All Around Arkansas: Mount Magazine

               

                 One of the many perks of working for the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage & Tourism was the yearly staff retreats we would attend atop Arkansas’ highest point — Mount Magazine — near Paris (Logan County). 

                At a height of 2,753 feet above sea level, Mount Magazine is home to one of Arkansas’ grandest state parks featuring scenic views, numerous hiking trails to a rustic —but state of the art — lodge with luxurious accommodations and a first-class restaurant.

                But while Mount Magazine and the park that bears its name are both worthy of gracing a magazine cover, that’s not where Arkansas’ tallest mountain takes its name. 

                According to botanist Thomas Nuttall, who traveled the area in 1819, French settlers named the mountain "Magazine" from the French word for barn (magasin) because of its barn-like shape. This led to the mountain being originally known as Barn Magazine and eventually Magazine Mountain or the more popular Mount Magazine. 

                There are actually two summits atop the mountain: Signal Hill, with an elevation of 2,753 ft. and Mossback Ridge, which reaches 2,700 ft. Although Mount Magazine is often referred to as the highest point between the Allegheny Mountains and the Rocky Mountains, this is not correct, as there are several mountains in western Texas that exceed Mount Magazine’s elevation.

                Most Arkansas historians believe that Europeans first spotted Mount Magazine when French explorer Bernard de la Harpe and his party explored the upper Arkansas River valley around 1722. As you may know, de la Harpe is credited with discovering the river's “la petite roche,” which is known today as “the little rock” from which our state’s capital city takes its name.

                The first white settlers arrived in the Mount Magazine area in the mid-19th century, with major settlement of the land taking place between 1850 to 1930. In 1900, the town of Magazine was founded atop the mountain. 

                In the years to come, hotels, restaurants and other small businesses began to operate there, as the mountain became a popular tourist destination. Unfortunately, the town all but ceased to exist due to the Great Depression, when the tourism industry and new building construction came to a halt.

                In 1938, President Franklin D. Roosevelt made the mountain a part of the Ouachita National Forest. By 1942, all the land on top of Mount Magazine was under control of the federal government. Mount Magazine State Park officially opened in 2001 and was dedicated by then-Gov. Mike Huckabee. While the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage & Tourism operates the state park, the land upon which it sits is still owned and managed by the U.S. Forest Service.

                The 2,200-acre park features numerous picnic areas, pavilions, campgrounds and a visitors’ center. Accommodations include several cabins and a 60-room lodge, which feature breathtaking views of the Petit Jean River valley and Blue Mountain Lake. The new lodge offers a conference facility, a restaurant, a fitness center, an indoor swimming pool and a gift shop. The lodge was built on the same location as one built in the late-1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps that was destroyed by fire in 1971.

                For those seeking adventure, Mount Magazine State Park provides many recreational opportunities, including hang-gliding, horseback riding, hiking, camping, rock climbing and rappelling. 

                Be sure to call ahead if you want to rent one of the park’s rustic cabins or stay at the lodge as accommodations fill up quickly, especially during the fall. You can contact the park’s office at (479) 963-8502 for more information.

                I've been fortunate to experience the beauty and wonder of Mount Magazine many times. Take it from me — this is one place that should be atop every Arkansans’ bucket list.

All Around Arkansas: The Story of Saracen

                    

                  

                    A few weeks ago, my wife and I made an overnight work trip to Pine Bluff. Across from our hotel was the Saracen Casino Resort. Opened in 2020 on a former soybean field, the complex is owned by the Quapaw Nation of Oklahoma. Being a student of Arkansas history, I knew the Quapaw were one of the three Indian tribes (along with the Caddo and Osage) that inhabited the lands that would become our state. What I didn’t know was the story behind the namesake of the casino and thus began my search to find out.

                    The Quapaw came from the Ohio River Valley to what became Arkansas around 1200 B.C. We can thank the Quapaw for our state’s name; the Native Americans from the upper portion of the Mississippi River referred to the Quapaw as the "Akansea," which meant "the downriver people." The French exploration team of Marquette and Joliet encountered the Quapaw during their journey in the late 1600s through the lands of the lower Mississippi River and referred to them as the "Arcansas." Years later, English settlers who arrived in the land of the Quapaw took the French word and modified it to Arkansas.

