Wolf Junction (GTT Stop 7)

This stop combines Wolf Junction and Willie Lee recreation sites.The 1930s plat book shows J.W. Findley as the owner of the land now known as Wolf Junction. Other individuals owned the land before Mr. Findley, but he left a lasting impression that is part of Ozarks history. Mr. Findley was a noted author, local historian, and was known as the “walking preacher of the Ozarks”. In his retirement, J.W. Findley wrote 8 books, each relating to the Missouri Ozarks. He was 92 years old when he died in 1990 while living in Ava, MO. You can tell by the following quote that J.W. Findley was fond of the Ozarks:“And when Indian Summer comes and God hangs a shimmering curtain of blue purple over these Ozark Hills, and the trees put on their robes of scarlet and gold, just take a drive over the Glade Top (Skyline) drive and you’ll say you’ve seen a little bit of “Ozark Glory,” too. God must have loved our hills a lot, or He wouldn’t have made so many of them.” (Ozark Glory, 1985 J.W. Findley)The White River Historical Society located in Forysyth, MO was very helpful in gathering information for this stop. If you would like to learn more about Taney County history, visit their website.Willie and Ollin Lee purchased the land from J.W. Findley and the Rialto Land and Mining Company and sold the property to the Forest Service in 1970 under authority of the Weeks Act, which permitted the federal government to purchase private land to protect the headwaters of rivers and watersheds in the eastern United States. The Weeks Act also called for fire protection efforts through federal, state, and private cooperation.In 1999, the Forest Service acquired lands from Calvin Bateman. The Bateman property is situated west and north of the Willie Lee Homestead. In 2007, the Forest Service designated a non-motorized trail system in the area that is known as the Bateman trail system. The Willie Lee Homestead is the easternmost trailhead to the trail system and serves as a starting point for trails that traverse through glades, parallel a stream, cross open bottom lands, and travel through open woodland habitats. Users have the opportunity to experience the flora and fauna native to these ecosystems.The Forest Service worked with local equestrian groups to designate the trails. The following are the local group’s websites.Show Me Missouri Back Country HorsemanMissouri Fox Trotting Horse Breed AssociationYou may have noticed cattle guards while driving the Glade Top Trail. When the Mark Twain National Forest was established, Missouri was open range for livestock. Unmanaged grazing allowed domestic livestock including cattle, goats, and sheep to compete with wildlife for forage and mast. Unmanaged grazing also interfered with tree growth, depleted rich grass and forb ground cover and caused soil instability. In 1965, the Mark Twain National Forest was closed to open range grazing under federal regulations. Grazing was still allowed, but under a managed system. Today, the Forest has grazing allotments under a permit system. The Bateman area is one of several grazing allotments on the District that is active.Fun Fact: Local residents refer to the section of road from Wolf Junction to Highway 125 as the “6 mile stretch”.Fun Fact: From records at the White River Historical Society, the original owner of the J.W. Findley tract of land known as Wolf Junction was George W. Lee in 1910.