Oregon County History And Folklore

[Brian Sloss]

That canoe rental is currently owned by Mike and Wendy Jones. There are still lots of Hufstedlers in the area.

[Mark]

The Devil Dick Boze story from "History of the Irish Wilderness" -

During the Civil War and for a 3 year period after, bands of outlaws roamed the Ozarks. One such group, led by a man who rode with Quantrill, was Devil Dick Boze. His group had hideouts in the hills of the Eleven Point River and is thought to have used the Irish Wilderness as a hideout. Devil Dick Boze's relatives owned and operated Boze Mill on the Eleven Point River. By 1868, this group increased in number and daring to he point where the Oregon County court ordered a militia to be formed to track down his gang. Most fled to the Texas and Oklahoma territories, but Devil Dick chose to make his last stand and was gunned down by the Kansas 7th Militia in a fiery battle. The court awarded Captain Greer $1.50 to build his coffin. Devil Dick is buried in the Spring Creek Cemetery.

Some say that Boze Mill is haunted by the ghost of Devil Dick Boze.

[Forsythian]

Thanks guys, I've enjoyed reading this thread. Since there's no fishing and I'm not yet a tyer, I'm getting restless!

My wife and I started floating Greer to Riverton back in the late 80s.

We'd buy a box of plastic trash bags to use for dry storage and camp along the way.

We used to rent canoes out of Woods, and we all got to know Don just a little bit.

To this day we have a framed cut out of him in our living room, taken from a Mo Conservationist. The characteristic hat and the requisit cigar in position, fishing for pickerel out of a john boat. He didn't care much for trout as I recall.

When I lived in St. Louis, a fellow named Barry Huffstedler worked with a friend of mine. Turns out his folks lived just downstream of Riverton. For a year or two they were kind enough to shuttle us and we would take out at their place. We even borrowed one of their canoes one year, a 21+ foot behemoth as I recall.

Brian, I'm wondering if the Woods outfit is still there and in the family? thanks

[Brian Sloss]

Actually, I own what used to be Wood's Canoe Rental, now called Eleven Point Canoe Rental. He retired and sold out in 2000 and Ryan Griffin and I bought the second owners out in April of '04. Don and Judy live right around the corner and Don still fishes the river quite a bit.

[Forsythian]

Well, there you go!

I intend to make that float a time or two this summer... 'course I've been "intending" to do that for the last 5 years or so.

[ColdWaterFshr]

I remember renting a canoe at Woods probably in the early 90's. Unlit cigar in his mouth and a story to tell, quite a character.

Gotta be some stories surrounding the Sis-Co-Gro. Interesting place. Stopped in there once to pick up more beer, ice and lunch meat. We walked in there a long time ago reaking of beer, trout and cigarettes, and after 3 monsoon days and nights on the river. Sis shaved us some fresh deli ham while I drank a warm beer and waited for the rain to stop.

[snap]

Forsythian,.....You need to make that float!!! Been to a lot of rivers here over the last 15 years and have come to the ultimate conclusion that there ain't nothing like this one!!!

[steve l]

The cigar was Swisher Sweets?

I remember Don's standard line fed to us before we started off - that he knew where to catch the fish.

In the mouth!

[JohnKiely]

Very interesting reading regarding Oregon Co, and the surrounding area. I'll need to search for that Irish Wilderness history. Makes for great campsite story telling.

While we are big fans of Brian and Ryan, we are "lifelong" friends of Don (Don "the legend", as us St. Louisans refer to him!)

My favorite anecdote of Don was the annual 'asking of the question'. Whenever we would be hauled to our put-in, inevitably someone would ask Don, "Hey Don, where are the fish this year?" His answer was always the same: "In the river".

It's characters like Don that make this world a better place.

[dude]

The Hufstedler store and canoe livery is still there. No longer owned by anyone in the Hufstedler family, but still goes by that name. In fact, if you were to walk in that store tomorrow, IMO, you would think you were back in 1973!!! There are pics and a story on the wall about the making of those john boats. I have been told that there are relatives of the Hufstedlers in the area. I believe Mark or Brian might be able to give a little more insight on that !!! Neat stuff on the fab four!!!

yes they are still there. my great grandparents owned that store Roy and Sally Huffstedler, after they passed my grandmother Suzie VanCamp (maiden name Huffstedler) and my grandfather Wesley VanCamp ran it for a long time before selling it, there have been two stores there the one on the east side of the bridge burnt down i cant remember when and the one on the west was built to replace it and is the one still standing and running today. My grandparents and some of her brothers and sisters still live in riverton and the alton area and also in west plains. i have lots of memories growing up in that store and there on the launch at riverton, going to 142, turners mill, boze mill, whitten, greer springs and many other places to drop in canoers and tubers that floated the scenic eleven point.