tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89170087851772669022024-03-19T02:09:43.390-07:00Historical HappeningsTidbits of Arkansas and African-American historysmbwallacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04513511908465106710noreply@blogger.comBlogger54125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8917008785177266902.post-53115347843160046412009-04-09T06:35:00.000-07:002009-04-09T06:35:01.798-07:00Old Mill reopened after fire<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht3vwmeMK2Pa4cZkJ83beKdF4cvvulDU_LNVArCVLLOA8i5ybpyvrAw7_jhYTtBSsDJSg7AJXWJ2awCVcPhK5o3ZpWy9BemAFVeJI0jMbLZnHF3RPep9wg0EkTbmPspgVazN-1W6yYjYE/s1600-h/029.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht3vwmeMK2Pa4cZkJ83beKdF4cvvulDU_LNVArCVLLOA8i5ybpyvrAw7_jhYTtBSsDJSg7AJXWJ2awCVcPhK5o3ZpWy9BemAFVeJI0jMbLZnHF3RPep9wg0EkTbmPspgVazN-1W6yYjYE/s400/029.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322314418460807938" border="0" /></a><br />The Old Mill in North Little Rock is back to normal after suffering a fire a few months ago. We made a trip there during spring break. The girls had a picnic lunch and played for a while. We went back last week for a quick trip.smbwallacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04513511908465106710noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8917008785177266902.post-14172275991091407942009-04-08T06:30:00.000-07:002009-04-08T06:34:58.793-07:00Mosaic Templars Cultural Center<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyRUd3HDIni59U_vkEBDhS4zzqXvLPTPW-m5Wktt863yAHRQjNcdmGHDWdgtPDogx0zgg2dcNDCbsQM-M1rxGoBUIUHmKT7Y_7oQ7W1p-fpzk5UIWJmTQ5g0mB4UOhvi2WLaOV7vPsRDk/s1600-h/014.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyRUd3HDIni59U_vkEBDhS4zzqXvLPTPW-m5Wktt863yAHRQjNcdmGHDWdgtPDogx0zgg2dcNDCbsQM-M1rxGoBUIUHmKT7Y_7oQ7W1p-fpzk5UIWJmTQ5g0mB4UOhvi2WLaOV7vPsRDk/s320/014.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322313531659951090" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgehc3o8sxOvJ_0w1bdV0GtQaOLeHh-ISAMo9f5FFwpKa5bGTraEmbR8J_31mpdd67nyKSR1LlXxzf9z80iKZzeMiWhHikQ87dET-IyBSzOo5ZlZilASlV3bH2S7riO_E1sRj6RjIl_3A0/s1600-h/016.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgehc3o8sxOvJ_0w1bdV0GtQaOLeHh-ISAMo9f5FFwpKa5bGTraEmbR8J_31mpdd67nyKSR1LlXxzf9z80iKZzeMiWhHikQ87dET-IyBSzOo5ZlZilASlV3bH2S7riO_E1sRj6RjIl_3A0/s320/016.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322313532619665298" border="0" /></a><br />My daughter visited the new Mosaic Templars Cultural Center during a school field trip last week. My son and I had visited a couple of months back while I was preparing to write a piece on African-American museums in the state.<br /><br />Located at Ninth and Broadway in Little Rock, the center marks the area that was once the African-American business district. The many photographs and displays illustrate what an important area this district was years ago.smbwallacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04513511908465106710noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8917008785177266902.post-45121765575029416032009-01-30T08:33:00.000-08:002009-01-30T08:33:00.605-08:00Today in historySojourner Truth was born Isabella Baumfree, slave, in Hurley, New York on this day in 1797.<br /><br />Richard Theodore Greener was the first African-American to graduate from Harvard University in 1844, on this day.<br /><br />More interesting African-American historical tidbits are at <a href="http://www.blackfacts.com">Black Facts Online</a>.<br /><br />Read more about Sojourner Truth <a href="http://www.lkwdpl.org/wihohio/trut-soj.htm">here</a>.smbwallacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04513511908465106710noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8917008785177266902.post-2431725735603797052009-01-29T23:25:00.001-08:002009-01-29T23:30:48.696-08:00Black museums of ArkansasI'm excited to be writing about some of the wonderful museums tell the story of African-Americans in Arkansas for a newspaper piece next month.<br /><br />My favorite museum of all time is the <a href="http://historicalhappenings.blogspot.com/2008/06/fargo-agricultural-school.html">Fargo Agricultural School Museum</a> located a few miles north of my hometown. Another fascinating one is the Uzuri Project display in Hot Springs; I wrote about this fascinating exhibit almost two years ago for a different newspaper. Intriguing and informing, these museums and many others relay a vital piece of history that is not to be missed.<br /><br />The <a href="http://www.mosaictemplarscenter.com">Mosaic Templars Cultural Center</a> in downtown Little Rock (9th and Broadway, at the heart of the African-American business district of decades ago) is a new museum I'll be adding to my list of places to see.smbwallacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04513511908465106710noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8917008785177266902.post-14634243074174256772008-12-18T08:31:00.000-08:002008-12-18T08:43:08.424-08:00More on the Old Mill fireOfficials are now saying the fire Tuesday night at the Old Mill in North Little Rock could be arson.