A Series of (Un)fortunate Events: A Piece of Lake Ozark History

Profile | February 22, 2010

A dam, a railroad
and a farmer
Bill was a typical hard-working Osage River farmer. The railroad was expanding up the Osage River and they approached Bill for permission to cross his property. After some deliberation, Bill agreed with one condition: He wanted the railroad stop named after him. The deal was struck and the laying of tracks began. The railroad stop bore his name and in time a small town sprang up around the railroad stop. Bill Bagnell now had his own railroad stop and his own town. But there’s more to the story. When Union Electric was building the Great Osage Dam, it needed an official name, so they simply used the name of the closest town, Bagnell, MO. So, there you have it. Bagnell Dam got its name because a farmer allowed the railroad to cross his land and insisted that the railroad stop be named after him.

A dumpster, a band, and a French baseball bat
Adjacent to the Casino Pier near Bagnell Dam was the Casino Café, a popular stop for many Lake visitors in the early years. Vernice Slone was a young local waitress who enjoyed serving the variety of people who visited the restaurant. A 14-ounce T-bone steak was only 85 cents and a cup of coffee was a nickel. Vernice enjoyed working at the Café, especially since her father, Elmer Slone, and brother, Lloyd, had both worked on the building of the dam only a few hundred feet away. But Vernice had a friend from her high school days who would soon put the lower level of the café to good uses, and in the process become one of the Lake’s most popular figures. Here’s his story:

Lee was just a small town boy from nearby Tuscumbia, a youngster who loved the stuff most small town boys like: hunting, fishing and sports. But he also had a special love for country music.
Soon after his marriage to his beautiful bride, Joyce, Lee was drafted into the Army. While stationed in France, some of the soldiers started a band. They needed a bass player and asked Lee. Problem was, he didn’t have a stand-up bass. Unbelievably, they found a broken, discarded bass in a dumpster. However, it had a broken neck. Not to be discouraged, Lee made a new neck from a hickory baseball bat and joined the band. After finishing two years in the Army, he returned home to his bride, along with his modified musical instrument.

Lee and Joyce Mace started their first music show in 1953 at the Casino Café’s lower level. It had a seating capacity of about 200. Tickets were 90 cents for adults and 35 cents for kids. They called their show the “Ozark Opry.” After performing at the Casino Café for four years, they built a theater along Hwy. 54 which became Lee Mace’s Ozark Opry, one of the most popular entertainment spots at the Lake for more than 50 years. And it had its roots in a broken stand-up bass found in a dumpster somewhere in France.

Water skis, a kite and a grand view
The Ozark Water Ski Thrill Show was another summer vacation “must see” at the Lake in the early years. Don Slone, a farm boy from nearby Tuscumbia, had grown up skiing behind his father Denzel’s boat. So, landing a job with the ski show at the Lake was a really big deal. Don soon learned all the tricks needed to be one of the “stars” of the ski show, thrilling audiences night after night. One night, while performing the daredevil kite-flying act, he lost his handgrip and fell from the kite. Still wearing the skis, he hit the water breaking ribs in the process. In a way, you could say this unfortunate accident changed a piece of history for the Lake of the Ozarks. Here’s what happened:

The show’s owner had to quickly find a replacement for Don, so he traveled to Jefferson City and recruited another talented young skier named John. He assumed Don’s part in the show. Now, there was this cute little female skier named Juda who quickly caught John’s eye. They fell in love that summer and were engaged that same season. But the story didn’t end there, for John and Juda were married and later opened a restaurant at the Lake which they named Vista Grande. If you think about it, John Schell may have never met Juda and we may not have Vista Grande today if Don Slone had not fallen off that kite at the Ozark Water Ski Thrill Show nearly 50 years ago!