Happy Hollow - Fun Photos for the Folks Back Home

Dated February 17, 1944

Owned and operated by Norman E. McLeod, Happy Hollow offered props and backdrops where visitors could have photos taken. Many used the donkey cart or ox cart with various sayings attached to the cart. As you will no doubt see, it's pretty hard to find very many like the couple above who seem to be happy their picture was being taken.

The two ladies on the bull seem to be having fun, the man and lady on the cart, not so much. 

The back of many of the cards reads "N.E. McLeod, Wild West & Rustic Photographer, Happy Hollow, Hot Springs, Ark. For duplicates Give number on picture."

If I get lucky, the photo postcard will have a date like this one. Mr. McLeod must have had some pretty tame livestock for them to stand still long enough to capture a clear image.

This one just makes me giggle. These two look so serious. I'm sure part of this comes from the fact that, not so long before, people who sat for photos were instructed not to smile because it took so long to capture an image and smiling would blur the photo.

This beautiful little one is one of my more unusual Happy Hollow postcards. This child would be over 100 years old if alive today. 

Because of the way this man is dressed, I'm not sure if he was actually a cowboy and had the photo taken with his horse.

I actually think this is a bit later than most of my other postcards. It's pretty racy for the times. I believe the lady is wearing a swimsuit and may have been one of the contestants in a bathing beauty contest. 

This card is dated 1938. It looks like the two men are really hamming it up for the camera. It's interesting how many different sets there were for photos.

I learned an interesting tidbit about Happy Hollow. The book Hot Springs from Capone to Costello by Robert K. Raines mentions that the Capone family, as in Al Capone, had their photos taken there several times and that it was one of their favorite spots in Hot Springs. Can you believe it?!

This is the second of my series on Hot Springs other attractions. Watch for the Ostrich Farm next. 

In case you are wondering why I picked Hot Springs for Arcane Arkansas history, it is not only the oldest national park but our smallest national park, and the only national park in an urban area. I'll be writing more about Hot Springs National Park in the future. 

Dated March 26, 1933

Hot Springs Attractions- Besides the Bathhouses

While many know Hot Springs for its bathhouses, there were actually four other attractions that drew people to the area, or gave them something to do when they were not "taking the waters."

I will write about the other three in upcoming entries. 

I discovered the Gator Farm and Marine Museum while hunting for postcards about Hot Springs. Alligators are native to southern Arkansas, so it is probably not so unusual. Started in 1902, it apparently brought alligators from the Florida Everglades to Arkansas. According to the postcard above, it was home to at least 1500 alligators!

I do think that having an alligator apparently climbing and then sliding down a very large slide a bit on the unusual side. 

This display of a Merman could also be classified as somewhat unusual. In addition to the gators, the attraction also had a Marine Museum and this was one of its displays. 

You can't really tell the size of Big Joe from the postcard photo, but I'm pretty sure he wasn't to be trifled with. Other cards have him in the alligator farm setting. This one appears to have taken him from that and made the background look very nice. An early example of what we now call Photoshopping. I've found many examples of it in early postcards.

I don't think that I would have enough nerve to feed gators like this!

I think that tall structure is a version of the slide from another photo. It would be interesting to know how the alligators were trained to climb the slide. 

The alligator farm is still operating at the same address on Whittington Avenue in Hot Springs as the Arkansas Alligator Farm and Petting Zoo. 

All the postcards are from my personal collection. I hope you enjoy.

If you would like to learn more about it, you can visit their website.

http://www.alligatorfarmzoo.com/about-us.html

This is the first of a three-part series on Hot Springs other attractions. Watch for the Ostrich Farm, I.Q. Zoo, and Happy Hollow.

Lum and Abner - Early Arkansas Celebrities

I can remember, when I moved to Arkansas in 1979, listening to Lum and Abner on the radio. Before moving here, I had never heard of them. If I remember right, they were on every day. It was a lot of fun to listen to them. The show originally aired from 1931 to 1954 and was very popular. 

