Mount Magazine State Park History and Timeline
Paris Arkansas
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Mount Magazine State Park History and Timeline Paris Arkansas |
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The Cultural History of Mount Magazine Will and Lula Greenfield There is little archeological evidence that Native Americans lived on Mount Magazine. A few scattered projectile points indicate that they hunted big game here, but a lack of pottery and other types of artifacts seems to say they did not occupy the crest of the mountain throughout the year. Extreme winter weather probably pushed them to lower elevations. French hunters and explorers named most sites along the Arkansas River in the 1600s and 1700s. However, as waves of new settlers entered the Arkansas Territory, some names changed. In 1819, botanist Thomas Nuttall wrote of his observations as he traveled up the river. Near Dardanelle Rock a prominent landmark was called Magazin for its shape resembling a storehouse. That mountain is now called Mount Nebo. All of the mountains between the Arkansas and Petit Jean Rivers were called the Magazines. As Nuttall continued up river, he wrote that "a lofty ridge appears to the south called by the French the Cassetete, or Tomahawk Mountain." Later surveyors and mapmakers called it Reveille or Revolee Mountain. Eventually, each Magazine mountain had an official name with the largest of them representing the whole range. Families began settling on Mount Magazine after the Civil War. Almost every flat area was farmed. Names of those early settlers, like Cameron, Benefield, Brown, and Greenfield, are still used today. However, none of their buildings are still standing. Old wagon roads and stone fences can be found in many areas. A railroad brought many people to the Petit Jean valley around the turn of the century. Passengers were awed by the scenic beauty and spread the word about wonderfully cool Mount Magazine in Arkansas. In 1900, the railroad company decided to develop the west end into a resort town, which included streets, parks, a post office, and a hotel called the Skycrest Inn, the mountain's first hotel. Near the inn was a dance pavilion, which was later converted into more hotel rooms. This structure stood over the very western tip of the mountain. The Buckman Inn and the Greenfield log cabin camp followed in the 1920s. These two inns and cabins welcomed travelers to this mountaintop until all these facilities were closed and removed in 1930s. F.A. Morsbach The U.S. Resettlement Administration oversaw other federal programs such as the Works Progress Administration (WPA) and the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). Together, these developed projects and created jobs in those economic hard times. Their most important accomplishment was constructing a road across the mountain from Havana to Paris which later became part of Scenic Byway 309. Dams were constructed to create Cove Lake and Spring Lake. Nature trails led visitors to scenic vistas. An amphitheater, resembling something from ancient Greece, provided a unique location for sunrise services. The most remembered structure of the period was the Mount Magazine Lodge. This beautiful two-story building featured 26 guest rooms, a kitchen, dining room, and a stone patio with a wonderful view of the Petit Jean River Valley and the Ouachita Mountains. On either side of the lodge were 18 cabins. That lodge burned in 1971. Visitation dropped with the fall of the lodge, but the spirit of the mountain was renewed with the planning of a new state park. Arkansas Act 884 of 1983 authorized Arkansas State Parks to establish Mount Magazine State Park. Arkansas State Parks entered into a partnership with the USDA Forest Service to develop the park in 1998. With careful consideration for the mountain's unique fauna, flora, and history, less than one percent of the 2,234 acres will be developed. A visitor center welcomes travelers with exhibits and information of the mountain. A campground with a modern bathhouse makes for a base from which the mountain can be explored. Hiking trails lead to many historic and scenic sites. A new lodge and 13 cabins accommodate tourists on virtually the same sites as the structures built by WPA and CCC crews over 70 years ago. In 1900, the town of Magazine was platted on the mountain and the Skycrest Hotel was constructed on the peak's west side. As other development occurred over the years, including the notable Buckman Inn with its spring-fed swimming pool, the Skycrest became known as the "West End Hotel." Attracted to such resorts, both in-state and out-of-state visitors arrived via passenger trains that stopped at the base of the mountain. "Since the turn of the [20th] century they were trying to make it a stop for tourists," explained Park Superintendent David Flugrad. Historians say actress Carol Burnett's great-grandfather, F.C. Jones of Belleville, often drove a fancy surrey to the mountain. Vacationers drove cars up the rough road to the mountain's resorts. Flugrad said one of the settlers often saved the day by using his horses to tow automobiles up the steepest slopes. The town foundered when development ceased and hotels were neglected during the Depression. Golf