The Christian County Historical Society is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to preserving and sharing the history of Christian County, Missouri. It operates the Christian County Museum on donations only.

The Museum is located at 100 E Elm St, Ozark, MO 65721 on the historic Ozark Square and is currently open Wednesday – Saturday from 10:00am to 3:00pm.

News

Christian County Museum & Historical Society

Mon November 9th

Christian County Museum & Historical Society
This Missouri mill survived three fires. Then, nearly 200 years after its story began, workers picked up the entire building and moved it. And that’s not even the most remarkable part.Along the banks of the Finley River in Ozark, Missouri, stands a mill whose history reaches back to 1833, when the community was little more than a scattering of settlements in the Ozark hills.Long before Branson became a tourist destination, before highways cut through the countryside, this stretch of river was helping build southwest Missouri.The Ozark Mill wasn’t just somewhere farmers brought their grain. It was where neighbors gathered, news traveled, and families depended on the steady work of grinding corn and wheat into food for their tables.The photograph captures a chapter of that history, when the name Hawkins Bros. Milling Co. stretched across the side of the building.But life along the Finley River wasn’t always peaceful.Fire repeatedly threatened the mill’s existence.The property suffered devastating fires over the years, including in 1922 and 1939. Each time, the mill’s story continued, even as the buildings and machinery changed.Generations came and went. Horse-drawn wagons gave way to automobiles. Small-town Missouri changed around it.Yet the mill kept working.Until 1992.After more than a century and a half of milling history at the site, the machinery finally fell silent.For years, the old structure stood beside the river, a reminder of an industry that had once helped sustain the entire community.Then came an extraordinary decision.Rather than allow the historic building to disappear, preservation crews undertook a remarkable project in 2018.They moved the massive mill away from the river so its aging foundation could be rebuilt.Imagine watching a building with nearly two centuries of history behind it being carefully lifted and moved.Not demolished.Not abandoned.Saved.Today, the restored Ozark Mill is part of Finley Farms, where visitors can once again walk through a place that generations of Missouri families knew long before the modern Ozarks existed.And perhaps that’s the most remarkable part of this story.Missouri has lost countless old mills to fire, flooding, neglect, and time.But this one was given another chapter.Do you remember the old Ozark Mill before it was restored? Or is there another historic Missouri building you wish someone would save before it’s too late?📷 Historical photograph: White River Valley Historical Society.Historical image shared for educational purposes.#MissouriUntold #OzarkMissouri #FinleyRiver #MissouriHistory #ForgottenMissouri …

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Christian County Museum & Historical Society

Sun November 8th

Christian County Museum & Historical Society
PLEASE NOTE: The general Dec meeting will not be held on the 13. It has been rescheduled for Dec. 6 at 2 p.m. at the museum. …
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Christian County Museum & Historical Society

Sun October 25th

Christian County Museum & Historical Society
CHRISTIAN COUNTY BY-GONES(From the Christian County Headliner 10/14/1971) …

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Contact Us

Address: 100 E Elm St Ozark, MO 65721 on the south side of the Ozark Square

Hours: Wednesday through Saturday from 10:00am to 3:00pm. Admission is free.

Mailing Address: P.O. Box 442 Ozark, MO

Email: christiancohistorical@gmail.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChristianCoHistorical/

Donations/Events

The Christian County Museum runs entirely on the generosity of donors and volunteers. Below are ways you can help:


Membership

Support local history and the Christian County Museum -- join the Christian County Historical Society today! All levels of membership receive the Christian County Historian, our quarterly publication with fascinating articles on county history and announcements of upcoming events.

Membership levels


(To pay by check, please contact us.)

Christian County Museum and Historical Society, Inc. is a not for profit 501(c)(3) organization