Hi to all my wonderful rambling friends. I am glad to be back for another story from the past. Last Tuesday, I had a call from a school wanting to bring 100 third graders to Frontier Theater for their annual spring field trip. I told the teacher that I was no longer hosting school field trips. Folks, for those who do not know, I started Frontier Theater in 1989. For five years, it featured many different venues. In 1994, we hosted our first school field trip. Long story short, the park entertained and educated over 100,000 kids. We featured Native American Skills, Early Settler Adventures, and Civil War Reenactments. Plus: old-fashioned games and much more. Friends, I can not begin to tell you how wonderful our artisans and reenactors were. The best of the best! The kids loved and respected them greatly. more

I’ve come across the word “anachronism” often in reading, but I was never exactly sure what it meant. Context usually hinted it was something out of place, but I wanted to be sure; so, as a last resort I looked it up in the dictionary. more

Hi to all my rambling friends of Webster County and beyond. A few weeks ago, I was driving down Old Wire Road (west of Marshfield off of Hwy 38 and E ) and noticed a crew of skilled masonry workers. They were restoring the old spring house that kept the milk cool before electricity was available across from the famous Hosmer dairy barn. O.K. folks: Let’s all go back into the past and review when the Hosmer’s dairy operation was the pinnacle of all dairy herds. During the early 1900s, the Wire Road was the main travel route through Webster County. In addition, Highway 38 West from Marshfield was nothing but a dirt trail. When the Hosmer’s first began they milked a handful of cattle with the aspirations of expanding. They were always trying to improve and be the best. Through hard work and good management, they expanded over the years to an unheard number of 100 cows. more

Now that we’ve had a cold snap – and along with it, snow – we can say that winter is here. Although many of the conditions associated with winter (snow, ice, cold weather, etc.) make us grumble, it should be pointed out that there is a bright side. Because of our recent periods of less-than-balmy weather, it should be a great time to see one of the area’s most eye- catching winter visitors – bald eagles. more

I passed by my grandpa’s farm on the old Springfield/Buffalo road one morning last week. more

Hi to all my rambling friends. It's always my pleasure to share another bit of forgotten history and memories with you. I grew up near Elkland, and as a child, I have many fond memories of the little town in the northwest part of Webster County. Folks, this week, I have been asking several people this question: what is the tallest structure in Elkland? I have heard many varied answers. Do any of my rambling readers want to take a guess? Did anyone say or think of an old-fashioned concrete silo? more

January was always a hard month when I was a boy on the farm. more

Hi, rambling friends. Let's start this new year with a story that is part of our local history. Let's step back in time to March of 1981. I had a 1980 Ford four-wheel pickup with deep mud logger tires that I thought could go through anything. One day, on my way home, I decided to take a different route to enjoy the country roads. I was on Sand Springs Road and went to the bottom of a hill, and suddenly, I was confronted with a challenge I was unsure about. The old country road was underwater for about 50 yards. Back then, we did not have the luxury of our roads being graveled with white gravel as we do today. I stopped my truck and thought, "this could be a problem!" Being young and invincible, I said, "Go for it." I backed up a ways, revved my four-wheel truck up, sped forward at a high rate of speed, got about 100 feet, and sank it to China. Here I am now in the middle of a swamp of red clay and mire and mad. All I could do was get out, talk to myself, and walk home for the last two miles. Got a friend with a tractor and long chain, and he pulled me out. After being pulled out, my friend with the tractor went home, and I got to thinking about where I was at and the importance of this spot. more

Taken from the writings of Vance Randolph and others. more

MOUNTAIN GROVE, Mo. – When used in controlled, supervised conditions, fire can be a beneficial land management tool. However, it’s important to stress that prescribed fire involves planning and on-site management. more

First of all, I want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas! We have gone another year with our ramblings, and I feel so honored to share my stories with you. Our last series was a gruesome story of two Jews that survived the nazi holocaust. This week, I want to share my greatest Christmas with you! OK, rambling friends, are we all ready to sit back and relive the past? The year is 1994, and I wrote a play entitled "The Miracle of Mystery Mountain." Back in those days, we did outdoor productions involving dozens of volunteer actors. We practiced for weeks and then performed them for the public at Frontier Theater. This play was about two orphaned girls struggling for their survival in the California mountains during the gold rush years. Their parents were killed in a landslide, and the two teenage girls became instant orphans in Miner City. more

The following column is continued from Dec. 6. more

One of the most common sparrows in North America has a history that’s far more interesting than many people realize. more

You will never see seagulls in Missouri. more

The arrival of a Christmas catalog in the mail recently revived memories of when the Sears and Roebuck “Wish Book” saw double duty around our house. more

Hi to all my friends and neighbors of the Marshfield Mail. Here it is already week nine and I thought this series would be over in four weeks about Otto and Zelda, our two Jewish Holocaust survivors of World War Two. However, as fate had it Hamas the terrorist organization of the Gaza Strip attacked Israel and history is repeating itself all over again. I have been greatly troubled this week about what is going on in the world with the protest against Israel. Tens of thousands have hit the streets the world over offering support to Hamas. Their chant has been, more

Just exactly what lies beneath Marshfield? For a century or more residents have told stories of how a giant cavern lies below the sidewalks and streets, connecting businesses, private homes and even … more

“Harbinger of winter” is a term that has a more somber feel to it than its warm-weather counterpart – “harbinger of spring.” However, one marker of seasonal change – the arrival of dark-eyed juncos – is a well-known sign post of winter that makes everyone smile. more

I came into some unexpected treasure a few weeks ago — wire-tied hay bales. After several years of relying on rusty wads hanging in forgotten corners of the barn, we have a fresh supply of baling wire. Wire-tied bales used to be common on Ozarks farms, and thus, an ample supply of wire. But in recent years fewer square bales have been tied with wire than with hemp or plastic twine, and small square bales have largely been more

As the holidays inch closer and closer, I find myself feeling conflicted. I always loved the last six weeks of the year. Thanksgiving and Christmas are times of love and celebration, regardless of who you are. Everyone just seems to be a little bit happier. more

Cranberries have long been considered the crown jewel of Thanksgiving dinners, says University of Missouri Extension horticulturist David Trinklein. more

To the Editor: more

Hi everyone, I am so very glad to be back for another week about our story of a couple that lived more

Whether you’re a native-born or naturalized Ozarker, Dr. Phil Howerton’s latest poetry collection, “Gods of Four Mile Creek,” is sure to touch your heart and sentiments. more

Hi everyone, I am so very glad to be back with week seven as we learn about two Holocaust victims of Hitler’s death camps to eliminate all Jews. Let’s do a quick review so we can get our new readers up to par.Their names were Otto and Zelda. They lived amongst us in our community keeping their past very private. She had her Nazi numbers across her forehead and he had his numbers on his forearm. This story is not easy to write about because it is so very terrible. Also: after getting started on this series: Hamas terrorists of Gaza invaded Israel. They killed and wounded thousands and beheaded dozens of young children to make a point of their hatred of Israel. Folks, friends and neighbors, how can human beings have such hatred toward others to be able to slaughter innocent civilians and children with no more thought than stepping more