It was early January 2021, when I saw one of Tim McKnabb’s videos of the Finley River on Facebook. At that moment I saw a muddy, brown, and roll’n Finley river. As I watched the video, I thought about how beautiful she is and that she’s never anything other than what she is! A true beauty of nature, mystery, and contradiction. A tune started floating into my head and I spent several weeks crafting the song “The Finley River.” Thanks for the inspiration, Tim.
In my hometown, Ozark, Missouri, the Finley River is a staple. She is always there doing what she does through all the seasons. She provides a beautiful backdrop in the summer for swimming, floating, duck races, weddings, and exquisite dining but in the winter and early spring, she changes dramatically. She often floods the surrounding areas and transforms into a less peaceful and more powerful river. I can’t say that I appreciated the Finley when I lived in Ozark. However, I spent many summer days as a youngster at the Vaughn‘s house on the Finley jumping off the dock and swimming in the river with my childhood friend Lynda Vaughn. Lynda, my longtime friend, often invited me to her grandparent's house, and, well, they lived in Ozark right on the Finley River. We fished, swam, and played alongside the Finley on long, lazy, breezy, summer days. This happened long before my family moved to Ozark. Writing this song was an incredible circle of life moment for me. After I finished the song, I sent a text to one of my best friends, Chris Gentile-Ronen, and asked if she’d sing on “The Finley River” with me. After a few choice words I can’t repeat she said, “Are you kidding me? Yes, of course, I will.” This was the second “Circle of life moment.” Chris & Gina known as the “The Ozark Girls” won several local singing contests from Bob-O-Links in Branson to the KKTS-Country Jubilee in Springfield back in the day. Chris and I began our music careers together, eventually following our paths but always remaining the best of friends. It’s an honor to have Chris’ voice on the song with me. We planned to do the video together but there are a lot of miles between Tennessee and Texas. It’s interesting as I move through life how my perceptions change. The Finley River has served the citizens of Ozark Missouri and helped the city to flourish for decades. If you would like to read more about “The Finley River” and the “Riverside Bridge” I have attached more information below.
Ozark Mill begins a slow slide back onto its new Finley River foundation
One of the heroes of the bridge was Kris Dryer. Kris entered the fight to save the bridge, She created the Facebook page "Save Riverside Bridge, Ozark, MO" in 2010. Kris was interviewed by a local T.V. station and quickly became the face of the movement. Johnny Morris and his daughter Megan Stack were visionaries in preserving The Ozark Mill and the Riverside Bridge. This family has a passion for history and preservation.
History of Riverside Bridge
1909: The bridge is built for $3,648 by the Canton Bridge Company of Canton, Ohio. Its original location was where the McCracken Road bridge is today, which is at the site of the old Ozark Mill. Earlier in 1909, a wooden bridge at the site was washed downriver.
1923: Most historians believe this is when the Riverside Inn opened. It was a restaurant and during Prohibition, a speakeasy.
1924: The Riverside Bridge is moved from the site at the Ozark Mill to farther north. A new two-lane bridge (the one still standing today) is constructed at the mill to accommodate automobiles instead of wagons.
Dec. 12, 2009: The Riverside Inn, which was responsible for much of the traffic over the Riverside Bridge, serves the final order of its famous fried chicken. The restaurant was repeatedly flooded by the nearby Finley River.
2010: The Riverside Inn is torn down.
June 2013: The Ozark Special Road District starts repairs of the Riverside Bridge.
August 2013: The road district celebrates the reopening of Riverside Bridge.
July 10, 2015: The bridge is damaged again during a 100-year flooding of the Finley River. It closes for good.
2016: The Ozark Special Road District says it would cost roughly $400,000 to repair the bridge and $1.5 million to build a new two-lane bridge.
July 2018: Bass Pro announces it will foot the bill for disassembling the Riverside Bridge and will renovate it and make it part of its' Finley development at a renovated Ozark Mill.
April 2, 2021: Finley Farms welcomes the Riverside Bridge to its' new home.
Gina Glidewell, you are a special person, composer, musician, philosopher and friend! Thank you for all that you do! Your Mississippi friend, Jim McNeill