All Around Arkansas: Cadron Settlement Park

                

                Years ago, when I attended college in Conway, I often visited Toad Suck Park at the lock and dam on the Arkansas River that shares its unusual name. 

                The view of the river was beautiful, and the park was a peaceful place to study or take a break from the rigors of academia. It was thanks to a brochure I picked up at Toad Suck Park that I learned about another nearby park, Cadron Settlement Park. 

                The brochure made it clear that the park was historically significant, so being a lover of Arkansas history, I knew I had to pay a visit. Cadron Settlement Park is indeed a beautiful and historic site, and I’ve visited it several times throughout the years.

                Cadron Settlement Park is located where Cadron Creek meets the Arkansas River a couple of miles north of Conway. According to several early Arkansas historians, the site was the location of a native American village before 1541 and was visited by the legendary Spanish explorer Hernando DeSoto.

                When the French took over the area in the early 1800s, the settlers established a fort, which they referred to as Quadron. The name eventually became anglicized to Cadron. A settlement and trading post formed around the fort. The trading post was quite prosperous and, according to a letter written by a fur trader named William Frazier to a friend in 1810, the site was home to about 100 men and women, both "whites and Indians."

                Noted botanist Thomas Nuttall, who traveled Arkansas in the early 1800s, visited Cadron in 1818 and made note of a trading post and a mercantile store in operation. Nuttall didn't stay long, but he did return in December 1819 and remained until January of the following year. In his journal, Nuttall wrote that excessive drinking, jockeying, fighting and gambling were popular pastimes at Cadron.

                In 1820, a post office was established at Cadron and a wagon road to the capital of the Arkansas Territory, Arkansas Post, was built. Mail arrived at Arkansas Post every other week. 

                Another road was built from Cadron to southern Arkansas, which allowed mail to be transported as far as New Orleans. Cadron would eventually become part of the historic Butterfield Mail Route, which connected Memphis to San Francisco.

                By 1820, Cadron was home to around 720 people and the Arkansas Territorial Legislature voted to move the territory’s government to the town in June. Unfortunately for Cadron residents, the acting territorial governor, Robert Crittenden, vetoed the decision and opted to move the capital to Little Rock just five months later.

                Over 700 Cherokee Indians were forced to stay at the settlement during the Trail of Tears in April 1834, as low water levels on the Arkansas River stopped steamboats as a means of transport to reservations in what is now the state of Oklahoma.

                While Cadron was a booming settlement during much of the early 1800s, it began to lose its prominence when the Little Rock & Fort Smith Railroad laid tracks 2 miles north in 1874 and people left Cadron to follow the railroad.

                In 1976, the Faulkner County Historical Society, in conjunction with the Conway Chamber of Commerce and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, created Cadron Settlement Park. Trails and a pavilion were constructed, as was a replica of the blockhouse written about by Thomas Nuttall in 1820. In 1991, vandals set fire to the structure, but a second one was built in 1998.

                If you’re in the Conway area and looking for a place to get some peace and quiet off the beaten path or want to experience an important location in Arkansas history, take some time to visit Cadron Settlement Park. You won’t be disappointed.

All Around Arkansas: Greers Ferry Lake and Dam

 

                This past Saturday, my wife and I attended a wedding on a hillside overlooking one of my favorite places in the Natural State — Greers Ferry Lake. 

                I spent many summer weekends as a child and teenager camping, fishing and boating at this beautiful body of water nestled in the Ozark Mountains. Some of the fondest memories of my youth were made at Greers Ferry Lake, so it’s a very special place to me.

                Greers Ferry Lake is located in Cleburne and Van Buren counties in north central Arkansas, about 60 miles north of Little Rock. The lake was formed by Greers Ferry Dam, which was built by the Little Rock District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers between March 1959 and December 1962 on the Little Red River, about three miles north of Heber Springs. 

                Both the dam and the lake take their name from Bud Greer and the ferry he ran across the Little Red near the site where the dam was built. The dam measures 1,704 feet in length and stands 245 feet above the streambed of the Little Red. It cost about $46.5 million to build, creating a 40,000-acre reservoir and 340 miles of shoreline.

                President John F. Kennedy officially dedicated the dam and lake on Oct. 3, 1963, in what would be his last major public appearance before his assassination in Dallas about a month later. Also in attendance were Congressman Wilbur D. Mills and Gov. Orval Faubus.

                Kennedy spoke about how the dam and lake would impact both the local area and the state of Arkansas. He also predicted the project would bring positive financial change to the area, especially for the tourism industry. 

                The dedication of the dam and lake marked the only time a sitting president ever visited Cleburne County. A bust of Kennedy stands near the site where he delivered his remarks overlooking Greers Ferry Dam. John F. Kennedy Park, located on the Little Red just below the dam, is named in his honor. A bust of Mills, who helped get funding for the project, is also located nearby.

                The dam and lake transformed many small towns in the area. Seven towns had to be deserted once the lake bed began to fill. The original sites of Choctaw, Edgemont, Eglantine, Higden, Miller, Mudtown and Shiloh are now at the bottom of Greers Ferry Lake. The Corps of Engineers also had the tedious task of relocating 27 area cemeteries. At first, there was a great deal of outrage over the relocation of the towns, utilities, cemeteries and railroad, but local residents came to realize the benefits of the lake far outweighed those complications.