<br /><br />Read more on the <a href="http://arkansasmatters.com/content/fulltext/news/?cid=166751">KARK Channel 4 website</a>.<br /><br />I still can't upload any of my great photos of the Old Mill for some reason. I'll keep trying. While you wait, <a href="http://historicalhappenings.blogspot.com/2008/03/old-mill.html">take a look at a post</a> from a while back with a photo of my girls and a lot of interesting facts about the Old Mill.smbwallacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04513511908465106710noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8917008785177266902.post-75273358533203911182008-12-17T08:30:00.000-08:002008-12-17T08:37:17.536-08:00Old Mill on fire<span style="font-style: italic;"></span>The Old Mill in North Little Rock, the only surviving structure to have appeared in the classic film, "Gone with the Wind," experienced a fire last night!<br /><br />According to <a href="http://arkansasmatters.com/content/fulltext/news/?cid=166471">KARK Channel 4</a>, the fire was reported last night around 9 p.m. and was contained to the roof.<br /><br />I hope it didn't do much damage and that it can be cleaned up. This place is just beautiful and my children love it.<br /><br />I have a lot of photos of this beautiful landmark but wasn't able to upload one this morning. Maybe later!smbwallacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04513511908465106710noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8917008785177266902.post-27660662962538230742008-09-02T18:35:00.000-07:002008-09-02T18:50:33.110-07:00Union Station<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZnI1jkxk6HLg9tlOvg8lS7BIvIm1E029_xxecdL5hysiQ-7R4orwoqYcffLoLlIDGm6SdP7rhKVGiaw7q5hgHP8BppibskYOEpn4OOZY0xEAXEMbix_tzu8hpi5nobJaY7X3rluJwgec/s1600-h/union+station.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZnI1jkxk6HLg9tlOvg8lS7BIvIm1E029_xxecdL5hysiQ-7R4orwoqYcffLoLlIDGm6SdP7rhKVGiaw7q5hgHP8BppibskYOEpn4OOZY0xEAXEMbix_tzu8hpi5nobJaY7X3rluJwgec/s400/union+station.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241606300314390034" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The impressive Union Station sits at Markham and Victory Streets in Little Rock. (No, your eyes aren't going bad, there was a smudge on my camera lens and I didn't realize it when I took this photo. I need to go get some better ones!)</span><br /><br />Towering over the intersection of Markham and Victory Streets near downtown Little Rock, Union Station was built in 1921 and was named to the National Register of Historic Places in 1977.<br /><br />It is the third such building to occupy this site. The first was a wood-frame building erected in 1873 and torn down in 1906 to make way for an elaborate, Second Empire-style structure. Finished in 1911, that building was destroyed by fire.<br /><br />The current Union Station was opened to the public on July 31, 1921. Today it houses a museum, restaurants, offices, and passenger rail offices.smbwallacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04513511908465106710noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8917008785177266902.post-50217628936739164622008-08-22T09:07:00.000-07:002008-09-01T09:17:23.264-07:00Choctaw Station<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBeUql7X1N5WQqfjRRhgfX9qiu0g_NZG-V9CRN8C2-xz4IHFdwWm8fYRe4JVClCCQVSmCpybK6YfBQ1rKiPuFIZrL4Lq2IVqyvZ_Qrn89fUTA_gO2-GDkGEexWjvR92p3EwMJfo3nQ_2I/s1600-h/7-17-08+016.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBeUql7X1N5WQqfjRRhgfX9qiu0g_NZG-V9CRN8C2-xz4IHFdwWm8fYRe4JVClCCQVSmCpybK6YfBQ1rKiPuFIZrL4Lq2IVqyvZ_Qrn89fUTA_gO2-GDkGEexWjvR92p3EwMJfo3nQ_2I/s400/7-17-08+016.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241087556781576098" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkfLXdUZpqVWDdpZe9SaCt5QKtx5CHsNpOSRzBISHO_P-1rGuJJDBcDZINMiwcu2wmZ1NSlDI43cei5jPp5iVupnrmF0McecvpCb2lEcQ2WKnDFbj4TSGjgzbuJzvh1YlZ0saLepQBgPU/s1600-h/clinton+center+81608+055+%282%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkfLXdUZpqVWDdpZe9SaCt5QKtx5CHsNpOSRzBISHO_P-1rGuJJDBcDZINMiwcu2wmZ1NSlDI43cei5jPp5iVupnrmF0McecvpCb2lEcQ2WKnDFbj4TSGjgzbuJzvh1YlZ0saLepQBgPU/s400/clinton+center+81608+055+%282%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241087562823266098" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8krRbrRQQMmyQdSbNa-2jj_IVAb7O3XyJG-yutwCqGKFs7EX46wzJ6brll4PSn4xrRx56ZRo2Fp0pY6zotPktI1DHmUVDWvt_6Gi-MaJAILhW2EEjhENLVy028s1EeQ9GxyarF2Doz5M/s1600-h/clinton+center+81608+130+%282%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8krRbrRQQMmyQdSbNa-2jj_IVAb7O3XyJG-yutwCqGKFs7EX46wzJ6brll4PSn4xrRx56ZRo2Fp0pY6zotPktI1DHmUVDWvt_6Gi-MaJAILhW2EEjhENLVy028s1EeQ9GxyarF2Doz5M/s400/clinton+center+81608+130+%282%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241087561948035618" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Choctaw Station on the south bank of the Arkansas River. