Bella Vista -- End of summer 1926

Courtesy Photo Bella Vista Historical Museum Marshall Van Pool’s orchestra played for dances at Lake Bella Vista for several years in the late 1920’s, starting in 1926.
Courtesy Photo Bella Vista Historical Museum Marshall Van Pool’s orchestra played for dances at Lake Bella Vista for several years in the late 1920’s, starting in 1926.

In 1917, the Linebarger Brothers opened the Bella Vista Summer Resort at Lake Bella Vista. Following is a reprint from the Aug. 31, 1926, issue of the Linebargers' newspaper, Bella Vista Breezes. They reported the summer season of 1926 to be their best summer yet.

BELLA VISTA CLOSES SEASON SATURDAY NIGHT. GREATEST SUMMER IN HISTORY

Bella Vista closes Saturday night. With the first tinge of fall appearing in the air, with bird hunting hovering around in sight, the management announced Saturday that one more week of pleasure was left, and then the resort will be closed until next June.

The past season has been a tremendous success. ... The great tourist traffic began to open about the first of July, and since then the resort has been packed. At one time, it was difficult for the management to find cottages and rooms to accommodate the overflow of visitors. A record crowd was heralded here on the Fourth of July when more than 25,000 were guests during the weekend, which is the largest number of people to ever come to one playhouse in the land of the Ozark playgrounds.

And never before have the visitors had such a good time or found a superior resort. Over the years, the management has molded Bella Vista, and now it is reaching perfection and has become the largest cottage-owning summer resort in the United States.

Contracts for next year already number around 100, and before the opening of next season, 200 new homes will deck the mountain tops of new additions that are to be opened this fall and next spring.

Marshall Van Pool's Bella Vista orchestra will be back. The band has been one of the greatest drawing cards of the resort and the people have come from miles away to hear the orchestra. They have signed a contract to be right here for the opening dance of 1927.

Nothing will be left undone that can be made better. Few of the plans of the management have been made public, but they are planning and are going to do a world of improvement.

The construction work will be left in charge of C.A. Linebarger, resident manager. The Dallas office will again open upon the return of C.C. Linebarger, Dallas Rupe, and Gordon Rupe. Sales of cottage sites will again be carried on by the Rupes and Terry Peel.

It is a sad feeling to feel the end of the season drawing so near the end. After a perfect three months, it is hard to close the grand resort supreme of the South.

With the same old feeling, visitors and dwellers are leaving, wishing it was time to be back again for another year.

It won't be long now. And it won't be much longer until the opening of another grand year. God speed you all back, and we hang the bunting of welcome and it waves on through the winter and will greet you for the opening of another season, 1927.