|
|
|
|
|
WALKS THROUGH HISTORY SCHEDULE
The "Walks Through History" program is a series of monthly outdoor walking tours that seeks to familiarize people who live and work in communities outside of central Arkansas with the historic structures and sites around them. Presented by the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program, an agency of the Department of Arkansas Heritage, the tours begin at 11 a.m. on Saturdays, and last between one and two hours. An AHPP staff historian leads the tour, delivering a brief lecture about the properties visited and their history.
View Archived Walks Through History Tour Scripts
U.S. Post Office & Courthouse |
May 19, 2012 - Historic Downtown Texarkana
Historic Downtown Texarkana. In 1873 the Cairo & Fulton Railroad met the Texas & Pacific Railroad at the Arkansas-Texas border. Texarkana (a combination of the words Texas, Arkansas, and Louisiana) was established at the junction of the railroad lines. Texarkana, Texas, was incorporated in 1873, followed in 1880 by Texarkana, Arkansas. The towns prospered due to agricultural production and the timber industry, facilitated by access to multiple railroad lines. State Line Avenue, the towns’ main street, is the boundary line between Arkansas and Texas. Today the two towns have separate municipal governments, but work together on sewage disposal, sanitation, recreation, and health inspection. The tour group will meet at the U.S. Post Office & Courthouse at 500 State Line Ave., the only building of its type situated in two states. Co-sponsored by Main Street Texarkana.
|
Calico Rock Historic District |
June 9, 2012 - Calico Rock Historic District
Calico Rock Historic District. Named after the calico-colored bluffs on the north side of the White River, Calico Rock initially developed as a popular steamboat landing. Construction on the St. Louis, Iron Mountain & Southern Railroad through Calico Rock began in 1902, and in 1905 the town was incorporated. The local economy consisted of small cotton and livestock farms and timber-related industries. Downtown Calico Rock boasts many distinctive rough-cut stone commercial buildings. Today Calico Rock is predominantly a destination for tourists and retirees with its close proximity to the White River, Norfork Lake, Blanchard Springs Caverns, and the Buffalo National River. The tour group will meet at the Calico Rock Museum at 104 Main St. Co-sponsored by the Calico Rock Museum.
|
Bradley County Courthouse |
July 14, 2012 - Historic Downtown Warren
Historic Downtown Warren. In 1880 Warren, the Bradley County seat, became the western terminus of the Ouachita Division of the Little Rock, Mississippi River & Texas Railroad, providing a reliable means of transportation for the town’s vast timber resources. A multitude of small lumber mills operated in Warren and Bradley County in the 1880s, but the industry was later dominated by large mills like the Southern Lumber Company and the Arkansas Lumber Company. The aforementioned companies partnered in 1899 to build the short-line Warren & Ouachita Valley Railroad from Warren to Banks to aid in the shipping of timber. Warren is also the self-proclaimed “Pink Tomato Capital of the World,” hosting the Pink Tomato Festival each June. The tour group will meet at the Dr. John Wilson Martin House at 200 Ash St. Co-sponsored by the Bradley County Historical Museum.
|
Frenchman Mountain Methodist Episcopal Church, South |
August 11, 2012 - Frenchman Mountain Methodist Episcopal Church, South and Cemetery in Cato
Frenchman Mountain Methodist Episcopal Church, South and Cemetery in Cato. The congregation of the Frenchman Mountain Methodist Episcopal Church, South was organized in 1872 in the Cato community, which straddles the Faulkner-Pulaski county line. In 1880 a two-story, wood-frame church was constructed to replace an earlier log building that burned. The upper floor served as a meeting place for the local Masonic Lodge, Odd Fellows, and Woodmen of the World, and the church met downstairs. In 1944 the upper story of the church was removed and the steeple and front porches were added, giving the building a Craftsman-style design. The church had an active membership until 1940, when Camp Robinson acquired the land immediately south and west of the church property, displacing many families and cutting off the most direct route to North Little Rock. In 1962 the Cato United Methodist Church, as it was then known, stopped holding regular services. A board of trustees maintains the church and associated cemetery and organizes the annual Homecoming and Christmas programs at the church. The church is located on Frenchman Mountain Rd. west of its intersection with Cato Rd. Co-sponsored by the Faulkner County Museum and the Pulaski County Historical Society.