                    According to early historians, the man known as Saracen was born around 1673 at Arkansas Post to a French father and Quapaw mother. But because he was not a full-blooded Quapaw, many of the Native Americans did not consider him as such. Noted Arkansas historian Morris S. Arnold wrote that although he was beloved by the European settlers, Saracen "did not fare nearly so well among most of the Quapaws.”

                    Around 1820, Saracen became a legendary hero after rescuing two young children kidnapped by members of the Chickasaw tribe from a white family who lived near what is now Pine Bluff. According to published accounts, once Saracen heard of the abduction, he floated down the Arkansas River the night of the kidnapping and located a Chickasaw camp near Arkansas Post. In the darkness and still of the night, Saracen lifted his tomahawk and gave the Quapaw battle cry, scaring the Chickasaw, which caused them to flee the camp and leave the children behind. For his brave efforts, Saracen was honored by the Governor of the Territory of Arkansas, James Miller, and was also appointed by Miller as chief of the Quapaw, even though Saracen had no hereditary claim to the position and Miller had no authority in the eyes of the natives to make him their leader.

            As the federally recognized chief of the Quapaws, Saracen signed the Treaty of 1833, which relinquished the tribe’s claim to their land in the Arkansas Territory in exchange for 150 sections of land in what was known as Indian Territory in present-day Oklahoma.

            After his participation in the Treaty of 1833, details of Saracen’s life are sketchy. There is even confusion about when he died. Saracen’s tombstone, located at St. John’s Catholic Cemetery in Pine Bluff, says he died in 1832 at age 97. But this date cannot be true because he signed the Treaty of 1833. The Quapaw Nation's official account of Saracen’s life says he died in 1834 just before the removal of all the Quapaw to Indian Territory.

            Now if you ever visit the Saracen Casino in Pine Bluff, you’ll know the story of its namesake — a man who is not only an important figure in Quapaw history, but also the history of our great state.

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

All Around Arkansas: The Voice of Southeast Arkansas

           

             Like many Arkansans, my wife and I like to head to the shores of the Florida panhandle during the summer for some fun in the sun. The road to paradise takes us down U.S. Highway 65 through Dumas, Lake Village and Eudora. 

            Near the town of McGehee is a building that has always fascinated me, as it looks like something from another era. It’s a rundown Spanish-style building with red clay roof tiles and a stucco exterior with "KVSA 1220" on its facade. After a little research, I found that it once housed a famous radio station that proudly served the Arkansas Delta.

            Abbott F. Kinney founded KVSA-AM, 1220, and gave it its call sign, which stood for "The Voice of Southeast Arkansas." The station went on the air Monday, June 29, 1953, and ran on 1,000 watts of power. The station’s format changed several times throughout the years; KVSA played everything from country to rock to gospel music. 

            The station aired its Studio “A” Dance Party show every Saturday morning. It featured live music from singers and bands traveling the fields of the Delta, including a young man who would become arguably the most popular singer of all-time, Elvis Presley. 

            Presley, and his band The Blue Moon Boys, appeared at KVSA in March 1955, during which he gave a live on-air interview to KVSA deejay Doug Ward and signed autographs for hundreds of fans — mostly teenage girls — before a concert at the Dermott High School auditorium. 

            Tickets to see Presley were just 75 cents for adults and 50 cents for children. The show was sponsored by the school’s senior class as a fundraiser. But the following Monday, the school superintendent gave students their money back, claiming that Presley’s concert was "not the kind of entertainment his students were supposed to see."

            For decades, KVSA served Dermott, McGehee and the surrounding area with music, local news and agriculture and weather reports. It was also active in the community, sponsoring many school clubs, programs and youth sports teams.

