"Most of the Illinois Central Railroad ( ICRR ) was built, from Carbondale to Brookport in 1887 and finished in 1888 when the town of Ozark was organized. It was named after the Ozark mountain or hills that extend across the state making it one of the prettiest scenic spots in Illinois.
Reynoldsburg town, organized in 1859, had planned for the ICRR to come through there and had a thriving town of many stores, post office, mill, hotel, church, school, etc.; but after the railroad came through New Burnside, because many mines there, and Ozark, most of the people from Reynoldsburg flocked to New Burnside and Ozark.
A post office was established at Ozark 1 - 28 -1889 and Rev. James L. Morton became its first postmaster. He had organized Hopewell Baptist Church in his home in 1860 and became its first pastor. He also taught school in this area. The church was not called Ozark until 1920: the old two-story frame building had a big circle on the front saying," HOPEWELL BAPTIST CHURCH 1891," the year it was built at its third location, and where the present church is located. It had been two miles north on land now the Frank Nutty farm and northwest of Cross Road and Earl Cox farms and due south of the present Glenn Robertson house. Rev. Morton had the first threshing machine in this area and must have been the wealthiest man for he owned the Earl Cox farms and most all south to Rushing Cemetery, second location of Hopewell Church 1881-1891.
Thomas Gilliam had the first house just west and joining the Hopewell Church ground (where Jack Harris lives today). Ozark Church ground was off of his farm. He was a trustee of the church at its earlier locations and he owned the first store in Ozark. Gilliam came to Ozark from Weekly, Tenn. At the age of six, 12-1-1856. He attended Ewing College, taught school at 19, was clerk of New Burnside post office and was deputy sheriff of Johnson County in 1882. In 1885 he bought one-half interest in the "Weekly Times", with George Balance who soon sold his interest to Gilliam. In Oct. 1886 the name was changed to the "Vienna Weekly"; later the name was changed to "Vienna Times" about 1890, which he ably edited until his death in 1919. C. J. Huffman and Harry T. Bridges bought this business and Huffman sold his part to Bridges who made an excellent editor until his death in 1932. His son Royce had worked there since 1924 and he edited until he had a stroke in 1969. It was sold to Don Sanders who edited his first Vienna Times Oct. 2, 1969 and still has it in 1976. (Don Sanders is still editor of Vienna Times in 1999)
Rev. Morton also had a store near the old site of Hopewell Church. The foundation rocks are still east of the little three- room house owned by Earl and Georgia Cox and used by her as museum since 1966, called the Georgia Cox museum.
Ozark grew to be a thriving town. James Hailey had a blacksmith shop southwest of the ICRR bridge. Other early business men in stores were: Rev. James L. Morton, Thomas Gilliam, F. M. Barnwell, M.M. (Babe) Sullins. Gary Tooley taught the first Ozark school in 1900 and had smallpox during the term. The I.O.O.F. Lodge prospered in the upstairs part of Hopewell Baptist Church from 1891 until it burned in 1931.
My grandfather George Chrisman ( married Easter Morticia Bowman Nov. 24 1870)belonged to the one at New Burnside from about 1880 until his death in 1933 at age 83. After the fire some members from went to new Burnside and others went to Stonefort Lodge. My parents, John A. and Mary Ann Chrisman Maxwell never went any more.
Business places received trade from farmers within a seven-mile radius. These farmers sold railroad and mine ties, furs, molasses, rabbits, eggs, chickens, dried beans, fruits, walnuts, etc. for money to buy supplies needed; but farmers raised all they needed except coffee, sugar, salt, soda, baking powder, some clothes, thread, cloth, etc. They made most their clothes. They came in buggies, wagons or on horseback and bought enough to last for weeks or months, especially in the winter. Few people had or needed much money. Dr. James E. Blanchard was the only doctor around Ozark. He came here in 1903 and endeared himself to all until 1925 when cancer took this dear doctor at the age of 44.
He and the Veterinary, Dr. Lewis N. Cox, often met on roads asleep in their buggies - and their horses stopped them many times. Cancer took Dr. Cox in 1949.
