Editor’s note: This column was originally published in Ozark Waters, the Upper White River Basin Foundation’s e-newsletter.From early on, water has attracted human settlements.
Where were the great cities of history established? Where did communities develop in America when this country was settled?
They were located in hospitable harbors and along rivers, the original highways for communication and commerce.
People are drawn to water as a place to live and to make their living. Lakes and streams support recreational activities today more than ever, and nowhere is this aspect of water more important than in the Ozarks. A study of water and the regional economy, if it were ever to be done, would show an enormous, indeed fundamental, impact. The recognition of this fact has been a driving force in efforts by Rockaway Beach to renew, restore and reinvent this little community nestled beside Lake Taneycomo.
Fort Lauderdale of the MidwestOriginally established following the completion of Power Site Dam and Lake Taneycomo in 1913, Rockaway was conceived as a summer resort community. The earliest tourists rode the Missouri Pacific Railroad to Branson and took a boat down the river-like Lake Taneycomo to Rockaway. Small cabins and several hotels were built to accommodate visitors and a dance pavilion was constructed and operated nightly through the season. The town’s reputation as a tourist destination waxed through the years until its peak in the early 1950s, when some referred to Rockaway Beach as the “Fort Lauderdale of the Midwest.”
But time and development elsewhere brought change. With the construction of Table Rock Dam in the late 1950s, the new reservoir and the burgeoning Branson community upstream began attracting increasing numbers of visitors to the region. The warm water of Lake Taneycomo turned cold as it was fed through Table Rock Dam from the bottom of the larger lake. In the early 1960s, Rockaway Beach began a slow but steady decline with little new investment in business and supporting infrastructure such as roads, water and sewer systems.
In more recent decades, the lake began to change as well. The docks and marinas that accommodated boats from Branson and Rockaway often became inaccessible as the lakefront began to silt in. The result was often an unsightly, smelly mess as shallow water and mud flats bloomed with vegetation. This problem only accelerated the town’s decline. A proposal to change the state constitution to allow gaming in Rockaway was voted down in a 2004 statewide referendum. The question loomed large as to whether the once vibrant tourist community would simply wither away, a faint shadow of its earlier Ozark apotheosis.
The challenge in such circumstances is how to turn a community around, to give it new vision, life and economic promise. This challenge is not unique to Rockaway Beach, and has confronted cities as changing times move beyond older economic orders. We’ve seen it in the impact of new Walmart stores on Main Streets in towns across the country. The solution involves adapting, reloading and moving forward with new energy and plans, and the common denominator in such efforts is effective leadership and community commitment.
In the mayor’s courtThat’s where Rockaway Beach is today. Larry Cline, a Rockaway resort owner, was elected mayor in 2007. Bill Kitchin recently joined the local chamber of commerce and has helped with planning for renewal.
The mayor is one of the most indefatigable individuals I’ve encountered in his efforts to build a sense of vision and momentum for the town. He’s put priorities in place and sought out help from every agency, office and individual who might offer a hand. The wastewater treatment plant has been put in order, and with funding support from multiple sources a completely new water distribution system is being installed.
Planners have helped Rockaway paint a picture of what the community might become again based on the tourism industry.
The most immediate challenge, however, is having the waterfront dredged and re-engineered so that water depth is adequate and the beach is reliably attractive. This project carries a price tag of some $4 million with a funding source yet to be found.
But Cline is focused on solving this challenge, and I’d bet on his success. He reminds me a bit of Paul Newman’s character in the movie, “Cool Hand Luke,” who observed that “Sometimes nothing can be a real cool hand.”
So far, the mayor has made much out of little and demonstrated the importance of leadership, commitment and perseverance. Be on the lookout for the reinvention of Rockaway Beach.
John E. Moore Jr., executive director of the Upper White River Basin Foundation, can be reached at jmoore@uwrb.org.[[In-content Ad]]