                Today, the Corps of Engineers operates 18 parks along the lake with the majority of them offering camping, swimming, cliff jumping, marinas, hiking trails and other recreational opportunities. The lake is popular for water sports, boating and fishing. Completed in 1983, the William Carl Garner Visitors Center, located near the dam, features exhibits highlighting the history of the dam and lake, as well as the history of Cleburne and Van Buren counties. The center is named for the late Carl Garner, who was the lake's longtime resident engineer and was known as “the Father of Greers Ferry Lake.”

                Greers Ferry Lake is ranked among one of the cleanest and clearest lakes in the nation. Thousands from across the state and country visit the area each year spending millions of dollars at local shops, marinas, restaurants and other businesses. The lake is easily one of the top five tourist destinations in Arkansas. 

                If you ever visit and spend some time there, as my family did so many years ago, you will definitely understand why Greers Ferry Lake is truly a special place.

All Around Arkansas: Justin Matthews

                

                Two Arkansas cities very special to me are my birthplace of North Little Rock and my hometown of Sherwood. As city historian of Sherwood in the mid to late 2010s, I learned about a man who played an important role in making those cities into what they are today — Justin Matthews, a businessman, real estate developer, community leader and true visionary.

                Matthews was born on a farm near Monticello in December 1875. The Matthews family was wealthy. His father, Samuel, was an attorney who owned a nursery and fruit business. He also served as a Drew County judge. He encouraged his son to study law, but Justin decided to pursue a career as a pharmacist.

                Justin Matthews married Mary Somers in 1901. Around that time, he sold the three drugstores he owned in the Monticello area and moved to Little Rock. 

                In 1902, Matthews founded the Rose City Cotton Oil Mill in North Little Rock. Five years later he invested the money made from the business into real estate on both sides of the Arkansas River.

                Within a short time of arriving in central Arkansas, Matthews began advocating for two major projects: one aimed at paving streets in North Little Rock and the other to build two bridges across the Arkansas River linking Little Rock and North Little Rock. In 1913, he began a petition drive to form two improvement districts to pave 152 blocks of North Little Rock streets. He also led a campaign to build the Broadway Bridge. Both of these projects, financed publicly through improvement districts, were crucial to his land development plans.

                In North Little Rock, Matthews' company, the Matthews Land Co., developed the Park Hill community. Early development included construction of modest houses, built as efficiently and inexpensively as possible, aimed at first-time homebuyers.

                In 1927, after six years of opening sections of Park Hill for development, Matthews decided the time was right for a grander development that would compete for the upper-income residents who were buying homes in several recently opened “restricted” additions in Pulaski Heights in Little Rock. He would call this upscale section of Park Hill "Edgemont."

                At the same time, Matthews began building homes along the Ark-Mo Highway (now Highway 107) north of North Little Rock, in an area he named Sylvan Hills, which eventually became part of Sherwood. As part of his plans for this subdivision, Matthews began building the Sylvan Hills Country Club and Golf Course (now known as The Greens at North Hills) in 1926. In 1927, Matthews was appointed to the Arkansas State Highway Commission by Gov. John Martineau.

                Unfortunately, the Great Depression complicated the Sylvan Hills project and the opening of Edgemont in Park Hill. Only 16 houses in Edgemont and a handful of homes in Sylvan Hills were built before construction came to a halt.

                From 1931 to 1933, Matthews developed a park in the Lakewood subdivision, which he named T. R. Pugh Memorial Park in honor of his close friend, Thomas R. Pugh. Today, the park is more commonly known as “The Old Mill.” The park features a re-creation of an 1880s water-powered grist mill and other structures, which were designed and created by Mexican sculptor Dionicio Rodriguez. The Old Mill is the only surviving structure to appear in the movie “Gone With the Wind,” as it briefly appeared in the film’s opening credits. In 1936, Matthews’ company built a uniquely-shaped gas station for the Pierce Oil Co. on the old Highway 67 in Sherwood known as the Roundtop Filling Station.

                Matthews died on March 21, 1955, at his residence on Cherry Hill in North Little Rock. He was buried in Little Rock’s Mount Holly Cemetery. An Arkansas Gazette editorial paid tribute to the man who, “on the high ground overlooking North Little Rock,” had “transformed an untamed wilderness into a great community with homes, stores, schools, churches and service establishments.”

All Around Arkansas: Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park

                

                As I wrote in last week’s column, I took a trip to north Arkansas during my spring break. My first stop was the historic Oark General Store. Afterwards, I headed to Rogers to see what remains of the lost resort town of Monte Ne, which I wrote about in this column several months ago. Unfortunately, due to the high waters of Beaver Lake and the recent demolition of many of the major structures by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, there isn’t much to see. 

                The following day I decided to make a stop at one of my favorite state parks, Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park, just outside of Fayetteville. The park was the site of a major conflict between Union and Confederate troops on Dec. 7, 1862. 

                The battle of Prairie Grove marked the deadliest day in Arkansas during the Civil War and was the last major Civil War engagement in northern Arkansas. The park is considered by many historians as one of America’s most intact and well-preserved Civil War battlefields. 

