The Ozark Trail

The Ozark Trail. Missouri. , This 66-foot obelisk stands as a tribute to the Ozark Trail and the foresight of its promoters in developing a system of good roads to bring farmers' goods to market and tourist dollars to destinations., It began with the organization of the Ozark Trails Association in 1913 by W.H. "Coin" Harvey, an entrepreneur and intellectual interested in bringing tourists to his luxurious resort in Monte Ne, Arkansas. But he also had a vision of what it could mean to others., He and other "good roads" trailblazers saw the possibilities of community growth and prosperity through a system of marked roads linking towns, cities and states. Through $5/year memberships and donations, they financed an effort to encourage development and mark roads in seven states., A 1915 leaflet described the effort as "promoting the happiness of the people and the progress of the country through which its system of good roads passes…", To direct travelers, they created a uniform system of marking telephone obelisks. Compass points on each side pointed the way to cities and other points of interest. At one time, there were 21 or more., The Ozark Trail system of locally built and maintained roads took travelers from St. Louis, Missouri, through Kansas, Arkansas and Oklahoma to El Paso, Texas, and on to New Mexico, where the most distinctive obelisk marked its junction with the historic Santa Fe Trail., This one is patterned after that, though roughly three times the standard size. Much of the Ozark Trail was incorporated into the cross-country U.S. Highway 66 in 1926, when the federal government introduced the numbered highway system., The obelisks fell into disrepair and disappeared. At this writing only 7 remain. The Wilmoth family had this obelisk constructed in 2023 to remember the Ozark Trail and to mark its significance in regional history and development; its transition to U.S. 66; and the continued role the transportation system plays in our economy and in our individual lives. Through it, the Ozark Trail and its legacy live on., Dimensions: Each side is 30' wide at the base and 8' wide at the top. It is 66° tall in honor of Route 66, into which much of the Ozark Trail was incorporated.