The Charming Town of Hardy

 

                Hardy is a city located in Fulton and Sharp Counties in the Ozark Mountain range of Arkansas. Situated on the banks of the Spring River created by nearby Mammoth Spring, Hardy is best known for being a mecca of water-related recreation. However, the town is also popular for its antique shops, craft stores, unique restaurants, and musical venues.

                In 1879, the town was founded as Township 17 but was later renamed Hardy in 1883 after local landowner, James Hardy. Hardy was one of Sharp County’s two county seats with Evening Shade being the other. Hardy was officially incorporated as a town on July 12, 1894. The St. Louis, Iron Mountain, and Southern Railroad arrived the same year and brought growth and development to the area.

                By the early 1900s, Hardy became a popular tourist destination, attracting visitors across Arkansas and neighboring states with its natural springs, scenic beauty, and recreational opportunities.

                Memphis doctor, George G. Buford, and his wife were temporarily stranded in Hardy in 1908 when the train they were traveling on experienced mechanical failure. They climbed Wahpeton Hill on the south bank of the Spring River and fell in love with the untouched surroundings. The Bufords bought fifty acres on Wahpeton the next year and erected a summer cottage.

                Buford added to his land holdings over the next few years by purchasing land near Jordan and East Wahpeton Hills. Buford built ten cottages for summer guests on his new land which he named Wahpeton Inn in 1912.  L. L. Ward of Blytheville (Mississippi County) opened a second resort he named Rio Vista in 1932. In addition to the resorts, several Memphis youth organizations established summer camps on land located near Hardy. The Kia Kima summer camp, operated by the Boy Scouts, opened in 1916. Camp Kiwani was established as a Girl Scout camp in 1920.  By 1930, the town had 508 residents in 1930, but visitor numbers ballooned to around a thousand per day between July and September.

                During the Great Depression, Hardy’s economy struggled, but the construction of U.S. Highway 63, which runs through the town, helped revitalize the area. In its course through the Natural State, Highway 63 runs from the Missouri state line at Mammoth Spring to connect with Interstate 55 near Gilmore. The creation of the Ozark National Forest also helped bring much-needed economic revitalization to Hardy and surrounding communities.

                In the 1960s and 1970s, Hardy experienced significant growth, with new businesses, schools, and infrastructure development. However, despite all of the progress made in the city, in 1963, both Hardy and Evening Shade lost their county seat designations, as Ash Flat was named the permanent county seat of Sharp County. In 1968, the Arkansaw Traveller Folk Theater opened in Hardy to preserve the culture of the Ozarks including the story and music behind one of our state’s most historic songs, The Arkansas Traveler, written by Col. Sanford “Sandy” Faulkner.

                Hardy’s most notable residents were the country music duo, The Wilburns. Comprised of brothers Doyle (b. 1930) and Teddy (b. 1931), the Wilburns were successful on the country charts in the 1950s through the 1970s. The brothers performed regularly on the Louisiana Hayride radio show in Shreveport and eventually became members of the prestigious Grand Ole Opry in Nashville. The duo was also popular due to their hit syndicated television program, The Wilburn Brothers Show, which ran from 1963 to 1974.

                While Hardy is the state’s smallest town to boast a historic district, it has 41 commercial buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The entire downtown area is a treasure trove of Arkansas history and features many stores and gift shops located in pre-World War II buildings along the beautiful Spring River.

                In 2014, the Discovery Channel aired a short-lived reality show, Clash of the Ozarks, whose storyline involved a legendary century-old family feud in Hardy. The show ran for one six-episode season but was not renewed.

                Today, Hardy is a thriving city with a strong focus on tourism, outdoor recreation, and small-town charm. As of the 2020 census, the city has 765 residents.

                From those who come for the water sports and fishing opportunities provided by nearby Mammoth Spring and the Spring River to those just passing through, Hardy offers a variety of worthwhile attractions for tourists visiting this small town in the Ozarks.

Lassis Inn

                Founded in 1905, Lassis Inn was a historic restaurant in Little Rock that served delicious soul food for over a hundred years in central Arkansas.

                The restaurant was started by Joe and Molassis (the restaurant’s namesake) Watson when the couple began selling sandwiches out of their Little Rock home around 1905. As their business became increasingly popular, the Watsons began selling fried catfish. When the business outgrew their house, the Watsons opened a small stand-alone building to handle the influx of orders. In 1931, the couple moved the building and business to East 27th Street and later moved it a few blocks to its current location at 518 East 27th Street in the early 1960s to accommodate the construction of Interstate 30. The baby blue-colored wooden building still stands just below the I-30 abutment south of downtown Little Rock.

                Lassis Inn played an important role in the civil rights movement in Arkansas during the 1950s and 1960s, as the restaurant served as a friendly meeting place for civil rights activists, including Daisy Gatson Bates. It was inside the walls of the small restaurant where the group discussed and planned civil rights efforts for the state, such as the desegregation of Little Rock’s Central High School in September 1957.

                Members of the Watson family operated Lassis Inn for decades until 1989, when Elihue Washington, Jr. and his wife, Maria, purchased the restaurant.

                In 2017, Lassis Inn was one of three inductees into the inaugural class of the Department of Arkansas Heritage’s Arkansas Food Hall of Fame alongside Jones Bar-B-Q in Marianna (Lee County) and Rhoda’s Hot Tamales in Lake Village (Chicot County). The restaurant received the prestigious American Classics Award from the James Beard Foundation in 2020. Lassis Inn received another accolade in 2022 when Southern Living magazine named the restaurant to their list of best soul food restaurants in the southern United States. 