                In 1908, the United Daughters of the Confederacy purchased 9 acres where the battle was fought. The organization maintained the land as a meeting spot and held commemorations of the battle on the site for nearly 50 years. 

                A local businessman and state representative, J. Sherman Dill, sought money during the 38th Arkansas General Assembly to expand and make improvements to the park. Dill was successful in obtaining $10,000 in state funds, which helped pay for the construction of the stone archway at the park’s entrance, a wooden bandstand and a gravel driveway to the park. These additions and improvements were made in 1925. Unfortunately, due to the lack of money and maintenance, the park fell into disrepair during the Great Depression and was banned from public use for several years.

                In 1953, the local chapter of the Lions Club adopted Prairie Grove Park and raised money through the community to clean up the park and build benches, picnic tables and sidewalks. In 1957, the 55-foot stone chimney from the nearby historic Rhea's Mill was moved to the park site as a monument honoring the fallen soldiers from the 1862 battle. Other historic buildings from the Prairie Grove area, including an 1834 log home and a blacksmith shop, were moved to the park site in the following years.

                A museum interpreting the battle was built in the park at the urging of Biscoe Hindman. Hindman’s grandfather, Confederate Major-General Thomas C. Hindman, commanded the 1st Corps, Trans-Mississippi Army, during the battle of Prairie Grove. Later named Hindman Hall, the museum was officially dedicated in May 1964. The park was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in September 1970. Prairie Grove Park was added to the Arkansas state park system in 1971 by then-Gov. Dale Bumpers. 

                Hindman Hall museum features several exhibits about the history of the battle, including artifacts recovered from the battle site. The museum was temporarily closed to the public in 2010 for renovations and reopened in 2012. Officially known today as Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park, the park has expanded several times over the years through the acquisition and donation of land.

                Now operated by the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage & Tourism, the park offers walking and driving tours, living history programs, and other special events. Arkansas’ largest Civil War battle reenactment takes place during even-numbered years on the first weekend in December. Admission to both the park and museum is free.

                If Civil War history — particularly Arkansas Civil War history interests you — I can’t think of a better place to learn and experience it for yourself than at Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park. 

All Around Arkansas: Oark General Store

            

            One of the many perks of being a teacher, besides working with some amazing kids, is spring break. 

            Spring break is a time to rest, relax — and maybe even take a trip to get away from the regular routine and “recharge the batteries." This year, my wife decided she’d travel to Mexico with some of the ladies she works with at her Benton law firm. As for me, I took a trip to northern Arkansas to see a few historic and scenic sites I had yet to experience in my 46 years of living in the natural state.

            The first stop on my spring break adventure took me off I-40 about 20 miles north of Clarksville (Johnson County) to the small community of Oark, which is home to what is believed to be the oldest continuously operating store in the state — the Oark General Store.

            F.M. Nelson moved to Oark and bought land in 1889, opening the general store the following year. The small business greatly contributed to the development of the isolated community, providing locals with luxury items and necessities that otherwise would have been unattainable. The general store also gave Oark a central meeting place and a market for local crop and timber products. The store also served for many years as the Oark post office.

            The Oark General Store has served food since its early days. But in later years, it began serving hot food such as hamburgers. More room was added to the store in the mid-1960s, but the general store did not become a full-scale restaurant until the early 1990s. With the increased tourism in the area thanks to the development of the Ozark National Forest and the rise in the popularity of camping and floating on the nearby Mulberry River, the general store became a popular place to stop for supplies, fuel and a quick lunch. Being the only business of its kind in the little community, Oark General Store and its café grew in popularity and became a must-see tourist destination. 

            The store has changed owners several times over its history, but it has never closed, making it the oldest continuously operating store in Arkansas. Brian and Reagan Eisele moved to the Oark area and purchased the store in May 2012. The couple had met in Washington, D.C.; Brian worked for South Carolina Congressman Joe Wilson, and Reagan worked for Arkansas’ senior U.S. Senator, John Boozman. On my recent trip to the old store, I met Brian and he couldn’t have been more hospitable and welcoming.

            Today, Oark General Store is mostly known for its mouth-watering menu, but a limited selection of supplies for adventurers can still be purchased. The restaurant is open every day of the week except Tuesday. But the store usually closes for a few days around the Christmas/New Year holidays and reopens in early January. Stickers adorn the windows and doors of the store from visitors from all over the nation and world—including one that features the name of this column and its companion blog.

            In March 1995, Oark General Store was added to the Arkansas Register of Historic Places. While the interior of the building retains its original floor and ceiling, the building was ruled ineligible to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places due to the many alterations that have taken place to the structure over its 133-year-old history.

            Yes, Oark General Store is off the beaten path a bit, but I’ve found in all my travels throughout Arkansas that those places are the best kind, and the old store is definitely one of them.

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

All Around Arkansas: The Shoppach House

                

                The Shoppach House stands just a few blocks from the Saline Courier in the historic district of Benton. Located at 508 N. Main St., it is the oldest brick structure in the county and has quite the history.

