This Monday is the scariest day in America (next to April 15) — Halloween. It’s a day for haunted houses, macabre costumes, the telling of spooky ghost stories and other legends, and of course a scary thing to dentists — lots of candy. So in honor of Halloween, here’s the story behind a few of Arkansas’ spookiest places.
Have a happy and safe Halloween, Arkansas!
As I’m writing this week’s column, I’m also
preparing to begin teaching an Arkansas history class for eighth graders at a
private school in Saline County. While going through the textbook to refresh my
knowledge of Arkansas geography and state symbols, I'm reminded that our state
has not one, but four — count 'em four — state songs. You’ve probably heard a
couple of them; others you may not know.
Arguably
the most famous song associated with our state is "The Arkansas
Traveler." Legend says Col. Sandford C. Faulkner composed the music and
lyrics to the song after an encounter with a squatter somewhere in the Ozark Mountains
around 1840.
Despite being older and more well-known, "The Arkansas Traveler" was not Arkansas' first state song. That distinction belongs to "Arkansas," written by Eva Ware Barnett, who was a music teacher at what is now called Ouachita Baptist University. Barnett wrote the music and lyrics in 1916. And on Jan. 12, 1917, state Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 6 designated it as Arkansas’ state song.
Originally from Mallet Town (Conway County), Holyfield had become a successful songwriter in Nashville, penning hits for Anne Murray, George Strait, Conway Twitty, Don Williams and other top country musicians.
Studying Arkansas history nearly all my life, I’ve learned that much of it is part legend and part fact — with the truth somewhere in the middle.
This could not be more true than with the story of the Bowie knife. Hundreds of articles and books (including one co-written by my former boss Bill Worthen) have been written about the history of the knife. Despite all the research, no one seems to know the true origin of the legendary weapon made famous by one of the heroes of the Texas revolution, Jim Bowie. But one thing that most historians and scholars agree on is that at least one of the first bowie knives was made here in Arkansas by blacksmith James Black.
Black was born around 1800 in New Jersey. At age 8, he ran away from home and found himself in Philadelphia. There, he became the apprentice to a silverplater, Stephen Henderson. Black left the apprenticeship as a highly skilled silverplater and headed west to settle in Bayou Sara, Louisiana, where he opened his first blacksmith's shop. Some stories say Black met Bowie for the first time there around 1822, but this can't be verified.
In 1823, Black moved to the small town of Washington (Hempstead County), near the Red River.
About a year later, Black was hired by William Shaw, who owned a successful blacksmith's shop in Washington. It was there that Black built a reputation as one of the best blacksmiths in the area, and soon Shaw made Black a partner in the business.
While working with Shaw, Black fell in love with Shaw’s oldest daughter, Anne. But her father strongly opposed the relationship, which led to Black leaving the business — and Washington.
After settling on the Rolling Fork River in what is now Sevier County, Black opened another blacksmith's shop and a grist mill. But Black returned to Washington after the federal government declared the land part of Indian Territory.
Once Black returned, he renewed his forbidden relationship with Anne, and the two were married in June 1828 at the Hempstead County Courthouse in Washington. The couple were married for seven years and had five children. Black opened a blacksmith's shop and business boomed.
It was at this shop in December 1831 where Black reportedly forged a knife for Bowie using Bowie's design. Many believe this is the knife Bowie used in the failed defense of the Alamo in San Antonio.
Anne Shaw Black died in September 1835. Shortly after, Black became gravely ill and was attacked by his father-in-law, who was not only still angry at his daughter’s marriage to Black but also jealous of Black’s fame as the area's premier blacksmith.
Black was blinded by the attack and was forced to close his business. Black died on June 21, 1872, in Washington. Newspapers from all over the country carried the news of the death of the man who created the famous Bowie knife.
Several years ago, a knife with the engraving "Bowie No. 1" on its handle, attributed to Black through scientific analysis, was acquired from a Texas collector by the Historic Arkansas Museum in Little Rock.
Is this the true Bowie knife? Like many things in Arkansas history, we may never know.
When you’re born into a family of fishermen who love to have a good ol' fashioned fish fry as often as the weather changes in Arkansas, you can’t help but get hooked on fried catfish at an early age.
My dad, an avid fisherman, loves to catch and fry catfish, even for Christmas dinner. Yes, we Browns — even on Christmas — have fried catfish for our holiday dinner.
Arkansas is one of several southern states known for catfish, which are present in almost all our rivers, lakes, reservoirs and streams. About 18% of sport fishing in Arkansas involves catfish.
As such, Arkansas has many great restaurants that specialize in catfish, and I’d like to share some of my favorites:
The Hook in Jacksonville: Located in my hometown, The Hook was known as The Crooked Hoot in the '80s and most people still refer to it as that. The Hook has been serving its signature offering — crispy, consistent fried catfish — for over 30 years. The seafood and chicken are also amazing. “Crooked” or not, The Hook will always be one of my favorites.
Lassis Inn in Little Rock: Famous not only for catfish but also buffalo ribs, the Lassis Inn was founded by Joe and Molassis Watson in 1905 as a sandwich shop. Sitting in the same spot since the beginning, Lassis Inn became a meeting place for local civil rights leaders during the '50s and '60s.
Throughout most of its history, Lassis has had the same basic menu: fried catfish fillets, catfish steaks, seasoned hushpuppies and its famous buffalo fish ribs. Having barely changed its décor, a visit here is like stepping back in time. In 2020, the Lassis Inn received the James Beard American Classics award — one of only two Arkansas restaurants to earn the distinction (Jones Bar-B-Q Diner in Marianna is the other).
Dondie’s White River Princess in Des Arc: Founded in the late 1980s by Dondie Guess, this restaurant is located in a faux riverboat on the White River. Known for its endless catfish buffet, the restaurant has expanded its menu to include steaks, other seafood items and even pasta. But the catfish buffet remains its heart and soul. The place is packed every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night, so arrive early to avoid a long wait.
I could also go on and on about other great catfish restaurants in Arkansas such as Pig-n-Chik in Sherwood; The Whippet in Prattsville; Huckleberrys’ in Searcy; Burger Shack, Eat My Catfish and Riverside Grocery in Benton; and Jo-Jo’s in Mountain View.
And there's another that's no longer in Arkansas — Cock of the Walk in Maumelle. Back in the '80s, it was the place to go for catfish. Located on a small pond, the restaurant was famed for its tin plates and cups and waiters who would flip cornbread in small iron skillets. Today, it's the home to the Cypress Social restaurant.
While all the above-mentioned restaurants serve great incarnations of my favorite food, none of them can beat Floyd Brown’s catfish. You’re welcome, dad. When’s the next family fish fry?
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. You can find him on Instagram and Facebook at AllAroundArkansas.