                Lassis Inn specialized in fried catfish and buffalo ribs, which are considered a delicacy in the South. Sides such as hushpuppies and fries were also on the menu. The restaurant was notable for having a jukebox flanked with “No Dancing!” signs. The story goes that after the jukebox was installed, customers danced down the small establishment’s narrow aisles. After owner Washington had to make numerous repairs every week after active rounds of dancing, he decided to place the infamous signs reminding customers not to continue the practice.

                In May 2024, it was reported by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette that the iconic restaurant had permanently closed, much to the chagrin of loyal customers and foodies from across the state. However, in July 2024, it was announced that Lassis Inn would be opening under new owners, Chris Jones and Kristian Nelson, with Washington assisting in the kitchen. While fried fish would still be the staple of the restaurant’s menu, the new owners revealed new items would be added including smoked brisket, baby-back ribs, hamburgers, and loaded baked potatoes.

                The Arkansas Times reported that on July 16, 2024, Elihue Washington filed a lawsuit to get out of the contract to sell the restaurant, citing Nelson’s previous convictions on interstate wire fraud, felony hot-check, and false police report charges, as well as the fact that a check Nelson gave Washington as part of the payment bounced. As such, the fate of Lassis Inn is up in the air.

                As of this writing, several reports in the local media state that Lassis Inn is scheduled to reopen on Tuesday, August 13, and that its hours of operation will be from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 12 a.m. Friday through Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday.

                Hopes remain high that Lassis Inn will indeed reopen and again be a must-visit destination for soul food lovers. If you never got the opportunity to visit the famed restaurant (thankfully I did) and it does reopen, do your tastebuds a favor and visit this historic eatery for a unique Southern dining experience.

Conway Cemetery State Park

 

               One of Arkansas’ least visited state parks contains the remains of one of the most important figures in Arkansas political history-- Conway Cemetery State Park. Conway Cemetery State Park is near Walnut Hill (Lafayette County) in southwest Arkansas. The park preserves the half-acre Conway family cemetery, which contains the grave of Arkansas’ first governor, James Sevier Conway. It is the second-smallest Arkansas state park. Herman Davis State Park near Manila is the smallest.

                Conway came to Arkansas from Tennessee in 1820 and formed a surveying company in Little Rock (Pulaski County.) In 1832, Conway was appointed surveyor general of the Arkansas Territory by President Andrew Jackson. When Arkansas became the 25th state on June 15, 1836, Conway was elected as the state’s chief executive and served from 1836 to 1840. Conway was a member of “The Family,” a powerful dynasty that dominated the early politics of Arkansas. His younger brother, Elias, was Arkansas’ fifth governor who served from 1852-1860. The Conways’ cousin, Ambrose H. Sevier, was one of Arkansas’ first U.S. senators. Another one of the Conways’ cousins, Benjamin Johnson, was one of the state’s first supreme court justices. Benjamin’s brother, Richard Johnson, served as Vice President under President Martin Van Buren. Several other relatives of the Conway family served in various other state and local offices.

                During his time in office, Gov. James Conway was responsible for a budget surplus and many of the state’s first institutions-- including roads, a prison system, and a state bank. A firm believer in the importance of a quality education, he unsuccessfully requested that the Arkansas General Assembly use the state’s budget surplus to create a public school system and a state university. Suffering from poor health, Conway resigned as governor in 1840 due to poor health. He passed away on March 3, 1855.

                Conway Cemetery State Park is located on grounds once part of Conway’s cotton plantation. While none of the plantation’s structures remain, several tombstones and gravesites of Conway family members stand. The earliest graves on the site date back to 1845. 

                Area residents initially maintained the cemetery, which also contains the graves of Conway’s wife, Mary Jane Bradley Conway, and more than forty other members of the Conway and Bradley families.

                A grassroots campaign led by the McCalman family of Walnut Hill helped persuade members of the Arkansas General Assembly to secure funds to preserve the historic cemetery. Legislation was passed in 1975 to authorize the state to acquire and develop the site. 

                The Conway Cemetery was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on November 23, 1977. On March 27, 1984, the cemetery was placed under the supervision of the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism in March 1984. The park was officially dedicated on March 29, 1986, as part of Arkansas’ sesquicentennial celebration. Since then, several improvements have been made to the site, including the installation of a paved parking lot, wooden fencing, and picnic tables. The park offers no amenities (such as camping and restrooms). Several interpretive signs have been erected which detail the life and accomplishments of James Conway.

                Beginning in 1985, the town of Bradley (Lafayette County) celebrated James Conway with an annual Gov. Conway Days festival held during the last weekend in March.

                While it may not have the popularity of a Petit Jean or Pinnacle Mountain or the scenery of a Mount Magazine or Queen Wilhemena, Conway Cemetery State Park is a must-visit for those interested in learning more about the Conway family.

Arkansas' Civil War

                For thirty days in April 1874, Arkansas experienced a civil war. This conflict is known in the history books as the Brooks-Baxter War. 

                The Brooks-Baxter War was fought between supporters of Joseph Brooks and Elisha Baxter. Both men had run for governor in 1872, with Baxter achieving a narrow victory over Brooks. During Reconstruction, Republicans dominated Arkansas politics. Brooks represented the “brindle-tail” wing of the Arkansas Republican party, while Baxter represented the “minstrel” or “carpetbagger” wing. 