Enon Church stood across highway 45 east of George Sullins home but was disbanded soon after Hopewell came to Ozark and the members went to Ozark or New Burnside. Fred Heaton told me he attended church at Enon and it was here at Lodge that the goat got away from him. May Benson attended and told me about "Old Enon," she called it. Lizzie Chester Morris told of attending there and Dolph Rushing, 85 in 1974, remembers Old Enon. James L. Morton was born in Virginia in 1809 and came from Kentucky about 1860. He preached 75 years until his death at 95 in 1904. He married Eliza Hill and had Ed F. James K. and Mary ( Mrs. Wm. Reeves ); a second marriage was to Nancy Trammell Joyner and they had Hugh, Samuel, Charles, Fred, Martha and Habbie.

Later storekeepers were: J. R. Barker, Green Sullins, C. C. Sullins, J. W. Harper and son, Walter Keener, Dewey McCormick, Esco Rushing and Otto Stout who was also postmaster and miller. The local roads were all dirt roads until about 1930. Many farmers bought sugar and flour by the barrel but most farmers raised their own wheat and cornand had it ground at the mill. No one seemed to be bothered with bugs in bushels of dried beans or weevil in flour and meal. Still later Mrs. Ray Evers, Treva Barker, Ed Treat, and Jack Harris had the last stores here. There was also a stockyard south of Ozark. Earl Cox as a boy helped to drive a hundred head of sheep for Ervin Whitehead about 1909 to the stockyard. The last load loaded out from this pen into rail cars was by Roy Chester 3-3-1930. How to remember the date?
It was the day Bob Harper was born in the house just above the stockyard, north. Just south of the Earl Cox farm on the west side of the road was a brick kiln, and nearby on the Nutty farm an oil well was once dug and plugged up.
J.C. Brack Heaton and his brother Wm. Had started fruit raising that spread out by others for miles and thousands of acres were being raised by many farmers. At peak periods thousands of bushels were shipped daily from New Burnside and Ozark depots. There was a saying "Go to Johnson Co. and live off the fat of the orcard." This fruit was said to be the best flavored fruit in the U. S. In 1921 a Cooperative Fruit Growers Association was formed and a packing house was built at Ozark just south of the depot. Promoters of this were J. R. Barker, Otto Stout, Green Sullins, C. P. O'Neal, W. S. Brim, J. W. Rushing, R. F. Taylor, J. W. Burnett, Lowell Cox and others who bought shares. In the great depression the Co-op had to be liquidated and the building was sold to L. M. Smith and is now owned by Homer Smith.
Jim Barker and Dr. Blanchard owned the first cars, Model T Fords, about 1917 or 1918, I was 16 when I saw and rode in them. In 1918 after the World War ended many people died of flu and Dr. Blanchard was kept very busy making daily rounds.
In the early 20's the Edgewood cutoff of the ICRR was built east of Ozark, coming through Williamson, Saline, Johnson and Poep counties. This really made Ozark a boom-town for awhile, as many came in to work on that railroad. In 1921 the Ozark Bank was organized with Oscar Moore employed as cashier. The promoters and directors were Green Sullins, J. W. Burnett, W. S. Brim, Otto Stout, C. P. O'Neal, R. F. Taylor, J. R. Barker and J. W. Rushing. How the town grew! It had a restaurant, theatre, several stores, hardware, two barbershops, two blacksmith shops and a pool hall. There was a livery stable which took people from the trains at the depot to their destinations by buggy. The livery stable housed the old black horse-drawn hearse that hauled the dead totheir graves. No one embalmed then and coffins were made in homes of coffin makers.
The highway route 45 was finished in 1924 ( the year our daughter Mary Louise Cox was born. Her Daddy worked on it that day, 9-20-24). We bought our first Model T Ford car and visited grandparents John A. Maxwells the day she was three weeks old, going in the new car (one seat).
By this time the original large orchard growers, the Heatons, had expanded to include Frank Taylor and L. M. Smith; many smaller orchards had been planted by Lowell and Earl Cox, Dowe Holmes, T. C. Cole, Henry Rushing, George Rushing, C. P. O'Neal, Roy Chester, etc. The Trover brothers, Norman Powell, Frank Cross and others, in fact just nearly everyone started an orchard. Some of these have continued with operations by a younger generation.
