All Around Arkansas: Salem Dairy Bar

                

                As far back as I can remember, I’ve had an affinity for dairy bars. That’s probably thanks to A&J’s Dairy Bar, which operated in the north Pulaski County community where I grew up.

                Like a typical dairy bar, A&J’s sold hamburgers, fries, fried pies, ice cream cones and sundaes. I ate there so much as a child that I can still remember its phone number — even though it’s been closed for more than 25 years.

                Several years ago, while working for Arkansas Parks & Tourism, I was asked to work on a list of the state's most iconic dairy bars for an article on Arkansas.com. In my research, one name kept coming up — Salem Dairy Bar. 

                So one day, my wife and I pulled off the freeway at Congo Road in Benton to check it out. We had the cheeseburger basket with tater tots, and needless to say, we weren’t disappointed. After a few bites, I understood why many people rank Salem among the best dairy bars in Arkansas.

                And while it didn’t have a little dining room with Pac Man and Donkey Kong arcade games, the look of the building and the taste of the food took me back to good ole A&J’s.

                A few years later, my wife and I purchased a lakeside home in rural Saline County, not far from Salem. It didn’t take long to learn that, with the exception of a lone pizza carryout/delivery restaurant, Salem Dairy Bar was the only option for a hot meal closest to our little lake cottage.

                After just a few months of living in Saline County, I learned that Salem Dairy Bar was truly a local institution, having made fresh cheeseburgers, chili dogs, shakes, corn dogs and onion rings for more than 50 years in the same building and locale. 

                "(It is) an old-fashioned hamburger carryout," Salem Dairy Bar owner Lucy Begley said in an article published two years ago in the Saline Courier. She said it is “similar to the old-fashioned Dairy Queen restaurants where customers can enjoy hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken sandwiches, shaved ice and all kinds of ice cream at the pick-up window.”

                Begley has owned the dairy bar for nearly 30 years. She, along with about 15 other employees, keep it running. In fact, she's had employees whose parents worked there when they were younger.

                In April 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic, Salem Dairy Bar temporarily closed. In July, the restaurant reopened with reduced hours and a smaller menu offering sno-cones, ice cream and other summertime treats. A few months later, Salem’s full menu returned, as did its original hours of operation.

                A word of caution if you plan to visit: all food is cooked to order and nothing sits under heat lamps. Therefore, plan to wait at least 15-20 minutes for your food. That’s why it’s best to call ahead with your order. 

                The food is well worth the wait. The restaurant is family-friendly, offering a kids’ menu and an area where children can play and eat alongside their parents.

                Salem Dairy Bar is open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, but its hours change during the winter months. The grill closes at 7:45 p.m., so don’t show up and expect a burger then. But if you’re just in the mood for something sweet, you can still get a banana split at 7:55 p.m. The restaurant is at 6406 Congo Road in Salem. For call ahead orders or more information, call 501-794-3929.

All Around Arkansas: Christ of the Ozarks

                

                In the 1980s, before Branson boomed with hundreds of country music shows, outlet malls and buffets, my mother and her friends would visit Eureka Springs (Carroll County). 

                I went with them several times. As a lover of history even then, I enjoyed seeing the city's historic buildings, such as the Crescent Hotel and the Carry Nation House, and learning the stories behind them. It was fascinating.

                And as good residents of the Bible Belt, no visit to Eureka Springs was complete without a visit to the Great Passion Play and the Christ of the Ozarks statue.

                For those of you not familiar with the Christ of the Ozarks, it’s a 67-foot-tall statue of Jesus made of steel and mortar on top of Magnetic Mountain near the Great Passion Play amphitheater. Christ’s arms are outstretched, suggesting Jesus on the cross. But the cross is not depicted as part of the statue.

                Rev. Gerald L. K. Smith erected the statue in 1966. Originally from Wisconsin, Smith, an evangelist and political activist known for his populist and far-right political views, landed in Eureka Springs in the late 1950s. Smith was one of the main leaders of the populist Share Our Wealth Society during the Great Depression. He was a strong supporter and adviser to controversial Louisiana Gov. Huey P. Long. 

