Our History - Original Members

• Founder of the Society of Ozarkian Hillcrofters in 1931
• Writer, magazine publisher, and collector of Arkansas and Ozarks lore
• Published his first magazine, Ozark Life: The Mirror of the Ozarks from his home in Kingston, Arkansas in 1925
• In 1931, he started another magazine, The Arcadian, from Eminence, Missouri
• In 1940, he wrote “Ozark Country” – very successful – 4 printings
• In 1943 he started the Ozark Guide magazine
• His writing style referred to as Ozarks Boosterism

“There is no denying that, in the period between 1925 and 1950, Rayburn did more to arouse popular interest in Ozark folklore than all of the professors put together” 

– Vance Randolph

Photo courtesy: College of the Ozarks

• Foremost Collector of Ozarks Folklore and Folksongs
• Published Many Volumes of Folklore and Folksongs
• Known as “Mr. Ozark”
• Moved from his native Kansas to Pineville, MO in 1920 and spent the remainder of his life in the Ozarks
• Recorded Ozarks folksongs for the Library of Congress
• In 1978 he was elected as a Fellow of the American Folklore Society

Photo courtesy: College of the Ozarks

• Daughter of Bald Knobber, Newspaper Publisher, Politician and one of the founders of the University of Arkansas– Col. Alonzo Prather
• Mother of Attorney, Historian and Author – Doug Mahnkey
• Country newspaper correspondent since age 14
• Postmistress for Oasis and Mincy, Taney County, Missouri
• Noted Poet and expert on Ozarks lore
• Informant for Vance Randolph

Photo by Townsend Godsey

Photo courtesy: College of the Ozarks

• Daughter of well-known author, Laura Ingalls Wilder
• Published Author
• Journalist 
• Travel writer
• One of the founders of the American Libertarian Movement
• Also an Informant for Vance Randolph

• Known as“Queen of the Hillbillies” and/or “First Lady of the Ozarks”
• Newspaper Columnist – Ozarks Folklore, Stories, etc
• Musician/Singer/Recited Ozarks poetry and lore on “Hillbilly Heartbeats” – KWTO radio
• Recorded 100 ballads for the Library of Congress
• Director of the National Folklore Federation
• Board member of the National Folk Festival
• Vance Randolph Informant

Photo courtesy of White River Valley Historical Quarterly - 1964

• World Reknown Artist and Illustrator
• Women’s Suffragest
• Author
• Creator of the Kewpie
• Vance Randolph Informant

Photo courtesy of the Bonniebrook Historical Society