                John William Shoppach was born in Hessen, Germany, and came to America in 1834, where he eventually made his way to present-day Saline County in the newly-created state of Arkansas. In 1852, he and his wife, Sibby, whose family had come from Illinois to Arkansas in 1818, built a small home in Benton. The bricks used to build the home and a nearby well were made on site by Shoppach. The brick portion of the house was built in the dogtrot style, with two rooms on either side of a breezeway. Shortly after the family’s move to Benton, Shoppach got involved in local politics and was elected county clerk. He remained in that office until his death in 1861.

                During the Civil War, the small house was the home of James H. Shoppach, a private in the Confederate Army. In April 1861, the home’s front yard served as the site for the presentation of a battle flag to Saline County’s Company E of the First Arkansas Infantry of the Confederacy. The flag was made by women in the community and accompanied the forces to several battles including those at Murfreesboro and Chickamauga.

                In August 1863, after Union troops took control of central Arkansas, Union officers used the Shoppach House as their headquarters, while troops were stationed in a hastily built fort on what is now the southeast corner of Carpenter and Military Roads. The Shoppach House was later used to house Union forces under Lieutenant Henry C. Caldwell in November of that year.

                The structure stood through the Civil War and continued to be the home of five generations of the Shoppach family. 

                In 1959, the Shoppach House and grounds were sold to local resident David Demuth. The Saline County Art League organized events in which handmade items were sold to raise money to support the restoration of the home, as well as continued maintenance of the house and grounds. In 1962, the Saline County Art League moved the Pilgrim Rest Church building to the grounds of the Shoppach House. The church was established in 1833 along present-day Colonel Glenn Road in west Little Rock. The art league repurposed the old church building as the Saline County Art Center. 

                In September 1974, Demuth officially transferred ownership of the Shoppach House and property to the Saline County Art League for the price of $10. A restrictive covenant attached to the warranty deed stated that the historic home and grounds were to be used specifically as “an art center, historic landmark and showplace,” and that the house and outbuildings were to “never be removed or torn down.” In October 1975, the Shoppach House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. 

                In May 1980, renovations to the Shoppach House were completed. The home was furnished with period-accurate furniture and other historical artifacts donated by descendants of the Shoppach family and other local citizens. The DeTonti Post Office, built in 1940, was moved to the Shoppach House grounds. The small building is an excellent example of a small post office in mid-20th century rural Arkansas.

                Still owned by the Saline County Art League, the group has hosted book signing events, scout tours, family tours, as well as several open houses for the community to attend throughout the past few years. While the inside of the Shoppach House and other historic buildings are currently closed to the public, one can still walk freely on the historic grounds and get a sense of life in Saline County in the mid-1800s.

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

All Around Arkansas: Mexico Chiquito

            

            Growing up in central Arkansas in the 1980s, there was one of two restaurants my parents and I would always go to on Friday nights: Western Sizzlin’ Steak House on John F. Kennedy Boulevard in North Little Rock and Mexico Chiquito in Prothro Junction. 

            I was hooked on Mexico Chiquito from day one. Proof of that can be found in the ad my parents placed in my senior high yearbook, which includes a photo of me on my first day of kindergarten wearing a Mexico Chiquito t-shirt. 

            Undoubtedly, Mexico Chiquito is most famous for their cheese dip. According to many food historians, Mexico Chiquito was the restaurant that introduced the iconic dish to the United States. 

            The story goes that Blackie Donnally and his wife of Mexican descent, Margie, moved from somewhere along the Texas/Mexico border to Austin, Texas in 1935, where they opened the first Mexico Chiquito restaurant using Margie’s secret family recipes. 

            About three years later, the Donnallys moved to Hot Springs and opened a restaurant there along the old Hot Springs Highway. In late 1941, the Donnallys moved to the Prothro Junction area of North Little Rock and opened a Mexico Chiquito there. The restaurant was only open at night and was often called “Blackie’s Place.” 

            The Donnallys built a small house next door to the restaurant and eventually opened a take-out window for the lunchtime crowd called “Tak-A-Taco.” The restaurant was known for its candlelight ambiance and dirt floors. The original Mexico Chiquito menu had only four choices: the Mexican dinner, the summer plate, the Chiquito ladies’ dinner and the enchilada dinner. The Mexican dinner (the biggest of the offerings) consisted of a tomato juice cocktail, cheese dip, guacamole salad, a beef taco, a beef and cheese enchilada, a tamale covered with chili con carne and melted cheese, Spanish rice, refried beans, fruit punch and sherbet.  

            According to Jan Cass, a granddaughter of the Donnallys, it was her grandmother, Margie, who actually invented the famous Mexico Chiquito cheese dip. She also states that when the Donnallys owned the company, there was no "red" or "hot" sauce — just cheese dip. Cass believes that the new owners must have introduced that to the menu when her family sold the rights to the name and secret recipes to the Ballentine family. 

            The Ballentine family would operate Mexico Chiquito for 16 years until they sold it to central Arkansas restaurateur Jerry Haynie in 1979. Haynie’s company owned several Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurants in central Arkansas. His company would eventually build more Mexico Chiquitos, including one in Jacksonville, on Rodney Parham in Little Rock, on Camp Robinson Road in Levy, on Highway 10 in Little Rock, a Chiquito Mex-to-Go’s on West Markham in Little Rock and another in Conway.

