Photo courtesy of Xyta Lucas
This postcard, which shows how the entrance to Wonderland Cave on Dartmoor Road looked at the time, was postmarked July 29, 1942, at Camp Crowder, Mo., and mailed to Mr. Jasper Harding in the small town of Coshocton, Ohio, from his son, Homer "Ralph" Harding. There was no stamp attached; instead the word "FREE" is written in all caps above the empty space. Ralph wrote his dad, "... to let you know that I'm ok and sorry I have not wrote to you sooner but I just haven't had time to write to anyone." In Gilbert Fite's book, "From Vision to Realty: A History of Bella Vista Village, 1915-1993," he wrote about how times were hard during the war years for the Linebarger Brothers' summer resort at Lake Bella Vista, but "(o)ne saving factor for the resort was the location of Camp Crowder near Neosho, Mo., only about 25 miles from Bella Vista. Soldiers provided business for the Sunset Hotel and also attended the few dances and parties at Wonderland Cave. Without military personnel visiting the resort and spending money, there would have been very little demand for Bella Vista's vacation facilities." Wonderland Cave has been closed since the early 1990s. The present owners are seeking investors to reopen it and develop a family "park adventure" above ground. For more information about Bella Vista history, visit the Bella Vista Historical Museum on U.S. Highway 71 at the corner of Kingsland Road, next door to the American Legion. Admission is free, and hours are noon to 4 p.m., Wednesdays through Sundays. Also check out the museum's website, www.bellavistamuseum.org, or its Facebook page.
Community on 02/15/2017