courses on the mountain were forgotten and trees grew up in an area that was being developed as an airstrip. The federal government acquired the mountain in 1934 under the United States Resettlement Administration and turned it over to the U.S. Forest Service. Shortly thereafter, the Works Progress Administration began building a gravel road from Paris to Havana that stretched over the mountain. Between 1936 and 1941, the WPA constructed a lodge and restaurant, and the Civilian Conservation Corps constructed cabins, campgrounds and picnic areas. The only remaining elements from that era are campsites, stonework at scenic overlooks and picnic areas, all of which have been or will be rehabilitated. The campsites now have paved pads with water, electricity, sewer hookups and access to new restrooms with hot showers. In an effort to recapture the glory of the mountain's earlier tourism days, Arkansas parks officials have developed a plan for the construction of a 90,000-square-foot lodge at the site of the WPA lodge, which burned in 1971. According to parks officials, the new lodge will have 60 guest rooms, a restaurant and a conference center as well as enticing amenities such as an indoor swimming pool, exercise room and gift shop. Flugrad said an existing rock wall, a front-lawn landscape feature of the WPA lodge, would be preserved. "A lot of people really enjoy that rock wall and its history," he said. While major projects are in the works for the park, "less than one percent of the mountaintop will be re-developed," Flugrad said. The rest will remain in its natural state. Much of the development replaces buildings that once stood on Mt. Magazine. A new concept, though, was the addition of an 8,000-square-foot visitor center, which opened in August 2001 and features an all-glass wildlife viewing area, an audio-visual room, a gift shop and several exhibits. The exhibits include a three-dimensional map of the mountain, one reflecting the geology of the park and a weather station showing the difference between conditions on the mountain and the surrounding valley. In addition, kiosks at the center enlighten visitors about the mountain's varied ecology, butterflies, Native Americans who inhabited the area, early French and Spanish explorers, and the history of the mountain's resorts. The mountain affords many recreational opportunities -- hiking, camping, horseback riding, rock climbing, rappelling and hang gliding. The park's main road also has bicycle lanes. The less adventurous can enjoy watching the hang gliders, stars, birds or just the scenery from the state's highest overlooks. "We've redone Signal Hill [hiking] Trail to the high point and it's in really good shape," Flugrad said, adding that other park trails are also being improved or extended. The mountain is a flat-topped plateau rimmed by precipitous rock bluffs. On the plateau are two minor peaks: Signal Hill, the highest, and Mossback Ridge, which rises to about 2,700 feet. Magazine is often said to be the highest point between the Rockies and the Alleghenies. But in reality, higher elevations are found in western Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. Magazine's drastic elevation change -- roughly 2,200 feet between its summit and the surrounding valleys -- produces great views and makes it one of the most prominent peaks in mid-America. From the north, vistas overlook the Arkansas River Valley, the town of Paris and the distant Boston Mountains, which make up the southernmost escarpment of the Ozark Mountains. Hawks and vultures can often be seen riding the air currents at the mountain's edge, and hang gliders watch the birds to locate the rising air currents they also seek. From the south rim, numerous peaks of the Ouachita Mountains lie beyond the Petit Jean River Valley and Blue Mountain Lake. The towns of Havana and Danville can be seen to the southeast. The average annual temperature at Mt. Magazine is six degrees cooler on the summit than in surrounding areas, and summer temperatures are frequently 10 to 15 degrees cooler than those in the valleys. The mountain's isolation, climate and geology contribute to its variety of flora and fauna, and create a wide range of habitats within a small area. Rock streams, unique geologic features found in few places in the state, provide habitat for the threatened Magazine Mountain shagreen snail. And the rufous-crowned sparrow, listed as a rare species in Arkansas, nests in a grassland-like area. Mt. Magazine also has a diverse butterfly population. More than 90 of the 126 species found in Arkansas inhabit the mountain. An international festival each June celebrates the butterflies. (Visit www.butterflyfestival.com). There are black bear and white-tailed deer on Mt. Magazine, which is also home to many other wildlife species, including bats, eastern wild turkeys, northern bobwhite quail, bobcats and coyotes. "What's great about Magazine," Flugrad said, "is that once you're out on one of the hiking trails -- or even at one of the overlooks -- you'll often find a lot more wildlife than people." Time Line
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The park is located on Scenic Highway 309, |
Contact Information
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