            After Haynie’s death in March 2011, his businesses were taken over by family members. Over time, most of the Mexico Chiquitos in central Arkansas have closed. In fact, the only remaining Mexico Chiquito in Arkansas is the Mex-To-Go on West Markham, and it’s a take-out only operation. There’s still clearly a demand for the unique Tex-Mex food, as the lines at the Little Rock location are always long, especially at dinnertime.

            According to the restaurant’s recently updated website, “big things” are coming soon to Mexico Chiquito. I hope this means more locations where memories can be made over a bowl of cheese dip and a glass of fruit punch — just as my own family did some 40 years ago.

All Around Arkansas: Crater of Diamonds State Park

               

                 In my time as an employee of the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage & Tourism, and now, as a middle school Arkansas history teacher, I’ve learned that next to Bill Clinton and Walmart, our state is most known for being the only state where the public can mine for diamonds. 

                That's right. If you work hard and have a little luck, you might be able to find precious gems at Crater of Diamonds State Park near Murfreesboro (Pike County).

                The 911-acre Crater of Diamonds State Park features a 37-acre plowed field that sits atop an ancient volcanic vent known as the Prairie Creek Pipe. The volcanic explosion that formed this pipe more than 100 million years ago brought diamonds from deep within the earth’s mantle to the surface. 

                John Wesley Huddleston found the first diamond on the site in August 1906. The next month, Huddleston sold an option on 243 acres of the land to a group of Little Rock businessmen, including Samuel Reyburn. 

                But Reyburn and company's several attempts at commercial diamond mining there failed, with the only significant yield coming from the original surface layer, where erosion over a long period of time had concentrated the diamonds.

                After Huddleston found the first diamond in 1906, the area around the mine was overrun with prospectors seeking to strike it rich. 

                According to local legend, hotels in and around Murfreesboro turned away 20,000 people that year. So the hopeful miners formed a tent city near the Crater of Diamonds, which they named "Kimberly" after the famed Kimberley diamond district in South Africa. 

                Another story says that Kimberly was created as a land-development venture in 1909 by Mallard M. Mauney and his son, Walter. That project went bust as the diamond boom faded almost as quickly as it began. Today, the Kimberly area is almost all cow pasture and farmland owned by descendants of the Mauneys.

                But people have found diamonds at Crater of Diamonds, some of them notable. They include the 40.23-carat Uncle Sam, the largest diamond ever unearthed in the United States; the 16.37-carat Amarillo Starlight; the 15.33-carat Star of Arkansas; and the 8.52-carat Esperanza. 

                The most famous diamond found there is the 3.03-carat Strawn-Wagner diamond, discovered in 1990 by Shirley Strawn of Murfreesboro in 1990. The gem was cut down to a 1.09-carat brilliant shape and was certified as a perfect D flawless diamond, which is the highest quality diamond ever graded by the American Gemological Society.

                The Crater of Diamonds became part of the Arkansas park system in 1972, when the Department of Parks & Tourism purchased the site from the Arkansas Diamond Co. and Ozark Diamond Mines Corp., which had previously operated the site together as a tourist attraction. The park was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in June 1973. 

                Today, Crater of Diamonds State Park is open to the public and for a small fee — $13 for adults and $6 for children — visitors can dig for diamonds and other precious gems. Park visitors find an average of more than 600 diamonds each year. As of 2020, more than 80,000 diamonds have been found in the park. Regardless of the diamond’s value, visitors are permitted to keep what they find. 

                Crater of Diamonds State Park also features a visitor center with information about the geology of the park, a gift shop and a small restaurant. The park also contains the popular aquatic playground, Diamond Springs Water Park. For more, visit the park’s website at craterofdiamondsstatepark.com.

                So with spring break coming up, you might want to pack up and take the kids to Murfreesboro and dig for diamonds. Who knows? You might come back millions of dollars richer.

                A sixth-generation Arkansan, Darrell Brown is a lover of all things Arkansas. He lives in Saline County with his wife, Amy, and their beloved Boston Terrier, Dixie. His previous columns can be found at AllAroundArkansas.blogspot.com.

All Around Arkansas: The Man in Black

                

                As I write this week’s column, it’s Sunday, Feb. 26. Not only is it the 10th birthday of my beloved Boston Terrier, Dixie Marie, but it’s also the 91st birthday of the legendary country musician and Arkansas native, Johnny Cash.

                I was raised on country music. KSSN 96 FM played on the radio in my parents’ vehicles and on the alarm clock/radio that sat on our kitchen counter. My dad had a stack of vinyl and cassette tapes of artists such as Conway Twitty, Don Williams, Waylon Jennings and Johnny Cash. 

                By the time I became a teenager and able to choose more of what I listened to, I found myself drawn to singers such as George Strait, Alan Jackson, Brooks & Dunn and others. Now don’t get me wrong, I did enjoy Cash’s album, “Live at Folsom Prison,” mostly because of the humorous song, “A Boy Named Sue,” but honestly, I just wasn’t much of a “Man in Black” fan in my early years. 

                Fast forward many, many years later to when I began working for the Group Sales Division of the Arkansas Department of Parks & Tourism (Heritage was its own separate agency back then). Much of what our division did was “sell” Arkansas to out-of-state and international tour operators and travel writers. I remember my boss, Tracy Morales, telling me one morning that I would be accompanying her on a “familiarization tour” focusing on Arkansas’ musical history with a group of international tour leaders and writers.