Paul O'Neal was ICRR depot agent from an early date, about 1912, until it discontinued 9-29-1950. The property was sold in 1958 and rails and bridge removed in 1959. The Catholic Ondesonk Camp bought this route for a road to their camp. In his years of ICRR work Paul O'Neal trained several others to be depot operators here, including Frank O'Neal, Walter Chrisman, Harry and Paul Winkler, Spider McCuan, Frank Sullins and Marion Farris. Paul went to Abbot Depot east of Ozark in 1950 until it closed, then to Anna and finished up in Golconda which closed 11-8-1963. By then he was 65 and received a gold certificate for over fifty years' service.
A Red Cross chapter was organized in Johnson County during the first World War and included directors from Ozark, J. R. Barker, Mrs. Barker and Mrs. L.M.Smith. Ozark also had its Red Cross unit led by Rev. E. R. Stegall, Chairman, and L. M. Smith, Vice-chairman and Harvey Cox, Secretary. In the winter of 1917-1918 during the ravages of influenza, whooping cough and record snowfall for eight weeks, Dec. 19, 1917 till Feb, nearly every day the Red Cross was in constant action. Whole families in most cases had flu until there was hardly a well person to help the sick or bury the dead; for exaple, three or four died from the Will Oliver family. The seven John A. Maxwell children, from 6 months to 17 years, all had whooping cough during this time (also Dad and Uncle Charlie) and Mother had Nurse's cough. Well ones had a treat sleigh riding on any and everything until midnight right over fences, since an ice sheet came on top of the snow.
Mother thought we weren't well enough to go sleighing. One day while Minnie and I (the 2 oldest) were washing dishes, decided to slip out and ride over the fences like the rest on a sled. When we went over our orchard fence, Minnie hung her dress tail on a barb wire at top of fence and tore her dress and gave it away on us, and we both got paddled.
The schools shut down in some places because of the flu, snow, etc. A neighbor of ours, Charlie Claridy, died during the big snow and Dad (John A. Maxwell) and our neighbors, Dall and Fred McCuan, got shovels and team and wagon and shoveled way to Bert Palmers at Eddyville. His father, Tom Palmer made caskets, Ralph Aly Funeral Home today. They shaved and dressed him for burial, shoveled their way to the Brush Cemetery near us and dug the grave, took him in our wagon, and Dad said a prayer and the 3 neighbors buried him.
We children hulled walnuts and bought our winter clothes. We made mine props and hauled to Ozark, besides rabbits, etc. to buy some of our needs.
I told father to make me a rabbit trap like his and I'd make some money. The first morning I had a rabbit in the trap he made for me and how pitiful he looked. I went sadly to the house and said, "Dad, there's a rabbit in my trap and you may have him." That ended my trapping.
We always had to miss school to pick beans, cut and shock corn, strip cane, help make molasses and mine props. I never went every day in any year until I taught my first year, 1920.
After the railroad boom was over, people began to leave Ozark, the theatre shut down and the restaurant wasn't needed. The bank was closed; later, in 1933, it was taken over by the First National Bank of Vienna. Other factors involved in Ozark's decline were the completion of highway 45 with greatly increased truck and autimobile trafic; the depression of the late twenties and thirties; orchards became more of a gamble and less often profitable as spray materials were more expensive but pests and disease even a greater problem. As a result people began to push out orchards and put the land in grass for beef cattle.
Families moved from the town until in 1976 only the post office, Mary Thomas, postmaster, the Pentecostal Church and the Baptist Church are left besides the families in Ozark. Russell Laurence has a garage and store west on highway 45 and Prentice Fletcher also has a garage farther north on highway 45. The Baptist Church members come from surrounding country homes, while the village homes are owned by Pentecostal families. Other Pentecostal attendees are brought in by buses from Creal Springs, New Burnsides, Stonefort, Carrier Mills, etc.
The present pastor at the Pentecostal Church is Rev. Noel Loyd and Rev. Richard Hart, pastor of at Ozark Baptist Church. The Harts are a young couple married 9 years, but no child. Dec. 11, 1975 they adopted a 3-day-old baby girl, Michelle, who has endeared herself to them and the whole church, which is 116 years old for this Bicentennial year.
