Mystery of the Irish Wilderness: Land and Legend of Father John Joseph Hogan's Lost Irish Colony in the Ozark Wilderness

by Leland Payton and Crystal Payton

Deep in the Missouri Ozarks is a wilderness preserve named after a short-lived settlement of Irish immigrants. They came in hope and optimism, only to be scattered by conflicting forces of the Civil... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0967392543
• ISBN13: 9780967392547
• Release Date: July 2008
• Publisher: Lens & Pen Press
• Length: 128 Pages
• Weight: 1.24 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Allure of the wild, the dedication of an Irish priest

This exquisitely photographed book belongs on the shelves of all who have an appreciation for the beauty and ruggedness of the American wilderness and the people it has drawn. Leland and Crystal Payton skillfully blend these elements in this well-researched story of a plucky Irish priest and his attempt to settle what is now known as the Irish Wilderness in the Missouri Ozarks.

Emeralds in the Ozarks

I've written three books on Missouri history and I'm still amazed at how many interesting stories there are still to be told about this state's fascinating past. One of them is the tale of a dedicated Irish priest who set up a colony for Irish immigrants in the rough hill country of the Ozarks. The Paytons are well known for their beautiful photographs of the Ozark region, and like their earlier books this volume is filled with them. The text is interesting too, telling of Father John Joseph Hogan's efforts to develop and serve two different colonies in widely separated regions of Missouri, one in the northern prairie, and the other in the Ozarks near the southern edge of the state. The first colony prospered, but the other disappeared during the chaos of the Civil War. The Paytons meticulously reconstruct what could have happened to the colonists, and found that at least some seemed to have returned to the region after the fighting stopped. Most, however, moved away to parts unknown, so an enduring air of mystery still surrounds Hogan's Ozark colony. To complete the story, the book covers Hogan's rise to become the first bishop of Kansas City and St. Joseph's, and the successful fight by twentieth century preservationists to get the "Irish Wilderness" declared National Forest. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in Missouri, Irish-American, or Catholic history. I also enjoyed their book, See The Ozarks, about the development and reinvention of the rural region into a major holiday center. It's full of images of vintage postcards, a hobby of mine, so it was an easy sell for me!

Beautiful Ozarks Book

Leland and Crystal Payton's book is beautifully written and illustrated, giving much historical information on Father (later Bishop) John Joseph Hogan's attempt to settle Irish immigrants in the region now known as the Irish Wilderness. Any hisory buff--especially those who love the Missouri Ozarks--would truly enjoy reading this book.

Good Read

I'm not normally in to this kind of thing, but this book caught my eye. Interesting topic, great pictures, and great writing. Kudos for getting me interested in a topic I wasn't before.

The Irish were everywhere!

The Irish Diaspora is often thought of as east coast phenomonom But they were a hardy, adventourous group desparate for land and a life of their own. They followed the sun west, guided by a Bishop who promised them a chance to develop their own world. And in deepest southern Missouri it looked as though they would succeed. But the civil war intervened and a "Lost Colony" was the result. This carefully researched record uncovers a mystery worthy of its own movie! War, deceit, passion and the indomitable spirit of a people freed of their old world bondage, only to land and then disappear in the new world!