1950 - 1969 TV Shows and Hydroelectric Power The area first gained national prominence in the entertainment industry in 1954 when Red Foley, a legendary country singer with 38 top ten hits, moved to Springfield, Missouri, from Nashville, Tennessee, to host “Ozark Jubilee,” one of the first successful network television shows.
Silver Dollar City In 1960, the long-term plans of Hugo and Mary Herschend came to fruition with the opening of a small, old-time Ozarks village attraction atop the long-popular Marvel Cave, about 10 miles west of Branson on Hwy. 76. They called it Silver Dollar City, and it offered an 1880s steam train ride, demonstrating craftsmen, themed shops and music. The first year, it drew 125,000 people.
In 1959, the area was changed forever with the completion of Table Rock Dam. This brought much needed power to the area, spurring the growth of many area businesses. Until 1959, Rockaway Beach, located just a few miles east of Branson on the banks of Lake Taneycomo, had long been a playground for America’s rich and famous with movie stars and U.S. presidents among those who retreated to the small resort community.
Following Hugo’s death, Mary and her sons Jack and Peter continued to direct the growth of the family business, and by 1963, Silver Dollar City was Missouri’s top tourist attraction. In 1967, Silver Dollar City received national exposure when the popular “Beverly Hillbillies” television show filmed five episodes at the park.
Construction of a dam created Table Rock Lake, nationally renowned for bass fishing and water sports. In addition, the cold water from the bottom of Table Rock Lake that was now flowing into Lake Taneycomo changed it into one of the country’s most popular trout fishing lakes. Branson’s First Families of Entertainment Baldknobbers Jamboree In 1959, Mabe brothers Bob, Bill, Lyle, and Jim began performing twice a week in a converted roller skating rink on the Lake Taneycomo waterfront in downtown Branson. The brothers combined popular country tunes with Ozark Mountain music and threw in a dash of comedy to entertain audiences. In 1969, the Baldknobbers, as the brothers called themselves, built a theater on Highway 76, making their act the longest continuously running show.
Shepherd of the Hills Homestead & Outdoor Drama A few miles east of Silver Dollar City, Dr. Bruce Trimble and his wife, Mary, began staging an outdoor pageant in 1959 based on the best-selling novel “The Shepherd of the Hills.” The amphitheater was actually located on the site where the models for author Harold Bell Wright’s characters lived. Under Mary, her son Mark and his wife Lea’s direction, the production grew into one of the nation’s most popular outdoor historical dramas. In 1985, Gary Snadon (school teacher and former cast member of the outdoor drama) along with his wife, Pat, purchased the homestead. They added the 230-foot tall inspiration tower in 1989, and in 1990, had the Morgan County Church relocated to the homestead to signify the churches where Wright once preached. Today, the Shepherd of the Hills is the longest-running outdoor drama in the world and boasts a cast of more than 80 actors, dozens of animals, pyrotechnical displays and authentic props and sets. The Sons of the Pioneers perform in a chuckwagon dinner show on the Homestead grounds.
The company later expanded to include other popular Branson attractions: White Water water park, the Showboat Branson Belle and Celebration City theme park. Today, Silver Dollar City has grown into a multi-million dollar entertainment complex. The park also hosts six themed festivals each year. In 1998, Silver Dollar City was given the Applause Award by the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions as the top theme park in the world. The family-owned company, Herschend Family Entertainment, currently owns, operates or partners in 19 properties in nine states. In 2004, Jack and Peter Herschend were inducted into the Hall of Fame of the amusement industry’s largest organization worldwide, the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions. Presleys’ Country Jubilee In 1963, the Presley family began a music show at The Underground Theater near Talking Rocks Cavern in Kimberling City with special guests from “Ozark Jubilee,” including Red Foley. They made history in 1967 when they built the first music theater on Hwy. 76. Today, Presleys’ Country Jubilee stars four generations of Presley family members including three original members of the show: Lloyd Presley and his sons Gary and Steve. Together with other cast members, they perform a variety of musical styles on a wide range of instruments, and do comedy skits. 1970 – 1979 Early Theater Development 1970 – Mutton Hollow Entertainment and Craft Village opened on west Hwy. 76, at the site where scenes from “The Shepherd of the Hills” novel took place. Shad and Mollie Heller opened the Corn Crib amphitheater on Hwy. 76 with “The Toby Show,” which ran for 17 years. 1973 – The Foggy River Boys and The Plummer Family opened. Dolly Parton, Buck Trent and Porter Wagoner performed at the Baldknobbers Jamboree. Buck Trent returned to open his own show in 1991 and today performs at the Clay Cooper Theatre across from the Titanic. Dolly Parton later opened the Dolly Parton Dixie Stampede Dinner & Show Attraction. 1976 – Bob Mabe sold his share of the Baldknobbers Jamboree to his brothers, purchased land further west on Hwy. 76, and built an Set the stage for your trip at ExploreBranson.com | 1-877-BRANSON
61