All Around Arkansas: Arkansas' Wine Country

            

            In last week’s column, I wrote about the song, “Wolverton Mountain” and its antagonist, Clifton Clowers. Due to space limitations, I wasn’t able to share that Clowers was mentioned in the 1988 country hit, “If the South Woulda Won,” by Hank Williams Jr. Williams’ longtime manager was Merle Kilgore, who was the co-writer of Wolverton Mountain and Clowers’ nephew. In Williams’ song, he sings about “going up on Wolverton Mountain and see ole Clifton Clowers and have a sip of his good ole Arkansas wine.”

            Along with Bill Clinton, diamonds and Walmart, Arkansas is famous for its wine, particularly the adult beverage produced in the small Arkansas River Valley town of Altus (Franklin County). Altus takes its name from the Latin word for “high,” as it was the highest point on the Little Rock and Fort Smith Railroad. 

            As the wine capital of Arkansas, Altus is the home of five wineries: Post Winery, Wiederkehr Wine Cellars, Mount Bethel Winery, Chateau Aux Arc and Dionysus Wine & Brew.

            The Altus area was originally settled by native Americans (mostly Cherokee) and later, French explorers and pioneers. European settlers began moving in around 1850. 

            One such settler was Jacob Post, who immigrated to the United States from Germany in 1872 and found work in the coal mines and railroad construction. Unable to successfully grow grapes in his first stop of Illinois, he searched for another location. He learned through the grapevine (pardon the pun) that north central Arkansas had an ideal climate and fertile land for growing grapes. As a result, Post settled in the hills near present-day Altus and planted several vineyards. Soon Post began selling his wine to local railroad workers and other immigrants who enjoyed having wine with their dinner. Post Winery is still in business and owned and operated by the descendants of Jacob Post.

            Swiss immigrant Johannes Wiederkehr moved to the area in 1880 and established Wiederkehr Winery in an underground cellar he built. Today, the cellar is home to the popular Weinkeller Restaurant.

            Founded by Eugene Post in 1956, Mount Bethel Winery in Altus is the third oldest winery in the area. Post decided to start his own winery not long after his brother, Jacob, purchased the Altus Cooperative Winery and started what is now known as the Post Familie Winery. Mount Bethel Winery is best known for its elderberry wine, as Mount Bethel is the only winery in Arkansas to make use of the native, wild berry.

            Another popular winery in Altus is Chateau Aux Arc. This winery takes its name from the French term meaning “at the bend,” which is generally believed to be the origin of the name “Ozark.” Audrey House started the winery in 2001, purchasing about 20 acres from Al Wiederkehr of Wiederkehr Winery.

            And finally, Dionysus Wine & Brew in Altus was founded in 2014 by Dennis and Sharla Wiederkehr of the famous Wiederkehr family. The couple crafts blended wines using their combined 60-plus years of experience in the wine & hospitality industries.

            Today, these wineries and several smaller ones make up the Arkansas Wine Country Trail. Arkansas is the oldest and largest wine-producing state in the southern U.S. All of these wineries offer free public tours and wine tasting opportunities. Of course, wines made on site can be purchased as well.

            Throughout the year, there’s a number of events that can be enjoyed in Altus, such as Trifest, which is made up of the Annual Cowie Wine Fest and Grape Stomp, Arkansas Wine Heritage Day, and the Amateur Wine Competition. These fun events are usually held on the second Saturday in September at Cowie Wine Cellars in nearby Paris (Logan County).

            If you are a wine connoisseur, then a trip to Altus is definitely an Arkansas adventure you must add to your Natural State bucket list.

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

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.

All Around Arkansas: Plantation Agriculture Museum

                

                Just outside my hometown of North Little Rock (Pulaski County) lies the small unincorporated community of Scott, Arkansas (located in both Pulaski and Lonoke Counties). I used to visit Scott often, as my favorite burger restaurant in The Natural State was located there—Cotham’s Mercantile. Sadly, the general store-turned-restaurant burned to the ground in 2017. As a result, I don’t travel to Scott as much as I once did, but it’s always an interesting place to go to with lots of things to see and do.

                The community of Scott started in 1871, when the St. Louis Southwestern Railroad (commonly known as the Cotton Belt) was constructed through the area. The new rail station was built on property belonging to Conoway Scott Sr., who was one of the sons of one of the area’s first white settlers, John Scott, who arrived in 1844. The depot was named Scott’s Crossing. A gentleman by the name of Thomas Steele built a plantation in the area in 1850. In 1912, Conoway Scott built a large brick building to house his proposed general store. The store eventually did open, but was opened by the Foster Family and was called Foster's General Store. A U.S. post office was opened in the store in 1929. Eventually, the name of the community was shortened from Scott’s Crossing to Scott.

