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Natural Heritage |  |
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Craftsmanship
• People of the Hills |
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| • Agriculture • Cooking • Craftsmanship • History • Music • People of the Hills • Storytelling • Tourism |
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| People of the Hills Index • Violet Hensley, Fiddlemaker • Ozark Culture (A Word from Louis Darby) • Miss Virginia • |
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In one word, I'd call it interesting. There's a lot more French influence here than many would realize.
Being from south Louisiana, I was intrigued at the similarities and came to the conclusion that the only difference between a Cajun (which is what I am) and a hillbilly is that we speak French and they don't!
Our thought process, our cultures, our utilization and appreciation of the land? Our use of all resources? We have a lot of similarities. People here — the natives — are very conscious of using natural materials and making the most of those materials. There was very little waste.
People used to ask, "Do you miss Louisiana?" I'd have to laugh and tell them, "No, not really. If you think about it, Missouri was part of the Louisiana Purchase. So I feel right at home!"
Originally, even the name was a French derivative, though it would have been spelled Aux arcs. In the French language, you can translate or interpret a lot of different things, so it's hard to know exactly what it meant.
But the Ozarks have been very interesting. I've met some wonderful luthiers here. One, Charley Wells, was both a luthier and a local bee charmer. So he'd fix my fiddle and I'd get a quart of honey while I was there!
I think it's just the love of life and everything that comes with Cajun culture that really bled into the Ozarks. People here have a really good comfort level with that. I've been here 20 years and wouldn't call any other place home.
But I can tell you that the local people worked hard and they worked for what they had. They love life and they don't waste anything.
It's a nice atmosphere.
— Louis Darby, Branson, Missouri
Louis Darby, originally of Opelousas, Louisiana, has lived in the Branson area since 1987.
A two-time Louisiana State Fiddle Champion, Darby became well-known in the Ozarks-region as part of the Cajun Connection.
Today, he is a senior executive of Darby, Cooper and Associates real estate company. He also plays regularly at the Circle B Chuckwagon in Branson.
I still remember the first time I saw him fiddlin' up a storm at the Riverfront Playhouse one cold December afternoon over at Silver Dollar City.
And another afternoon, not so long ago, I sat down with Louis in his real estate office to talk about the Ozarks.
These new, editorial-style columns are the result. — Joshua Heston
December 20, 2007