History, hospitality shape Delta community
Daytime visitors to the St. Francis County Museum have only a ghost of a chance to commune with the spirits said to haunt this Forrest City mansion built for a doctor in 1906.
They might have better luck with a supernatural rendezvous during one of the site’s occasional “A Night at the Museum” ghost tours. Their daytime reward is a saunter through the history of this Delta county, created when Arkansas was still a territory in 1827 and named for the river running through it.
The museum is filled with objects as ancient as the mastodon bones unearthed by the property’s original owner, Dr. J.O. Rush. Known as the Rush-Gates House, it ranks as a top attraction in Forrest City, home to Woodruff Electric Cooperative’s headquarters.
Dr. Rush started his collection of nearly 4,000 prehistoric artifacts in 1912 when a patient unable to pay gave him several pieces of American Indian pottery instead. A large display cage contains a dozen bones from the Ice Age predecessors of today’s elephants. One of the museum’s most surprising objects is a coconut with a mailing label attached. More than a century ago, when postal regulations evidently were less rigorous, the coconut was mailed from Florida to the handwritten address and delivered hundreds of miles away.
Notable residents
An inspiring local success story is displayed under the title “Scott Bond — Ascent From Slavery.” Bond was born as a slave in Mississippi in 1852. After the Civil War, he wound up living in the small town of Madison, a few miles east of Forrest City. He eventually owned multiple businesses and 21 farms in the area before dying in 1933. He is buried beneath an obelisk in Madison.
Among other figures of note with St. Francis County ties are several musicians, including Al Green, Charlie Rich, King Perry, Willie Hale and Little Buddy Doyle. Chicago Cubs’ star shortstop Don Kessinger was born in Forrest City. So was Gilbert Leslie Morris, author of numerous books, many with Christian themes.
Other eye-catching museum exhibits include a large clock face taken from the former St. Francis County Courthouse, an ornately gilded cash register used more than a century ago in the Vaccaro-Grabmeyer Co. store, a canoe hand-carved from a tree trunk and a vintage record player.
Historic places
The museum’s Rush-Gates House is among 10 Forrest City properties on the National Register of Historic Places. The two-story brick Campbell House, 305 N. Forrest St., shows classic Prairie School features, including wide eaves and a low-pitched hip roof. It was built in 1917 for William Wilson Campbell, a prominent banker.
Another National Register property, First United Methodist Church,101 S. Izard St., was built in 1917 in Classical Revival style. It was one of the last designs of noted Memphis architect John Gaisford. Its front in Greek-temple style has ionic columns supporting a triangular pediment with limestone trim. Nearby Holy Grounds Community Coffeehouse, 620 E. Broadway, is a cozy spot for beverages, snacks and conversation.
Forrest City Cemetery, also on the National Register, served as the community’s Black burial site until 1961. Its interments include Josiah Homer Blount, the first Black man to run for Arkansas governor. He gained about 8% of the vote statewide in 1920.
Sixteen-acre Stuart Springs Park, at the end of East Arlington Avenue, was developed as a spa around the turn of the 20th century to capitalize on its three springs. Also on the National Register, it preserves remnants of a brick spring house. Walkways and playgrounds offer recreation.
Arts and eats
East Arkansas Community College (EACC) Fine Arts Center, 1700 Newcastle Road, was designed to be a Class A performance hall for EACC and the surrounding community. Its 33,000 square feet house a 1,100-seat auditorium, a 2,500-square-foot stage, a black-box theater and an art gallery.
Downtown Forrest City is graced by several public murals. They depict historic and natural scenes. Among topics are American Indian habitation, the coming of the railroad, historic buildings, hot-air balloons and natural landscapes.
Ole Sawmill Cafe, 2299 N. Washington St., is a local dining favorite in business for three-quarters of a century. Customers pass through a country store to the dining area for a copious all-you-can-eat buffet or ordering from a menu.
Chez Weenie, 624 E. Garland Ave., sells wide-ranging brands of jewelry, handbags, dinnerware, cookware, candles, specialty foods, wind chimes and baby gifts.
About 12 miles north of Forrest City, atop Crowley’s Ridge is Village Creek State Park.The 6,900-acre park, opened in 1976, welcomes fishing in Lake Austell and Lake Dunn. There are 27 holes at the Ridges of Village Creek golf complex. Ten cabins and 96 campsites are available. Seven trails provide hiking or walking routes.
The park also preserves a segment of the historic Trail of Tears — once part of the Old Military Road used during the 1830s relocation of several American Indian nations. Interpretive exhibits at the Visitor Center explain the route and its significance.