While doing my project for Arkansas History in college, I picked them and Pine Ridge as a subject. Why? Well, I'm pretty sure it's the only town in the United States that was renamed because of a radio show.

Originally, Waters, the town was renamed Pine Ridge in 1936 after the show became so popular. Waters was near where Chester (Lum) and Norris (Abner) grew up and the town they based the show on. 

I was really surprised at how many postcards are available featuring these two interesting characters. Not only do they feature Lum and Abner, real names Chester Lauck and Norris Goff, but many also portray the town with Dick Huddleston's store (the inspiration for the show), the barbershop, as well as many other characters from the show. 

Not only radio stars, Lum and Abner also were featured in 7 movies from 1940 to 1956. 

Characters from the show also created a travelling show performing skits based on the radio show. An article from the May 10, 1939, edition of the Mountain Echo, published in Yellville, Arkansas, tells of the show coming to nearby Everton. The show was to have comedy, real hill billy music, magic, and cowboy songs. Sounds like it was an interesting show. Advertised as Dick Huddleston and his band, the show had already been on the road for several years. 

A yearly Lum and Abner festival is held in Pine Ridge, near Mena, the first weekend in June. 

A web page is also dedicated to the show with a good rundown on the history and posted hours for the museum and Jot 'em Down Store.

http://www.lum-n-abner.com

The ONLY Public Diamond Mine in North America

Discovered back in the early 1900s and considered at one time for commercial use, Arkansas has the only proven diamond mine in North America. 

After its opening for everyday use by Howard A. Millar in 1952 as a tourist attraction, he struck gold when Mrs. A. L. Parker of Dallas, Texas, found a 15 1/4 carat diamond nicknamed the "Star of Arkansas." Millar used the find in much of his advertising, including the back of the above postcard, and its discovery greatly increased traffic to the tourist attraction. The postcard below set the value of the uncut diamond at $15,000. An advertising mailer I found later set the cut value at $75,000 with the final cut weight at 8.24 carats, this was in 1956. What the value would be in today's dollars would be interesting to know.

Back of postcard   
Mrs. A. L. Parker, Dallas, Texas, holds the beautiful "Star of Arkansas" she found at the Crater of Diamonds. This stone weighed 15 1/4 carats and was valued at more than $15,000 in its rough state. The Crater of Diamonds near Murfreesboro, Arkansas, is the only spot in the United States where diamonds are found.        

Back of postcard 
Crater of Diamonds State Park Display of rough diamonds, cut and faceted Amethyst, Garnets, Agate, Chalcedony and Petrified Wood. These plus many other rocks and minerals are found at the Crater of Diamonds State Park. The state park is located 2 1/2 miles south of Murfreesboro, Arkansas, on Arkansas Highway 301. The only proven diamond mine in North America. 

Millar's Crater of Diamonds became an Arkansas State Park in 1973. Anyone who wishes can pay a small daily fee and hunt for diamonds, keeping any that are found. Count me in for a trip in the spring or fall!

The two postcards below are before Howard Millard purchased the land. It was simply known as the Diamond Preserve.

Back of both postcards 
The "Crater of Diamonds" at the Diamond Preserve of the United States, Inc., 2 1/2 miles southeast of Murfreesboro, Arkansas, is THE ONLY PLACE IN THE NORTHERN HEMISPHERE WHERE DIAMONDS OCCUR IN THEIR MATRIX. The Diamond Preserve is Amerca's newest and most outstanding tourist attraction.       

There have been several large diamonds discovered at the park before and since the "Star of Arkansas." Most are small, the size of pebbles. According to the website for the park, there have been "Famous Finds" from the 40.23 carat Uncle Sam found in 1924 (the largest to date), to the 8.66 carat Illusion found in 2011. 

