Eminence is best in Missouri and
one of the top 50 outdoor sports towns in America, according to
the February issue of the magazine Sports Afield.
"Compiled by our editors and
correspondents, it's a comprehensive guide to the best backcountry
outpost in every state," says the article, "including
the friendliest motels, the most knowledgeable guides, the fishiest
waters, the most rugged trails and the best cheap eats. We've even
researched the real estate scene for those of you fantasizing about
relocating."
Sports Afield's editor-in-chief John
Atwood calls the article one of the biggest projects the magazine
has undertaken. "We searched for small, undiscovered towns
where the people are real, the prices are low, and your dog is as
welcome as you are," he noted. "And we identified the
best such place in every state."
"We aren't looking for overexposed,
expensive mountain towns like Telluride or Jackson Hole," said
coordinating editor Tim Bogardus. "We want small, undiscovered
places that sportsmen like to preserve for themselves."
Under "Lay of the Land",
the Sports Afield article describes the county seat of Shannon as,
"Nestled comfortably in the Ozarks along the Jacks Fork River,
Eminence is surrounded by 300-foot hills covered with oak, hickory
and dense stands of pine in the Mark Twain National Forest."
Eminence's "Claim to Fame"
is listed as: "Canoeing and camping on more than 120 miles
of navigable waters on the Jacks Fork and Current rivers in the
Ozark National Scenic Riverways and in the Mark Twain National Forest.
More than two dozen campgrounds lie within 30 miles of Eminence."
Under "Attractions" the
magazine says the following about Eminence and the surrounding area.
"Drift fishing for smallmouth bass and redear sunfish on the
Jacks Fork River, Horseback trail rides, Deer, raccoon and turkey
hunting in the Mark Twain National Forest."
"Local Lore" is capsulized
thusly, "Legend has it that Eminence was a popular stopover
for Jesse James and his band of outlaws who used the limestone caves
in the area as hideouts - as did the local moonshiners. Eminence
is the hometown of astronaut Tom Akers, former principal of Eminence
High School and veteran of four space shuttle missions."
The article's final nugget of information
on Eminence is under "Real Estate" and says, "A three-bedroom,
one-bathroom single-story home in town, a mile from the Jacks Fork
River, sold last autumn for $25,000."
Other details listed in the article
include population 760, elevation 800 feet and peak season May -
September. Several towns are listed with less population than Eminence,
the smallest being Last Chance, Idaho with a population of 40.
Sports Afield is published 10 times
a year by The Hearst Corporation of New York, with an approximate
national circulation of 450,000.
"The Jack's Fork River is one
of the world's most scenic float, fishing streams." - Life
Magazine
Get aquainted with Eminence
Missouri, the Current
River, Jack's Fork
River and the Ozark
National Scenic Riverways area.
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