A People's History of Kansas City

Making the Lake of the Ozarks

By Suzanne Hogan,

Published July 27, 2023 at 3:00 AM CDT

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A group of vacationers enjoying the sandy beaches at the Lake of the Ozarks.

With more shoreline than the coast of California, the Lake of the Ozarks in mid-central Missouri is a popular tourist destination for land-locked Midwesterners. For decades, it's provided financial opportunities for locals and outside interests alike — but at what cost? The story of how this man-made body of water came to be involves corruption, jail time, communities torn apart, and displaced families.

This episode of A People's History of Kansas City was reported, produced and mixed by Suzanne Hogan with help from interns Noah Zahn and Gabriella Lacey and editing by Madeline Fox and Mackenzie Martin.

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Suzanne Hogan

As managing podcast producer for KCUR Studios and a host of A People’s History of Kansas City, I want to feed your curious mind, offer historical context so you understand why things are the way they are, and introduce you to the people working to make a difference behind the scenes. Reach me at hogansm@kcur.org.

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Noah Zahn

Noah Zahn is the summer 2023 news intern for KCUR and the Missouri Business Alert. He's a recent graduate of the University of Missouri. Email him at noahzahn@kcur.org.

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Gabriella Lacey

Gabriella "Gabby" Lacey is an intern for KCUR Studios. She will begin her junior year at the Missouri School of Journalism in the fall.

See stories by Gabriella Lacey