                Ohio native Joseph Brooks was a Methodist preacher, newspaper editor, and Little Rock’s nineteenth postmaster. In 1865, Brooks moved to Helena (Phillips County) and leased a cotton plantation there. He began to organize freed slaves and recruited them to join the Republican Party. Brooks served as a delegate to Arkansas’ constitutional convention in 1868 and soon became the leader of the brindle-tail faction of the Arkansas Republicans. In 1872, the brindle-tails nominated Brooks as their candidate for governor.

                Meanwhile, North Carolinian Elisha Baxter moved to Batesville (Independence County) in 1852 and opened a mercantile store. Unfortunately for Baxter, the business was a failure. Baxter became involved in the Whig party and was elected mayor of Batesville in 1853. A year later, Baxter was elected as a state representative and served in the tenth Arkansas General Assembly. During the Civil War, Baxter joined the Union cause and organized and commanded the 4th Arkansas Mounted Infantry.

                In the spring of 1864, Gov. Isaac Murphy appointed Baxter to the Arkansas Supreme Court. In 1865, Baxter opened a law office in Little Rock with lawyer and politician, James Hinds. In 1868, Gov. Powell Clayton appointed Baxter to represent Arkansas’ first congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives. 

                Baxter was narrowly elected governor over Brooks in 1872, in an election tainted by claims of fraud and intimidation. Brooks and his supporters contested the result in the courts, and in 1874, citing election fraud, a county judge declared Brooks the rightful victor. Although Brooks took control of the state’s government, Baxter refused to resign as governor. Thus, Arkansas now had two men claiming to be the state’s chief executive, creating confusion and chaos.

                Both Baxter and Brooks had militia forces that organized to support them in their fight to be Arkansas’ governor. The militias clashed back and forth in several violent incidents throughout central Arkansas. As the conflict continued, black Arkansans gravitated toward Brooks, while white Democrats began to throw their support behind Baxter in an attempt to end reconstruction in Arkansas. 

                The two militias regularly marched and sang through the streets of Little Rock, and the state’s capital city became a battleground. Former Confederate Brigadier-General James Fagan commanded Brooks's men, while former Confederate Colonel Robert C. Newton commanded Baxter's forces. Baxter's headquarters occupied the downstairs area of the Anthony House, a 22-room hotel on the southwest corner of Markham and Scott Streets. Brooks’ men set up camp at the state capitol building on West Markham Street on the Arkansas River.

                Ultimately, President Ulysses S. Grant intervened in the conflict and declared Elisha Baxter as Arkansas’ rightful governor. The Brooks-Baxter War ended on May 15, 1874.

                The conclusion of the Brooks-Baxter War was followed by a total restructuring of state government under Arkansas’ 1874 constitution. The reinstatement of Baxter and the ratification of the new state constitution marked the end of reconstruction in Arkansas. This resulted in a severely weakened Republican Party in the state, as Democrats seized power and controlled the state’s governorship for over ninety years.

                The lone remnant of the Brooks-Baxter War is a sixty-four-pound Civil War-era cannon used by pro-Baxter forces during the Brooks-Baxter War. The artillery piece is known as “Lady Baxter.” This historic cannon sits on the grounds of Arkansas’ first state capitol building, The Old State House, which now serves as Arkansas’ premier history museum.

The Duck Hunting and Rice Capital of the World

                

                Known as the “Duck Hunting and Rice Capital of the World,” the city of Stuttgart lies in Arkansas County and serves as one of its two county seats. Situated on Arkansas’ Grand Prairie, Stuttgart is located on U.S. Highway 165, approximately 45 miles southeast of Little Rock. As of the 2020 census, Stuttgart’s population was 9,326.

                Stuttgart was founded in 1880 by German native and Lutheran minister, Rev. George Adam Buerkle. Buerkle and family moved to the United States in 1852, originally settling in Woodville, Ohio. Buerkle and his family, along with a group of fellow German immigrants, came to the area which is now Stuttgart in 1878. In April 1880, he was appointed postmaster of the settlement’s new post office and needed a name for it. Buerkle chose Stuttgart in honor of the capital and largest city of the German state of Baden-Württemberg.

                In 1882, the Texas and St. Louis Railroad laid tracks and began operations in the small settlement. In 1884, the city was platted, however, Stuttgart did not initially thrive or prosper. Thomas Leslie, who came to the area in 1887, became a leader in the town and assisted with the start of its economic growth. For example, Leslie opened the first bank in Arkansas County and helped lead the expansion of railroad construction from Stuttgart to Gillett. Stuttgart was incorporated on April 19, 1889.

                Shortly after Stuttgart’s incorporation, residents elected Col. Robert Crockett as the city’s first mayor. Crockett was the eldest son of the legendary frontiersman and politician, David “Davy” Crockett. Robert Crockett had moved to Stuttgart from Memphis at the age of twenty-four.

                While it had been an agricultural town since its inception, Stuttgart’s most popular cash crop of rice was not grown in the area until 1902. As an experiment, local farmer Bill Hope planted a small plot of rice. The small plot yielded 139 bushels per acre. On March 9, 1907, Stuttgart Rice Mill Company was incorporated. The company’s mill was completed in October 1907 and reported a profit of $16,000 on the first season’s crops. The success of the mill began Stuttgart’s rise as the leading producer of rice in the world.

                Riceland Foods, the world's largest miller and marketer of rice, was founded in 1921, and is headquartered in Stuttgart. Producers Rice Mill, also one of the world’s largest millers and marketers of rice, is located in the city as well. Stuttgart is home to the University of Arkansas' Sen. Dale Bumpers National Rice Research Center, which is the largest rice research facility in the United States.

