All Around Arkansas: The Story of the Arkansas Traveler

        If you've lived in the Natural State for even just a few months, chances are you've heard of the phrase "Arkansas Traveler." It applies to a song, story, painting, minor league baseball team and special certificate presented to out-of-state VIPs by the governor and secretary of state.

The origin of the Arkansas Traveler starts with a legend that says Col. Sandford C. Faulkner composed the music and lyrics to a song that became known as "The Arkansas Traveler" after an encounter with a squatter somewhere in the Ozark Mountains around 1840. 

Faulkner was in the area campaigning with several of his friends who were running for various political offices. Supposedly, Faulkner came upon the squatter playing a fiddle tune but was frustrated because he could not finish the piece. The squatter wasn’t very friendly to the strange traveler, but when Faulkner asked for the fiddle and finished the tune, the squatter quickly warmed up to him and even offered him some homemade moonshine. How’s that for Arkansas hospitality? 

Faulkner spun the tale and played the tune all over Arkansas and the surrounding states. But many modern-day historians believe that while Faulkner wrote the tune and came up with the tale, the encounter with the Ozarks squatter never happened. In 1987, the song was adopted by Arkansas' General Assembly as the official state historic song.

In 1856, Edward Payson Washbourne, an artist from Dwight Mission, Arkansas (near present-day Russellville), was inspired by the story and the tune of the Arkansas Traveler and painted the scene from the tale when the traveler meets the squatter. In 1859, J.H. Bufford of Boston made prints of Washbourne's painting. Below the print, the Arkansas Traveler’s melody line appears, as does the phrase, "Designed by one of the natives and Dedicated to Col. S. C. Faulkner," making it clear that Faulkner was the Arkansas Traveler and the author of the story. 

Unfortunately, Washbourne did not get to enjoy the painting’s fame for long; he died in Little Rock in March 1860. No one is sure what happened to Washbourne's original painting, but the Arkansas State Archives claims to be in possession of the restored original.

The Arkansas Traveler is also the name of an award bestowed on notable people who, through their actions, serve as goodwill ambassadors for the state of Arkansas. The certificate features a print of the Arkansas Traveler painting and is signed by the governor and secretary of state. The award was created in early 1941 by the General Assembly and was first presented to President Franklin D. Roosevelt in May 1941.

Probably the most popular use of the term Arkansas Traveler belongs to the Double A minor league baseball team, the Arkansas Travelers. The Travs started play in 1966, and through the decades the team has been affiliated with the Philadelphia Phillies, the St. Louis Cardinals, the Anaheim Angels and now the Seattle Mariners. 

The team's home field from 1932-2006 was the iconic Ray Winder Field, named for the team's first general manager, in Little Rock. In April 2007, the Travelers began play in the new Dickey-Stephens Park in North Little Rock. Sadly, after numerous unsuccessful attempts to save it, Ray Winder Field was demolished. The site now serves as a parking lot for the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. 

The term Arkansas Traveler is also the name of a tomato that originated in the early 1900s in the Ozark Mountain, as well as a brand of boat that was produced right here in the Natural State from the 1940s through the 1970s.

There is one more thing known as the Arkansas Traveler, and it's my personal favorite: my pontoon boat. It’s not historic and doesn’t make for an interesting story, but it seems to make family and friends want to visit me more often, especially in the summer. Speaking of summer, I hope all of you dear readers have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend and don’t forget the reason we celebrate.

A proud sixth-generation Arkansan, Darrell W. Brown is a lover of all things Arkansas. He lives on Lake Norrell in Saline County with his wife, Amy, and two beloved Boston Terriers. You can find him on Facebook and Instagram at AllAroundArkansas.

 

All Around Arkansas: The City That's Twice as Nice

 

            Growing up in central Arkansas, I can’t remember going to Texarkana unless we were passing through on the way to Dallas or Houston. 

             That changed after I met a native Texarkana girl in 2005, and especially after we tied the knot in 2010. Now I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been to the place that bills itself as the city that’s “twice as nice.” 

             But until a few weeks ago, I didn't know why there’s a Texarkana, Arkansas, and a Texarkana, Texas. My wife didn't know, and neither did my father- and mother-in-law. Thus began my quest to find the answer.

             Texarkana, Arkansas, was founded at the intersection of the Cairo and Fulton Railroad and the Texas and Pacific Railroad in December 1873 and incorporated in Arkansas in August 1880. Apparently, a group of proud Texans (aren’t they all?) wanted a stake in the new city’s action, so they got together and helped form the twin city sister of Texarkana, Texas, which was granted a charter by the Texas State Legislature in June 1874.  

             The city’s name is interesting. It’s a blend of Texas, Arkansas and Louisiana, which is about 30 miles away. But there are other theories as to how the city got its name. One says the city took its name from a steamboat known as the Texarkana, which traveled the waters of the nearby Red River in the early 1860s. Another says the town was named after a medicinal drink called “Texarkana Bitters,” which was sold in the late 1860s at a general store in nearby Bossier Parish, Louisiana.

             While commonly marketed as one city by its chamber of commerce, Texarkana consists of two separate municipalities, each with its own mayor, city council and police, fire, parks and sanitation departments. As the state of Texas does not have a state income tax, residents of the Arkansas side are exempt from Arkansas’ income tax.