                In 1885, William Dortch married into the Steele family. By 1904, Dortch built his own plantation on Bearskin Lake, as well as an elegant mansion he named Marlsgate. The home was designed by noted architect Charles L. Thompson. Thompson designed Little Rock’s city hall, as well as several county courthouses across Arkansas. In January 1975, Marlsgate was added to the National Register of Historic Places and is open to the public for weddings, parties and receptions. In fact, yours truly has performed a couple of weddings on the grounds of the elegant estate.

                While “King Cotton” was the main crop grown on the plantations in Scott, that would change, as Robert Dortch—the youngest son of William Dortch—began to experiment with other crops, such as soybeans. Dortch created a hybrid cotton seed which he marketed as “Roldo Rowden.” In 1964, he opened a small museum featuring farm equipment that had once been used on the old Dortch plantation. The museum was located in a stately brick building that had been built in 1912. William Dortch passed away in 1972, and the struggling museum closed its doors in 1978. However, at the urging of local residents and politicians, the Arkansas General Assembly voted in 1985 to fund the purchase and renovation of the property, which led to the creation of the Arkansas state park, known as Plantation Agricultural Museum. The museum officially opened to the public in June 1989. Its mission was to “collect, preserve, record, and interpret the history of cotton agriculture, with an emphasis on Arkansas plantations.” Today, Plantation Agriculture Museum’s collection consists of more than 10,000 artifacts. Its exhibits take visitors “from the field to the gin” and demonstrate how cotton was grown and harvested in the pre-mechanized era. 

                Outside the museum building, the Dortch Gin Exhibit building features a 1920s Munger cotton gin and cotton press that has been accurately restored and assembled in its original condition by ginning experts. William Dortch’s 10,000-square-foot seed warehouse was also restored to its original condition. The structure was added to the National Register of Historic Places in January 2010. Other outside exhibits include a cotton pen, a variety of steam traction engines and a collection of antique tractors and farm implements. 

                Admission to Plantation Agriculture Museum is free. For more information on times of operation and special events, visit the park’s website at www.arkansasstateparks.com/plantationagriculturemuseum.

            Also nearby in Scott is Plum Bayou (formerly Toltec Mounds) Archaeological State Park, which is a must-see if you’re in the Scott area.  I’ll be writing more about that park in a future column.

            Scott is indeed an interesting place especially for history buffs that enjoy learning about the agricultural aspect of Arkansas of the mid-1800s and early 1900s. But if you visit, just don’t go expecting to find a hubcap burger.

All Around Arkansas: Louisiana Purchase State Park

                

                In 1803, President Thomas Jefferson made one of the greatest real estate deals in history when he purchased 800,000 square acres of land west of the Mississippi River from France for $15 million. 

                The Louisiana Purchase, as it came to be called, allowed the United States to open up lands in the west for settlement, secured the nation’s borders against foreign invaders and gave traders the right to deposit goods duty-free at port cities, especially in the larger port cities such as New Orleans. 

                In what would eventually become the state of Arkansas, the deal helped end French and Spanish control, as Americans from the East Coast settled the area.

                The Louisiana Purchase more than doubled the size of the country and brought all the territory that would become Arkansas under U.S. ownership. In 1815, President James Madison ordered a survey be conducted to establish a system for distributing free land to veterans of the War of 1812. In November 1815, Prospect K. Robbins led a group of men to survey a north-south line that would be known as the fifth principal meridian, which crossed an east-west baseline that had been surveyed by a party led by Joseph Brown. The crossing of these lines became the inaugural point from which future surveys of Louisiana Purchase lands began. Robbins’s party marked two trees in a murky swamp about eighteen inches in diameter as witness trees to delineate the crossing.

                While re-surveying the boundary between Lee and Phillips counties in 1921, surveyors Tom Jacks and Eldridge Douglas of Helena-West Helena (Phillips County) discovered those witness trees. As a result, the L’Anguille Chapter of the National Society of the Daughters’ of the American Revolution in Marianna (Lee County) placed a granite marker at the site and held a dedication ceremony there on Oct. 27, 1926.

