It was 1993 when I first laid eyes on Big Creek. I was at a weekend retreat just south of our property on what is now called Shepherd of the Ozarks. The moment I saw it I was captivated by its crystal clear water, and the white rock beauty of its banks. The dramatic cliffs that Big Creek winds through gave a feeling of untamed wilderness I had seldom seen. Scott and I were young, struggling entrepreneurs with little money to leverage against the handful of owners who held all the property along the banks of Big Creek. Regardless, we didn’t loose hope. For 6 years after that first encounter, we invested in the relationships of the local people in the area. We worked hard to gain their trust and over time we got them to show us the many hidden secrets in the surrounding wilderness areas; caves, waterfalls, and old homesteads lost to time. We also got to know the Big Creek land owners making them aware of our desire to own a piece of Big Creek one day. In 1999, we finally got our opportunity.
Frank Minirith - who at one time owned much of the land surrounding Big Creek - approached us with interest in selling the piece of property where Leatherwood Lodge now sits. He wanted the land to go to someone who would take care of it, and who appreciated its beautiful just as much as he did. I can still remember bushwhacking out to Chapel Rock for the first time. I could not believe that such a unique feature with its one-of-a-kind panoramic view wasn’t already claimed by the National Forest. It was just the kind of land we had been dreaming of. Since we didn’t have the cash or collateral to borrow the money, he graciously agreed to finance much of the land for us. That first land purchase was 65 acres. Since that time we have added another 60 acres. For years after that first purchase, we brought our families on camping trips setting up tents on the gravel bars next to the creek. Twice we had architects design cabins, but we were never in the financial position to build those cabins. It wasn’t until 2016, seventeen years after our initial land purchase that we were finally in the financial position to build Leatherwood Lodge.
The remote nature of the property made building a challenge. The first hurdle was the cost of bringing electric power to the property. Estimates where nearly $100,000 to run electricity to the land. We also wanted an architecturally unique cabin; preferably timber frame with native rock. So the other hurdle was finding a builder who had the skill to build a lodge like this in such a remote location. My mountain climbing adventures had brought me in contact with climbers out in Wyoming who had experience in off-grind living. One in particular, Russell Rainey, was experienced in building energy efficient homes and had been around off-grid construction. His expertise gave us the courage to build an energy efficient lodge off-grid. I had also started a friendship with John Page who was experienced in timber frame construction, and was looking for a project to bolster his portfolio of timeframe homes. These two craftsmen worked in partnership to engineer and build Leatherwood Lodge. We are forever grateful for the work of these men. Check out this video story by John Page
the following partners brought our dream to life.
General Contractor - John Page and his team of skilled craftsmen with Page Timber Works
Off-Grid Engineering - Russell Rainey with Homes4Life - russell@adventures.life
Architect - The creative vision of Chad Young
Solar Installation - Bill Ball with Stellar Sun
Electrical - Ross Glover with Jacobs Electric - jacobselectricllc@gmail.com
Heating and Air - Blake Moseley with Moseley HVAC - (501) 425-5296
Well Drilling - Wesley Shipman with Shipman's Pump, Inc. - (870) 449-6046
Plumbing - Westlake Plumbing
Landscape Design and Installation - Stacey Stafford - staffordfinegardening@gmail.com
Septic System - Anton with A & C Excavating - (870) 449-4599
Construction Financing - Corey Bryant with First Security Bank
On-Going Property Maintenance - Randy Woods - randyjwoods@outlook.com