                Stuttgart is also home to the Grand Prairie Center, which is located on the campus of Phillips County Community College. The venue hosts several concerts and stage plays throughout the year. Several years ago, my wife and I attended a performance by the country music group, Restless Heart, at the Grand Prairie Center, and it is indeed a great place to hear live music.

                Not only is Stuttgart known for rice, but it’s just as famous for the great opportunities for duck hunting the area provides. With its abundance of flooded fields, swamps, and buckbrush reservoirs, Stuttgart is considered a prime location for duck hunting in the nation. The World’s Championship Duck Calling Contest has been held in the city since 1936 as part of the annual Wings Over the Prairie Festival. Mack’s Prairie Wings, a large retail store specializing in hunting and fishing products, is considered a must-see destination by sportsmen when visiting the area. 

                For history buffs seeking to learn more about the city, the Museum of the Grand Prairie in Stuttgart features exhibits on pioneer life and notable residents, and of course, rice production and waterfowl hunting.

                Whether you’re in town for duck hunting or just passing through the state’s grand prairie, Stuttgart has something for everyone to see and experience.

The Town of Many Firsts

                Formerly known as Old Davidsonville State Park, Davidsonville Historic State Park near Pocahontas (Randolph County) preserves the location of the frontier settlement of Davidsonville. Davidsonville was located in Lawrence County—one of the original counties created in the Arkansas Territory. The town was home to Arkansas’ first post office and county courthouse. 

                Founded in 1815, at the site of several log cabins and buildings, Davidsonville became a bustling riverport, as it was located where the Eleven Point River and the Spring River merge with the Black River. The town also became an important stop on the historic Southwest Trail. 

                Davidsonville was originally known as Lawrence after the county it served as the county seat of. The town was later renamed Davidsonville for John Davidson, a native North Carolinian, who represented Lawrence County in the territorial legislature.

                The first post office in what would become Arkansas began operating in Davidsonville in 1817. In 1820, the first federal land office in the Arkansas Territory was opened in the town. Another first for Davidsonville occurred in 1822, when the first courthouse in the Arkansas Territory, a two-story brick building, was built there. The census taken that year showed the town had 461 residents.

                However, as fast as the town grew, it was nearly abandoned by the mid-1830s. The Southwest Trail was moved to higher ground shortly after the town’s founding, thus greatly diminishing Davidsonville’s importance. In 1828, the federal land office was relocated to Batesville (Independence County). In 1829, the county seat and courthouse were moved to the newly formed town of Jackson. By the time Arkansas became the twenty-fifth state in June 1836, Davidsonville had become a ghost town.

                In March 1957, the Arkansas General Assembly voted to approve Act 148, which preserved the abandoned town’s site for a state park. However, funding for the park was not appropriated until 1979. Under the direction of the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism, Old Davidsonville State Park was built atop the former townsite. Today, the 163-acre park, now called Davidsonville Historic State Park, offers such amenities as a visitors' center, gift shop, picnic tables, pavilions, and playgrounds. Popular recreational activities in the park include camping, canoeing, hiking, and swimming. In 2016, the park’s visitors’ center underwent an extensive renovation featuring a replica of an 1820s hunter-trapper flatboat and a large display of historic finds from archeological digs at the old townsite. Archeological excavations are still conducted at Historic Davidsonville State Park and continue to uncover roads, streets, foundations, and various artifacts of early-frontier life in Arkansas. 

                Also located within the park boundaries are several historical markers, a walking trail at the old town site, and two pioneer cemeteries. In April 2014, two “ghost structures,” open frameworks that outline the appearance of a two-story dogtrot-style cabin and the two-story county courthouse, were erected on park grounds.

                Throughout the year, park interpreters offer several events for visitors, including the popular Ghosts of Old Davidsonville program held in late October and the biannual Black River Rendezvous in mid-September. The Ghosts of Old Davidsonville event is a one-night event, which includes concerts, food trucks, a hayride, and a bonfire. Historical reenactors portray the ghosts of residents who could have lived in Davidsonville and share legends and stories of the old town. At the Black River Rendezvous, presentations of mountain-man and Native American camps and traders are held, as well as demonstrations of frontier-era crafts and trades.

                Like all of Arkansas’ fifty-two state parks, admission to Davidsonville Historic State Park is free, but hours of operation vary throughout the year. For more information, contact the park’s visitors’ center at 870-892-4708 or visit its website at www.arkansasstateparks.com/parks/davidsonville-historic-state-park.

                If the early frontier history of Arkansas interests you or you’re simply looking for a beautiful place to spend the day, Davidsonville Historic State Park is certainly a must-see destination here in the Natural State.

Newport's Silver Moon

            Recently, my wife had a business meeting in Newport (Jackson County) and asked me to come along. Always up for an Arkansas adventure, I agreed, as I knew I could do some sightseeing while she met with clients. Not knowing much about Newport, I called my father who I figured knew some interesting things about the city, as well as possible historical places to visit, since he grew up in nearby Bald Knob (White County). And sure enough, I was right.

            Dad told me about a nightclub and music venue in Newport that he and my mother went to while dating in high school called the Silver Moon. He even claimed they saw a young Elvis Presley on the club's stage. However, my mom has since disputed this story, as she insisted, they never saw the young singer from Memphis in Newport or any place for that matter. Regardless, my interest peaked, and I knew I had to learn more about the venue and hopefully locate where it once stood.