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, it's the home of the William J. Clinton Foundation and the Clinton School of Public Service.</span><br /><br />Choctaw Station, located at 1010 E. Third on the banks of the Arkansas River in Little Rock, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.<br /><br />Built in 1899 by the Choctaw, Oklahoma and Gulf Railroad, this large, ornate passenger depot became the property of the Rock Island Railroad in 1902 and served that line until the 1950s. It is embellished with exceptionally ornate terra cotta details which exhibit the influence of architect Louis Henry Sullivan.<br /><br />This beautiful building is now the home of the William J. Clinton Foundation and the Clinton School of Public Service. Located beside the Clinton presidential center, the station can easily be seen on a trolley tour of downtown Little Rock.smbwallacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04513511908465106710noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8917008785177266902.post-81281417118827807802008-08-19T09:04:00.000-07:002008-09-01T09:06:55.837-07:00Scenes from the Clinton Center<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimevl2o7LzguWlN2D7XV5qRZZcREvy_EM6YmXp3bc-NOxKzaD2kMm2mbwped3cNUne2Gs8qhmKSmnqwFuBO398ePMkJ_h10d8GHg_DFgEAHaXBlOtnrKWztKV_m8YGsheuZlhBOHvA6kA/s1600-h/clinton+center+81608+096+%282%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimevl2o7LzguWlN2D7XV5qRZZcREvy_EM6YmXp3bc-NOxKzaD2kMm2mbwped3cNUne2Gs8qhmKSmnqwFuBO398ePMkJ_h10d8GHg_DFgEAHaXBlOtnrKWztKV_m8YGsheuZlhBOHvA6kA/s400/clinton+center+81608+096+%282%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241084844465426690" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihStLUVVzChHt_IeUmeWsdRQMqN3Gg7nSGiS9tXDVwPvhBLO5-tX2raiORAwWkFMm95h7unDmCupqTCVI9nivb9Vt5zsm5zW8ehwzPy7ZTu68TvpUaTjPNFGhKHDBHTVZYdn96pjwLSnI/s1600-h/clinton+center+81608+085+%282%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihStLUVVzChHt_IeUmeWsdRQMqN3Gg7nSGiS9tXDVwPvhBLO5-tX2raiORAwWkFMm95h7unDmCupqTCVI9nivb9Vt5zsm5zW8ehwzPy7ZTu68TvpUaTjPNFGhKHDBHTVZYdn96pjwLSnI/s400/clinton+center+81608+085+%282%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241084849466530978" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghiup341S4WPNWbH1BmXKABrl-H869SE50NAdTPhLXA25NOAEMzP3GU4qE6ga2lbJyjX3hG9mqho07LymDM_FTyG3e-0cFItgiqw-KpZpoWWsenjN3vz0mntxKgjDGdUztRBxmbKNEQ_8/s1600-h/clinton+center+81608+111+%282%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghiup341S4WPNWbH1BmXKABrl-H869SE50NAdTPhLXA25NOAEMzP3GU4qE6ga2lbJyjX3hG9mqho07LymDM_FTyG3e-0cFItgiqw-KpZpoWWsenjN3vz0mntxKgjDGdUztRBxmbKNEQ_8/s400/clinton+center+81608+111+%282%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241084846362343474" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEB-ItP_BAX9E0r3R1tDZw1HZIz9ZY4aQ-7k4VZT92cpHjHURgNiciRMUWQ9FCVX1DOWE99XxXAJX3UJeGBCeqaIkI_2PINS5o12HVdRqW5kjYNp3rT1EWDn0nB4B_e942tTjxNRoVIa0/s1600-h/clinton+center+81608+083+%282%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEB-ItP_BAX9E0r3R1tDZw1HZIz9ZY4aQ-7k4VZT92cpHjHURgNiciRMUWQ9FCVX1DOWE99XxXAJX3UJeGBCeqaIkI_2PINS5o12HVdRqW5kjYNp3rT1EWDn0nB4B_e942tTjxNRoVIa0/s400/clinton+center+81608+083+%282%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241084856392345810" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Photographs from our recent visit to the William J. Clinton Presidential Center and Park.</span>smbwallacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04513511908465106710noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8917008785177266902.post-67024079438071054572008-08-18T08:52:00.000-07:002008-09-01T09:02:01.017-07:00LEED Award at Clinton Center<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFlWQhFA_HRz1UT14NCyk7OstnCHygBKKuh8cmh9hHk1wkmpDsYBpHFNI3r0q1vfb5z25pMvdaaVHJEahOPUeBwTQ2ibzMRnndA62qHlw_S0gPk-cgqKMkxDYBNjI3pPI5Odfre1tqzMk/s1600-h/clinton+center+81608+078+%282%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFlWQhFA_HRz1UT14NCyk7OstnCHygBKKuh8cmh9hHk1wkmpDsYBpHFNI3r0q1vfb5z25pMvdaaVHJEahOPUeBwTQ2ibzMRnndA62qHlw_S0gPk-cgqKMkxDYBNjI3pPI5Odfre1tqzMk/s400/clinton+center+81608+078+%282%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241083496273114850" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">The Clinton Center holds the impressive LEED Award for its environmentally responsible construction and sustainability practices.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1MsKu7icvKJS21O3KWDBaA_CGyJ_qdFp4SGTsbd0kdR-xqK5kAjZi_KjfGjYufJywMDG9uJ2s-M616QmdF08suEuZ6XmEHLxTs-5-aVcl5Xt_9GjhLrXeC64GQiwxXnvghSWUsGGmPR0/s1600-h/clinton+center+81608+061+%282%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1MsKu7icvKJS21O3KWDBaA_CGyJ_qdFp4SGTsbd0kdR-xqK5kAjZi_KjfGjYufJywMDG9uJ2s-M616QmdF08suEuZ6XmEHLxTs-5-aVcl5Xt_9GjhLrXeC64GQiwxXnvghSWUsGGmPR0/s400/clinton+center+81608+061+%282%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241083398113491570" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Receptacles for recyclable materials are common sites around the Clinton Center grounds.