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Discover what Arkansas Heritage Tourism is all about as you watch the "Showdown at Sunset" or visit civil war battlefields. The rich legacies of the Deep South are evident in each town you visit. National Register Historic Districts abound with historic buildings where you can take a self-guided walking tour to see the architecture of the buildings and monuments while viewing the Arkansas historic landmarks. Murals depicting scenes are in some of the downtowns. Log cabins are open for tours as well.
Camden
Two Arkansas history museums are located in Camden, both of which are on the National Register of Historic Places. The offices of the Camden Area Chamber of Commerce and Main Street Camden are located in the historic Missouri-Pacific Depot, built in 1913. The Depot houses a mini-museum containing railroad and Civil War memorabilia as well as Grapette and Camark Pottery, both of which were manufactured in Camden. The McCollum-Chidester House, built in 1847 by Peter McCollum, was home to both the Union and Confederate Army and houses original furnishings of the John Chidester Family, dating back to 1863.
The McCollum-Chidester House |
The McCollum-Chidester House was a place where stage drivers and travelers found rest, refreshment, and gracious hospitality in the days before the war; and where visiting celebrities were entertained. The house is practically unchanged, as visitors can view original furnishings, mementos and bullet holes in the upstairs walls.
Camden, whose date of birth was 1824, was a steamboat landing where cotton was loaded and shipped to New Orleans. In fact, the Bluff, as it was known, was one of the leading cotton-shipping terminals and became the site of a cotton gin in 1841, launching Camden's industrial history.
Much of Camden's history has been preserved, and many of the antebellum homes have been restored. Visit our Historic Downtown District, the restored Missouri Pacific Depot, the many Civil War landmarks, and drive by some of our over 20 historic houses that are on the National Register of Historic Places. One of these homes is open as a Bed and Breakfast and another, the McCollum-Chidester House, serves as a museum with its history dating back as far as 1847.
Civil War recreation near Camden |
Camden is a progressive community that has had its share of famous individuals passing through its history over the past decades and even centuries. Writer Edgar Allen Poe worked as a printer for the local newspaper, The Herald, in 1845. Parts of "The North and The South", a made for television mini-series, were filmed at the McCollum-Chidester House. Kirstie Alley and Patrick Swayze were two favorites of the locals. Camdenites were extras in the scenes filmed here.
Murals - Visit our newest tourist attractions depicting Camden's rich heritage. Located at the intersection of Adams & Washington streets and Adams and Jefferson on Scenic Byway 7.
Crossett
Pine and Hardwood forests cover the landscape. Deer hunters and fishermen treasure our part of the state. Two huge wildlife refuges are havens for birds and birdwatchers. Our cities are known for hospitality, timber industry and pioneer heritage. Ashley County, the youngest county in Arkansas, prides itself on being home to the largest industrial complex in the state. Places of interest are:
The Ashley County Museum
The Old Company House
The Old Veterans Memorial
The Fountain Hill Old General Store
The Crossett "Light"
El Dorado
Historic El Dorado Square |
Blending architecture from the Oilfield Boom Days to the design of preservation influenced renovated buildings in the historic area of El Dorado give this quaint downtown the charm of yesteryear but with all the modern amenities.
The El Dorado Commercial Historic District, dating from 1879 through 1953, consists of sixty-nine buildings and one monument situated on the principal streets and their arteries surrounding the four-story Classical Revival style Union County Courthouse. Of the total number of properties in the commercial historic district, forty, or 67%, contribute to the historic significance of the district. Six buildings and a monument in the district are individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places- Union County Courthouse and the Confederate Monument, the Exchange Bank, Bank of Commerce, Masonic Hall, the Griffin Auto Company Building, and the Rialto Theater. Construction dates of the buildings in the district span the period from the late 19th century to the early 1950s. A majority of the buildings in the district were constructed in the 1920s, the period of El Dorado's most prolific growth. Only four buildings in the district are less than fifty years old.