The citizens in Ozark now are all new people, Cecil and Esta Murphy being the only early settlers here who lived here in the 19th century. James L. Morton, Wm. P. Throgmorton, Wm. B. Lewis and Calvin Caldwell preached at all 3 locations of Ozark church. Lizzie Chester Morris attended all 3 locations and heard Calvin Caldwell say, " I wish this pulpit stand had rollers on it, I'd roll it back to where the people are" so it's not only modern people who shun the front seats.
Charter members were the Gilliams, Mortons, Lewis, Caldwells, Throgmortons and perhaps others. These men were all teachers. Morton and Lewis are buried at Robinson Cemetery, old northwest part, Lewis died 1905.
Ozark teachers: ( Dates and order of some not known)
1900-Gary Tooley, Lee Cox, Mollie Reed, Frank Veach, N. H. Martin, Harvey Cox, W. P. Modglin, Nora Calhoun, Roy Stegall, Everett Comer, Mamie Tyler, Roy Shelton. W. L. Carter ( Ralph's father ), Norris Throgmorton, Oscar Anderson, Rillis Evans, Wiley Simmons ( 1917, Wiley was called to World War I ) John Simmons, Rev. Ray Chrisman, Mae McCoy Yates, Mae Cavitt, Frank Harper.
1923-24 Georgia Maxwell Cox ( she married Earl that year on 12-22-1923 ),
1925-1926 John Simmons and Bessie Kerley. A room had to be added with 2 teachers because of so many WWI babies old enough to go to school. J. V. Wright and Bessie Kerley, Ralph Carter and Bessie Kerley, John Swan and Bessie Kerley, Ralph Carter and Bessie Kerley.
1934-35 Burdett Walkington and Bessie Kerley
1935-36, Fred Swan and Bessie Kerley,
1936-37, Hollie Hunsaker and Bessie Kerley
1937-40 Lee Rushing and Bessie Kerley Back to one room school:
1940-41 Clay Hunter
1942-44 Clara Vinyard
1944-45 Catherine Muck
1945-46 Bessie Kerley
1946-47 Catherine Muck
1947-52 Hazel O'Neal, last term at Ozark. It as annexed with New Burnside in 1952 and Hazel taught there until she retired in 1960.
Ozark School and Ozark Baptist Church gave a member in WWI service. Harry Sullins, Oct. 28, 1918. Daniel Smith in WWII, son of L. M. and Grace Smith. Pines around church were set by his parents in honor of him. The maple tree set by Ozark- New Burnside Club in honor of Harry Sullins, died and was cut in 1976. Our daughter attended Ozark School from 1934 to 1937.
Pastors: Hopewell or Ozark Baptist. Dates and number of years each served in early history cannot be given exact because of burned records. Many dates were found in old associational minutes.
1860 James L. Morton, 1873 Wm P. Throgmorton, 1881 James L. Morton,
1882 Wm. B. Lewis, 1884 Calvin H. Caldwell, 1887 Wm. W. Woodside,
1900 J. H. Blackman, 1901 Beryl R. Sharp, 1907 W. E. Baker, 1912 John Adams,
1916 E. R. Stegall, 1919 W. L. Motsinger, 1923 H. C. Croslin, 1925 Geo.Smothers,
1926 G. E. Slavens, 1930 E. R. Stegall, 1933 Hobart Peterson ,
1933 A. M. Troutman, 1936 Leonard Whitlock, 1940 Louie F. Simmons,
1948 R. W. Hovis, 1950 L. G. Hartley, 1953 Freddie Niebel,
1963 Wayne D. Gunther, 1965 Louie F. Simmons, 1966 Henry White
1970Ronald Nelson, 1972 Pat Fife, 1974 Richard Hart.
Ozark Postmasters: Ozark Post Office was established 1-2-1889.
Rev. James L. Morton 1-28-1889
Madison Sullins 4-9-1889
Lincoln Green Sullins 12-19-1891
Joseph Parsons 9-10-1895
Francis M. Barnwell 10-16-1897
John W. Rushing 3-11-1904
James R. Barker 10-10-1907
Otto E. Stout 11-26-1912
Martha L. Throgmorton (acting) 10-15-1923
Frank Y. Harper 2-13-1924
Robert Throgmorton 11-14-1925
Blanche Moore (acting) 3-19-1929
Sarah Osborne 10-8-1929
John Roy Chester (assumed charge) 7-1-1937, (confirmed) 1-26-1938
Mary Thomas ( assumed charge) 9-30-1947 (confirmed) 9-3-1948 She is our present postmaster, 1976

Ozark Mail carriers:
1890 Jim Wise, many years.
Julius Cavitt, Herbert Taylor
1930 till 7-6-1963 Ernest Holmes ( 33 years)
Tom Chester ( acting) confirmed 8-1-1963 and is present one, 1976.