</span><br /><br />The William J. Clinton Presidential Center, a leader in environmentally-friendly building practices, holds a silver certification LEED Award.<br /><br />LEED, a green building rating system developed by the U.S. Green Building Council in 2000, awards buildings for environmentally-conscious building and sustainability practices.smbwallacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04513511908465106710noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8917008785177266902.post-43779393734961456492008-08-17T08:37:00.000-07:002008-09-01T08:46:27.690-07:00Crystal Tree of Light<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKZYhpoyKpLpQk7M2NovkjlPOl9Z3h4NVyUBvd5FYfiINPnghuNeBhli11G0bWUMj73gByatLLu9Y8txBnCrSFBntt_L-znPLH3tkLal72TnZbFHeFRNw6QqQKCxmf0EY707fLtkzlKVE/s1600-h/clinton+center+81608+070+%282%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKZYhpoyKpLpQk7M2NovkjlPOl9Z3h4NVyUBvd5FYfiINPnghuNeBhli11G0bWUMj73gByatLLu9Y8txBnCrSFBntt_L-znPLH3tkLal72TnZbFHeFRNw6QqQKCxmf0EY707fLtkzlKVE/s400/clinton+center+81608+070+%282%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241079092760317314" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The Crystal Tree of Light at the Clinton Center is one of the most conversational pieces in the library. My girls get a close look at it on our last visit to the center.</span><br /><br />One of the most interesting things at the Clinton Presidential Center and Park in Little Rock is the Crystal Tree of Light on the third floor.<br /><br />President and Mrs. Clinton invited world-renowned glass artist Dale Chihuly to provide artwork for the White House Millennium celebration on Dec. 31, 1999. He created two identical towers of glass, both entitled Crystal Tree of Light. Both were installed in the Grand Foyer of the White House and were displayed until March 2000.<br /><br />Four years later, one of the crystal trees was donated to the William J. Clinton Presidential Foundation and installed permanently in the Clinton Center. It is this piece that visitors to the Little Rock center can ogle.<br /><br />My girls always think it's rather odd-looking, and at first glance it is. It looks almost like serpents winding their way around but upon closer look it more resembles flower bulbs!smbwallacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04513511908465106710noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8917008785177266902.post-23364414081794646262008-08-16T07:34:00.000-07:002008-09-01T08:36:36.983-07:00Modern day monument making history<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyuxlqXSeNl10ApyG36K2mKBIig0MF8ZsqgH_eDm57RdCL7T_HwfJGDa0yPGehCzyIulHeExZHlyw7XbN9b6wEanc-kRpyCmL3ksfRZ7yMYVqpb_nKjZlpAClGO5EUqSorcSqtJI0evA0/s1600-h/clinton+center+81608+060+%282%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyuxlqXSeNl10ApyG36K2mKBIig0MF8ZsqgH_eDm57RdCL7T_HwfJGDa0yPGehCzyIulHeExZHlyw7XbN9b6wEanc-kRpyCmL3ksfRZ7yMYVqpb_nKjZlpAClGO5EUqSorcSqtJI0evA0/s400/clinton+center+81608+060+%282%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241077245813682082" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The Clinton Presidential Center sits on the south bank of the Arkansas River, in Little Rock. Not only is it one of only 13 presidential libraries in the country, it is a leader in environmentally-friendly building and upkeep practices.</span><br /><br />The William Jefferson Clinton Presidential Center and Park (also referred to as the Clinton Center or the Clinton Library; I prefer the former) is a modern day monument that is making history in many different ways.<br /><br />The center had free admission today! I took the girls up there for a visit. We had recently been there back in February on a work-related trip. It was nice to go again with our own agenda, and sans baby.<br /><br />The girls' favorite part was the water feature in front of the building! I enjoyed sitting out on the grounds after our tour. It was cool and breezy on the Arkansas River though the weather was fairly warm everywhere else in Central Arkansas.<br /><br />I'll have some more information about the different features of the center in the days to come. There is a lot about this center that is very interesting.smbwallacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04513511908465106710noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8917008785177266902.post-63731678399754352922008-07-26T20:17:00.000-07:002008-07-26T20:22:39.904-07:00Black facts online<span class="Fact">Frederick Douglass was the only male to play a prominent role at the first Woman's Rights Convention at Seneca Falls, New York. He seconded the woman's suffrage motion introduced by Elizabeth Cady Stanton. That happened 160 years ago on July 26, 1848.