Fordyce
The Wynne Phillips Bed and Breakfast, a two-story Colonial-Revival turn-of-the-century family home listed on the National Register of Historic Places, one of the top 10 luxury affordable Bed and breakfasts in the U.S., according to Country Inn magazine. It features five bedrooms, each with a private bath and Southern-style breakfast served in an elegant dining room. Children are welcome. Charlotte Street Historic District is a nice collection of structures on the National Register, including Charles Thompson design. The Presbyterian Church, which features 36 stained glass windows and is also listed on the National Historic Register, has tours available by appointment. There is a Peace Park in downtown Fordyce as well as murals. The Marks' Mill Battleground and cemetery honors the 1864 Civil War battle. The resting place of early settlers has unique displays with nature and hiking trails. Although it is in Cleveland County, it is only 10 miles esat of Fordyce on Hwy 8. Confederate cavalry captured a large Union supply train on April 25, 1864. This forced Gen. Frederick Steele to abandon Camden and return to Little Rock.
Hampton
County seat of Calhoun County, named for Senator John R. Hampton in 1851. Located approximately 100 miles south of Little Rock on U.S. Hwy 167. One red light where U.S. Hwys 167 & 278 intersect. A beautiful, friendly Southern town with population of 1,550. This is a small country town where the locals meet at the coffee shop or at local stores (Hampton TV & Appliance or Strickland's Feed Store) to discuss politics or other issues pertaining to the local area, state or country. There are a couple of restaurants offering delicious home cooked meals opened from 5:00 am to 9:00 pm. The Furlow House, a Bed and Breakfast is one of the older houses in the town being built in 1926.
Calhoun County, the smallest county in Arkansas in terms of population, was named for John C. Calhoun, Statesman from South Carolina in 1850 when formed from parts of Dallas, Ouachita and Bradley counties. The county is 36 miles long and 24 miles wide. The name "HOGSKIN COUNTY" was inherited from an old legend during the depression years, where a number of wild hogs ran wild in the Champagnolle bottoms. People from the surrounding counties of Union, Ouachita and Bradley would slip into the bottoms, skin the hogs, take the meat and leave the skins behind. Over time, the name "Hogskin County" became a derisive term until the advent of the festival. The beautiful Courthouse, built in 1909 located on the square in Hampton, is on the Historical Register and a main attraction for tourist. The county is rich in history beginning in 1841.
Magnolia
Murals - Downtown Magnolia is an historic mural Mecca. Created to foster awareness of and community participation in the visual arts, these murals cover a wide range of subjects and can be found indoors as well as outdoors. In all there are five large outdoor wall murals, 3 smaller outdoor murals, and 4 indoors murals.
Indoor murals include "Wheat Harvest" by Joe Jones in the 1930s (in the Magnolia Public Library), and the four-panel "History of SAU Represented through the Arts" by Melchor Peredo Garcia (Southern Arkansas University Harton Theater).
"Cotton Wagons on The Square" mural at Magnolia |
The outdoor gallery includes the 1994 "Cotton Wagons on the Square-1904" by artists Susan Tooke and Bruce Rickett which visually displays the early 1900s cotton industry of Magnolia and Columbia County, the 1995 "Logoly Mural" which features the transitional history of Magnesia Springs from 1880 into the current Logoly State Park, the 1995 "Magnolia Blossom Festival" mural depicting the activities of Magnolia's famous festival, and the 1998 "Movie Mural" by artist Alan Wylie at a cost of $40,000 (not including wall preparation) that scenes from seventy movies on a 25' x 100' wall and bears the autograph of Charlton Heston who was on hand for its 1998 dedication.
Warren
Built in 1903, the Bradley County Courthouse is listed on the National Register of Historical Places and reflects the NeoItalian renaissance. The Warren city park displays a vintage locomotive, and the lobby of city hall has historical photographs of downtown Warren from the 19th century.
Warren's Womens Club Tour of Homes occurs the 2nd weekend in December. Call (870) 226-5013 for tour information.
The Bradley County Historical Museum is located on Ash Street and is housed in the John Wilson Martin House which is the oldest structure in Bradley County. The house and it's contents represent Bradley County's history. For more information, write P.O. Box 311 or call (870) 226-5457.
Also to see is the Moro Bay ferry on display at Moro Bay State Park in south Bradley County.
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