            The Silver Moon opened for business in 1944, during the height of World War II. During the war, a large military base, the Newport Air Field, was constructed in the city, doubling the town's population. With so many servicemen residing in the area, Newport's business owners used the boom in population as an opportunity to satisfy the need for the new residents' desire for entertainment and recreation.

            The original Silver Moon was built by a local businessman with a penchant for gambling named Bob Fortune.  According to the book We Wanna Boogie: The Rockabilly Roots of Sonny Burgess and the Pacers, the club first attracted "wild-ass Marines and sailors from Memphis always looking for a fight." For many years, the Silver Moon had a reputation as the kind of place "respectable people," especially women, did not frequent. Fights were the norm at the Silver Moon. In December 1955, U.S. Navy officer and Silver Moon regular, Francis Callis, was shot on Christmas Day. 

            Despite the violent atmosphere, the nightclub attracted large crowds for many years. The Silver Moon's popularity was due mostly to it hosting such musical acts as Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys, Wanda Jackson, Glenn Miller, and a host of artists with Arkansas connections such as Johnny Cash, Conway Twitty, and Sonny Burgess and the Pacers. And yes, the future "King of Rock and Roll," Elvis Presley also performed on the Silver Moon's legendary stage. During its peak in the late 1950s, the Silver Moon was the most popular nightclub in the Natural State, attracting crowds of over 1,000 people on Friday and Saturday nights.

            The building which housed the club was a simple one. It was a long, rectangular-shaped 7,000-square-foot dance hall with rock walls. Bare copper wire hung from its ceiling to conduct sound to the back of the club. The Silver Moon was located north of Newport along Highway 67, away from the center of town and the snooping eyes of local law enforcement. This made the club especially attractive for unsavory characters looking to lay low.

            In the mid-1950s, the Silver Moon was purchased by World War II veteran, Don Washam. Along with being a hot spot for rock and roll music, the club was a place where customers could drink and gamble. Beer was sold at the Silver Moon and it was said that any sixteen-year-old with a quarter could get one. However, when it came to gambling at the Silver Moon, that was reserved for customers in an invitation-only back room. 

            Sadly, all good things must end, and the popularity of the Silver Moon began its decline in the late 1960s. For the most part, local police had turned a blind eye to the gambling that took place inside the club. However, all that changed during Gov. Winthrop Rockefeller's administration as he made cracking down on illegal gambling in Arkansas a top priority. As a result, gambling ceased at the Silver Moon and the days of attracting up-and-coming musical acts did as well. In 1968, Washam sold the venue for just $55,000 to a local farmer, Abe Jones.

            The original building that housed the club burned in 1987, and all that remained was its concrete slab. A new version of the Silver Moon called the Silver Moon Banquet Hall, was built on the same lot behind the Silver Moon's original location. The club barely resembled the original Silver Moon, but it did keep the club's name and logo of a silhouette of a wolf howling at the moon painted on its front. On August 24, 2017, a memorial service was held there for Sonny Burgess after his passing. The second incarnation of the Silver Moon closed in March 2021.

            So, after some research, I was able to locate the original Silver Moon’s location. Off Highway 67, I found the club’s concrete slab, as well as the building that housed the Silver Moon Banquet Hall. Walking atop the concrete slab, I thought about all the legends that frequented the legendary Silver Moon, including my mom and dad.

Ravenden Springs, Arkansas

 

                Located in the easternmost portion of the Ozark Mountains lies the town of Ravenden Springs (Randolph County). Its beginnings date back to 1809, when John Janes settled on the creek that now bears his name near present-day Ravenden Springs. Janes, a veteran of the Revolutionary War, established a trading post on the banks of the stream. Eventually, two small villages grew up around Janes’s store, Walnut Hill and Kingsville, both of which slowly disappeared over time.

                Ravenden Springs was established in 1880, due to a recurring dream of Rev. Willam Bailey. Bailey, a Methodist minister, had suffered from a painful stomach ailment most of his adult life. According to local legend, Bailey dreamed there was a miracle spring located at the bottom of the rock walls of Hall’s Creek Canyon, where Bailey and his family had resided for several decades. The Methodist minister dreamed he climbed down into the canyon, found and drank from a spring and was miraculously cured of his sickness. The settlement that grew up around the spring became known as Dream Town. Eventually the town’s name would officially be changed to Ravenden Springs when it was incorporated on Aug. 18, 1881.

                According to a Nov. 23, 2008 article in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, a total of five springs were discovered in Hall’s Creek Canyon and each supposedly had unique healing properties for various ailments. Other reports cite a different number of springs, including one in the May 24, 1887 edition of the Arkansas Gazette, which listed three springs.  Yet another article in the Oct. 24, 1937 issue of the Gazette mentioned only two healing springs.

                The tale of Rev. Bailey’s dream and the miracle spring spread like wildfire across the region, and as such, more settlers and tourists came to the area. One such visitor was a railroad executive named R. D. Welsh. Welsh visited the spring and the surrounding area. He was immediately impressed with what he saw and returned to his native city of St. Louis to organize a stock company. Welsh returned to the area and laid out a town around the spring. Welsh’s stock company constructed a forty-room hotel named the Southern Hotel above Hall’s Creek Canyon in 1883. 

                With the construction of the hotel and the growing popularity of the springs by those looking for miraculous cures, Ravenden Springs became a true spa town. More hotels were built to accommodate the increasing number of visitors. The town was especially busy during summer months, as it was located at a higher elevation than the swamplands to the east, which made it much cooler than other areas in the state. 