              Years later, Smith founded the Christian Nationalist Crusade in 1942. He was instrumental in the founding of the America First Party in 1943 and was the party’s 1944 presidential candidate, which at the time made him only the third Arkansan to run on a national presidential ticket. Unfortunately for Smith, he received less than 1,800 votes and his political career ended.

                After Smith and his wife, Elna, moved to Arkansas, they bought and remodeled a mansion as their retirement home. In 1964, he began construction of a planned religious theme park called "Sacred Projects" near his home. Smith only had $5,000 to his name at the end of 1963, but he had raised $1 million by spring 1964 to begin the design and construction of the first sacred project on his list, the Christ of the Ozarks statue.

                In 1966, the Christ of the Ozarks was completed at an elevation of 1,500 feet overlooking Eureka Springs. The construction project was designed and overseen by sculptor Emmet Sullivan, who had studied and worked under Gutzon Borglum, the lead designer and sculptor of Mount Rushmore in South Dakota. 

                The statue sits on 320 tons of concrete and was designed to withstand winds of 500 miles an hour. It was completely built by hand from mortar and steel and is reinforced to withstand the force of a passing tornado. Christ of the Ozarks is the fourth largest statue of Jesus in the world.

                Gerald L.K. Smith's original plans also called for a life-size recreation of Jerusalem as it appeared in the days of Christ. But the idea was eventually abandoned. 

                Smith did build a 4,100-seat amphitheater and a stage for the Great Passion Play, a live performance that tells the story of the last days of Christ on Earth. The play is performed three nights a week from the first week of May through the end of October. It was inspired by another passion play, which is performed every ten years in the town of Oberammergau, Germany. For more information on the Great Passion Play, the Christ of the Ozarks and the other Bible-based attractions located on the grounds, visit www.greatpassionplay.org.

                If you’ve never seen the Christ of the Ozarks in person, I’d encourage you to do so next time you are in the Eureka Springs area. Religious or not, I’m sure you’ll be just as impressed with it today as I was back in my childhood.

All Around Arkansas: Arkansas' First Radio Station

                

            Today, Arkansas has hundreds of radio stations. But that has not always been the case. While the first commercial radio station, KDKA in Pittsburgh, went on the air Nov. 2, 1920, Arkansas did not have a radio station until 1922.

                Our story begins when Harvey Couch, founder of Arkansas Power and Light (AP&L) visited the studios of KDKA. On this trip, he met Lee de Forest, who had invented what he called the “radio-telephone.” Impressed with what he saw, Couch bought equipment to set up a radio station in Arkansas. Couch and his team had been talking about setting up a radio system so AP&L plants around the state would have simpler and more reliable means of communication.

                Couch’s plan to start a radio station began in February 1922, when AP&L placed two 100 ft. wooden poles to hold a radio antenna at its Pine Bluff office. Ralph Pittman, AP&L’s electrical superintendent, oversaw construction. Just a few days later, the U.S. Department of Commerce gave AP&L permission to operate its new station with 500 watts of power. 

                Couch gave his vice president, Jim Longino, the task of naming the station. He believed that the station’s call letters should mean something. He ultimately decided on WOK, which stood for “workers of kilowatts.” 

                WOK went live for the first time on the night of Feb. 18, 1922. Pittman was the station’s first announcer of sorts, reading news and other announcements. Pittman encouraged listeners to call in and comment on the quality of the station’s reception. Amazingly, WOK’s signal was heard all over the country. 

                Almost immediately, AP&L went to work promoting WOK. The company purchased more broadcasting equipment, and the news of the station’s opening spread like wildfire. During its first week of operation, a performance by Kueck’s Orchestra of Pine Bluff aired, and popular Metropolitan Opera soprano Lenora Sparks performed several numbers, which helped to increase WOK's popularity.

                Starting in March 1922, Al Whidden, AP&L’s communications director, became WOK’s main announcer. The station broadcasted from 8-9 p.m. Tuesdays and Fridays, with programming that included news and weather reports, interviews with local leaders and musical talent from Pine Bluff and the surrounding area. Sermons by local clergy were broadcast as well. 

                Couch and his team at AP&L publicized WOK all over the state, including the Arkansas State Fair and even in prisons. Word about WOK was spread like wildfire.

                Because AP&L funded the station, WOK was commercial-free. While listeners enjoyed radio without ads, WOK became a financial drain on AP&L and also took up a lot of the company’s employees’ time. 

