1970s: The Bagnell Dam Strip Before It Changed Forever - Lake of the Ozarks, MO

Subscribe for more of the places you remember:    / @gabesamericanfootprintsyt   Take a trip back to the Bagnell Dam Strip at Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri, during the 1970s, when roadside attractions, souvenir shops, amusement parks, and summer crowds made this one of the most memorable vacation spots in America. From Dogpatch and Village Fashions to the lively streets of the Strip, revisit the places and memories that made summers at Lake of the Ozarks so special. See what the Bagnell Dam Strip looked like in its glory days and how this beloved Missouri destination changed over the decades. #LakeOfTheOzarks #BagnellDamStrip #1970snostalgia — SOURCES Rural Missouri magazine, Ozark Opry feature with Joyce Mace (2011) Dan William Peek, Ozark Opry performer and Lake of the Ozarks historian H. Dwight Weaver, histories of Lake of the Ozarks and the Bagnell Dam Strip Miller County Historical Society, biography of Lee Mace Hannibal Courier-Post, profile of Bill “Goofer” Atterberry (1988) KRCG-TV Channel 13, Jefferson City KOMU 8 News, reporting on the Ozark Opry’s closing and the U.S. 54 expressway LakeExpo and the Lake Sun, reporting on the Lee Mace Memorial Highway, the Opry building and the Ozark Halfwit Missouri State Highway Commission, records on the 1968 U.S. 54 bypass Missouri State Museum, Lee Mace’s bass fiddle exhibit Ameren Missouri and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Osage Project license and Shoreline Management Plan U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Harry S. Truman Dam and Reservoir The Northeast News, on the Larry Don excursion boat The New York Times, “Party Cove: Wild in the Ozarks” (2005) ABC17 News, on the 2026 Lake Ozark demolition grant Timestamps: 0:00 Lake of the Ozarks in the 1970s 1:37 Why Does the Road That Closed the Opry Carry Lee's Name? 1:55 Lee Mace Builds the Ozark Opry 3:15 The Thursday Night TV Show on Channel 13 4:08 From 150 Folding Chairs to a Thousand Seats 6:01 Goofer and the Hillbilly Costume 6:58 Lee & Joyce Mace: Before the Opry 8:01 The Early Shows by Bagnell Dam 10:26 The Strip at Its Loudest 13:44 The 1968 Bypass and Its Impact 16:50 The Strip Fades, the Opry Thrives 17:23 Lee Mace's Death and Joyce Carries On 22:44 The Story of Goofer (Bill Adterbury) 27:04 The New Expressway Takes the Parking Lot 30:22 The Lee Mace Memorial Highway 32:53 Ameren's Shoreline Permits and the Changing Lake 37:48 The Lake Today: What Remains