Celebrating over 20 years of writing about the beauty of The Buffalo River National Park, the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas and Harrison, my home town.     
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The Ozark Society Archives

I came across an almost complete set of the early Ozark Society Bulletins and have obtained permission from the owner to scan them in order to preserve them for future readers. I have begun posting them here.

The Ozark Society was founded in 1962 by Dr. Neil Compton and a group of associates for the immediate purpose of saving the Buffalo River from dams proposed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Society founders, working with Sen. J.W. Fulbright, helped get the National Park Service to survey the Buffalo River area and then began to campaign for the creation of the “Buffalo National River” as an alternative to the dams. The Ozark Society Bulletins helped publicize their effort.


It takes a constant vigilance to keep the pristine waters of the Buffalo clean for future generations Visit the Buffalo River Watershed Alliance to become informed and learn what you can do to help. It would be a sad footnote to the legacy left us by Neil Compton, Harold and Margaret Hedges, Ken Smith and others to allow the Buffalo National River to go from a free flowing, clean river enjoyed by millions to a sewage drain.

Please note that the original material was in average to poor condition and was scanned at 200dpi to keep the file sizes as small as possible and still be readable. If the pictures don't quite look right, try adjusting the zoom in on your .pdf viewer.
volume1_issue1.pdf
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volume1_issue2.pdf
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volume2_issue1.pdf
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volume2_issue2.pdf
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volume2_issue3.pdf
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volume2_issue4.pdf
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volume3_issue1.pdf
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volume3_issue2.pdf
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volume3_issue3.pdf
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volume3_issue4.pdf
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volume4_issue1.pdf
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volume4_issue2.pdf
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volume4_issue3.pdf
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volume4_issue4.pdf
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volume5_issue1.pdf
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volume5_issue2.pdf
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volume5_issue3.pdf
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volume5_issue4.pdf
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volume6_issue1.pdf
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volume6_issue2.pdf
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volume6_issue3.pdf
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volume6_issue4.pdf
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volume7_issue1.pdf
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volume7_issue2.pdf
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volume7_issue3.pdf
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 Note: This article was from an early Barefoot Traveler
On Tuesday, I had been down in Jasper, Arkansas working and while on the way back home, decided that it was about noon, and I deserved a lunch break, so I swung into Pruitt to enjoy a few minutes of contemplating the river. I was totally amazed when I saw Margaret Hedges and a friend waiting to go floating. I recognized her from my readings about the early members of the Ozark Society, and their fight to save the Buffalo River from a Corps of Engineers dam project. Margaret and her husband Harold Hedges, along with Dr. Neil Compton, were instrumental in getting support from politicians and government officials, publicizing the effort, and leading the way for the Buffalo River to become a national park. Anyway, Margaret told me that Harold was 86 years old and they were going for a birthday float. Harold and a friend (they told me their name, but I forgot) arrived from moving the vehicle downriver. As they were getting ready to head out, I thanked them both for the effort in saving the river for me to be able to enjoy. Margaret, with a twinkle in her eye, said "I saved it for me to enjoy too!"
​

Guide To Floating The Mighty Mulberry

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volume7_issue4.pdf
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volume8_issue2.pdf
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volume8_issue3.pdf
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volume8_issue4.pdf
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volume9_issue1.pdf
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volume9_issue3.pdf
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volume9_issue4.pdf
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volume10_issue1.pdf
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volume10_issue2.pdf
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volume10_isuue3.pdf
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volume11_issue1.pdf
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volume11_issue2.pdf
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volume11_issue3.pdf
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​From the guestbook of Ozarkconnections.com site (no longer online)
11/29/2000 9:24:22, Kyle Walker, USA, I was surfing around your site and I found some pictures of Margaret and Harold Hedges. From what I could gather from your story, that was the first time you had met them. I noticed a picture of a lady in the background and immediately recognized her as Marilyn Beard. She and her husband Carl are very close friends of Harold and Margaret. That should clear up the part about not knowing who they were. Mr. and Mrs. Hedges are two very special people. They have done as much as anyone taking care of the Buffalo River. I learned all the ropes in a canoe from Harold. Those years I canoed with them made me what I consider an expert in my boat. I never once saw Margaret and Harold turn a canoe over. Again, they are wonderful people and we should all be thankful for what they have done for the Buffalo River. I live in South Alabama now so there are not many places like the Buffalo to float, but I'll never forget the memories that were made on those Boxley and Ponca trips. Keep that river beautiful, there are few like it!
volume12_issue1.pdf
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volume12_issue2.pdf
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volume12_issue3.pdf
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volume12_issue4.pdf
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volume13_issue2.pdf
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volume13_issue3_4.pdf
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volume14_issue1.pdf
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volume14_issue2.pdf
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volume14_issue3.pdf
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volume14_issue4.pdf
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volume17_issue1.pdf
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volume17_issue2.pdf
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