Born in Benton County in 1912, Dr. Compton was a respected obstetrician and passionate environmentalist. In 1962, he founded the Ozark Society to Save the Buffalo River, successfully leading a decade-long grassroots effort to stop the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers from constructing dams along the river. Thanks to his advocacy, the Buffalo River became the first National River in the U.S. in 1972.

Dr. Compton lived on this property with his wife Laurene, their three children, and Laurene’s mother, Eddie Putman. The family home, now the centerpiece of Compton Gardens, was built in 1951 and originally designed by architect Cecil Stansfield. Dr. Compton filled the property with native plants and trees, a practice that would inspire the gardens’ long-term ecological vision.

In addition to his conservation work, Dr. Compton was an author and photographer, capturing the beauty of the Ozarks through both word and image. He passed away in 1999, but his impact continues to grow through the gardens and the ongoing work of the Ozark Society.