1970s: The Bagnell Dam Strip Before It Changed Forever - Lake of the Ozarks, MO
Gabe’s American Footprints
14,108 views
Subscribe for more of the places you remember: @gabesamericanfootprintsyt
Take a trip back to the Bagnell Dam Strip at Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri, during the 1970s, when roadside attractions, souvenir shops, amusement parks, and summer crowds made this one of the most memorable vacation spots in America. From Dogpatch and Village Fashions to the lively streets of the Strip, revisit the places and memories that made summers at Lake of the Ozarks so special. See what the Bagnell Dam Strip looked like in its glory days and how this beloved Missouri destination changed over the decades.
#LakeOfTheOzarks #BagnellDamStrip #1970snostalgia
—
SOURCES
Rural Missouri magazine, Ozark Opry feature with Joyce Mace (2011)
Dan William Peek, Ozark Opry performer and Lake of the Ozarks historian
H. Dwight Weaver, histories of Lake of the Ozarks and the Bagnell Dam Strip
Miller County Historical Society, biography of Lee Mace
Hannibal Courier-Post, profile of Bill “Goofer” Atterberry (1988)
KRCG-TV Channel 13, Jefferson City
KOMU 8 News, reporting on the Ozark Opry’s closing and the U.S. 54 expressway
LakeExpo and the Lake Sun, reporting on the Lee Mace Memorial Highway, the Opry building and the Ozark Halfwit
Missouri State Highway Commission, records on the 1968 U.S. 54 bypass
Missouri State Museum, Lee Mace’s bass fiddle exhibit
Ameren Missouri and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Osage Project license and Shoreline Management Plan
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Harry S. Truman Dam and Reservoir
The Northeast News, on the Larry Don excursion boat
The New York Times, “Party Cove: Wild in the Ozarks” (2005)
ABC17 News, on the 2026 Lake Ozark demolition grant
Timestamps:
0:00 Lake of the Ozarks in the 1970s
1:37 Why Does the Road That Closed the Opry Carry Lee's Name?
1:55 Lee Mace Builds the Ozark Opry
3:15 The Thursday Night TV Show on Channel 13
4:08 From 150 Folding Chairs to a Thousand Seats
6:01 Goofer and the Hillbilly Costume
6:58 Lee & Joyce Mace: Before the Opry
8:01 The Early Shows by Bagnell Dam
10:26 The Strip at Its Loudest
13:44 The 1968 Bypass and Its Impact
16:50 The Strip Fades, the Opry Thrives
17:23 Lee Mace's Death and Joyce Carries On
22:44 The Story of Goofer (Bill Adterbury)
27:04 The New Expressway Takes the Parking Lot
30:22 The Lee Mace Memorial Highway
32:53 Ameren's Shoreline Permits and the Changing Lake
37:48 The Lake Today: What Remains
11 Comments
Bought a 2 story house in Bolinger Creek cove!! And it was quite not built up yet!! But we could deer and turkey hunt!! And the Duck hunting was amazing!! The best I've seen in year's and no pressure!! Remember, Truman lake was built then!!! And duck's were everywhere!! There was hardly any house's back then!! The closest store was J7 market or we would go across the lake to Mimosa Beach resort, they had enough in the store to keep it interesting!!! WOW!! Talk about fun!!
We didn't go to the Dam that much after we moved that far from the Dam!! But it was worth it and very quiet!! Started deer hunting around the house because we had 1000s of acre's to hunt on and ride motorcycles!! Talk about a wonderful life! Amazing!! Thank you Lake of the Ozarks!!
1970s: The Bagnell Dam Strip Before It Changed Forever - Lake of the Ozarks, MO
Gabe’s American Footprints
14,108 views
Subscribe for more of the places you remember: @gabesamericanfootprintsyt
Take a trip back to the Bagnell Dam Strip at Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri, during the 1970s, when roadside attractions, souvenir shops, amusement parks, and summer crowds made this one of the most memorable vacation spots in America. From Dogpatch and Village Fashions to the lively streets of the Strip, revisit the places and memories that made summers at Lake of the Ozarks so special. See what the Bagnell Dam Strip looked like in its glory days and how this beloved Missouri destination changed over the decades.
#LakeOfTheOzarks #BagnellDamStrip #1970snostalgia
—
SOURCES
Rural Missouri magazine, Ozark Opry feature with Joyce Mace (2011)
Dan William Peek, Ozark Opry performer and Lake of the Ozarks historian
H. Dwight Weaver, histories of Lake of the Ozarks and the Bagnell Dam Strip
Miller County Historical Society, biography of Lee Mace
Hannibal Courier-Post, profile of Bill “Goofer” Atterberry (1988)
KRCG-TV Channel 13, Jefferson City
KOMU 8 News, reporting on the Ozark Opry’s closing and the U.S. 54 expressway
LakeExpo and the Lake Sun, reporting on the Lee Mace Memorial Highway, the Opry building and the Ozark Halfwit
Missouri State Highway Commission, records on the 1968 U.S. 54 bypass
Missouri State Museum, Lee Mace’s bass fiddle exhibit
Ameren Missouri and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Osage Project license and Shoreline Management Plan
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Harry S. Truman Dam and Reservoir
The Northeast News, on the Larry Don excursion boat
The New York Times, “Party Cove: Wild in the Ozarks” (2005)
ABC17 News, on the 2026 Lake Ozark demolition grant
Timestamps:
0:00 Lake of the Ozarks in the 1970s
1:37 Why Does the Road That Closed the Opry Carry Lee's Name?
1:55 Lee Mace Builds the Ozark Opry
3:15 The Thursday Night TV Show on Channel 13
4:08 From 150 Folding Chairs to a Thousand Seats
6:01 Goofer and the Hillbilly Costume
6:58 Lee & Joyce Mace: Before the Opry
8:01 The Early Shows by Bagnell Dam
10:26 The Strip at Its Loudest
13:44 The 1968 Bypass and Its Impact
16:50 The Strip Fades, the Opry Thrives
17:23 Lee Mace's Death and Joyce Carries On
22:44 The Story of Goofer (Bill Adterbury)
27:04 The New Expressway Takes the Parking Lot
30:22 The Lee Mace Memorial Highway
32:53 Ameren's Shoreline Permits and the Changing Lake
37:48 The Lake Today: What Remains