All Around Arkansas: Woolverton Mountain

                

                If you were listening to country radio in the summer of 1962, chances are you heard the song "Wolverton Mountain." Performed by singer/songwriter, Claude King, the tune told the story of a man who longed for a girl who lived atop a place called Wolverton Mountain, fiercely guarded by her overprotective and violent father, Clifton Clowers. 

                That year, the song spent nine weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard country chart. "Wolverton Mountain" was also a huge crossover hit for King, hitting No. 6 on the Billboard top 100 pop chart and No. 3 on its easy listening chart.

                The song was co-written by Merle Kilgore, a major force in the country music industry in the 1960s and through the mid-1990s. Not only did he help pen "Wolverton Mountain," but he also co-wrote "Ring of Fire" with June Carter, whose future husband, Johnny Cash, recorded in 1963. Kilgore helped write many other country tunes over the years and was the longtime business manager of Hank Williams Jr.

                Clifton Clowers was named after Kilgore’s uncle. In the song, Clowers is pictured as an ornery and dangerous man who's "mighty handy with a gun and a knife" and who posed a fatal threat to any man who tried to win the affection of his “pretty young daughter.”

                But most people don’t know that Clowers was a real person who lived on top of Woolverton Mountain in Arkansas. (It's not clear why the mountain’s name is misspelled in the song title and lyrics.)

                Woolverton Mountain stands about 4 miles north of Center Ridge (Conway County) and has an elevation of 1,063 feet. The mountain was named for the Woolverton family, who had settled it in the late 1800s.

                The song’s antagonist, Clifton Clowers, was born on Oct. 30, 1891, in Center Ridge to Thomas and Mary Clowers. In July 1919, Clifton married Esther Bell. After returning from World War I, Clowers became a father, farmer and served faithfully as a longtime deacon at Mountain View Baptist Church. He lived most of his life on a small farm located on the northern edge of Woolverton Mountain. 

                The success of the song made Clowers a minor celebrity, and many tourists came to Woolverton Mountain to get a picture or an autograph. Clowers didn’t particularly like the attention. He often said he wished that Kilgore and King hadn’t suggested in the song that Clowers threatened his daughter's suitors with a gun and knife. "I never used those things for that purpose, I just used them to hunt and whittle,” he said. 

                For his 100th birthday celebration in 1991, Clowers was visited by both his nephew, Merle Kilgore, and Claude King, who performed the iconic tune. Clowers died at age 102 in August 1994, in Clinton (Van Buren County). He was buried at Woolverton Mountain Cemetery, which is located at the base of the mountain.

                I have a personal connection with the song — one of the first I remember hearing as a child. My parents had become friends with a couple, Carroll and LaDon Woolverton, through the world of square dancing in Sherwood (Pulaski County) in the late 1960s. Carroll was a member of the Woolverton family, who were longtime residents of the mountain. When I was born several years later in 1976, the Woolvertons became like second parents to me. The story goes that as a young boy in the early 80s, I actually met Clifton Clowers. Somewhere there’s supposedly photographic evidence to prove it.

                So, the song may say don’t go on Woolverton Mountain and face Clifton Clowers, but apparently I did and lived to write about it.

All Around Arkansas: Lake Chicot State Park

               

                 Lake Chicot State Park sits in Arkansas’ southeastern corner on the state’s largest natural lake, Lake Chicot, a 20-mile-long oxbow created by the Mississippi River hundreds of years ago. The lake, just east of the city of Lake Village (Chicot County), is not only the largest natural lake in the state, but it's also the largest oxbow lake in North America. If you've driven from Arkansas to the Gulf Coast, it's likely you’ve seen Lake Chicot.

                About 300 years ago, the lake was part of the channel of the Mississippi River. Its name comes from the French word “chicot,” which means “full of cypress stumps.” If you’ve ever boated on or walked along the shores of Lake Chicot, you’ve seen the many cypress stumps and trees that line its banks. The C-shaped lake is about 0.75 miles wide and 22 miles long.

                Unfortunately, Lake Chicot was polluted due to flooding in 1916, and starting in 1920, work on a levee along the nearby Mississippi River polluted the lake even more. Dredging for the levee’s construction resulted in deposition of silt and pesticides throughout the 1930s through the 1950s, which caused the lake's water quality to deteriorate.

                But starting in 1948, the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission built an earthen dam to separate the upper fourth of the lake from the runoff that has been entering the lower portion of Lake Chicot from Connerly Bayou. The result of the dam’s construction was better water quality, which revitalized the beauty of the lake. And because of that, the Arkansas Department of Parks & Tourism built the 211-acre Lake Chicot State Park in 1957.

                A new pumping plant was installed at Lake Chicot in 1985 to divert silt from the lake to the Mississippi River. Sport fish populations were restocked by the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission.

                Renovations of many of the park’s amenities were made after Arkansas voters approved a statewide one-eighth-percent sales tax championed by Gov. Mike Huckabee in 1996. Proceeds from the tax were earmarked for conservation and parks programs. Additional funding for improvements of the park came from the Arkansas Natural & Cultural Resources Council.

