Cover Story An aerial view of the dam. ALAN WOHLGEMUT
The
heart of the
Ozarks
C E L E B R AT I N G 9 0 Y E A R S O F BAG N E L L DA M & T H E ST R I P
16 | JULY/AUGUST 2021 | LAKE LIFESTYLES MAGAZINE
BY MARIE KROLIKOWSKI
“The Strip”… the icon for the Lake of the Ozarks. The current row of restaurants, bars and shops didn’t look like it did years ago. The area was originally developed by businesses that sold staples for the workers during the construction of Bagnell Dam. When the dam construction began in 1929, The Strip served as a location for workers to eat, buy clothes and groceries. When the dam was complete and the workers left, the need for these businesses disappeared. Some businesses, however, decided to remain and launched The Strip as an entertainment space for the infl ux of visitors coming to the Lake.