Back of postcard

No. 259

Old mine shaft structure. This old leaning structure covered the only shaft that was sunk at the Crater of Diamonds for mining commercially. Records indicate the shaft was sunk to a depth of approximately 65 feet. Commercial diamond mining is usually done by the strip mining method and after the shaft failed to yield any more diamonds per yard than the conventional stripping method, it was abandoned. Today the old shaft building stands in near original shape and serves as a reminder of past years at the Crater.

For more information, you can go to the park's Web site:

http://www.craterofdiamondsstatepark.com/Default.aspx

Covered Bridge Post Office?

In case you haven't figured it out by now, I collect postcards. Sometimes, that can send me off on a tangent. While perusing my favorite hunting ground for Arkansas postcards, I found a real oddity and two postcards on the subject.

Back of the postcard 
 This is on beautiful Lake Ouachita, where there are 30,000 acres of water. Lake Ouachita also furnished some of the finest year-round fishing in the U.S.
It was postmarked Sep. 17, 1964

Really strange, right? A covered bridge post office! As you can see from this postcard, it wasn't very big.

I did some research on the Web. Crystal Springs is an unincorporated community located in Garland County, not far from Hot Springs and Lake Ouachita. 

Back of the postcard 
 The water is fed by springs under this building. We are within two miles of beautiful Lake Ouachita where fishing is good the year round. We have a Church of Christ which welcomes you. 

The building is no longer a post office but a private residence. As far as I can tell, it was a post office only for a short time. 

For current photos of the post office, you can go to http://www.dalejtravis.com/bridge/arkansas/htm/04026a.htm

Odd Town Names

Odd Town Names

Most states have town names that seem very odd, especially to outsiders. After moving to Arkansas, it was with great delight that I discovered a book by Ernie Deane, Arkansas Place Names. If you can find that book, you will find a wealth of information about the town names of Arkansas.

Scan of old photo post card
Sign at Fifty-Six, Arkansas near Blanchard Springs

1. Ernie Deane’s out-of-print book Arkansas Place Names, 1986, is the source for much of the place names material.
2. Mr. Deane was a long time contributor to the Arkansas Gazette newspaper, including “The Arkansas Traveler” column.
3. He began collecting the origins of the names of Arkansas towns in the 1950’s, publishing many articles on the subject in the Arkansas Gazette before publishing Arkansas Place Names in 1986.
4. Mr. Deane was a native of Arkansas, a member of the University of Arkansas journalism faculty and former chairman of the Arkansas History Commission.

The origins of many of these towns’ names are apocryphal; learned by asking local residents how the name of their town was chosen. Many came from the name of the local post office. Some are mundane and some down right funny.

Delight (Pike County) Hometown of country singer Glen Campbell, Delight was given its name by W.H. Kirkham, owner of the land where the town was laid out. He said that the surroundings were so delightful that the town itself should be named Delight.

Ink (Polk County) One of the most interesting origins, the name was decided when residents took their instructions literally. After receiving approval for a post office, the local schoolteacher was asked to gather suggestions for names. Worried that answers written in pencil would not remain legible, she requested that suggestions be written in ink in the notes sent out to parents. Enough parents took her suggestion literally that Ink was the number one response and was adopted as the name of the post office.

Fifty-Six (Stone County) Visitors to Blanchard Springs Caverns may recognize the name of this small community. When the name was chosen, the community was in the fifty-sixth school district.

Push Mountain (Baxter County) The road over Push Mountain (Arkansas 341) is popular with motorcycle riders and sports car enthusiasts. According to locals the mountain got its name because, in order to get goods to the top of the mountain by horse and wagon, one would have to “push” them up the mountain.

Devil’s Den State Park (Washington County) A project of the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) in the 1930’s, the name for the park apparently originated with early white settlers. Many reported hearing the “roar of the devil” coming from two caves found in the area.

