The creeks and streams that attract visitors
to Mountain View and Stone County today are the same ones that provided
a source of water for the fertile farmland carved out by pioneers.
After the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, the pioneers began moving
into the rugged land of the Ozark Mountains. They settled the bottomlands
of the White River, slowly entering the rugged interior by way of
its tributaries.
They later ventured into the hardwood forests,
where they practiced subsistence farming along the many creeks and
streams in the "hollers". Today the agricultural roots
of the area are still apparent. A drive through the winding country
roads reveals rolling farmland dotted with poultry houses and small
herds of cattle.
Residents of Mountain View work to preserve their
heritage and many old-time practices are still used in every day
living. Homemakers take pride in their home-canned vegetables and
fruits, quilting and other needlework. Builders take pride in handmade
furniture and artisans in crafts perfected by old techniques.
Mountain View is perhaps best known for the impromptu
picking sessions that are a nightly event around courtsquare downtown.
Today's music and gatherings on the square stem from traditions
years ago, before TV and radio. Socializing meant rounding up the
neighbors for an evening on the front porch with music, food, and
visiting with one another.
Native son and well known musician, Jimmy Driftwood,
was a major force in developing the Arkansas Folk Festival back
in 1962 and in acquiring federal funding to build the Ozark Folk
Center and install a new water system and sewage plant for the city
of Mountain View. The opening of The Ozark Folk Center in 1973,
along with Blanchard Springs Caverns that same year, firmly established
Mountain View and Stone County as an Ozark tourist destination and
that tradition continues today.
Mountain View continues its dedication
to preserving the music, crafts, and heritage of the past. Yet its
citizens look to the future and strive to continue to responsibly
develop its natural resources. For example, the development of the
Syllamo Mountain Bike
Trail, now at 22 miles in length, in the Sylamore District of
the Ozark National Forest enables biking enthusiasts to experience
this beautiful forest just north of town at their own pace.
The unspoiled natural beauty of Mountain View
& the surrounding area provides endless opportunities for outdoor
activitities. Citizens and visitors alike enjoy world class fishing,
hunting, hiking & biking, caving, canoeing, kayaking, and camping.
Both young and old take time to learn basket weaving, woodcarving,
painting, pottery making, blacksmithing, and other traditional Ozark
skills from local artists and craftspeople. Hardworking and fun
loving, the folks of Mountain View provide a welcoming smile to
all and proudly share their love of this charming community.