Historium to host Uchtmans for book signing, storytelling event

The Ozark County Historium will shine a spotlight on one of the Ozarks’ most remarkable hometown success stories later this month when Lonnie and Beverley Uchtman and their daughter, Lori Uchtman Rowe, visit the Gainesville square to share stories from their newly released book, “Home of the Hawk Dogs: The Legacy of Lonnie Uchtman and His Bluetick Hounds.”

The free event will begin at 3 p.m. Friday, July 24, at the Historium, located on the west side of the Gainesville square between Molly’s Salon and Pippin CPA.

Guests can expect an afternoon filled with storytelling, book sales and signings, and plenty of conversation as the Uchtmans recount the journey that transformed a simple love of Bluetick hounds into a legacy recognized throughout the coonhunting world. Historium organizers say refreshments will be available.

While the event centers around the family’s new book, it’s also an opportunity to hear firsthand from a family whose name has become synonymous with one of the most respected bloodlines in Bluetick history.

For those familiar with coonhunting, the name Lonnie Uchtman needs little introduction.

The Tecumseh resident has spent decades raising, training and hunting Bluetick hounds, earning accomplishments that have placed him among the most influential breeders in the history of the sport. His dedication has produced records that have stood for decades and, by his own estimation, are unlikely to ever be surpassed.

In fact, Uchtman remains the only breeder in the United Kennel Club’s 125-year history to own four generations of Top 10 reproducing stud dogs across any recognized coonhound breed, not just Blueticks, but Black and Tan, English, Plott, Treeing Walker, Leopard Cur and Redbone Coonhounds as well.

His legendary stud dog Hawk, born in 1981, still holds the distinction of being the No. 1 champion-producing Bluetick in UKC registry history. Of Hawk’s 914 registered pups, an astonishing 97 went on to earn championship titles. More than four decades later, that record still stands.

Today, the Hawk legacy is still alive. The Lonnie Uchtman family is now raising the seventh generation of Hawk dogs, and the bloodline continues to grow while carrying forward the qualities that made Hawk a legend in the Bluetick breed.

Other dogs from the Uchtman kennel, including Scout, Hornet, Clyde and Cheater, also earned places among the breed’s historical top reproducers, giving Lonnie ownership of one-fifth of the greatest reproducing Blueticks ever recorded.

Yet despite the accolades, trophies and world records, Lonnie has always maintained that he never set out to make history. “I was just coonhunting,” he told the Ozark County Times during an interview last year. “I wasn’t trying to break records.”

That outlook is woven throughout the Uchtman family’s story. The Bluetick legacy actually began with Lonnie’s father, William “Bill” Uchtman, who started breeding coonhounds in the 1950s around Clarkridge, Arkansas. Several of Bill’s sons, including Lonnie, followed in his footsteps, spending countless nights chasing raccoons through the Ozark hills.

Lonnie remembers leaving before daylight as a boy to hunt around the lake with his brothers, returning home hours later with stories that would help shape a lifetime passion.

After graduating from high school in 1972, Lonnie spent nearly five decades laying rock alongside his brother, Wilbern, in the family’s masonry business. The work was physically demanding, but no matter how long the day lasted, he almost always found enough energy to head into the woods after dark.

“It was never about the money for me,” Lonnie said. “It’s always just been about the dogs.”

Lonnie focused on preserving bloodlines that consistently produced outstanding hunting dogs. Over time, hunters from across the country, and eventually around the world, began seeking out the Uchtman name.

His reputation spread well beyond the Ozarks, but his roots never left home. Many of the dogs that built his legacy were trained and hunted throughout Ozark County, where generous landowners allowed Lonnie and his hunting partners access to farms and timberland over the years. He has often credited those landowners with helping make his success possible.

Lonnie also credits much of his success to his wife, Beverley. Raised in a family that also loved coonhunting, Beverley quickly became more than just a supportive spouse. She helped raise puppies, prepared dogs for travel, managed countless details behind the scenes and shared in nearly every chapter of the family’s journey.

Friends in the coonhunting community have often said Lonnie may have been the face of Uchtman Blueticks, but Beverley helped keep everything running.

Their daughter, Lori Uchtman Rowe, has now helped preserve that remarkable family history in print.

The book captures not only the accomplishments of some of the sport’s most legendary dogs but also the family’s experiences, traditions and lifelong dedication to breeding honest, hardworking Blueticks.

Visitors attending the Historium program will have an opportunity to hear stories that go beyond competition records and championship titles. They’ll hear about growing up in the Ozarks, building friendships that lasted a lifetime and preserving a tradition that has become part of the region’s heritage.

Even for those who have never followed coonhunting, the presentation promises to offer a fascinating glimpse into an important piece of Ozarks culture and the determination, hard work and family values that helped build one of the most respected names in the sport.

The event is expected to include stories from the family’s decades in the woods, opportunities to ask questions, purchase copies of “Home of the Hawk Dogs,” and have the opportunity to have books personally signed by Lonnie, Beverley and Lori.

Historium organizers encourage everyone with an interest in Ozark history, local families or outdoor traditions to attend. The event is free and open to all. The Historium, located on the west side of the square (in its own historic building) and is easily accessible to anyone. For more information, call the Ozark County Historium at 417-679-2400 during open hours of 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday through Friday or email ozarkco1@ozarkcountyhistory.org.