Toad Suck (Faulkner and Perry Counties) The name that probably raises the most eyebrows both due to its name and origins, Toad Suck derived its name from the ferry crossing on the Arkansas River. It is generally recognized that the name came from the locals and ferry riders who gathered on the bank of the river and sucked down their alcohol until they “swelled up like toads.” The area sponsors a “Toad Suck Daze” the first weekend of May every year to raise money for education. Visit http://toadsuck.org for more information.

Toad Suck Ferry

http://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/media-detail.aspx?mediaID=7266

Terre Noir Creek (Clark County) Before English-speaking settlers moved west, much of the territory west of the Mississippi River was first explored by the French. Many places in Arkansas still retain their original French names. Terre Noir, meaning “black earth” is one such original name.

Bug Scuffle Church (Washington County) A truly odd name, the origin of this community name can make one smile. Gentlemen of the town who had accompanied their wives to church decided to remain outside, finding the preacher somewhat boring. While standing around “shooting the breeze,” they observed two beetles engaging in a tussle over a ball of manure and betting commenced on the outcome. By popular usage, the name Bug Scuffle Church was given to the place.

Calamine (Sharp County) If you have ever had poison ivy, you have probably used calamine lotion. The name of this town originated during the period when zinc and hemimorphite (aka calamine), a pink powder-like material made up of both zinc and a small amount of ferric oxide was discovered in the area. 

Pickles Gap (Faulkner County) The most popular version of how Pickle Gap, also Pickles Gap, got its name is attributed to an accident in which a barrel of pickles rolled off the back of a wagon and broke open on the site. 

Arkansas Ferries

If the video does not show on your device, here is the link on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFUGK6naifI

The pictures you see are scans of old postcards as well as pictures from the Encyclopedia of Arkansas and Baxter County Historical Society

Bounded on the east by the Mississippi River, with several major waterways- including the White River and the Arkansas River, running through it; the easiest method of moving goods and freight in Arkansas was by water. Before bridges, the best way to cross waterways too deep for teams of oxen or horses and wagons was to cross by ferry. 

1. Only one ferry is still operated by the AHTD (Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department). Known as the Peel Ferry it is operated during daylight hours only crossing Bull Shoals Lake on State Highway 125.
2. Ferries were the only means of crossing many rivers in Arkansas.
3. The White River had at least 75 known ferry crossings from the upper to the lower part of the river. 

Facsimile of a Ferry Rate card

As you can see by the ferry rate card, rates for ferry transport were set by local county governments. High water rates (due to flooding) could double. Ferry operators became quite skilled in using the currents of the river to move their cargo from one side of the river to the other, but high water from heavy rains could certainly make that job much more difficult.

Historically, most major rivers in Arkansas were crossed by ferry. As some of those rivers were dammed and lakes created, they were crossed by public ferries. Many early ferries were operated by private individuals who charged in accordance with state and local regulations for their services.

Ferry operators were required to be bonded and licensed by county courts. Bond was $500 and license fees were from ten to thirteen dollars.

Service charges collected by the operators were also mandated by the county courts. Rates were from 10 cents for a head of cattle to 75 cents for a wagon and 4 oxen or horses.

Many old ferry locations still bear the name of the ferry including, in Baxter County, Denton Ferry and Shipps Ferry. The crossing on Highway 14 over the Buffalo River is also still known as Dillard’s Ferry.

The Beaver Ferry was replaced by a one-lane suspension “swinging” bridge still in use today on Arkansas Highway 187.

The ferries on US Highway 62 and Arkansas State 101 just east of Mountain Home ran until 1983 when the bridges now there replaced them. To see a video of the last ferry ride visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anqgla2z7iY  

Sources:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHKLjALXxzY&feature=relmfu

http://www.arkansas.com/attractions/detail.aspx?id=18735&r=Ozarks&city=Peel

Steamboats and Ferries on the White River: a Heritage Revisited ©1998 University of Arkansas Press by Huddleston, Dwayne; Rose, Sammie Cantrell; Wood, Pat Taylor

http://m.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/media/?type=Category&item=Water
http://www.baxtercountyhistory.org