Ep. 230 - The Old Ozarks - These Sticks are Made for Walkin’ (S2:E2)

Welcome to The Old Ozarks with Dr. Brooks Blevins...

This week, we start with a word that'll make any bush-hogger wince — "stob" — before hobbling our way into the true tale of a tiny Arkansas crossroads with a mighty title: the Walking Stick Capital of the World.

We'll trace the Scots-Irish roots of "stob," pay tribute to Karl Childers and Sling Blade along the way, and then head to Fryatt, Arkansas — a wide spot in the road barely big enough to see both its highway signs at once — to meet Newt Blagg, the handle-maker turned cane man who founded a walking-stick dynasty out of a borrowed barn in 1931.

We'll cover his unlikely brush with a stray bullet on a Kansas train, the steam barrels and drawknives that bent hickory into "Little Bo Peep" crooks, and how his craft passed down through generations of Berrys, Albrights, Flynns, and Marlers until Fryatt earned its unofficial crown as the cane-making capital of the world. It's a story of stobs, sticks, and the quiet Ozark ingenuity that turned scrap hickory into a national industry.

Let's dive into this episode of The Old Ozarks...

What is The Old Ozarks?

The Old Ozarks is your gateway to the forgotten history of the Ozarks. Hosted by renowned historian Dr. Brooks Blevins, the leading authority on the region’s history, this podcast explores the lives, legends, and landscapes that have shaped this unique region.

Whether you’re a native Ozarker, a new resident, or a curious listener, join us as we share the stories that make the Ozarks special and connect us to our past.