Descendants of these rugged mountaineers from Tennessee, Kentucky, Georgia, Virginia, and the Carolinas constitute the basic population of our area today. H arrison , the location of our chapter's office, is a pretty town nestled in the Ozarks with a population of approximately 12,000 people. Its elevation is 1,150 feet and it experiences a seasonal, moderate climate. Rainfall averages a little over 40 inches yearly distributed among one or two medium winter snowfalls and spring and early summer showers and thunderstorms. T he scenery is impressive.
Mountain highways twisting through broadleaf and pine forests edge limestone bluffs.
Cattle, horses, and elk graze in green creekbottom pastures. In springtime, dogwood and redbud trees dot the hillsides with their beautiful blooms. The fall colors of our forested mountains rival those of New England. Clear flowing creeks and rivers wind through the valleys and draws. One of these waterways, the Buffalo River, became the nation's first nationally protected river because of its beauty.