                Today, the park offers many recreational opportunities to visitors, with 122 campsites, 14 cabins, a swimming pool, a boat launch ramp and a playground. There's a marina that sells snacks, fuel and bait and rents boats, motors and personal watercraft. Programs presented by knowledgeable park interpreters highlight area wildlife and the area’s Civil War history. The park also hosts an annual blues and gospel music heritage festival each June and Gospelfest each September. 

                Because of the favorable climate and ecology, fishing conditions at Lake Chicot are wonderful. Bass, catfish, crappie, bream and other types of fish inhabit the lake. As a result, the lake has become a fisherman’s paradise. 

                If you are a fisherman, Lake Chicot and the state park that sits on its banks is a bucket list destination in the Natural State. For more information about the park and its amenities and programs, go to arkansasstateparks.com/lakechicot or call the park’s visitor center at (870) 265-5480.

All Around Arkansas: Calico Rock, Arkansas

                

                The city of Calico Rock (Izard County) is located in north central Arkansas on the White River. It takes its unusual name from the streaks of colors on the bluffs that overlook the river, which reminded early settlers of the colors in calico cloth. In writing about his travels through the Missouri and Arkansas territories in 1818 and 1819, author and explorer Henry Schoolcraft referred to the area as “the calico rock.” It is the only city in the United States with that name.

                The town started as a steamboat landing on the White River in the early 1800s, and was originally known as Calico Landing. The landing, located at the river’s confluence with Calico Creek, was the most popular landing site above Batesville (Independence County), which was as far upstream that steamboats were able to travel. 

                In 1857, the first of several general stores opened in the area. But they closed when the Civil War began. After the war ended and Reconstruction began, carpetbaggers from the North began moving into the area and opened several businesses, including a mercantile, a dry goods store, a drug store and doctor’s office. These businesses were built on the north shore facing the White River, with the front street following the river east and west. 

                A post office opened in 1871, but only lasted for a year. Another was established in May 1879. Due to the town’s rough and tumble atmosphere, organized religion was slow to make its way into Calico Rock, but eventually Methodist and Presbyterian congregations formed and built a house of worship, which was used by both congregation until 1907, when the Presbyterians built their own church.

                In 1898, a fire destroyed nearly all the businesses in Calico Rock’s commercial district. But the city would rebound and became a bustling community in 1902, when construction began on railroad tracks along the river beneath the colorful bluffs. Calico Rock served as the headquarters for railroad construction crews, and later that year, the St. Louis and Iron Mountain Railroad officially opened service in the town. 

                In 1903, a hardware store opened, as did the Bank of Calico Rock. As of today, these two structures are still in use. That same year, Calico Rock’s first permanent schoolhouse was built. The building was a two-story concrete block structure that housed the elementary and high schools and served the community for nearly 50 years. Calico Rock was officially incorporated as a city on Jan. 24, 1905.

                On April 7, 1923, a spark from a locomotive on the switch track set fire to a warehouse. High winds caused the flame to spread to the city’s Main Street. More than 20 businesses were destroyed, including all of the commercial businesses on the east side and some on the west side. The brick and stone replacement structures that remain have become known as the “ghost town” of Calico Rock — officially known as the Calico Rock Historic District.

                The city got a taste of Hollywood in 1974, when writer/director Charles B. Pierce filmed the movie “Bootleggers” there. Pierce is best known for his 1972 cult classic, “The Legend of Boggy Creek,” about the alleged Sasquatch monster that roams the swamps near Fouke (Miller County). The poster for the film credited a “rising star” named Jaclyn Smith, who would become part of the hit television show, “Charlie’s Angels,” as well as a successful model and clothing designer.

                Today, Calico Rock is a city with around 900 residents. In recent years, it has become very attractive to retirees and tourists, thanks in part to its natural scenic beauty and proximity to such tourist destinations as Blanchard Springs Caverns and the Buffalo National River. No doubt, it’s places like Calico Rock that help give our state the nickname “The Natural State.”

All Around Arkansas: Jacksonville Museum of Military History

            

            The city of Jacksonville holds a special place in my heart. It’s the city where I graduated high school (North Pulaski High), taught high school (Jacksonville High) and where my parents have lived for the past 30 years. I have a lot of fond memories of going up and down Jacksonville’s Main Street, eating at the Wendy’s after football games and perusing the aisles of now-defunct stores such as Blockbuster and Hastings. 

            I also remember driving past the large white building in downtown Jacksonville that at the time operated as a funeral home and is now home to the Jacksonville Museum of Military History. 

            Before it was a museum and funeral home, it was the original administration building of the World War II–era Arkansas Ordnance Plant. The museum showcases significant war and home-front activities in central Arkansas from the Civil War era through the Cold War.

            The museum opened in May 2005 and was funded by private donations, state and federal grants and the Jacksonville Advertising & Promotions Commission. Its original mission was to preserve the history of the important contributions made by local ordnance plant workers during World War II. As planning progressed, museum staff and supporters decided that the scope of the museum should grow to include more about the military history of Jacksonville and the surrounding area. 

