In our constant forays online searching for tidbits of historical information, we recently came across a reference to the “Arkansas Pearl Rush.” That casual encounter led to a revelation that few today would ever have expected.
Our first inclination was to assume that this was just an “Arkansas” folktale and to ignore it. After all, this continuing series is about our (Missouri) Ozark Journey. But something inside pushed me on. It turns out that the Arkansas Pearl Rush was actually a big thing, and it did spill over into Ozark County.
It was reportedly caused by a New Jersey shoemaker who found a large pearl in a New Jersey river and sold it to Tiffany & Company in New York for $1,500. This was in the 1850s, when $1,500 was more than $50,000 today. Tiffany ultimately sold that pearl to the Empress of France.
For the rest of this article: https://ozarkcountytimes.com/news-local-news/ozark-journey-great-ozarks-pearl-rush-seeking-fortunes-ozarks-streams