                Tracy explained that because the bus trip around the Arkansas Delta would be long and tedious, we needed to be able to entertain our guests. She knew I played guitar and asked if I could perform some Johnny Cash songs on the trip. Again, as I wasn’t much of a fan, I said no. So she instructed me to learn some quickly, as the tour was just a couple of weeks away. 

                I got online and began printing off lyrics and chords to such songs as “Ring of Fire,” “I Walk the Line,” “Folsom Prison Blues” and my old childhood favorite, “A Boy Named Sue.” Soon I became quite proficient in Cash’s musical repertoire. Much to my amazement, when the ride started to get monotonous, I pulled out my guitar, did my best Cash impression and the people on the bus went wild. They knew the words to every song. I was shocked! 

                After we took a tour of Cash’s restored boyhood home in Dyess, I led the group in a medley of Cash songs as I sat on the Cash family’s old front porch swing. No doubt, this was one of my favorite memories of working for Arkansas Parks & Tourism. 

                Last August, I started teaching at a private school in Bryant. One of my subjects is eighth grade Arkansas history. When I began teaching a section on famous Arkansans, I was surprised that the one famous Arkansan my students seemed to be most familiar with was Johnny Cash. When I asked these young students how they knew about Cash, most responded that their parents were fans or they had seen the hit 2005 movie, “Walk the Line.”

                It seems that the older I get, the more appreciative I become of Johnny Cash and his music. Perhaps it’s because his recurring themes — sin and redemption, the tragic loss of loved ones, learning from mistakes like shooting a man in Reno just to watch him die — resonate more with middle-aged me. Maybe it’s because, through my work in the Arkansas tourism industry, I’ve been able to visit and experience significant places in Cash’s history, such as his birthplace of Kingsland; his boyhood home in Dyess; Sun Records in Memphis, where he recorded his first album; his home and office in Hendersonville, Tennessee; and his final resting place nearby. Maybe it’s a combination of all the above. 

                Whatever it is, after all these years I’ve come to understand what millions of fans (such as my dad) have known for decades — Johnny Cash is an American icon whose songs of sorrow and the plight of the common man age like a fine wine.

                A sixth-generation Arkansan, Darrell Brown is a lover of all things Arkansas. He lives in Saline County with his wife, Amy, and their beloved Boston Terrier, Dixie. His previous columns can be found at AllAroundArkansas.blogspot.com.

All Around Arkansas: The Greens at North Hills

 

                Located in my hometown of Sherwood, The Greens at North Hills was originally named the Sylvan Hills Country Club and was built in the Sylvan Hills community along Highway 107 in 1926. It was built by real estate developer Justin Matthews to provide recreational opportunities for residents living in the Park Hill subdivision in North Little Rock, as well as residents of his planned community called Sylvan Hills.

                A 1927 nmagazine ad stated that the Sylvan Hills Country Club boasted of a “magnificent field stone clubhouse, a swimming pool, four other buildings, and an 18-hole golf course, which has been pronounced as one of the finest in the state.” The swimming pool was the first public one opened in Arkansas.

                The Sylvan Hills Country Club was very successful up until the early 1930s, when America entered the Great Depression. As people had less disposable income for recreational activities, the country club closed. Milk cows from the nearby Salyer Dairy Farm were herded to the golf course to graze the fields during the summer of 1936 and into the mid-1940s. 

                After the end of World War II, several original members of the country club returned, reorganized the country club, and repurchased the land. A new clubhouse was built around 1946 on the original clubhouse’s foundation. However, unlike the original two-story building, the new clubhouse was only one story. The greens were also rehabilitated following many years of neglect and misuse.

                As finances were still tight after World War II, management purchased slot machines to help generate funds. Club members paid a hefty joining fee, but the fee was offset by the fact that there were no monthly dues. The slot machines were successful, in that they made enough money to cover the club’s expenses, as well as turn a modest profit. However, when Gov. Sid McMath began a campaign to end illegal gambling in Hot Springs, club officials feared that state law enforcement authorities would soon be sent to destroy the machines at Sylvan Hills. Club employees took the slot machines to a wooded area near the golf course at night and buried them, but the machines were found and destroyed. 

                In July 1950, Metropolitan Trust Co. (owned by the heirs of Justin Matthews) began selling residential lots alongside Sylvan Hills Country Club. As Sherwood grew, a huge demand was created for new homes in the area. In 1956, Sylvan Hills Country Club was renamed North Hills Country Club.

                The club’s second clubhouse caught fire and burned in May 1961. Almost immediately, the leaders of the new North Hills Country Club made plans to rebuild. With money from their insurance claim, the club built a small “teen building” behind the swimming pool and used this as a clubhouse while a new clubhouse was being built. Construction on the new structure began in October 1962 and was finished in December 1963 at a cost of approximately $300,000. In 1977, one of the world’s leading golf course architects, Robert Trent Jones, Sr. was brought in to redesign the outdated 1920s golf course. The total cost to remodel the greens was around $800,000. This is the only course designed by Jones, Sr. in Arkansas.

