Ozark County Historium to host program with ‘Accidental Ozarkian’ Thursday

The Ozark County Historium will host the "Accidental Ozarkian," also known as Barbara Baird of Norwood,  for a free program at 10 a.m. Thursday, June 12. Baird was originally scheduled to present the program in April, but due to high water, the program was postponed until now.

Baird has recently published a book, “Milling Around: Exploring 26 Mills in the Missouri Ozarks,” and will talk about her experiences as she researched this publication. 

While Barbara is the author of the text in the book, Jason Baird, Barbara's husband, is credited with the beautiful photography. Jason, whose photographs have been featured in newspapers and national travel and outdoor magazines, accompanied her on her visits to each of the 26 mills. He will also accompany his wife for the Historium presentation. 

Baird was the managing editor of the St. James Leader-Journal when she began writing a weekly column entitled "The Accidental Ozarkian." The popularity of her writing led her to self-syndicating her articles, with some features appearing in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the Columbia Tribune and in travel magazines.  

After seven years and 350 columns, Baird turned her attention to her work at Women's Outdoor News, establishing it as the premiere outdoor publication for women by women writers and videographers. 

Her website, The Accidental Ozarkian, also has featured her past columns, and she sometimes posts a new adventure, always featuring a unique corner of the Ozarks.

Her book about the mills came as a result of not being able to find a guidebook about Missouri's unique collection of the structures. 

"I know most of your people know about Ozark County's mills, so I will focus more on some of the other ones I feature in my book," said Baird.

In her presentation, Baird will speak about her experiences, ("sometimes historical, sometimes quirky and humorous"), as she has delved into the culture and personality of the Ozarks. She will also have some copies of her book to sign and sell. 

 The event is free and open to all. The Historium is located on the west side of the courthouse square in downtown Gainesville and is easily accessible. For more information, call 417-679-2400 during the facility's regular hours of operation, from 10-2 on Wednesday through Friday.