Bald Knobbers: Vigilantes on the Ozarks Frontier

During the 1880s, the Ozark hills echoed with the sound of Winchester rifles. Ropes were hastily flung over tree limbs, and men were lynched without the benefit of a jury trial. Bundles of switches thrown on the porches of "loose" men and women by masked night riders served as a warning to "mend your ways."In this action-filled saga of the notorious eight-year rampage, journalist Mary Hartman and historian Elmo Ingenthron (a direct descendant of a Bald Knobber) have produced the most comprehensive account ever written on the Bald Knobber era. They trace the vigilantism, dating from the border wars of the Civil War and the internal strife that plagued the southern Missouri-northern Arkansas area for 20 years afterward. Although the Bald Knobbers were active for only a short period, their reign of terror spawned a legacy of fear and hatred that only in recent years has begun to subside.In this book, you will come face-to-face with the legendary leaders of this group. Mat Kinney, a giant of a man, helped found the Bald Knobbers and led them in building a grim reputation that spread like an Ozark brush fire. Seventeen-year-old Billy Walker, a hot-tempered youth, murdered two members of an innocent family. In a grisly scene, Walker, his father, and a third Bald Knobber swung from the gallows in the region's only triple hanging.A scandalous tale indeed, Bald Knobbers is a must for history buffs, action-seekers, and enthusiasts of the American frontier era.

About the Author :
A native of the Ozarks and a descendent of both Bald Knobbers and anti-Bald Knobbers, Mr. Elmo Ingenthron began collecting manuscripts, newspaper clippings, and transcribed interviews for his Bald Knobbers: Vigilantes on the Ozarks Frontier more than thirty-five years before its publication in 1988. Mr. Ingenthron felt obligated to unravel the confusion that contributed to one of America's bloodiest historical periods. Born in 1911, Mr. Ingenthron grew up hearing stories about his brave and proud Bald Knobber grandfather. His interest in pursuing the topic was sparked when he began teaching in rural schools in his hometown; he observed that his Bald Knobber and anti-Bald Knobber students had no animosity toward each other. Mr. Ingenthron was both perplexed and intrigued by the conspiracy of silence happening around him. Mr. Ingenthron used his position as the county school superintendent to gain the confidence of Ozark natives, whom he later convinced to share their stories. Ms. Mary Hartman and Mr. Ingenthron spent several years writing Bald Knobbers, preserving the truth of such a frightful era. Bald Knobbers gives an action-packed account of the notorious eight-year career of the Ozark vigilantes, also called the Bald Knobbers. Mr. Ingenthron and Ms. Hartman trace the roots of the group in the region's border struggles during the Civil War and examine the organization of anti-Bald Knobbers that sprang up to oppose them. This true story is complete with betrayals, violence, brutal murders, but most importantly, it focuses on the zeitgeist of the Ozarks during the post-Civil War time period: fear. Mr. Ingenthron died in 1988. Ms. Hartman is a freelance journalist who has written several books.