                No longer profitable, the North Hills Country Club officially closed in May 2007. An offer was presented to the owners to purchase the land for use as a residential development. This caused a major uproar among many of the citizens of Sherwood, especially those who frequented the links and owned homes alongside the golf course. After much debate, the city settled all claims against the property and purchased it with taxpayer funds. The property was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2010, making it one of only two properties in Sherwood granted the designation, the other being my favorite building in Arkansas-- the Roundtop Filling Station.

A sixth-generation Arkansan, Darrell Brown is a lover of all things Arkansas. He lives in Saline County with his wife, Amy, and their beloved Boston Terrier, Dixie. His previous columns can be found at AllAroundArkansas.blogspot.com.

All Around Arkansas: The Longest Home Run

                These days on St. Patrick’s Day, Hot Springs is famous for its “World’s Shortest St. Patrick’s Day Parade.” But on St. Patrick’s Day in 1918, the Spa City was famous for something much different — the home run that made baseball history, by one of the all-time greats, George Herman "Babe" Ruth.

                Hot Springs hosted more than 300 major leaguers, including 137 members of the National Baseball Hall of Fame, for spring training between the late 1800s through the early 1940s. What initially attracted athletes to the city was the warm climate and the city’s thermal spring water, which supposedly cured a variety of ailments. Illegal gambling, bars, horse racing and other forms of adult entertainment also lured teams to the “Valley of the Vapors.”

                Major league teams began holding spring training baseball games in Hot Springs in 1886, when businessman A.G. Spalding brought his Chicago White Stockings (now the Chicago Cubs) to the city to “boil out the winter,” according to The Sporting News. The White Stockings practiced on a hastily built field at what's now home to the Garland County Courthouse. When the White Stockings won the National League championship that year, several other clubs took note. As a result, more and more teams came to Hot Springs for spring training, and more fields were built, including Majestic Park and Whittington Park.

                It was Whittington Park where the most baseball was played in Hot Springs. Built in 1894 and used until 1942, Whittington Park (later renamed Johnson Field) was the hub of spring training. Future hall of famers who played there include Cy Young, Honus Wagner, Tris Speaker and Babe Ruth. Today, Whittington Park is now the employee parking lot at a Weyerhaeuser Co. office.

                On March 17, 1918, then Boston Red Sox pitcher Babe Ruth was pitching in a game at Whittington Park, when the team needed someone to bat. Ruth wasn't considered much of a hitter, but walked up to home plate and launched the ball over the fence, out of the ballpark, across the street, over a wall, and into the farthest pond of the Arkansas Alligator Farm. The hit changed Ruth's career. He became known for being a power slugger and not just an average pitcher. Ruth went on to play for the New York Yankees and become arguably the most famous baseball player in history.

                By all accounts, everyone knew that day that Ruth’s home run was special, but exactly how far Ruth’s home run traveled was unknown until 2011. Thanks to modern technology, it was determined the ball traveled about 573 feet. 

                The location of the Whittington Park home plate, where Ruth swatted his record-setting homer, was marked in the Weyerhaeuser parking lot. Eventually, as part of the Hot Spring Baseball Trail program, a marker was erected there too, as well as across the street at the alligator farm where the ball landed. And if you look behind the Whittington Park marker, pieces of the old concrete bleachers are still visible among the weeds and trees.

                On Feb. 6, what would have been his 186th birthday, a bronze statue of Ruth was unveiled and dedicated at the main entrance to the city’s newly expanded Majestic Park baseball complex. Pennsylvania sculptor Chad Fisher created the statue, estimated to weigh 1,500 pounds. It's believed to be one of only three Ruth statues in existence, with the others at Camden Yards in Baltimore and Tokyo.

                For a state that’s never been home to a major league team, it's amazing that Arkansas has played host not only to some of its most legendary players, but also to one of its most historic events.

All Around Arkansas: The Father of Our Capitol

    

                If you’ve been paying attention to the local news, you might have heard that Arkansas’ new governor, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, removed the portrait of George Donaghey from the Governor’s Conference Room in the state Capitol, replacing it with a portrait of her father, former Gov. Mike Huckabee. You might also wonder about the significance of George Donaghey. Well, wonder no more.

                George Washington Donaghey was born on July 1, 1856, in Oakland, Louisiana, to C.C. and Elizabeth Donaghey. The Donagheys were farmers and had six children. In 1858, they moved to the small community of Lapile (Union County). Young George worked on the family farm and later moved to Texas in 1876, where he worked various jobs for the next three years. In 1880, he moved to Conway to live with an uncle. Donaghey would end up living in the town for 30 years.

                Donaghey would spend just one year at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville before he dropped out and became a carpenter. He later used his carpentry skills to become a full-time contractor, erecting homes and other buildings in Arkansas and Texas. By 1890, he had built a successful business.

                In September 1883, George Donaghey married South Carolina native Louvenia Wallace, whose family had moved to Faulkner County when she was 17. The couple lived in Conway, where Donaghey became a major proponent of bringing colleges and universities to the growing city. He contributed $1,500 (about one-third of his assets at the time), to a fund started by the citizens of Conway to move Hendrix College from Searcy to Conway in 1890. He also donated $5,000 to bring Central College for Women (now Central Baptist College) to Conway. Donaghey also led fundraising efforts to move the Arkansas State Normal School (later Arkansas State Teachers College, and then the University of Central Arkansas) to Conway. 