                Once known as Dream Town, Ravenden Springs was named for another canyon in the vicinity known as Elephant Cave. High upon the canyon’s wall was a shallow cave called the Raven’s Den. The den was a popular nesting place of the bird species during the 1820s. However, for some reason, ravens have not been spotted in the area since the early 1860s.

                During its peak years as a spa town, Ravenden Springs was home to many businesses, a post office, banks, and doctors and law offices. The majestic Atkins Hotel was built in 1902, and offered numerous amenities to visitors. However, starting in the 1930s, Ravenden Springs began to lose its popularity as a summer resort. 

                Today, Ravenden Springs is home to several businesses, four churches and a post office. Many of the town’s 200 residents are farmers and ranchers, while others are employed in nearby Pocahontas. 

                The community schoolhouse, a large single-story fieldstone structure built in 1941, was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in January 2004. The building is now home to the Ravenden Springs Community Museum, which interprets the history of the area.

                Also located in Ravenden Springs is a 12-foot-tall raven statue made of cement stucco erected in 1996, after the original fiberglass statue built in 1991 by members of the local volunteer fire department, was set afire by vandals. Located on Highway 63 as you enter Ravenden Springs, the statue is must-see attraction and a great place for photo-op.

Remembering Ray Winder Field

                

                Some of my favorite childhood memories growing up in central Arkansas was attending Arkansas Traveler baseball games at Ray Winder Field in Little Rock. To this day, I can close my eyes and picture the old field, smell the popcorn and hear the notes from the pipe organ that was played at the games.

                Ray Winder Field was the longtime home of the minor league baseball team first known as the Little Rock Travelers and later changed to the Arkansas Travelers. The ballpark was originally called Travelers Field when it first opened in 1932. In 1966, the stadium’s name was changed in honor of Ray Winder. Winder’s association with the Travelers started as a ticket taker as a young boy who worked his way up to becoming a part owner and general manager of the team. 

                The stadium was constructed in 1931, and was located in Little Rock’s Fair Park (later renamed War Memorial Park). In the 1960s, construction on Interstate 630 began south of the park. To prevent balls from being hit out onto the freeway, a fifty-five-foot fence was erected in 1974. During this time, some of the park’s bleachers were removed, which reduced capacity from 7,000 to around 6,000.

                The stadium officially opened on April 13, 1932, and served as the home turf for the Little Rock Travelers Baseball Club from 1932 through 1958, and once again from 1960 to 1961. Ray Winder Field served as the home of the renamed and relaunched Arkansas Travelers Baseball Club from 1963 until 2006, when concerns about its safety due to age, as well as the city leadership’s desire for a more modern venue, led to its closure. The field was also used by several professional Negro League baseball teams during the 1940s and 1950s. 

                The final baseball game held at Ray Winder Field took place on September 3, 2006, and saw the Arkansas Travelers defeat the Springfield Cardinals 7–2 in front of 8,000 fans (including yours truly). This was the second-largest turnout in the team’s storied history.  The largest crowd to watch a game at Ray Winder Field took place in 1991, when 12,000 people came to see Fernando Valenzuela's rehabilitation start. At the time of its closing, Ray Winder Field was one of the oldest active baseball parks in the United States.

                After the Arkansas Travelers moved to across the river to Dickey-Stephens Park in North Little Rock in April 2007, Ray Winder Field stood vacant for nearly five years as city leaders, historic preservationists and local baseball aficionados pondered what to do with the historic stadium. Efforts to save it due to it being a historic structure were met with resistance. One idea was to allow the nearby Little Rock Zoo to use it as a viewing area for various animal exhibits. Ultimately, city leaders decided to sell the stadium and land to the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS). Ray Winder Field was demolished and the land was used for a parking lot. However, UAMS did save the scoreboard, ensuring that one iconic remnant of the old ballpark would remain.

                Prior to the demolition of Ray Winder Field in July 2012, the public was given an opportunity to purchase a piece of the park. In November 2007, the city held the “Ray Winder Field Yard Sale,” in which anything not nailed down was sold. In May 2011, fans were allowed in on a first-come, first-served basis to claim stadium seats. The orange and green wooden seats were scooped up within minutes. 

                And while the new ball park in my hometown of North Little Rock is an amazing place to watch a baseball game, in my opinion, no venue will ever be as wonderful as Ray Winder Field—the home to so many exciting games and nostalgic memories

The Ghost Town of Rush

                Located in Marion County is the only remaining ghost town between the Mississippi River and the Rocky Mountains—Rush, Arkansas. 

                The town of Rush was started by miners and prospectors who came to the area in the early 1880s in search of silver mines that had long been told about by the native Americans. Prospectors did find shiny metallic flakes in rock formations which were thought to be concentrated silver. As word spread about this discovery, people from across the mid-south rushed (henceforth the town’s name) to the area in hopes of finding the valuable mineral.

                In 1886, a rock smelter was constructed on the bank of Rush Creek to extract the shiny metallic substance. Unfortunately for the hopeful prospectors and miners, during an initial run of the smelter in January 1887, zinc oxide fumes were emitted with the predicted silver failing to collect in the sand molds. As a result, zinc—rather than silver-- mining began at the Morning Star Mine. 

                The hopes of finding silver and striking it rich weren’t the only reasons people flocked to Rush. Many prospectors who came to Rush had engaged in various types of criminal activity and hoped to get as far from law enforcement as possible. Businessmen and merchants came to the settlement looking for an opportunity to provide for the needs of the growing town. Others who came to Rush were general laborers, farmers, mechanics and former Confederate soldiers from states such as Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky and Tennessee. No matter their trade or profession, all those who flocked to Rush were looking for ways to make a quick buck or two. With the seemingly never-ending flow of new residents moving to Rush, the once-small mining camp ballooned to a population of nearly 5,000. 

