State Representative Eddie Walker, Dr. Lloyd Hollister, Jimmy Driftwood,
and Governor Orval Faubus.
This Ozark Folk Center 50th Anniversary Legacy Photo is in tribute to Jimmy Driftwood.
With appreciation for his work starting the Ozark Folk Center,
Baylus East, member of the Committee of One Hundred.
Local politicians, business leaders, and musicians worked together and built one of Arkansas’ original creative economies. At a time when most industrial development was based on cheap land and labor, music and crafts were unusual options! Over the decades, many people worked to preserve and celebrate folk culture. Some were political and business leaders, some were artisans and musicians, and some provided a lot of food and hospitality. Don't underestimate the impact when visitors were made to feel at-home and had the chance to participate in "authentic" folk culture!
In 2003, Dr. Brooks Blevins, conducted numerous interviews about the origins of the Arkansas Folk Festival and Ozark Folk Center. (https://home.lyon.edu/mslibrary/rcol/oralhistory.htm)
State Representative Eddie Walker had invited John Opitz of the Arkansas Industrial Development Commission to explore industries that would be a good fit for Mountain View. One big challenge was the lack of a water system since, according to Opitz, no industry could build without water. One weekend in early February of 1963, Opitz visited and Walker suggested going to Doc Hollister’s Friday night pickin’. This small gathering of local folk musicians impressed Opitz who, according to Eddie Walker, said “this music thing will make Mountain View.”
Lloyd Westbrook, who was the Cooperative Extension Agent, discussed the planning that went into the Folk Center in an interview with Dr. Brooks Blevins as part of the Lyon College Oral History Project that researched and preserved the history of the Arkansas Folk Festival and Ozark Folk Center. According to Westbrook, he worked with a group on the Overall Economic Development Plan (OEDP) that included Glen Hinkle, Oris Massey, Edwin Luther, John Opitz, and Leo Rainey. The OEPD was needed to apply for the grant that built the Folk Center. When the group suggested $500,00 for the project, Opitz famously said, “Why, hell, boys. You can get three million easier than get five hundred thousand.”
[i] Lyon College Regional Studies Center Creation and Development of the Arkansas Folk Festival and Ozark Folk Center – An Oral History Project https://home.lyon.edu/mslibrary/rcol/walker.htm
The Committee of One Hundred Tribute Wall recognizes contributions to the preservation of Ozark folk culture.
If you would like to help preserve the folk culture of the Ozarks, consider a
The Committee is made up entirely of volunteers so, except for transaction fees, all of your donation funds music, craft, or the herb gardens and, as a 501c3 entity
your donation is tax deductible!
Most interesting! Thanks for sharing!