Buffalo National River

History & Culture The Ozark Region has a long human history. People have lived here since the Paleoindians beginning about 10,000 years ago, through early European settlement in the 1800s to farmers, loggers and miners in the 20th century. The park strives to protect the historic structures, landscapes, and artifacts that tell the varied stories of people who once called these ridges and river valleys home. History is everywhere. History is a part of who we were, who we are, and who we will be