|
Ozark History . . . . . . the Country Folk Way Throughout all the issues of Country Folk, we have been slowly unfolding a unique history of the Ozarks in southwest Missouri. Click here to see Ozark map The history our readers are discovering is their own -- not the history of the political figures of the time nor war generals nor wealthy merchants nor newspaper owners, but simply the historically true stories of the lives of farmers, Indians, trappers, midwives, school teachers, preachers, coon hunters and homesteaders as they forged their way through life in the 1800s. The history Country Folk reveals involves long-lived feuds between families and why they are feuding; we reveal how most women relied upon midwives to deliver their babies and we do that by writing about the midwife; we reveal the struggles of settling this area through writing about a family who came here by river boat and what they went through. How do we know about the lives of such people who lived a hundred (and sometimes two hundred) years ago? We know because in the Ozarks old stories are kept alive orally and passed on to the next generation. However, that tradition is now, right now, about to end. As the older generation passes on, they will take with them these oral stories ….unless someone writes them down. That is the mission of Country Folk -- we want to capture Ozark history before it's gone. How Country Folk got started . . . . I started Country Folk in September, 1994, about ten years after I moved to the Ozarks. I am a writer. I moved here from Colorado Springs, Colorado. I do my writing in coffee shops, or at least I did for twenty years. Now I write on my computer -- at home. However, I continued going to cafes, but instead of writing, I visited with local people who, with just a little encouragement, would repeat stories they'd heard about their Ozark ancestors. I was fascinated by their stories. What I was listening to was oral history and I knew it had to be written down. To capture those stories, I started publishing Country Folk. My mother made Country Folk Magazine possible. It was Mom who saved the day, again and again, because she believed in me and in Country Folk. Thanks Mom. -- Susan Salaki, Publisher / Editor Country Folk Magazine We welcome your Subscription Testimonials from Subscribers |
|
Have spare time? Work for Country Folk. Make extra money. |