<br /><br />That information comes from a site I found out about today, <a href="http://www.blackfacts.com">Black Facts Online</a>. It's an online database of African-American historical facts. You can search by date, as I did to find the Frederick Douglass fact, or by name.<br /><br />Douglass was one of my favorite historical characters.<br /></span>smbwallacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04513511908465106710noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8917008785177266902.post-85117051988016364472008-07-17T06:32:00.000-07:002008-07-17T06:43:38.003-07:00Saturday Night Fish Fry!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcRsK_syckvw2Bufk_5tsgR4fbmEHWnqkixrPNwfZSXsBpP3Vre7qDIkEq92-6DEBx66Do5WmxP4k5xTpwmG_EG9KnwGdIZ4VRHM9xj5Kdjh9LIfwQrNXkHC_L_e0Tb_TDH-NZhYt0Jb4/s1600-h/brinkley+museum+006+%282%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcRsK_syckvw2Bufk_5tsgR4fbmEHWnqkixrPNwfZSXsBpP3Vre7qDIkEq92-6DEBx66Do5WmxP4k5xTpwmG_EG9KnwGdIZ4VRHM9xj5Kdjh9LIfwQrNXkHC_L_e0Tb_TDH-NZhYt0Jb4/s400/brinkley+museum+006+%282%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5223978143450811090" border="0" /></a><br />There's going to be a "Saturday Night Fish Fry" this weekend in honor of Brinkley musician Louis Jordan this weekend!<br /><br />The <a href="http://www.arktimes.com/Articles/ArticleViewer.aspx?ArticleID=87f1a865-552c-423e-8a9c-0b556cebacb6">Arkansas Times</a> gives all the details on this weekend's festivities in honor of the famed musician, who would have been 100 years old this month.<br /><br />"Saturday Night Fish Fry" was one of his many fun-loving tunes about food and this weekend Louis Jordan fans can partake of some good down-home cooking in his honor. "Beans and Cornbread" is another, perhaps better-known, song of Jordan's about comfort food.<br /><br />This weekend's festival is being overseen by Stephen Koch, a longtime fan of Jordan's and a champion of his music. In years past he spearheaded efforts to have this bust of Louis Jordan created. It is now on display in Brinkley's old train station, now the Central Delta Depot Museum.smbwallacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04513511908465106710noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8917008785177266902.post-81747492835737719212008-07-10T09:34:00.000-07:002008-07-10T09:34:00.777-07:00North Little Rock High School<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX0t3iSCBpuwNSKD5kAsRe39ZEv7MGauDqXwNnRyEslH11S-8zSM06yuNZDKxYapvGJdBeDIcye6pQfp7wCPgmyq060KxWAPFmwI63THX9JjnfYTgwVqsnEHoUol8Gt4y2mEp_90lwDgY/s1600-h/nlrhs.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX0t3iSCBpuwNSKD5kAsRe39ZEv7MGauDqXwNnRyEslH11S-8zSM06yuNZDKxYapvGJdBeDIcye6pQfp7wCPgmyq060KxWAPFmwI63THX9JjnfYTgwVqsnEHoUol8Gt4y2mEp_90lwDgY/s400/nlrhs.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5219014774662918338" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">North Little Rock High School is one of the community's landmarks.</span><br /><br /><br />Looming majestically over North Little Rock's business district, North Little Rock High School is considered a historical treasure. Built from 1928-1930, it has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1993.<br /><br />The <a href="http://www.nlrsd.k12.ar.us/history/north_little_rock_high_school.htm">"Laying of Corner Stone"</a> program described the new building as "unsurpassed in architectural beauty."smbwallacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04513511908465106710noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8917008785177266902.post-71740716369330258142008-07-09T08:42:00.000-07:002008-07-09T08:42:00.462-07:00The Old Mill (artist's rendition)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiztdIBT7d74QaBBJEN0JSK0kveEi0EiRW4gXOLxZI7NY3W8yKt3Eaev-D2QWS7obfwth0NX_e9doc5xrzTdEDdKXstztuZUUrzrcu_n5Pjmiqz2YMqepO92LbKIM83gl3H46WqTqCyKY/s1600-h/fifth&main.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiztdIBT7d74QaBBJEN0JSK0kveEi0EiRW4gXOLxZI7NY3W8yKt3Eaev-D2QWS7obfwth0NX_e9doc5xrzTdEDdKXstztuZUUrzrcu_n5Pjmiqz2YMqepO92LbKIM83gl3H46WqTqCyKY/s400/fifth&main.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5218644256670103682" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">This painting of the Old Mill is on the corner of Fifth and Main in North Little Rock.</span><br /><br /><br />As I was snapping photos of the historic Baker House in downtown North Little Rock, I couldn't help but notice this beautiful painting of the <a href="http://historicalhappenings.blogspot.com/2008/03/old-mill.html">Old Mill</a>. I've posted about the Old Mill before; it is one of our favorite places to visit and is the only known surviving structure filmed in the 1939 classic "Gone with the Wind."<br /><br />The painting was done by Phillip Kirkpatrick but I wasn't able to find out anything else. I hope to in the near future.smbwallacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04513511908465106710noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8917008785177266902.post-45658532134505779932008-07-08T09:22:00.000-07:002008-07-08T09:22:01.207-07:00Argenta Drug Company<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyEzof1zCoema4fTPYkomowB3giL0k2BAOpQoMt2GuOFmPh6R2kkLne9HxVnPiBP3PCAQZuEda41tQs1JkrgXfDE-ldv2PwYj1TAsMeuUPps-fKJBqHSa1ffkL_0-OwoG7fmQIyJs31dE/s1600-h/argenta+drug+co.