                Rush was officially incorporated as a city in 1916, and became the most prosperous city per capita in the state. In the town’s early days, it was not unusual to find five to six tents erected in the morning with more tents having been added by afternoon’s end. The settlers who didn’t have the luxury of a tent opted to make shelters from rocks and even packing boxes to protect themselves from Mother Nature.

                At the 1892 World Fair in Chicago, a large zinc nugget from the Morning Star Mine weighed in at 13,000 pounds and received blue ribbons. Another large zinc specimen from the mine won a blue ribbon at the St. Louis World Fair held in 1904.

                As World War I came to a close, both the demand and price for zinc declined. As such, the population of Rush began to do dwindle as well. The mines one by one closed, as did the local post office and several stores. By the mid-1950s, the residents who had remained slowly left the town as well. Rush was officially deemed a ghost town in 1972, when it became part of the property acquired by the federal government for the creation of the Buffalo National River system. Rush’s historic district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in February 1987. 

                The historic district includes ruins that date from 1880 through 1940. The remnants of stone buildings, log cabins and other structures located in the Rush Historic District are the last preserved remains of zinc mining activity in the Natural State and have been remained relatively untouched throughout the years.

                If you’re in the Buffalo National River area for a canoe trip or hike, it’s definitely worth a trip to experience the ghost town of Rush and see for yourself the historic structures and get an idea of life in the former boom town that once made a substantial economic impact in our great state. 

The Strange Tale of Prescott's "Old Mike"

                Located in the southwestern portion of Arkansas, Prescott is the county seat of Nevada County and also its largest city. Incorporated in October 1874 as a railroad town, it became an important center of agriculture and business in the area.

                The land where Prescott lies was part of the Indian Removal (known as the Trail of Tears) in the 1830s, and was home to several nearby actions of the Civil War, including the battle of Prairie D’Ane and the skirmish at Moscow.

                Several notable people have come out of Prescott, including Arkansas politicians Gov. Thomas McRae, acting-governor Christopher Hamby, U.S. Congressman Oren Harris and U.S. Congressman and one-time gubernatorial candidate Mike Ross. Also hailing from the Nevada County city was singer Anita Pointer of the famed musical group, the Pointer Sisters.

                As is the case with many Arkansas cities, Prescott is full of interesting and unusual legends and stories. However, in my opinion, none are more so than the story of a man known simply as “Old Mike.”

                No one knows for sure when he was born or where he was from, but Old Mike was a traveling salesman who frequented Prescott in the early 1910s. He visited the city about once a month selling everything from paper to thread to homes and businesses located in the central part of the town. According to newspaper reports, Old Mike would arrive in Prescott by the southbound train around 3:00 p.m. and leave the next day at the same time to continue his travels to another city to sell his wares.

                It is believed on Sunday, August 20, 1911, Old Mike attended a revival held that evening in the city park. The following day, his body was found under a tree in the park. It was thought at the time he either died from a heart attack or stroke.

                Local residents took Old Mike’s body to Cornish Funeral Home where it was embalmed. His body was searched, but no identification was found. The funeral directors believed Old Mike was in his early 40s and of Italian descent. It appeared he had suffered major injuries to his left leg and right arm—possibly as the result of a stroke.

                Now here’s where the story of Old Mike turns really strange. The staff of the funeral home took Old Mike’s body and placed it in the front window of the business. The thought was that someone might pass by the body, recognize it, and claim it for proper burial. For over sixty years, Old Mike’s body stood in the window of the funeral home, however no one came forward to claim it. Old Mike’s corpse did become somewhat of a tourist attraction, as curiosity seekers from all across Arkansas and even nearby states came to Prescott to see the body

                Finally, in 1975, Arkansas Attorney General Jim Guy Tucker, politely requested the funeral home bury Old Mike’s body. The funeral home complied and Old Mike was buried in a small ceremony at DeAnn Cemetery in Prescott on May 12, 1975.

                According to the Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture, journalist Mike Nichols began trying to learn more about the mysterious identity of Old Mike in the 1990s.

                Nichols’ research revealed that a staff member at the Pulaski County coroner’s office testified to having seen Old Mike in a Little Rock police court, along with a man named Pat McFarland, where Old Mike was charged with public intoxication. In the police docket section of the Arkansas Gazette dated August 12, 1911, Pat McFarland was listed as having been arrested for disturbing the peace, while the only arrest for public intoxication was of a man named J. M. Estes. Could the “M” in M have stood for Mike?

                Chances are we will never know the answer to that question, as well as the true identity of Prescott’s Old Mike.

All About Alma

                Located at the edge of the Ozark Mountains in the Arkansas River Valley lies the city of Alma. The Crawford County city is situated at the intersection of Interstates 40 and 49 and is about 15 miles southeast of Fort Smith.

                The land where Alma now sits is on land purchased from the federal government by Armstead Smoot on August 3, 1836—less than two months after Arkansas became a state. Smoot used the land mostly for farming until he sold it in 1872 to Col. Mathias Locke in 1872. Locke built a home and a cotton gin on the property. Others began settling the area during this time as well.

                The community was originally known as Gum Town due to its abundance of gum trees. The primary industry of Gum Town was timber. Gum Town’s name would soon be changed to Alma and the town was incorporated on January 7, 1874. It is not certain where the name Alma originated, although one legend says that it was the name of the local postmaster’s girlfriend. W. P. Brown (no relation) served as Alma’s first mayor.