                George Donaghey became active in local politics. He was one of the leaders of a campaign to drive saloons and taverns out of Conway, as no higher learning institution at the time wanted to operate in a town with such establishments. The anti-saloon campaign was successful, and Conway outlawed them in 1888. Donaghey successfully ran for town marshal in 1884 but was defeated in 1885 when he ran for mayor.

                Donaghey then got into the railroad business, working as a railroad contractor from 1899 to 1903. He and his family moved to Little Rock in 1908, where he ran in the Democratic primary for governor the same year. In the primary, Donaghey defeated former Arkansas Attorney General William Kirby, who had been endorsed by a former governor and U.S. senator, Jefferson Davis. Donaghey handily defeated his Republican opponent, John Worthington, in the general election of 1908.

                During his administration, Donaghey continued to support the establishment of colleges and universities throughout Arkansas. Along with the support of the Democratically controlled Legislature, Donaghey was able to create and fund four agricultural high schools, which later became Arkansas State University in Jonesboro, Arkansas Tech University in Russellville, Southern Arkansas University in Magnolia and the University of Arkansas at Monticello.

                Donaghey ran for a second term in 1910, defeating challenger C.C. Kavanaugh with 69% of the vote. After promising he would not run for a third term as governor, Donaghey changed his mind and was defeated by U.S. Rep. Joe T. Robinson.

                Donaghey is best remembered for leading the completion of the Arkansas State Capitol. Since its beginning in 1899, construction had been plagued with problems, legislative scandals and political opposition. Donaghey, with his construction background, led the new Capitol to its successful completion in 1915 by hiring architect Cass Gilbert and appointing a non-partisan commission to supervise construction. 

                For his work, Donaghey is known in Arkansas history as “The Father of Our Capitol.” For decades, his official gubernatorial portrait was permanently displayed in the Governor’s Conference Room in honor of his efforts.

                So the next time you just happen to walk into the Governor’s Conference Room at the Capitol and look at the painting to your left, remember that’s the father of our governor — not our seat of government.

All Around Arkansas: The Old State House

            One of the most beautiful, historic buildings in Arkansas is located on West Markham Street in downtown Little Rock — the Old State House. If you’ve never been to the Old State House, you owe it to yourself to see this grand structure where so much of the history of our state was made.

            The first capitol of Arkansas was located at Arkansas Post when the Territory of Arkansas was created in 1819. But it moved to Little Rock in 1823. For a while, several buildings were used as the capitol, including the Hinderliter Tavern.

            In 1833, Arkansas’ territorial governor, John Pope, hired Gideon Shryock, the architect of the Kentucky State Capitol, to design a capitol building in hopes that the territory would soon become a state. At Pope’s request, Shyrock agreed to draw up plans for a large stone structure with a copper roof to be built in the Greek Revival architectural style.

            Once Shyrock finished his plans for Arkansas’ new capitol, he sent his employee, George Weigart, to Little Rock to oversee construction. The capitol complex would be three separate buildings to house each branch of government. But due to budgetary constraints, Weigart was forced to reduce the square footage, replace the stone with stucco-covered brick, and use faux graining on interior doors and columns and faux marbling on mantles. By the time Arkansas became the 25th state on June 15, 1836, construction of the capitol was well underway.

            The legislative branch was located in the center building, the executive branch in the west wing and the judicial branch in the east wing. The first session of the General Assembly met in the House chamber in 1836 with construction still in progress while legislators debated and voted. Gov. Archibald Yell officially declared the building complete in 1842, and covered walkways were added to connect the three structures.

            In 1837, Arkansas’ Speaker of the House, John Wilson, stabbed Rep. Joseph Anthony to death after a heated debate on taxes. In May 1861, the second session of the Secession Convention met in the original House chamber to vote on whether Arkansas would leave the Union and join the Confederacy after the attack on Fort Sumter. Every delegate except for Isaac Murphy voted for secession. 

            The Old State House was the home to the Confederate government until Union forces led by Gen. Frederick Steele captured Little Rock in September 1863, forcing the state’s Confederate government to temporarily move to Hot Springs and eventually to Washington (Hempstead County). After the Civil War’s end, Murphy was appointed governor of Arkansas for his loyalty to the Union.

            By 1911, the state government had outgrown the building, which was in need of repair. But many legislators disagreed with spending money to fix a building that was too small. Following the completion of the new capitol, all Arkansas government offices moved to the new structure. In 1912, the University of Arkansas Medical Department (now the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences) moved into the old capitol. 

            In 1921, the building was given to the American Legion and renamed the War Memorial Building, and in 1947, legislators designated the former capitol as a museum dedicated to Arkansas history. 

            Today, the Old State House Museum is operated by the Division of Arkansas Heritage. The building remains the oldest standing state capitol building west of the Mississippi River.

            In Oct. 1991, then-Gov. Bill Clinton announced his candidacy for president on the Old State House grounds. He celebrated his presidential victories there in 1992 and 1996. 

            So if you find yourself walking through downtown Little Rock, do yourself a favor and pay a visit. Admission is free and the information you’ll learn about Arkansas’ history is priceless.