experience, from winter lights to spring hillsides, to theme park summers, to spectacular fall colors, you see it all here. Come prepared for fun, bring the family and the camera. It will be the vacation of your lifetime. For more information about Branson golf courses and Branson attractions, there’s great information online.