Before 1821, much of Southwest Missouri was inhabited by Native Americans. Once Missouri became a state, many people from Tennessee and Kentucky migrated to Missouri for land and a better way of life. They built communities, raised families, and fought for their beliefs.
Two of these families were the Grays and the Campbells.
Our collection of historical buildings was moved to a common location to tell the story of our ancestors, the founding of Springfield, and so our visitors could experience life on the Ozarks prairie.
If you want to understand today you have to search yesterday.
-Pearl S. Buck (1892-1973)