|
East Hamilton Avenue Historic District |
September 15, 2012 - East Hamilton Avenue Historic District in Wynne
East Hamilton Avenue Historic District in Wynne. The Cross County seat of Wynne developed around the intersection of the Helena and Memphis branches of the St. Louis, Iron Mountain & Southern Railroad. The East Hamilton Avenue Historic District reflects a period of early 20th century population growth and residential development in the city. Most of the residences in the district boundary were constructed from the 1920s to the 1940s and represent a variety of Period Revival styles. Residences built in the late 1940s and 1950s indicate the growing popularity of the Ranch style. Today the neighborhood on the eastern end of Hamilton Avenue (east of N. Falls Blvd.) retains the best historic integrity in Wynne. The tour group will meet at Regions Bank at the northeast corner of N. Falls Blvd. & E. Hamilton Ave. Co-sponsored by the Cross County Historical Society.
|
Old Stuttgart Post Office |
October 13, 2012 - Stuttgart Commercial Historic District
Stuttgart Commercial Historic District. Located on the Grand Prairie, Stuttgart was founded in 1880 by German immigrant Rev. George Adam Buerkle. In 1883 the Texas & St. Louis Railroad (later the St. Louis Southwestern or Cotton Belt) bypassed Buerkle’s settlement, but he rebuilt the post office near the railroad tracks, establishing the current site of Stuttgart. Beginning in 1887, Col. Thomas H. Leslie and his brother, Henry, worked to develop Stuttgart by organizing the Grand Prairie Real Estate Exchange. Rice was first grown on the Grand Prairie in the early 20th century and became the region’s staple crop. In 1913 Arkansas County was divided into two judicial districts, and Stuttgart was designated county seat for the northern district. Today Stuttgart is home to Riceland Foods, Inc., the world’s largest rice miller. For many years migratory birds have been attracted to nearby waterways and the area’s rice fields, making Stuttgart a popular destination for duck hunters and tourists. The tour group will meet at the Old Stuttgart Post Office at 302 S. Maple St. Co-sponsored by the Grand Prairie Historical Society.
|
De Queen Commercial Historic District |
November 10, 2012 - De Queen Commercial Historic District
De Queen Commercial Historic District. In 1896 the Kansas City, Pittsburg & Gulf Railroad (later the Kansas City Southern) came through present-day De Queen, connecting southwest Arkansas to larger markets in the Midwest and along the Gulf Coast. Arthur Stilwell, the president of the railroad, founded and named the town in honor of Jan DeGoeijen, a Dutch coffee merchant who rescued the KC, P & G from financial ruin. De Queen was Stilwell’s Americanized version of DeGoeijen. Stilwell’s Arkansas Townsite Company surveyed and platted the new town and sold lots. De Queen incorporated in 1897 and prospered due to the area’s vast timber resources. By the early 20th century, Dierks Lumber and Coal Company employed thousands of people in southwest Arkansas and southeast Oklahoma. In 1905 the Sevier County seat was moved from Lockesburg to De Queen, where it remains today. The tour group will meet in front of the Sevier County Courthouse at 115 N. 3rd St. Co-sponsored by the City of De Queen.
|
Southern Mercantile Building |
December 15, 2012 - Historic Downtown Prairie Grove
Historic Downtown Prairie Grove. Prairie Grove is probably best known for the Civil War battle that took place there in December 1862, which resulted in a Union victory and put northwest Arkansas under Federal control. In 1871 J. P. Neal, stepson of early settler Rev. Andrew Buchanan, inherited his stepfather’s land in Prairie Grove and later founded the town. Prairie Grove was platted in 1877 and incorporated the following year. In 1901 the Ozark and Cherokee Central Railroad came through Prairie Grove, providing a way to ship fruits, vegetables, and livestock out of the Illinois River Valley. The canning of fruits and vegetables, namely tomatoes, was a major industry in Prairie Grove for many years. Today Prairie Grove is well-known for its state park and the Clothesline Fair held there each Labor Day. The tour group will meet at Arvest Bank at the northeast corner of Buchanan and Mock streets. Co-sponsored by the Prairie Grove Chamber of Commerce. |
|