A Tale of the Ozarks: Ralph and Velma Clark Posten: Some of their Kin and Their Times

A Tale of the Ozarks features stories from the author’s own ancestral pool. They include a young man kidnapped by the Shawnee; a poor farm boy becomes co-founder of Standard Oil. A home is later an historic site. Featured is the story of a soldier previous to, during and following the Civil war as he emigrates to the Ozarks, homesteads, and raises a large family. Life in the rural Missouri Ozarks is depicted as it follows a couple from youth to marriage, their struggles to make a living and lay claim to the American Dream. By referring to diaries, documents, memories of family members, personal correspondence ( including during the Civil War) and depicting local Ozark history, its values and customs, the book brings its character alive and personal, while also using them as representative of a way of life for many rural Americans.