                As a result, WOK went off the air in June 1923. But Couch promised broadcasting would resume in the fall after much needed changes to the station’s business model were made to make the station more self-sufficient. But while WOK’s license was renewed in September for an additional three months, the station remained silent never to return to the airwaves.

                With WOK officially closed, Couch donated the station’s broadcasting equipment to Henderson-Brown College (now Henderson State University) in Arkadelphia, and a student-run station began broadcasting. WOK resumed its place on the radio dial in February 1924. The new incarnation of the station wouldn’t last long — WOK closed for good in June 1924.

            Other radio stations sprang up around the state in large cities such as Fort Smith, Hot Springs and Little Rock. KTHS (which stood for “Kum to Hot Springs"), which broadcasted from the Spa City in the Arlington Hotel, eventually moved to Little Rock and became “The Mighty 1090” KAAY.

            Couch is fondly remembered as an innovative businessman, the founder of AP&L and the man responsible for lakes Catherine and Hamilton. But his contributions to Arkansas’ broadcasting industry are equally as admirable.

All Around Arkansas: Fountain Lake Resort

 

                    If you take Park Avenue four miles northeast from Hot Springs to Benton or Hot Springs Village, you may notice a white stucco arch across from Fountain Lake Shopping Center. And if you’re anything like me, you’ve probably wondered if there’s a story behind it. 

                Was it the gateway to a grand mansion? Was it the entry to a country club or casino?

                There is indeed a history behind the arch, but it wasn’t a celebrity’s estate or a casino, but rather an amusement and water park centered around a lake called Arbordale. One could say it was Arkansas’ original Wild River Country.

                The story begins when farmer Weldon Nail moved to the area and purchased land in the 1890s. In 1919, Nail dammed a spring-fed creek that ran through his property, creating a lake he named Arbordale.

                In 1933, Dr. H.D. Ferguson purchased Nail’s land and began to develop the property into a water park. Ferguson named the attraction Fountain Lake Resort. Ferguson’s first projects were the construction of a tavern and cottages for rent.

                According to local historians, Fountain Lake Resort had picnic areas, a large swimming pool, a dance pavilion, a wishing well, a pinball arcade and concession stands. Lake amenities included diving boards, waterslides, a spinning water wheel and paddle boats. Sand was brought in to make beaches on the shores of Arbordale. The American Red Cross even offered free swimming lessons there. 

                At night, Fountain Lake became a popular hangout for teens, featuring live music, games and dance contests. A beautiful cherub-adorned fountain was added to the swimming pool in 1933. In 1935, the swimsuit review for the Miss Hot Springs contest was held at Fountain Lake. 

                The Welchman Family took ownership in 1945. According to records at the Garland County Historical Society, the family sold the park in 1949, after it became apparent the new Little Rock highway would bypass the area and hurt attendance.

                Sadly, on Dec. 20, 1953, Fountain Lake Resort was destroyed by fire. The park was never rebuilt. Several ideas with what to do with the property were tossed about but none came to fruition. Proposals included a ranch for troubled youth, a country club featuring a 40-room motel and a lighted five-hole golf course, and a Lutheran-sponsored retirement village. But none of the ideas ever made it off the drawing board.

                In 1993, Affiliated Foods purchased the former park property and began bottling water from the artesian wells on the site. The spring water was sold under the Mountain Pure Water name.

                And while they share the name, the property that was once Fountain Lake Park is actually not within the city limits of Fountain Lake (Garland County), which was incorporated in 1999.

                According to property records, Jerold and Barbara Brock of Greenbrier purchased the land in 2014 from Affiliated Foods and sold it in June 2018 for $1.4 million to the Mountain Valley Spring Company. Now, the spring water that flows at the former park (along with several others in the Hot Springs area) is bottled by the company and sold as other brands under the Mountain Valley corporate umbrella.

                Today, the former Fountain Lake Resort is on private property, and the public is forbidden to visit Arbordale Lake and what’s left of the park. But over the years, many adventurers have taken their chances and went onto the property. You can find their photos on the internet.

                It's fitting that the Hot Springs area is home to what was the state's first water park and also the latest, Magic Springs Theme Park & Water Park, whose story will definitely be the subject of a future column.