                The Arkansas General Assembly authorized a state park to be built at and around the marker’s site in 1961. Early development of the park began with the help from local citizens and civic organizations. The monument was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on Feb. 23, 1972. In April 1977, the Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission added the swamp in which the stone marker sat to the Arkansas State Registry of Natural Areas and gave money to buy the park site. The Arkansas Department of Parks & Tourism granted the commission a conservation easement on the site, which helped provide legal protection for its natural and historical features. Further development of park facilities began in 1977, and was completed in 1980. A 950-foot boardwalk was built from the swamp’s edge to the monument. 

                In June 1981, the boardwalk to the marker in Louisiana Purchase State Park was designated as a National Recreation Trail by the U.S. Department of the Interior. In April 1993, the National Park Service designated the point a National Historic Landmark. In preparation of the Louisiana Purchase’s bicentennial celebration in 2003, numerous upgrades and renovations were made to the park.

                Not only is the park famous for the stone marker, but it is well-known for the fauna and wildlife that inhabit its swamp. The swamp is home to swamp tupelo, bald cypress, black willow and buttonbush, in proximity with upland species such as sweet gum, mulberry, Nuttall oak and sassafras. Many species of birds such as the belted kingfisher, the pileated woodpecker and the barred owl can often be seen.

                Louisiana Purchase State Park sits at the end of Arkansas 362, two miles east of U.S. Highway 49, about 19 miles southeast of Brinkley (Monroe County) and about 30 miles northwest of Helena-West Helena. The park has no amenities — there's no visitors’ center, campgrounds or picnic areas. But public restrooms were added in April 2021. That same year, state park employees raised the granite monument and set it on a new base, so that it would no longer be submerged during times of high water.

                And while the park is a bit off the beaten path, its natural beauty and historical significance not just to Arkansas, but the entire country, is well worth the time you’ll spend in the swamp that is Louisiana Purchase State Park.

All Around Arkansas: Natural Steps, Arkansas

                

                Eighteen miles north of Little Rock on Highway 300 is the community of Natural Steps, which takes its name from an unusual geological formation called “Natural Steps.” The Natural Steps are two parallel, vertical sandstone walls that stand about 20 feet apart. The rocks form natural steps that rise about 51 feet above the bank of the Arkansas River. The Natural Steps still stand today and are used as a marker for river runners. Unfortunately, the Natural Steps are now on private property and not open to the public.

                Local legend states that French explorer Bernard de la Harpe spent time in the area. La Harpe is most famous for discovering the sandstone outcropping known as “La Petit Roche,” or "the Little Rock." La Harpe and his party were returning from their trip up the Arkansas River and back down to the little rock when they spotted the Natural Steps.

                Naturalist Thomas Nuttall wrote “A Journal of Travels into the Arkansas Territory During the Year 1819” about his travels from 1819–1821 along the Arkansas River. Nuttall noted in his journal that he encountered Native Americans, mostly Quapaw, in the Natural Steps area in 1819.

                Beginning in 1822, the "Natural Steps" provided a convenient stop for visitors by riverboat to disembark for their hike to nearby Maumelle Mountain, which is now known as Pinnacle Mountain. Visitation to the mountain from Natural Steps increased with the construction of the local railroad in the 1890s. With common use of the automobile and improved roads in the early 20th century, climbing the pinnacle became even more popular and accessible.

                The Natural Steps were first written about by Arkansas’ state geologist, David D. Owen, in his Second Report of a Geological Reconnaissance of the Middle and Southern Counties of Arkansas, which was commissioned by Gov. Elias Conway in 1859. Owen also made detailed sketches of the Natural Steps that he included as his report. 

                In 1870, Col. John Macomb and S.T. Abert of the Little Rock District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, set out to map the Arkansas River and show low-water depths and other features important to river travel. In their maps, a drawing and location of the "Natural Steps" were included.

                A small skirmish in the Brooks-Baxter War took place on the Arkansas River at Natural Steps in May 1874, when the steamboat “Hallie” was deployed to intercept a flatboat reportedly coming down the river carrying weapons for the supporters of Joseph Brooks, whose loyalists along the bank were successful in disabling the steamboat.

                Many stories and legends are associated with Natural Steps. One legend has it that Jesse James and his gang spent the night in Natural Steps and robbed a Benton stagecoach the following day as they traveled to Hot Springs. Another says that Confederate forces sunk one of their gunboats at the Natural Steps to keep Union soldiers from getting the gold on board. In the late 19th century, a man waiting to catch a steamboat at the foot of the steps found a $5 gold piece. But no gold has been found in the Natural Steps area since.

