Founded in 1917,
Rockaway Beach is a tiny little resort community, tucked
away on the shores of Lake Taneycomo, and holds the unique
distinction of being the first Family Resort Community west
of the Mississippi River.
Also touted to be the Ozark's first tourist destination,
there's never a dull moment here at Rockaway Beach. The
picturesque one and a half mile shoreline is home to a vivid
array of attractively priced restaurants, marinas, and
shops, while the trout-infested waters of the lake attract
angling enthusiasts from all over Missouri. History buffs
will inevitably revel in the fact that the legendary Al
Capone vacationed on the scenic shores of the lake during
his heyday, and can also take a peek at his hideaway across
the waters of the lake from downtown Rockaway.
If you're planning to bring the family along on a fishing
trip, Rockaway Beach ensures you have everything you need
with their newly renovated causeway, fishing island and
pier, with free access. |
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This vivacious community also organizes a number of events
and special activities all through the year, which include
live talent contests, fishing weekends, flea markets and the
famed Annual Hydroplane Race |
Local standing
local legend claims that mob boss and gangster Al
Capone had a secret hideaway on the shores of Lake
Taneycomo across from the resort community of
Rockaway Beach, Missouri.
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The Ruins of
What is Rumored to Be Al Capone's Summer Resort Home
Can Be Seen on Lake Taneycomo
Al Capone remains one of the most notorious crime
figures in American history. His place in the crime
annals of Chicago history is confirmed and Capone is
famous - or infamous - for his many deeds. His
spirit is said
to haunt both Eastern State Penitentiary in
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania as well as Alcatraz, both
prisons where Mr. Capone "did hard time". During his
lifetime, he had several hideaway spots where he
went to escape the long arm of the law but his
hideouts were always discovered by the police. He
may, however, have had a hideaway that remained a
secret.
On the shores of Lake Taneycomo, in a small lake
front community called Rockaway Beach, Missouri,
there has long been a legend that Al Capone once
summered at the site. At first, the idea may seem
impossible but it may just be true.
Although today Rockaway Beach is a quiet, almost
sleepy tiny town on the shores of the lake,
frequented primarily by fishermen and others who
seek the peaceful surroundings of the Ozarks.
Located just minutes away from the bright lights and
major amusements of vacation mecca Branson,
Missouri, however, Rockaway Beach still draws a few
tourists who like to play in Branson but stay where
it's quiet.
A few of those tourists are drawn by a local legend
that Al Capone spent his summers here, away from
Chicago and far from the law officers who sought
him.
Across the waters of Lake Taneycomo are the ruins of
what was once a summer home, one of the simple
two-story wooden cottages once common to the area.
This one, however, is special because it has long
been rumored to have been the summer hideaway for Al
Capone.
Now accessible only by boat, the ruins of this
summer house may hold the key to the truth behind
the legend but since it is located on private
property, any secrets here may soon be lost to the
elements and the passage of time.
T he
Ruins of What is Rumored to Be Al Capone's Summer
Resort Home Can Be Seen on Lake Taneycomo
Back in Capone's heyday, Rockaway Beach was a party
town. During the Roaring Twenties, Rockaway roared
with the best of the flapper girls, bootleggers, and
other flamboyant figures who trekked to the
backwoods to have
fun. They came from Kansas City, St. Louis, Tulsa,
and even Chicago to party and drink in a region
where making moonshine whiskey had long been an art.
Ozark folks didn't see any harm in making whiskey
despite the Prohibition laws that prohibited the
manufacture, sale, or drinking of alcohol.
At the former dance pavilion - now a flea market
that is seldom open - party goers got off a boat
that brought them up from Branson where they arrived
by train from the big cities. The jazz played, the
young, beautiful, and famous danced the night away.
Two hotels - still referred to as The White Hotel
and the Brown Hotel - catered to these out of town
guests. Bathtub gin as well as moonshine liquor
flowed like the waters of the Lake and romance was
in the air.
Rockaway Beach in the 1920's was the kind of place
that Al Capone would have enjoyed and it is very
likely that he was drawn here. Once here, the story
is that he liked the area so much and could live an
almost normal life without fear of the law that he
rented a summer home which he may have later bought.
During periods of time when even his biographers
admit Capone was out of pocket in parts unknown,
Capone is rumored to have been in Rockaway Beach,
swimming in the lake, dancing at the Pavilion, and
sharing a romance with an unnamed local lady.
No hard evidence has been found to support the
claims that Capone was there but no proof that he
wasn't exist either so the legend lives on, adding
to the romance of Rockaway Beach and maybe someday
the truth will be found.
Until then, curious tourists and Capone fans still
veer off the beaten path to visit Rockaway Beach and
peer at the ruins of what may have once been Al
Capone's summer home.
By LA
BYLINE | Published 4/4/2008
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