             The border between Texas and Arkansas runs along the yellow center line of State Line Avenue in Texarkana. As Bowie County, Texas (named for the legendary hero of the Alamo, James Bowie), is a dry county, several liquor stores line the Arkansas side of State Line Avenue in Miller County (named for Arkansas’ first territorial governor, James Miller). Thirsty customers from Texas seeking adult beverages regularly cross the state line to patronize Arkansas watering holes.

             One famous downtown landmark is known as “Photographer’s Island.” The city is home to a federal courthouse and post office that straddles the two states. The courthouse building is the second most photographed courthouse in the U.S., second only to the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C. Built in 1932-33, the historic structure features a base of pink granite from Texas and walls of limestone from Arkansas. Photographer’s Island stands in front of the building where visitors can stand in two states at once and is open 24 hours a day free of charge. 

             Some famous Texarkansans include famed composer and pianist Scott Joplin, who was born in Texarkana, Texas, but raised on the Arkansas side. Businessman and 1992 and 1996 independent presidential candidate Ross Perot was born and raised in Texarkana, Texas. Former Arkansas Gov. Frank White was born and raised in Texarkana, Texas, and former Arkansas governor and 2008 and 2016 presidential candidate Mike Huckabee lived several years in Texarkana, Arkansas, as pastor of Beech Street Baptist Church

             So, does the city live up to its motto of being twice as nice? Considering my in-laws and many of my wife’s relatives live there, I would have to say so. It's a great city full of wonderful people and things to see and do. It also doesn’t hurt that the city has the closest Whataburger (my favorite burger chain) to my home in Saline County.

             A sixth-generation Arkansan, Darrell W. Brown is a lover of all things Arkansas. He served several years with the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism, and worked in all three divisions. He lives in Saline County with his wife, Amy, and two beloved Boston Terriers. Find him on Facebook and Instagram at AllAroundArkansas.

All Around Arkansas: North Little Rock's Old Mill

 

           North Little Rock is famous for many things. It’s where silver was discovered in the 1820s — hence its one-time name of Argenta, which comes from the Latin word for silver. It’s also the home of the Arkansas Travelers baseball team (at least for now) and the Arkansas Inland Maritime Museum.

            But the city is probably most famous for being the home of the legendary Old Mill.

            Through the decades, the Old Mill has been the site of thousands of weddings and the subject of countless photographs. While many believe it’s an actual old mill, the truth is that it's a replica of the grist mills that dotted the landscape of rural Arkansas in the late 1800s.

            The Old Mill was the brainchild of real estate developer and businessman Justin Matthews, who was responsible for the development of the Park Hill and Lakewood subdivisions in North Little Rock, as well as the Sylvan Hills community in Sherwood. Matthews also served on the Arkansas State Highway Commission and helped build Highway 107, which runs through North Little Rock and Sherwood, and the old Broadway Bridge.

            Matthews’ company built two other historic structures in central Arkansas: the Roundtop Filling Station and the Sylvan Hills Golf Course, now known as The Greens at North Hills, both in Sherwood.

            Around 1930, Matthews envisioned a working replica of a vintage grist mill and surrounding park as the centerpiece of his Lakewood subdivision in North Little Rock and a tribute to his friend and business partner, Thomas R. Pugh. In fact, the mill's real name is Pugh’s Mill and the surrounding park is the T.R. Pugh Memorial Park.

            Matthews asked his company architect, Frank Carmean, to design the mill and park. In 1932, he hired artist Dionico Rodriguez of Mexico City to sculpt the concrete work that was made to represent wood, iron or stone, and to design the parks' foot bridges, seats and benches.

            Rodriguez was so secretive about the process by which he produced his work that he would mix the products in the trunk of his car and slam it shut if anyone approached him. He was also known to break the jars of his ingredients and remove the labels so no one could copy him. Not even the family members who worked for him knew all his secrets.

            When the Old Mill was completed and officially dedicated by Matthews and Arkansas Gov. Charles Brough in August 1933, Rodriguez briefly spoke with the help of an interpreter. According to a report in the Arkansas Gazette, he told the crowd that the Old Mill and park was "his greatest commission ever in the United States” and that he “used only the finest grade of cement and the best structural steel and copper so the creations would live in the sight of any who may live or visit in this community for centuries.”

             The mill is arguably most famous for being the last remaining structure to be featured in the classic 1939 movie “Gone With the Wind.” The mill appears for about 6 seconds toward the end of the film’s opening credits. No one knows why producer David O. Selznick chose to place the Old Mill in the movie or even how he knew of the structure, but trust me — it’s in there.

            The Old Mill and T.R. Pugh Memorial Park was officially given to the city of North Little Rock as a gift by the Justin Matthews Co. in May 1976 and was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in October 1986. The mill and park are located on Lakeshore Drive in North Little Rock, open to the public free of charge from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. seven days a week. Weddings can be held there, but one needs to contact the city's Parks and Recreation Department for permission.

            Speaking of Old Mill weddings, as an ordained minister, I’ve performed a few, including for one of my cousins. The ceremony was going smoothly until both rings fell out of my open Bible into the thick grass.

            We had to search for a moment to locate the lost symbols of love. Now the only hidden treasure at the Old Mill is the beauty and wonder that reminds us of Arkansas’ past.

            A proud sixth-generation Arkansan, Darrell W. Brown is a lover of all things Arkansas. He served several years with the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism, and worked in all three divisions. He lives in Saline County with his wife, Amy, and two beloved Boston Terriers. Find him on Facebook and Instagram at AllAroundArkansas.