                Natural Steps also has its own ghost story. Supposedly, a young woman named Martha married Gustavus Sanders in October 1888. But Gustavus died shortly after. The grief-stricken widow, known as the “Woman in White,” vanished a few days later, and it was thought she committed suicide by jumping off the Natural Steps into the Arkansas River. It has long been claimed that Martha can be seen each year in late October wandering the Natural Steps Cemetery.

                I hope the Natural Steps are opened to visitors someday, as I would love to see this unusual geographic formation that has been at the heart of several important events in our great state’s history. I’ll keep my fingers crossed!

All Around Arkansas: Lake DeGray

                With summer officially here, thousands of Arkansans will flock to the state's many beautiful lakes. Arkansas is blessed with both natural and man-made lakes that are perfect for boating, swimming, fishing and other recreational activities. One of those bodies of water is Lake DeGray near Arkadelphia (Clark County). 

                The lake and dam take its name from the misspelling of a French fur trader named DeGraff, who settled the Lake DeGray region in the early 1800s. 

                The site where DeGray Dam was built had been considered for a dam since 1908, when Harvey Couch, founder of Arkansas Power & Light (now Entergy Arkansas Inc.), visited the area with the idea of creating another hydroelectric project. In 1950, as part of the River and Harbors Act, Congress authorized a dam to be built on the Caddo River. But funding was delayed due to the Korean War. At the urging of U.S. Sen. John McClellan and U.S Rep. Oren Harris, both of Arkansas, Congress added money for the dam in the 1959 Water Supply Act.

                The Vicksburg District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, began work on DeGray Dam in 1962 and completed it in 1972 at a cost of $63.8 million. Potashnick Construction Co. of Cape Girardeau, Missouri built the dam and dike, while Arkansas Rock & Gravel Co. in nearby Murfreesboro (Pike County) built the spillway. 

                The 14,000-acre lake has an average depth of 47 feet. While Lake DeGray’s main purpose was initially for flood control, it has become an important water source and recreational area. DeGray Dam is also a producer of hydroelectric power, which makes the lake one of the most efficient and energy producing projects in the southern U.S.

                The Corps owns and operates nine campgrounds around the lake, including two playgrounds, five swim areas, several miles of biking trails, five miles of hiking trails and 11 boat ramps. A visitors’ center, featuring the history of the area and the construction of the dam and lake, is operated near DeGray Dam.

                With a lease from the Corps, the Arkansas Department of Parks & Tourism opened DeGray Lake Resort State Park in 1974 just a few miles north of DeGray Dam. By 1975, an 18-hole golf course was added to the park. Other amenities include campsites with electric and water hookups, an amphitheater, a visitors’ center, tennis and basketball courts, a horseback riding stable, hiking trails, picnic areas, boat ramps and swimming beaches.

                The centerpiece of DeGray Lake Resort State Park is the 94-room lodge and convention center. The center is available for family reunions, company retreats, conventions and lakefront weddings. A restaurant and day spa are also located there. The lodge was privately managed from 1975 until the state parks division of the Department of Parks & Tourism assumed operation in 1985.

                Thanks to the state's one-eighth conservation tax, which voters approved in 1996 to provide funds for the Department of Parks & Tourism, the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission, and Keep Arkansas Beautiful, $10 million has been spent on improvements and renovations at the park. 

                And Lake DeGray is a fisherman’s mecca. The lake hosts numerous fishing tournaments and is home to large populations of catfish and crappie. It's also known for its excellent hybrid striped bass fishery. These fish are stocked in the lake, since no natural reproduction takes place in its waters. 

                Lake DeGray’s shoreline is pristine with beautiful views of the Ouachita Mountains and forests. No houses are allowed to be built on Lake DeGray, which helps preserve the natural shoreline.

                Whether it’s a day trip to the lake for swimming or boating or a weekend spent camping or staying in the state park lodge, Lake DeGray is the perfect place this time of year. And the natural beauty you’ll find there helps give Arkansas its nickname, “The Natural State.”

All Around Arkansas: Where Three States Meet

 

                As most people know, in Texarkana, one can stand in two states at once. There’s a spot in front of the federal courthouse and post office known as Photographer’s Island, where thousands of people throughout the years have taken their photo with one foot in Arkansas and the other in Texas. 

                But not too far from Texarkana near Atlanta, Texas (Cass County), is a place where one can actually stand in not just two, but three states at once. It’s not nearly as well known as Photographer’s Island, but it’s a fascinating thing nonetheless.

