Officials with the Ozarks Heritage Research Center (OHRC) at Missouri State University-West Plains (MSU-WP) will host a presentation titled, “The Mills and Springs of the Ozarks” at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 1, at the OHRC, located inside MSU-WP’s Garnett Library, 304 W. Trish Knight St., in West Plains. The presentation will be given by Richard McGee.
Free and open to all, this event is sponsored by the OHRC and West Plains Council on the Arts . Refreshments will be provided.
More about the Presentation
McGee will discuss the rich history of the mill era in the Ozarks. He will discuss the development and decline of the grist milling industry and how this period was shaped by western expansion, statehood and the Civil War. McGee’s presentation will include a short discussion of the unique geology that shaped the landscape and created the area’s beautiful caves and springs and a concise review of grist mill machinery.
About McGee
Missouri history author Richard McGee was born and raised in Greene County, Missouri. He earned an engineering degree at the Missouri University of Science & Technology and worked in the manufacturing and healthcare industries for over forty years. His last real job was Director of Behavioral Healthcare at Ozarks Medical Center in West Plains where he served for ten years. Richard founded a one-man publishing company in 2023 and began writing books. His work gravitated to Missouri history with an interest in structures of historical significance.
For more information about the event, contact Rebekah McKinney at 417-255-7949 or RebekahMcKinney@MissouriState.edu. Visit WP.MissouriState.edu/Ozarks for additional information and upcoming events hosted by OHRC.