Discover the Amazing History of Rocky River Resort

               The area now known as Ripley County was first visited by Europeans when French explorers plied the Ozark Riverways – the Eleven Point, Black and most importantly the Current – in the mid eighteenth century. Around 1800, a trading post and ferry were established on the Current at the present site of Currentview.   Lemuel Kittrell, generally recognized to be the region’s first permanent settler, settled upstream near present day Doniphan in 1819 and built a grist mill.   This village grew to include an inn, store and several other businesses as more settlers, mostly from Appalachia, moved west.

               Ripley County was organized in 1833, with its original county seat at Van Buren.  At that time it was the largest county in the state, comprising most of south-central Missouri.   As the populated area became more concentrated in the south part, the courthouse was moved in 1847 to Doniphan, laid out just upstream from Kittrell’s mill.   The town grew quickly to become the commercial center of the area, and was poised for even greater growth when the Civil War came.

               The war left Ripley County without any viable government or law enforcement and its people without protection.   While most of the residents were southern sympathizers, all residents were ravaged by marauders without any real cause but their own.   Possession of the area changed hands throughout the war.   Doniphan itself was largely destroyed by union forces retreating from General Sterling Price’s confederate invasion of Missouri in 1864.   Reconstruction of the area’s economy took years.

               With the coming of the St. Louis-Iron Mountain railroad in 1883, Doniphan and the Current River valley enjoyed their next great expansion.   Soon the woods were bursting with the sounds of timber crews, cutting the virgin forests and floating its timber to the Doniphan railhead for export.   From 1885 until 1910, when most of the forests had been cut, Doniphan was the leading tie producing center in the nation.   The Missouri Tie and Lumber Co and the T.L. Wright Lumber Co. cut millions of board feet of lumber annually.   During this period, Ripley County reached a population peak not equaled until recent years.

               With the forests denuded and the Great Depression at hand, economic hard times hit the area once more. Many young people were forced to leave to find work elsewhere.   A turning point came when the U.S. National Forest (now Mark Twain National Forest) began buying up the damaged land and restoring it.   Gradually the forest returned, better than ever, and the quality of the beautiful Current River gained recognition as one of the most floatable fishing streams in America.

Through the mid twentieth century, Doniphan and Ripley County grew in population and amenities.    A county hospital and a fine consolidated school system were established in the 1950’s followed by an area vocational center and a branch of Three Rivers College.   As river tourism became more and more popular, a debate arose over the future of Current River.   A proposal to dam the river just above Doniphan was beaten back by area conservationists, and these efforts culminated in the establishment of the Ozark National Scenic Riverways, the nation’s very first nationally-protected river, in 1964.

               Today, our area enjoys many of the features of a larger city – light industry, good medical and educational institutions, even Franchise motels and eateries – but still retains its small town charm.   In the summer, the lure of Current River attracts thousands of tourists who canoe, tube, fish or just enjoy a day on the banks of this incomparable stream.   In the winter, the national forests are a haven for the varied wildlife for which there are open seasons.   Spring has its flowers, fall its foliage.   There’s always something to see and do here.

               Doniphan is also full of historic sites, from its classic 1899 Courthouse square to the nearby reconstructed Heritage Homestead Heritage Park.   And don’t miss the Current River Heritage Museum, which showcases much of the history of our area.   There are also the unique shops and dining places in downtown, the Hillcrest Plaza Shopping Center by Highway 160, as well as the Sycamore Hills Country Club for golfers and Riverfront Park for walkers and boaters.   Most of all, don’t forget to enjoy your stay with us in the Rocky River Resort, Inc. properties – the Rocky River Inn, Current River Inn and Rocky River Resort.   We’re here o make your stay an experience you won’t forget!   

Enjoy Ripley County and Current River, and come back often.