                I had never heard of what’s known as the Three States Marker until I read a post about it on one of the many Arkansas-themed Facebook pages I follow. When I learned it was not too far from my in-laws' home in Wake Village, Texas, I knew I had to go. And as it happened, my wife and I were going to be traveling soon to the Lone Star State for my nephew's high school graduation. 

                I invited my mother-in-law, who’s always up for a good adventure, if we could go and she was happy to oblige. She was excited about visiting the roadside attraction because even though she grew up in the Ark-La-Tex area, she had never heard of the Three States Marker.

                Saturday morning, she and I headed out in search of the Three States Marker. We took Highway 59 out of Wake Village toward Atlanta and then turned onto Highway 77. From what I could gather from the information I found on the internet, the small concrete marker was located under a tree in some woods between a liquor store and an abandoned gas station. 

                We began looking for the marker as soon as Google Maps began showing that we were in the vicinity. But all we saw were the Louisiana and Texas welcome signs. So I went into the liquor store and asked for directions. One of the employees walked me outside and pointed to a tree. 

                According to the employee, several people per day ask about the location of the roadside attraction. After a short walk through the weeds, we found the tiny stone marker that marks the intersection of Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas. 

                According to the circular bronze plaque on its top, the concrete obelisk was placed there in 1930 by the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey. Carved on the marker’s side are ARK, LA and TEXAS, denoting the three states that meet at the point.

                Like other tourists, we had to take several pictures of us standing by and on the marker. While we were there, several other folks showed up to see the Three States Marker. If you want even more photos from your visit, the state welcome signs for Louisiana and Texas are close enough that you can get pictures of both while standing in the same spot. 

                There wasn’t much else to see, so we headed back to my in-laws' home in Wake Village, but not before paying a visit to the dam and spillway of Wright Patman Lake (formerly Lake Texarkana), where my mother-in-law took many fishing trips with her late father. I enjoyed hearing her childhood memories and stories about the “good ol’ days.”

                When it comes to the Three States Marker, while I wouldn’t recommend going out of your way to see it, if you’re in the area, definitely stop by and get a photo. After all, how many places can you be in three states at the same time and have the photographic evidence to prove it?

All Around Arkansas: Millwood Lake and State Park

                

                Recently I traveled to Ashdown (Little River County) to the nursing home and rehab facility where my mother-in-law worked for several years. They were celebrating “National Nursing Home Week,” and asked my musical mother-in-law if she would perform as part of the festivities. She never misses the chance to sing in public and invited my wife and me to join her. My wife, a busy attorney, was unable to attend. But as a teacher, I'm out for the summer and was able to go. 

                Afterwards, my mother-in-law, who grew up in the area, wanted to show me some of the places she visited as a child and young adult. The first: Millwood State Park at Millwood Lake. 

                As a former employee of the Department of Parks & Tourism, I’ve visited all 52 state parks, including Millwood. But I didn’t tell her that and went along with the ride. She had a great time recalling memories of her and her dad fishing on Millwood, as well as camping with my father-in-law’s family at the park.

                I stopped in at the park’s visitor’s center where I was greeted by two friendly park employees who welcomed me and shared information about the park and the lake.

                Millwood Lake is located 9 miles from Ashdown and was formed by damming the point where Little River and the Saline River meet. According to local legend, the dam, lake and state park take the name “Millwood” from a frontier river landing in the area, which was in use between 1845 and 1875.

                The dam was built by the Tulsa District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, starting in 1961 and was completed in 1966. The dam and lake were officially dedicated on Dec. 8, 1966. The cost of the project was estimated at $44 million. Built mainly for flood control purposes, Millwood Lake is the lynch pin in the flood reduction system for the Red River below Lake Texoma.

                The 29,260-acre lake is best known as a fishing lake and wildlife habitat. Its 35,000 acres of sunken timber provide homes for the many kinds of fish in the lake, including the indigenous Millwood lunker largemouth bass. Numerous animals can be found inhabiting the land around the lake, including white-tailed deer, bobwhite quail, squirrel, dove, rabbit, raccoon, armadillo, opossum, fox, mink, American gator and beaver. In 2012, a 1,380-pound alligator — the biggest alligator found in Arkansas — was caught in the lake.

                Millwood Lake is also an important water source. It supplies Domtar's communications paper division with 50 million gallons of water per day for its operations. The lake also provides drinking water to the city of Texarkana, Arkansas, through a water treatment plant located near Ashdown.

