In 1912, the city of Branson was a lively town. Over 1,000 people had settled near the White River. At 2 o’clock in the afternoon on August 29, a gas stove inside the Colonial Hotel caught fire. Within an hour, almost all of Branson’s business district was destroyed. Branson had no fire department, ladders, or bucket brigade, and most of the town’s water was hauled from the nearby river. In all, twenty-five businesses were destroyed, resulting in a loss of one hundred thousand dollars. Fortunately, there were no injuries or deaths reported. It wasn’t long before the town rebuilt, eventually growing to a current population of over 12,000 residents.
The Parnell Family Collection contains hundreds of photographs showcasing the people and places of early Taney County. These photographs, including images from the Branson fire of 1912, have been recently digitized and made available online.
To explore this collection and more, visit the Springfield Research Center inside MSU’s Meyer Library or find us online at SHSMO.org.