Roland Bruner at Roaring River, Prior to 1920


Roland Bruner was born in Pennsylvania in 1860 to German parents. His family moved to Franklin Co., KS and his father worked for the railroad. Roland married Hannah McLain of Wellsville, KS and spent his honeymoon at Roaring River where his dream began. They had five children and died in 1940.

In 1910 Bruner made improvements and offered a few lots and cabins for sale, and in 1910 he stocked the river with trout from a hatchery that he built just below the spring area.

These cabins, pictured below, were built by Bruner and were located across the where the swimming pool was located.

Sometime before 1920 Bruner sold an interest to F. J. Bannister, president of Long-Bell Lumber Company, who made improvements to the hotel.

Bob Hutchens operated a 12 passenger Ford vehicle that picked up people coming in on the railroad and transported them to Roaring River. This was around 1920.

The Bannister and Bruner partnership did not go well and so in 1922 the Roaring River holdings of Bruner and Bannister were mortgaged to a Kansas City firm. In 1928 about 2500 acres was offered in a foreclosure sale on the courthouse steps of Cassville.

At the time of the foreclosure sale the property included a saw mill, hydro-electric plant, electric laundry, refrigeration plant, ice plant and Roaring River camps and Hotel.

In 1928 Thomas M. Sayman purchased the property on the steps of the court house in Cassville and paid a cash price of $105,000 for it. Sayman was a St. Louis soap manufacture.

After the sale Sayman learned soon after that the trout had been mortgaged and were about to be repossessed. So, after learning he had not bought the whole thing he made the decision to give the property to the state.

On December 6, 1928 he presented the entire tract of 2,400 areas to the State of Missouri for a Missouri State Park.
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1928 - Dr. Sayman was honored by the Cassville Commercial Club - forerunner to the Chamber of Commerce - at a fish fry at the trout farm near Cassville.

Front Row: Bill Truhitte, Fred Black, Jess Preddy, Sunshine Vanderpool, Fred Meador, Russell Windes, Charles Willis, Gladen Daugherty, Troy Wilson and Dorsey Sturgis

Second Row: Dave Roller, Clinton Blythe, Dr. Sayman, Curtis Smity, Clyde Stubblefield, Floyd Barber, Ross Raird or Baird?, Dr. Blankenship, John McFarlin, George Joslin and Evan Shore

Third Row: Mr. Allen, Vernon Chubley, J. A. Blalack, Rev. Patrick, Glen Truhitte, Thurman Kelley, Floyd Inman, Calvin Henderson and Fred McPhail

Photo courtesy of Senator Emory Melton - extracted from page 21 of Roaring River Heritage by Irene Horner, 1978 printing by Litho Printers of Cassville, MO.
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