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyEzof1zCoema4fTPYkomowB3giL0k2BAOpQoMt2GuOFmPh6R2kkLne9HxVnPiBP3PCAQZuEda41tQs1JkrgXfDE-ldv2PwYj1TAsMeuUPps-fKJBqHSa1ffkL_0-OwoG7fmQIyJs31dE/s400/argenta+drug+co.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5218642696125985490" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The Argenta Drug Company is in downtown North Little Rock and is the oldest drugstore west of the Mississippi River.</span><br /><br /><br />Argenta Drug Company in downtown North Little Rock is a charming addition to a beautiful downtown area. It was built in 1887 and is known as the oldest continuously operating pharmacy west of the Mississippi River. It's part of the <a href="http://www.arkansaspreservation.org/historic-properties/national-register/results.asp?county=Pulaski&city=North+Little+Rock&historic_name=&description=&submit=Find">Argenta Historic District</a>.<br /><br />This building is the city's oldest commercial building and has been the home of three pharmacies -- Humphreys Drugs from 1887 to 1903, Hall Drug Company from 1903 to 1916, and Argenta Drug Company starting in 1917.<br /><br />It recently underwent a face lift and now is sharper than ever. It's also busier than ever, or so it seemed the other afternoon when I stopped to take this photo one day last week.<br /><br />Another interesting fact about this landmark was that <a href="http://www.house.gov/berry/biography.shtml">U.S. Congressman Marion Berry</a> was a pharmacist here in the 1960s.<br /><br />I pass by this building frequently while taking care of business in downtown North Little Rock or heading into Little Rock.<br /><span id="ctl00_MainContent_Description2"><span style=""><span style="font-size:85%;"> </span></span></span>smbwallacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04513511908465106710noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8917008785177266902.post-26319221197377109722008-07-07T08:57:00.000-07:002008-07-07T08:57:00.977-07:00Baker House in downtown NLR<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_HDiaoVWbHmZsmyB7hhmIw1kEwbyjN8fsGjCQUtOsmEmmT4UgCXswykGfc4TY3eHNYqDR52NkUeomqzH3G9PAFn03GTUVomBVoIj_nBgtwYbth9VBypGQX2OqT-WhRen1VFNpIPVPggE/s1600-h/baker+house.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_HDiaoVWbHmZsmyB7hhmIw1kEwbyjN8fsGjCQUtOsmEmmT4UgCXswykGfc4TY3eHNYqDR52NkUeomqzH3G9PAFn03GTUVomBVoIj_nBgtwYbth9VBypGQX2OqT-WhRen1VFNpIPVPggE/s400/baker+house.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5218632691382376578" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The Baker House in downtown North Little Rock. </span><span style="font-style: italic;">I took this picture</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> last week.</span><br /><br /><br />The beautiful <a href="http://www.bakerhousenlr.com/">Baker House</a> in downtown North Little Rock is a Queen Anne Victorian style house that was built in 1898-99. It was restored in 1977 and was placed on the <a href="http://www.arkansaspreservation.org/historic-properties/national-register/results.asp?county=Pulaski&city=North+Little+Rock&historic_name=Baker+House&description=&submit=Find">National Register of Historic Places</a> in 1978.smbwallacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04513511908465106710noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8917008785177266902.post-72490125626166811892008-07-06T08:54:00.000-07:002008-07-06T08:54:00.235-07:00Cotter Bridge<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBQlYk4KgsHxcd87sHRqxStnWjAkN-YkKIpOhZ25r85ApxJUn922Xv-eJnNC-teoyXWJgo6-y_BZDRUezpYXjTeg98HMfuqN6hV7CfNL2XdZwx62HO9F1v92OVpcaq-FFnKC0jlPh6oN8/s1600-h/5-7-05+191.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBQlYk4KgsHxcd87sHRqxStnWjAkN-YkKIpOhZ25r85ApxJUn922Xv-eJnNC-teoyXWJgo6-y_BZDRUezpYXjTeg98HMfuqN6hV7CfNL2XdZwx62HO9F1v92OVpcaq-FFnKC0jlPh6oN8/s400/5-7-05+191.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5218261136005462418" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">I took this photo of my sister under the Cotter Bridge in 2005.</span><br /><br /><br />The Cotter Bridge in Baxter County (northern Arkansas) spans Highway 62 over the White River. It's a Marsh rainbow-arch bridge that was built in 1930. It is a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.<br /><br />My sister and I went to the bridge three years ago so I could photograph her along the railroad tracks that run under the bridge.smbwallacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04513511908465106710noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8917008785177266902.post-13472546831177767232008-07-05T08:39:00.000-07:002008-07-05T08:39:01.141-07:00Cleburne County courthouse<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKEkE_ZkKoJRB7ZCZV9iKGs8RBdd_9u7s-sQwdqj169qeyKwUXrf4VEKx4HfiIsKRftwhqJNF4mgtZHnsATt22m6Sb8O42OWgcrpyUnTSUiJZpC-SHDSoNjiNwxcbajtfmwN_knFyRCCY/s1600-h/11-24-05+065.