All Around Arkansas: Plantation Agriculture Museum

                

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

All Around Arkansas: Louisiana Purchase State Park

                

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

All Around Arkansas: Natural Steps, Arkansas

                

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

All Around Arkansas: Lake DeGray

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

All Around Arkansas: Where Three States Meet

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

All Around Arkansas: Millwood Lake and State Park

                

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

All Around Arkansas: Augusta, Arkansas

                

                When I was a child, my paternal grandparents lived in Augusta (Woodruff County). I don’t have many memories of the town, but thanks to my dad, I’ve learned a lot about my ancestors and the place they lived.

                According to a historical marker in Augusta, Chickasaw Indians settled on a bluff overlooking the White River. Many years later, white settlers began moving into the area. In 1847, native Philadelphians John Elliott and William Polite opened a general store. In 1848, Thomas Hough moved to the area and had the town surveyed and laid out. Hough named the town after his niece, Augusta Cald. 

                Augusta was officially incorporated in July 1860. At that time, it was in Jackson County. It became the Woodruff County seat when the county was created in November 1862.

                By 1861, Augusta had become home to over 600 residents. In 1852, Hough built a church that was shared by Methodist and Presbyterian congregations.

                Augusta suffered a great deal of damage during the Civil War. The river landing made the town a natural target for Union forces. In 1864, citizens left the town in droves when Union troops arrived. Soldiers tore down houses and used the materials to build shelters for their camps. Augusta’s more upscale residences were used as headquarters for officers. A small skirmish between Union and Confederate forces took place at Augusta in August 1864 and ended in a Union victory.

                The town recovered during Reconstruction and began a new era of prosperity, as riverboat traffic greatly increased. When the railroads proposed crossing the county, the leaders of Augusta rejected the idea, thinking that river trade was all the town needed to thrive. So the railroads bypassed Augusta, and as a result, river traffic began to dwindle. This caused the town leadership to build a short line railroad in 1887, which was called the Augusta and White River Street Railway. The small railroad connected Augusta with the Bald Knob and Memphis Railroad. The Augusta and White River Street Railway ended operations in 1958.

                In 1930, a $614,734 bridge was completed across the White River, which opened U.S. Highway 64. The highway was a direct route across the U.S. and the bridge closed the final gap in the highway without a ferry. A celebration was held with a parade across the bridge and many political leaders and other dignitaries in attendance. The bridge was replaced with a modern four-lane bridge in 2001.

                Like many towns during the Great Depression, Augusta greatly suffered. Crop prices dropped, river traffic all but ceased to exist and the Bank of Augusta was forced to close. The local school almost shut down, but Augusta businessman Ed Bonner loaned the school $10,000. The teachers agreed to work one month out of every eight months without compensation. People raised their own produce, hunted, fished and traded their surplus for commodities they couldn't produce themselves. 

                During World War II, most of the men in the town entered the armed forces, leaving their families to deal with the rationing of food, gasoline and other necessities. But in spite of the Great Depression and World War II, Augusta survived both eras with steady growth in both population and economy.

                Today, the city is home to several factories and retail stores. Augusta is surrounded by rich farmland that produces rice, soybeans and cotton. The nearby Rex Hancock/Black Swamp and Henry Gray/Hurricane Lake Wildlife Management Areas bring many sportsmen to the area.

                The old Presbyterian church has been preserved by the city and turned into a local history museum. The church was visited by future U.S. President Woodrow Wilson as a young boy, as his brother-in-law, Rev. A.R. Kennedy, was its pastor from 1878-1879. A marker commemorating Wilson’s visit stands at the former church.

                It’s always enjoyable for me to write about my state’s history, but even more so when I can write about a place to which I have a personal connection, like Augusta.

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.