            The museum is full of exhibits and artifacts that tell the history of Jacksonville’s military heritage. Its Civil War exhibit interprets what is known as the Little Rock Campaign and focuses on the Battle of Reed’s Bridge (a.k.a. the Battle of the Bayou Meto), which took place on the Bayou Meto River just outside present-day Jacksonville. 

            The World War II portion of the museum features an exhibit dedicated to the Arkansas Ordnance Plant, which opened in 1941 in Jacksonville. The plant was part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Lend-Lease program. Before the end of the war, the plant increased Jacksonville’s population of 400 to more than 40,000. It provided much-needed employment during the post-Depression era and produced nearly 90% of all the detonators and fuses used by the Allied Forces during World War II. An original guard house from the Arkansas Ordnance Plant has been restored and now stands in front of the museum. 

            The museum houses one of the largest collections of World War II-era patriotic and propaganda posters in the country, as well as a Titan II missile launch console and a T-37 cockpit trainer. The museum also features exhibits that tell the histories of the Little Rock Air Force Base and the Arkansas Air National Guard.

            Also located on the museum’s grounds is a monument dedicated to the workers who died in the Titan II Missile Accident, which took place near Searcy on Aug. 9, 1965. Fifty-three workers were killed — the largest loss of life ever suffered in a U.S. nuclear weapons facility — including my uncle, James C. Harvey. The monument was originally placed at the entrance of the nearby Little Rock Air Force Base, but was moved to the museum grounds several years ago.

            Whether you are a military history buff, interested in Arkansas history, or simply looking to expand your knowledge of the history of America’s armed forces, the Jacksonville Museum of Military History is a wonderful place to visit in central Arkansas.

            The museum is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. Admission is $3 for adults, $2 for seniors and veterans and $1 for students. Special arrangements can be made for groups of 10 or more. For more information, visit the museum’s website at www.jaxmilitarymuseum.org.

All Around Arkansas: The Plum Bayou Mounds

                

                Native Americans have played an important role in the history of our state. Not only were they the first dwellers of what would become Arkansas, but their history and culture still have an impact. 

                Many of our towns, communities and bodies of water have Native American names. The name Arkansas comes from the Algonquin Indian's name for the Quapaw Indians who once lived in what is now Arkansas. The Quapaw were known as the Arkansea, which meant “downstream people” or “southwind people.” 

                Three major tribes inhabited early Arkansas: the Quapaw (who lived in central and eastern Arkansas), the Osage (who lived in the northwest portion of our state) and the Caddo (who lived in southwestern region of Arkansas). As a result, Indian mounds are found all over the Natural State. But there are none more famous that the Plum Bayou Mounds (formerly known as the Toltec Mounds) outside of Scott (Lonoke County).

                It is believed the Plum Bayou Mounds were built by Native Americans who had a distinct culture from the other natives who inhabited the lower Mississippi Valley. The sites built by these people have been found throughout the White River and Arkansas River floodplains of central and eastern Arkansas and can also found as far west as the eastern Ozark Mountain range.

                The Plum Bayou Mounds settlement had a small population consisting primarily of political and religious leaders of the community and their families. The center was occupied from the 7th to the 11th century.

                The mounds were built on the banks of an oxbow lake. On the other side of the mounds was a lake, which is now known as Mound Pond. Most archaeologists and historians believe that 18 mounds were built in this area. 

                The Plum Bayou Mounds were built along the edges of two open plazas and used for political, religious and social events attended by people from the vicinity. At least two mounds were used for feasting, as indicated by the finding of discarded food remains. Most of the mounds were flat-topped platform mounds with buildings on them. Evidence has shown that other Native Americans lived on the Plum Bayou site as late as the 15th century, but they did not build any mounds.

                The Plum Bayou Mounds were once known as the Toltec Mounds, as it was once believed that the Toltec Indians of Mexico made their way to the area and built the mounds. The Knapp Family owned the land where the mounds stood from 1849 to 1905. 

                The mound site was relatively unprotected between 1849-1975. The land was privately owned and used mainly as farmland. The mounds were placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973, and the state of Arkansas began trying to acquire the property. Eventually, the Arkansas Department of Parks & Tourism purchased the property with state and federal money in 1975. The site was made a National Historic Landmark in 1978. What was known then as Toltec Mounds Archeological State Park opened in 1980. 

                The name Plum Bayou is actually borrowed from a nearby waterway and was eventually applied to the distinctive culture of the site. After extensive discussions between the Department of Parks & Tourism, the Arkansas Archaeological Society and the Quapaw Nation, the park was officially renamed Plum Bayou Archaeological State Park in November 2022.

                The park’s visitor center consists of exhibits that interpret the history of the Plum Bayou people and mounds, as well as an extensive collection of ancient artifacts found on the site. Guided and self-guided tours of the mounds are available. The park also hosts numerous special events throughout the year. For more information, contact the park’s office at (501) 961-9442.

                If Arkansas history, particularly its Native American heritage, interests you, then Plum Bayou Archaeological State Park is a fascinating place to visit. And as I wrote in last week’s column, while you’re in the Scott area, there are a lot of other interesting places to see and visit that are worth the drive to the small community outside North Little Rock.