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKEkE_ZkKoJRB7ZCZV9iKGs8RBdd_9u7s-sQwdqj169qeyKwUXrf4VEKx4HfiIsKRftwhqJNF4mgtZHnsATt22m6Sb8O42OWgcrpyUnTSUiJZpC-SHDSoNjiNwxcbajtfmwN_knFyRCCY/s400/11-24-05+065.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5218257776750523970" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">I took this photo of the Cleburne County courthouse in Heber Springs in 2005.</span><br /><br /><br />The Cleburne County Courthouse in Heber Springs is one of the many county courthouses listed on the National Register of Historic Places.<br /><br />Built in 1914, this courthouse was placed on the register back in 1976.<br /><br />It's a building that I see often as I pass through town while in the area visiting good friends.smbwallacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04513511908465106710noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8917008785177266902.post-50169927557122663232008-07-04T08:28:00.000-07:002008-07-04T08:28:00.520-07:00Campbell House recognized by NRHP<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1hyphenhyphenFldkIWq3qNy9LVwzSSigzeRIjJEaYhN94prIijAp-rIo02tj5MkKq2h-d9RtLDp1N77EsqvmKk08Ny5ajB7XYdORZXbvZG8EMnsk9JlQs9NbwHoFnxZm-VivNU5N_rBB9D2NMs8qE/s1600-h/house.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1hyphenhyphenFldkIWq3qNy9LVwzSSigzeRIjJEaYhN94prIijAp-rIo02tj5MkKq2h-d9RtLDp1N77EsqvmKk08Ny5ajB7XYdORZXbvZG8EMnsk9JlQs9NbwHoFnxZm-VivNU5N_rBB9D2NMs8qE/s400/house.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5218255013187993378" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The Campbell House in Forrest City is a landmark building near downtown that is now used by the Junior Auxiliary. I took this photo when I went to the inaugural event hosted by the JA last year.</span><br /><br />The Campbell House in Forrest City (St. Francis County in Eastern Arkansas) is very well-known building in the community. Built in 1917 for banker William Wilson Campbell, the home was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2006.<br /><br />Be sure to read what <a href="http://www.arkansaspreservation.org/historic-properties/national-register/results.asp?county=Woodruff&city=&historic_name=&description=&submit=Find">www.arkansaspreservation.org</a> has to say about the home.smbwallacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04513511908465106710noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8917008785177266902.post-15558667099442680382008-07-03T08:15:00.000-07:002008-07-03T08:15:00.711-07:00Century-old store building marks Woodruff County community<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDIS0TvwK43jbdsSTfXMTSSeKef1TkfuHbwLUmG-4XZ_c5kzxcTR7_mGwhlgbBP_pWh5eFtxzBS1KxU5eELQzo4ZcPSc_tbKXQY9fH1hp-f83urTHqYrYrSQ5OuYpB8RHquz4hsMI31eQ/s1600-h/3-7-06+058.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDIS0TvwK43jbdsSTfXMTSSeKef1TkfuHbwLUmG-4XZ_c5kzxcTR7_mGwhlgbBP_pWh5eFtxzBS1KxU5eELQzo4ZcPSc_tbKXQY9fH1hp-f83urTHqYrYrSQ5OuYpB8RHquz4hsMI31eQ/s400/3-7-06+058.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5218251688081965522" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The old Revel General Store, built in 1907 in the Revel community in Woodruff County. I took the photo in March of 2006. In looking back at the photos I took of the store, I noticed that it had snowed a few days previously!</span><br /><br />The old Revel General Store building is over 100 years old and is still standing in the tiny community of Revel, in Woodruff County. I visited with John W. Revel back in 2006 and he told me quite a bit about the community named for his family. Here is part of the story I wrote for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette's Three Rivers Edition:<br /><br /><br /><br />The small farming community of Revel in Woodruff County, located on Highway 260 south of the larger cities of McCrory and Augusta, was founded by John W. “J.W.” Revel, grandfather of John W. Revel who still lives there on the Revel farm. The community carries on its farming roots and is marked by a historical building that has been there nearly a century.<br /><br />John Revel, who was born in Woodruff County and raised in Memphis and Revel, made his home in Revel as a young adult to operate the family farm that had been started by his grandfather, J.W. Revel. He recalls hearing many of his grandfather’s stories, including the one where his grandfather walked to Arkansas from Illinois after the Civil War.<br /><br />“My grandfather said he remembers walking home from the war,” Revel said with a chuckle. That wouldn’t be an experience one would quickly forget, especially considering the one that preceded it. A North Carolina native who moved to Shelby County, Tennessee with his family, Revel, who then spelled his name Revell, enlisted in the Confederate Army along with three of his brothers. He was captured by the Union and was held as a prisoner of war for nearly two years at the Alton Federal Military Prison in Illinois, according to Woodruff County Historical Society publications.