Worman House at Big Cedar
Now a restaurant, the historic
Worman House at Big Cedar
is the setting of Branson's
best known ghost story.
Now a restaurant, the historic
Worman House at Big Cedar
is the setting of Branson's
best known ghost story.
Big Cedar at Christmas
The resort is beautifully lit for
the Christmas season each
winter.
The resort is beautifully lit for
the Christmas season each
winter.
Big Cedar Resort - Historic Resort near Branson, Missouri
ExploreSouthernHistory.com - Big Cedar Resort near Branson, Missouri
ExploreSouthernHistory.com - Big Cedar Resort near Branson, Missouri
| Big Cedar Resort Big Cedar Resort near Branson, Misosuri, combines a historic setting with modern amenities. |
Historic Resort in the Ozarks
Located ten miles south of Branson in
Ridgedale, Missouri, the historic Big Cedar
Resort is nestled by Table Rock Lake in a
beautiful Ozark Mountains valley.
While there are many outstanding resorts in
the Branson area, few possess a history as
rich as that of Big Cedar. Originally a stretch
of pristine Ozark terrain, the site was first
developed as a private resort during the
years before the Great Depression.
Long before the development of the resort,
the Long Creek arm of the White River was
known as Big Cedar Hollow. The deep and
mysterious Devil's Pool there was a favorite
attraction for local residents. Before the
completion of Table Rock Lake, the pool was
fed by a deep spring that gained its name
because Native Americans considered it a
"bottomless pit."
A combination of the arrival of the railroad in
Branson during the early 1900s and the
remarkable success of the novel Shepherd
of the Hills brought thousands of people to
the previously isolated Missouri Ozarks.
Among them were Harry Worman, an
executive with the Frisco Railroad, and Jude
Simmons, a well-known entrepreneur of the
day.
Worman and Simmons fell in love with the
beautiful Big Cedar Hollow and purchased
300 acres surrounding Devil's Pool. They
both built vacation homes there and brought
many friends and guests to enjoy the scenery
during the years before the Great Depression.
Simmons' original log mansion is now the
Devil's Pool Restaurant while Worman's
Tudor home is now the Worman House
Restaurant. Both are key architectural
landmarks on the Big Cedar grounds.
Legend holds, in fact, that Dorothy Worman
(Harry Worman's wife) was not exactly
enthralled with the isolation of the Ozarks.
She supposedly ran away to Mexico where
she died. But according to both visitors and
some staff members, she may have come
back. Many stories are told of sightings of a
spectral figure on the grounds and many
believe that Dorothy Worman is the "Ghost of
Big Cedar."
Ridgedale, Missouri, the historic Big Cedar
Resort is nestled by Table Rock Lake in a
beautiful Ozark Mountains valley.
While there are many outstanding resorts in
the Branson area, few possess a history as
rich as that of Big Cedar. Originally a stretch
of pristine Ozark terrain, the site was first
developed as a private resort during the
years before the Great Depression.
Long before the development of the resort,
the Long Creek arm of the White River was
known as Big Cedar Hollow. The deep and
mysterious Devil's Pool there was a favorite
attraction for local residents. Before the
completion of Table Rock Lake, the pool was
fed by a deep spring that gained its name
because Native Americans considered it a
"bottomless pit."
A combination of the arrival of the railroad in
Branson during the early 1900s and the
remarkable success of the novel Shepherd
of the Hills brought thousands of people to
the previously isolated Missouri Ozarks.
Among them were Harry Worman, an
executive with the Frisco Railroad, and Jude
Simmons, a well-known entrepreneur of the
day.
Worman and Simmons fell in love with the
beautiful Big Cedar Hollow and purchased
300 acres surrounding Devil's Pool. They
both built vacation homes there and brought
many friends and guests to enjoy the scenery
during the years before the Great Depression.
Simmons' original log mansion is now the
Devil's Pool Restaurant while Worman's
Tudor home is now the Worman House
Restaurant. Both are key architectural
landmarks on the Big Cedar grounds.
Legend holds, in fact, that Dorothy Worman
(Harry Worman's wife) was not exactly
enthralled with the isolation of the Ozarks.
She supposedly ran away to Mexico where
she died. But according to both visitors and
some staff members, she may have come
back. Many stories are told of sightings of a
spectral figure on the grounds and many
believe that Dorothy Worman is the "Ghost of
Big Cedar."
 | |  | |  | |  | |  |
Ownership of the property passed on from
the Worman and Simmons families during
the years after the Great Depression and for
a time the well-known Devil's Pool Resort
operated on the grounds. Table Rock Lake
was completed in 1958, turning the formerly
remote hollow into a beautiful lake front
setting.
Bass Pro Shops acquired the property in
1987, beautifully restoring the Worman and
Simmons homes and developing Big Cedar
as one of the premier resorts in the Ozarks.
Nearby Dogwood Valley Nature Park is an
associated attraction.
Big Cedar Resort is located just ten minutes
south of Branson, Missouri. Follow U.S. 65
South, turn right on Missouri Highway 86 and
watch for the signs.
Please click here to visit the resort's official
website for more information and online
reservations.
the Worman and Simmons families during
the years after the Great Depression and for
a time the well-known Devil's Pool Resort
operated on the grounds. Table Rock Lake
was completed in 1958, turning the formerly
remote hollow into a beautiful lake front
setting.
Bass Pro Shops acquired the property in
1987, beautifully restoring the Worman and
Simmons homes and developing Big Cedar
as one of the premier resorts in the Ozarks.
Nearby Dogwood Valley Nature Park is an
associated attraction.
Big Cedar Resort is located just ten minutes
south of Branson, Missouri. Follow U.S. 65
South, turn right on Missouri Highway 86 and
watch for the signs.
Please click here to visit the resort's official
website for more information and online
reservations.
Carriage at Big Cedar
Horse-drawn carriage tours of
the grounds are popular with
guests of Big Cedar Resort.
Horse-drawn carriage tours of
the grounds are popular with
guests of Big Cedar Resort.
The Ghost of Big Cedar
Dogwood Canyon Nature Park
Showboat Branson Belle
Return to the Branson Main Page
Historic Sites in Missouri
Explore other Southern Historic Sites
Dogwood Canyon Nature Park
Showboat Branson Belle
Return to the Branson Main Page
Historic Sites in Missouri
Explore other Southern Historic Sites
Sunset over Table Rock
Table Rock Lake at sunset is
seen here from Big Cedar
Resort.
Table Rock Lake at sunset is
seen here from Big Cedar
Resort.
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| Copyright 2011 by Dale Cox All rights reserved. |