Ozark- New Burnside Woman's Club: The Woman's Club was organized May 15, 1926. Esta Murphy was to be married the 16th so she gave them her dues to make her a charter member, but she couldn't go.
May 16th they met at the home of Mrs. Norman Casper. The sponsor was Mrs. P. T. Chapman ( Author of Johnson Co. Hist. 1925, and reprinted by the Johnson Co. Hist. Soc. 1973 through the Unigraphic Inc. of Evansville, Ind.) Mrs. Chapman became the first Pres. and they had about 15 charter members join.
In 1976 the club under the leadership of Mrs. Ora Milburn celebrated its Golden or50th year with a Bicentennial program at New Simpson Hill School. Only 3 charter members were left to be honored that night: Ada Seel Balance, Mary O'Neal and Esta Murphy. It has gained many members and with Dulcie Coonce as Pres. Is still going strong.
Ozark New Burnside Home Bureau was organized in the home of Grace Smith in 1919. She became its first president and remained pres. For years before anyone else would serve. They had 14 charter members. Mary O'Neal is the one living in 1976. This was before the County Unit was organized in 1950 with 400 members. By 1961, 147 members in 14 units, 12 units in 1976.
In July, 1962, the name was changed from Home Bureau to Homemakers' Extension and the leader's name was changed to Extension Adviser instead of Home Adviser. Mary Yandell is our chairman in 1976, and it's just Ozark Homemakers, now.
This honor roll of World War II boys set in Ozark Baptist Church until 1961 when it was set outside when the church was redecorated. I asked Homer Smith if it could be placed in he Ozark School building, which he owns. He took it and stored it there. Six Smith brothers names are on it and Daniel gave his life in this war. Pine trees at the church are in honor of him.
Other names on the honor roll are: Phillip Smith, Homer Smith ( my pupil 1923-24), Malcolm Smith ( my pupil ), David Smith, Daniel Smith, Stephen Smith, Ples Bundren (my pupil 1921) Raymond O'Neal, Lindell Barker, Virgil Odum, J. D. Lambert ( my pupil 1923-24), Russell Lawrence, Joe Collie, John Taylor, Robert Taylor ( killed), Robert Rodgers( my pupil), Robert Gingrich, Roy Gingrich, Howard Simmons, Francis Simmons, Charles Simmons (Killed), Lester Rodgers, Ralph Bundren, Evan Buster Matthews, Nellie Chester, Roy Emmerson, J. O. Cook (my pupil), Donald Muck, Ayward Harper, Walter (Doc) Breeden, Paul Reynolds, Jack Choate, Joe Harris, Hollie Solomon, Wayne Duncan, Howard Underwood, James Russell, John Earl Stephens, August Funk, Freddie Funk. Orval Harper ( my pupil 1922), Loree Harper, Carl Whitaker ( my pupil), Milo Gingrich, Jr., Edgar Stafford ( my pupil ), Frederick Underwood, Jr., Lindel Milburn, Alsey Milburn, Marvin Hambleton, Gene Taylor, Henry Odum, Nathan Lawrence, Robert Hambleton, Clarence Rose, Johnny Chester and Tommy Chester ( twins), and Vernell Oliver."

(At the end of this article there is a faded picture of the two-story brick school building in New Burnside. Below the picture is this brief history.)

" School building in New Burnside 1872-1972. This photo belongs to Alpha Peterson, who started to school in New Burnside in 1896. There were two large rooms, three bricks thick. The two-story structure was built in 1872 by John McCabe, grandfather of Miss Mae McCabe. In 1922 the old building was torn down and a new one was erected. In 1934 a gymnasium was added. Additional construction took place in 1945, in 1954 and in 1970. The above photo was taken by Robert Powers in 1922 just prior to the wrecking crews moved in."