A small town, now on the shores of Table Rock Lake in Southwestern Missouri, near the heart of the American Ozarks Region. The town is now in an up and coming area of resort, retirement and sport fishing facilities and activities. There are lots of dining places, stores and shops throughout the town and the area. Cape Fair is known widely for its excellent Bass fishing, sometimes calling itself “The Bass Fishing Capital of the World.” And, who knows, it may well be so deserved.
Cape Fair is the oldest settlement in Stone County, Missouri. Since it was originally on the banks of the James River, it was part of the lands “given” to the Delaware Indian tribes in the early 1800’s. The Delaware were moved, time and time again, from their original homes near the East Coast, where they mistakenly, even eagerly welcomed the first white folks ashore. The Delaware were “given” the James River Valley to have and hold for eternity, which lasted about twenty years. Their permanent sites were near today’s Nixa, somewhat to the north of Cape Fair, in settlements called “Delaware Towns. But they were soon relocated into Kansas Territory.
It is reputed that the Yocum brothers, particularly James Yocum, historically noted hunter/trappers, stayed with the Delaware at Cape Fair for a short time. The first white settlers of record were the John B. Williams, Zachariah Henson and Elijah Todd families, arriving from Tennessee reputedly on Christmas Day, in 1835. These families settled at the mouth of Flat Creek where it joined the James River. Soon after, the William T. Stone family arrived. Stone County was eventually named after this patriarch. This junction settlement gained the name of Cape Fair, supposedly derived from Indian words for Fair Cape.
During the infamous American Civil War, the first gunpowder mill west of the Mississippi was built nearby up Flat Creek, using the running water for power to grind and mill the fire produced charcoal, mined sulfur and the minerals from bat guano taken from a nearby cave. Cape Fair served as the county seat until 1851, just before the start of the Civil War. Later, Galena was declared the county seat by the regulations of Missouri. In 1884 the little settlement was flooded out by the James River and was moved to the bluffs high above.
One of the first permanent buildings at the new site was the school house, built in 1886. Which has been preserved, seriously remodeled and today serves at the Senior Center, attached to the Community Center and the Volunteer Fire Fighters station. The town of Cape Fair was platted in September of 1892, with the plat filed that November in Galena. William F. Webster and S. A. Carr deeded the land upon which the town was platted into 39 lots, occupied by many residences, a post office and commercial buildings.
Noted sites around Cape Fair are Big Spring, just west of town and Virgin Bluff, overlooking Table Rock Lake. The spring was a favorite camping and picnic grounds, whereas Virgin Bluff has always been a romantic spot, for it is reputed that a virgin Indian maiden threw herself from its top because her Indian Chief father forbad her marrying a passing-through Spanish soldier she loved. Float fishing was a huge favorite occupation and pastime at Cape Fair for many years while the James River lasted. Then, when Table Rock Lake was created in 1959, burying all the local creeks and rivers, Bass Fishing, under the watchful eyes of skilled guides, took over and is wonderfully participated in to this day by thousands of visiting and local fisher-folk. Table Rock Lake and Cape Fair are noted today as being among the very best Bass fishing spots in America.
By: Jim Barrett
If you are interested in historical photos and stories about the Ozarks area contact Jim Barrett at RT's Restaurant in Kimberling City.
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