                By the time Alma officially became a town, it had a general store, a saloon, a cotton gin and a steam mill. A town hall was built and served as a church, school and a Masonic lodge. Alma’s first church was a Baptist church and was soon followed by congregations of Methodists and Presbyterians.

                Locke built Alma’s first hotel, the King Hotel, in October 1877, but it burned in December 1884. The fire also caused the destruction of seven other businesses in the area.

                While the timber industry was Alma’s initial agricultural force, cotton soon became king. Timber, however, did remain a substantial industry for Alma for many years. In August 1888, the Alma Canning and Evaporating Company was opened at a cost of $25,000 raised by thirty stockholders. The company brought the fruit trade in as a new industry for the area.

                On June 23, 1933, the infamous duo of Bonnie and Clyde, part of the outlaw Barrow Gang, killed Alma’s town marshal, Henry D. Humphrey, after being caught for robbing a grocery store in Fayetteville (Washington County). A memorial plaque honoring Humphrey was placed at Alma’s city hall.

                In 1961, the Alma canning operation was purchased by the Allen Canning Co. which was headquartered in Siloam Springs (Benton County). The Allen company canned over half of the spinach eaten in the United States and soon became the leading industry in Alma. By the mid- 1980s, Alma was known as the “Spinach Capital of the World.” The city placed a statue of Allen’s mascot and famed cartoon character and spinach lover, Popeye the Sailor Man, in front of the chamber of commerce office. Alma also began holding an annual event called the Spinach Festival. The city’s water tower was painted to resemble a can of spinach.

                More infamous characters came to Alma in 1974, when Tony and Susan Alamo established a religious compound in the nearby town of Dyer. Their organization, the Alamo Foundation, began buying numerous businesses in Alma and used their followers to staff them. The Alamo Western Wear Store, which featured sequined and airbrushed denim jackets, was quite popular, as was Alamo’s restaurant. The restaurant featured top name entertainment, including names such as Dolly Parton and Roy Orbison. 

                Through their gain of massive wealth, the Alamos wielded a great deal of influence over business and political leaders in the city. In 1991, federal agents raided the Alamo compound in Dyer and arrested Tony Alamo on tax-evasion charges. The Alamo Foundation left Dyer and established a new compound in Fouke (Miller County) near Texarkana. Susan Alamo died in April 1982 under mysterious circumstances and Tony later died in a federal prison in Texarkana in 2017.

                From Bonnie and Clyde to Popeye to the Alamos, Alma has had an assortment of characters throughout its history, but remains today as an important and prosperous city in the Arkansas River Valley.

Arkansas's Own England

                

                If you’re driving from Little Rock to the “Duck Hunting Capital of the World” of Stuttgart, you might find yourself traveling through England. No, not the country ruled by King Charles, but the small city in Lonoke County that — despite its size — has quite the storied history.

                The area today known as England was originally a community of 19 families that sprung up during the Reconstruction era of the 1870s. The settlement was about 3 1/2 miles north of where the city was eventually laid out. Led by a man named Bob Hudgens, the residents in the small community lobbied for a post office in 1880. The U.S. Postal Service granted their request, and later that year, the Groveland post office was established. 

                The post office’s designation didn’t stay Groveland for long; the name was changed to England in 1888 — an event that almost didn’t happen (more on that in just a moment). That same year a one-room building was constructed as a school, church and community meeting place.

                By 1888, the area was known as England, named for land owner and lawyer John Calhoun England. England was legal counsel for the Cotton Belt Railroad, which had recently laid tracks in the area. He bought the original tracts of land and had them surveyed into lots. Prominent town leaders decided to name the area after John England. 

                The U.S. Postal Service originally denied the request to change the post office’s name from Groveland to England citing a rule that stated a post office could not contain the name of a foreign country. But it eventually granted the request, and both the town and post office officially became known as England. England was incorporated on March 1, 1897.

                England’s economy initially centered around agriculture — specifically cotton. In 1893, a cotton gin was built in England and a second was built in 1898.

                In 1902, William Fulmer, a farmer from Louisiana, moved to England and began experimenting with rice farming. Within a few years, rice farming became a major cash crop in England, the rice well-suited to the flat, poorly drained land. But even with the huge success of rice farming, “King Cotton” continued to be the largest cash crop around England.

                The drought of 1930-1931 devastated England, causing an event known as the England food riot. The American Red Cross had come to the area to help those in need but ran out of food and supplies by December 1930, and the organization was forced to turn residents away. With the angry crowd of those in desperate need of rations growing more impatient and frustrated, local merchants began distributing food with the promise the Red Cross would eventually pay them back. 

                As part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal, Congress passed the Agricultural Adjustment Act, which allowed the federal government to intervene and make cuts to the production of cotton, which helped the agriculturally based economy of England and similar towns that had suffered during the Great Depression.

                Over the years, England’s agricultural industry has declined but industrial growth has prospered. Thanks to Arkansas’ congressional delegation in the early 2000s, federal funds were used to build an industrial park and a water treatment plant and make other improvements to England’s infrastructure. 

                And while you won’t find any royals in this England, you can find such interesting attractions as the Wagon Yard Museum. The museum is privately owned and features a collection of wagons, stagecoaches and farm equipment. The museum also contains a replica of the first Bank of England, a pioneer church and cells from the original city jail.

                I’ve learned throughout my travels in the Arkansas Delta that our state is full of interesting and nostalgic small towns. For me, England is at the top of that list.