                Among several recreational areas the Corps of Engineers established along the lake’s shoreline was Cypress Slough Park, which was located the southwestern end of Millwood Dam. On April 1, 1976, the Corps of Engineers signed a lease agreement with the Arkansas Department of Parks & Tourism making Cypress Slough Park part of the state park system.

                Millwood State Park features a visitor’s center, a full-service marina, camping, picnicking sites and hiking and bike trails. The park also hosts several recreational events and interpretive activities, including fishing events, bird watching and lake tours. For more information, you can visit the park’s website at www.arkansasstateparks.com/parks/millwood-state-park or contact the park’s visitor’s center at (870) 898-2800.

                If you’re looking for a great place to fish and spot some wildlife, Millwood Lake and the state park that sits along its shore is a great place to go. Just be on the lookout for alligators — you never know what might be lurking in the murky waters of Millwood.

All Around Arkansas: Dogpatch, U.S.A.

                As the end of the school year approaches, many parents are deciding where to take their children for summer break. And when I think back on the places in Arkansas my parents took me on summer vacation, Dogpatch U.S.A. immediately comes to mind. 

                If you grew up in Arkansas in the 70s and 80s, chances are you and your family went to Dogpatch at least once or twice as well.

                Dogpatch U.S.A. was located on Highway 7 between Harrison and Jasper. Today the area is known by its original name, Marble Falls. Dogpatch was an amusement park based on the comic strip "Li’l Abner" by Al Capp. The cartoon was set in the fictional town of Dogpatch.

                In 1966, Albert Raney listed his family's trout farm with Harrison real estate agent O. J. Snow. Snow visited the property and had an epiphany: Raney’s trout farm would be the perfect setting for an amusement park centered around a pioneer theme. Snow believed the area's geography resembled those pictured in Capp’s comic strip.

                Snow and several Harrison businessmen created Recreation Enterprises Inc. to develop the former trout farm. The group’s first task was to get permission from Capp to develop a park based on the characters and location in his cartoon. According to the Arkansas Gazette, Snow sent Capp several home movies of the property and descriptions of the proposed attractions. Snow planned a variety of activities for the theme park, including horseback riding, train rides, local arts and crafts shops, and a music venue for national and local performers. Li'l Abner comic-strip characters would roam the park in costume and interact with the visitors. 

                Capp previously had rejected other offers to use his characters in theme parks, but eventually agreed to Snow’s proposal and became a partner in the venture. Capp claimed he had once driven through the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas and had pictured the area for the locale of his fictional "Dogpatch" town. In January 1967, Capp's attorneys finalized the agreement with Recreation Enterprises that granted the group the rights to use Capp’s characters and place names.

                But not everyone was happy about the theme park. Many state officials and residents objected to Dogpatch, believing it would encourage the negative hillbilly stereotypes Arkansas had had such a difficulty shedding.

                Capp attended the groundbreaking ceremony at Dogpatch U.S.A. on Oct. 3, 1967. The first phase of the project cost $1.3 million and included construction of the first buildings and rides. The second phase — including the construction of a train from the park to Marble Falls, a tram from the parking lot to the park entrance, the "Skunk Hollow" section of the park, a motel and a golf course — was completed over the next two years. 

                In 1968, the name of the local post office was officially changed from Marble Falls to Dogpatch. Over 300,000 visitors came to Dogpatch U.S.A. in its opening year. People from all over the state and nation made the trip to ride the rides, listen to music, experience homemade crafts and food, and of course, take pictures with Li’l Abner, Daisy Mae and a creature called the Shmoo. My parents still have many photos of li’l Darrell with the residents of Dogpatch.

                In October 1968, Arkansas businessman Jess Odom purchased the park and hired former Gov. Orval Faubus as Dogpatch’s general manager. In the years to come, Dogpatch changed ownership several times. In 1991, the park dropped the name Dogpatch U.S.A. and stopped using Capp’s characters in an effort to save money. The park closed permanently on Oct. 14, 1993.

                In March 2020, Johnny Morris, owner of Bass Pro Shops, purchased the old Dogpatch land in a foreclosure sale for $1.2 million. In 2021, Morris shared some early plans for a nature park with the Buffalo River Conservation Committee, but no improvements have been made to the property.

                Today, what was once Dogpatch U.S.A. is a ghost town, with only the memories of thrilling rides, the music of such stars as Reba McEntire, and something called a Shmoo remaining.