Long before Robert Snyder built his famous stone castle high among the bluffs of the Ozarks; the area was home to the Osage, Cherokee and other Native American Indian tribes. Many early explorers traveled through the area including Daniel Boone and his son Nathan, and later, Zebulon Pike passed nearby on his way to explore the West.

When pioneers began to settle the area, a man by the name of Robert G. Scott surveyed the property as a possible railroad route in the early 1890’s. Though this idea was not feasible, Scott was taken by the scenic beauty, high bluffs, caves and natural springs. Returning to his native Iowa in 1894, he convinced a partner named Kellogg into purchasing a large tract of land, built a small settlement, and named it Gunter Springs, after an early resident of the area. Approximately three miles southwest of Camdenton, Gunter Springs quickly sprouted several new buildings. However, Scott wanted to change the name of the settlement to something more romantic and indicative of the distinctive landscape and beauty of the area. Finally, he settled upon the Osage Indian phrase "Ha Ha Tonka” meaning "Laughing Spirit” in reference to the gushing springs. In 1895, the post office was changed from Gunter Springs to Ha Ha Tonka.

Scott, however, retained some tracts along the Niangua River and in later years he operated Camp Neongwah, a rustic retreat and campground near the banks of what was about to become the Lake of the Ozarks.

Snyder, one of seven children born to John and Sarah (Pence) Snyder in Columbus, Indiana in 1852, came from humble beginnings. His father, grandfather and great-grandfather were millers by trade, owning mills and grocery stores in Virginia, Kentucky, Indiana and Missouri.