A homestead is a cluster of homes and families, built to provide security, shelter, and a sense of home for those in the community and passers-by. Not long after the railroad transformed a White River camp into the bustling little town of Branson, the Old Stone Church was built. Gospel preaching had created the Presbyterian congregation, and the congregation worked with the townspeople to create the church.  People donated the land, lumber, and labor. They gave or raised what they could for the project – even children chipped in by picking and selling wild berries.  Together, more than a church building was built.