            In 1995, Abbott F. Kinney received the Arkansas Broadcasters Association’s Pioneer Award for his contributions to Arkansas radio. Kinney died in April 2002 at age 92. After his death, his wife, Joyce, took over managing the station. But in spite of her best efforts to keep the station alive, KVSA struggled in its final years.

            Holding to its nostalgic tradition, the station never had a website or live streamed on the internet. In the modern era of radio, it became difficult to keep a stand-alone AM daytime-only station alive, especially with no counterpart on an FM frequency.

            It’s been said that all good things must come to an end. KVSA signed off the air the final time in March 2020. The station’s Facebook page posted this message:

            “It is with a heavy heart that we announce the closing of KVSA. Several factors contributed to the closing of the station. Thank each of you familiar with the station for listening and for your encouragement through the 67 years of broadcasting. As of 1 p.m. today, March 3, 2020, KVSA will be silent forever...”

            I still make sure and look out for the old studio every time we travel to the coast. I also can’t help but think about the days when the local radio station was not a piece of a corporate conglomerate, but rather an old friend who was always there. 

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

All Around Arkansas: The Legendary Vapors

                

                Located at 315 Park Ave. not far from the historic Arlington Hotel in Hot Springs stands a building with quite the history of its own — The Vapors. 

                The Vapors was founded in 1960 by Dane Harris and notorious gangster Owen “Owney” Madden, who once owned another nightclub, the Cotton Club in New York City. In Hot Springs, the duo bought the Phillips’ Drive-In and tore down the dairy bar to build The Vapors, named after one of the several nicknames for Hot Springs, "The Valley of the Vapors."

                The club featured Vegas-quality entertainment such as Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Rosemary Clooney and others. In fact, Bennett first performed his signature song, “I Left My Heart in San Francisco,” while practicing on The Vapors’ stage. According to his autobiography, Bennett sang the song once and was told by the only audience member, a bartender, “If you guys ever record that song, I’ll buy the first copy.”

                In its later years, The Vapors hosted many other musicians and comedians such as Rick Nelson, the Oak Ridge Boys, Jim Ed Brown and the Browns, Patti Page, and Jerry Van Dyke.

                The club’s restaurant served first class cuisine and had a full bar. Dinner was served nightly on tables around the stage. A coffee shop open around the clock served not just coffee and food, but also as a place for gangsters and politicians to discuss “business.”

                Arguably the most famous part of the club was its casino. Located in the back, the casino was somewhat small compared to others in the area. But it was filled with enough slot machines and tables to satisfy its patrons looking to strike it rich, as well as the owners — the ones actually getting rich.

                In January 1963, an explosion went off at The Vapors, causing extensive damage to the building, especially the casino. Twelve people were injured, including two who were hospitalized. Authorities never proved who was behind the blast. 

            A photographer from the Arkansas Gazette snapped a picture of the damage to the casino, exposing its slot machines and tables. The photo ran on the paper’s front page the next day and confirmed what was the worst kept-secret in Arkansas — illegal gambling was alive and well in Hot Springs.

            But it all came to an end in 1967 when Gov. Orval Faubus was defeated by Winthrop Rockefeller, who campaigned on a pledge to end gambling in the Spa City. Within six months of his inauguration, Rockefeller ordered the Arkansas State Police to destroy all slot machines and tables.

            After the death of Harris in 1981 (Madden died in 1965), new ownership attempted to keep The Vapors afloat by turning it into a combination disco/honky-tonk. Those attempts proved futile and the club closed in the early 1990s. 

            In October 1998, the building was sold to Tower of Strength Ministries and used as a church (oh, the irony!). The building was once again sold in November 2013. A best-selling book based on the history of The Vapors by author David Hill was released in 2020.

            Recently, the building reopened as an entertainment venue under the name “Vapors Live.” It features musicians, comedians and karaoke starting at 8 p.m. every Friday. There are remnants of the old club, including the iconic illuminated outdoor sign, the original bar and the stage where so many legends performed.

            Several weeks ago, my wife and I went to the club for karaoke night. She sang a few songs while I sat in the audience, closing my eyes trying to picture what The Vapors was like in its heyday, and wishing its walls could tell me some stories.

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