<br /><br />“When they turned him loose he walked back to Arkansas,” his grandson John Revel said. It was after J.W. Revel’s release in 1865 that he walked back to the South and settled the land that came to be known as the Revel community. He first rented farmland and then purchased it, a total of about 1,800 acres.<br /><br />“He homesteaded 1,800 acres of land,” Revel, who now lives on what remains of this property, said.<br /><br />****<br /><br />Mr. Revel was full of memories and I thoroughly enjoyed visiting with him and seeing his model train station he built himself.<br /><br />The website <a href="http://www.arkansaspreservation.org/historic-properties/national-register/results.asp?county=Woodruff&city=&historic_name=&description=&submit=Find">www.arkansaspreservation.org</a> has a piece about the old Revel store and several other historical buildings in Woodruff County.smbwallacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04513511908465106710noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8917008785177266902.post-24115989701348115742008-07-02T07:58:00.000-07:002008-07-02T07:58:00.739-07:00Cotton Plant water tower now an official historic structureThe water tower in Cotton Plant (in Woodruff County in Eastern Arkansas and just a few miles from my hometown of Brinkley) has been recognized as a historic structure.<br /><br />It has just been named to the National Register of Historic Places.<br /><br />It was built in 1935 with assistance from the Public Works Administration (PWA), a federal relief program in existence in the Great Depression times.<br /><br />I'll be writing about the water tower pretty soon for the Three Rivers Edition of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. In the meantime, take a look at what <a href="http://www.arkansaspreservation.org/historic-properties/national-register/results.asp?county=Woodruff&city=&historic_name=&description=&submit=Find">www.arkansaspreservation.org</a> has to say about it.smbwallacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04513511908465106710noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8917008785177266902.post-86250368898432266442008-07-01T19:49:00.000-07:002008-07-01T19:57:32.449-07:00Weldon structures named to NRHPThe Weldon Gin Company Historic District in southern Jackson County has just been named to the National Register of Historic Places.<br /><br />The old depot building, which sits right along Highway 17 in the tiny farming community, has been listed for years.<br /><br />There are actually several old buildings still standing in town.<br /><br />I wrote about the community for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette's Three Rivers Edition back in the summer of 2004. In fact, it was the first piece I wrote for the section. Here is a small part of the story:<br /><br /><br />The community is a mere shadow of what it was in years past, with all its stores, mills, cotton gin, brick kiln, church and school.<br /><br />But its charm remains with many of the old buildings that still stand, some in surprisingly good shape.<br /><br />"It has a little bit of character because of the old buildings," Ralph McDonald, a native now living in nearby Newport, noted.<br /><br />One of its buildings, the train depot, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Another, the old cotton gin, still houses all the machinery used to gin cotton.<br /><br />*****<br /><br />I'm getting ready to write about the gin company being placed on the historic register for the Three Rivers Edition.<br /><br />In the meantime, take a look at what <a href="http://www.arkansaspreservation.org/historic-properties/national-register/results.asp?county=Jackson&city=&historic_name=&description=&submit=Find">www.arkansaspreservation.org</a> has to say about the gin company.smbwallacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04513511908465106710noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8917008785177266902.post-15364911636358880532008-06-30T00:18:00.000-07:002008-06-30T00:18:00.943-07:00White County community got start in farmingA story about the Pickens Chapel community in White County at the Cleburne County line for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette in 2005 is available on the <a href="http://www.pickenschapelnazarene.org/our_history.html">community's website</a>. (More Googling if you're wondering how I know!)<br /><br />The tiny community appears as Pickens on the state highway map but is commonly known as Pickens Chapel. The focal structure in town is a church by the same name. Land was donated for the building in 1913 by the Pickens family.smbwallacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04513511908465106710noreply@blogger.com0