August 15, 2003


Old Washington Park to Revisit  "Frontier Days" on Sept. 20-21
By Jim Taylor, travel writer
Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism

WASHINGTON, Ark. -- Reenactor encampments of Native Americans and frontiersmen and demonstrations of early skills such as lye-soap making, blacksmithing and candle-dipping will be among the living history activities revisiting Arkansas's pioneer heritage as Old Washington Historic State Park hosts its annual Frontier Days on Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 20-21.

Visitors will be able to tour the park's historic homes and its weapons and print museums, try their hands at tomahawk throwing and ride a horse-drawn surrey through what was one of the state's most prominent 19th-century towns.

Hours for the event will be 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. General admission will be free with a $3-per-vehicle parking fee. The park’s regular fees will be in effect for tours of its museums and historic structures and for the surrey rides. No food vendors will be on hand, but the park's 1832 Williams Tavern will serve lunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. both days.

Also during the event, the Hope Quilters Guild will hold its biannual show and sale in the park's 1940 WPA gymnasium. Admission is free and quilts, wall hangings, wearable art and other items will be for sale.

The town of Washington, founded in 1824, rose to prominence as the county seat of Hempstead County and as a jumping off point for visitors to Texas. Stephen F. Austin, Sam Houston, Davy Crockett and other heroes of Texas' fight for independence from Mexico frequented the town.

After Union forces captured Little Rock during the Civil War, Washington became the state's Confederate capital in 1863. The 1836 Hempstead County Courthouse, which served as the rebel Capitol and is the only extant Arkansas capitol outside of Little Rock, will be open for tours during Frontier Days.

In addition to the 1836 courthouse, the park's longstanding attractions include the Edwards Weapons Museum, where more than 700 items include numerous pioneer-era rifles and pistols; the print museum, which includes 19th-century printing equipment like that used to print the Washington Telegraph; a re-creation of a blacksmith shop; the Pioneer Cemetery, where those buried include several veterans of the Revolutionary War; and historic houses dating from the mid-1830s to the 1850s.

The authentically and splendidly furnished homes provide a glimpse of domestic life from a century past and contain many items -- furniture and ceramics in particular -- that are 19th-century treasures.

Recent improvements at the park include the restoration of the 1874 Hempstead County Courthouse, which now serves as the park's visitors center; the creation of an "in-town farmstead" around the Sanders House (c. 1845) complete with a barn, chicken house, grape arbor, garden plot, cold-frame, pigeon coop, privy and animals; and the restoration of the 1852 Crouch House with exhibits exploring 19th-century construction techniques such as glass-making, plaster work, peg joinery, window construction and fireplace installation.

The park, which has no camping facilities, is located on U.S. 278 about nine miles northwest of Hope and 18 miles southeast of Nashville. From Interstate 30 at Hope, take Exit 30 north on U.S. 278.

Teachers are invited to contact the park about participation in the Frontier Days for Schools to be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on September 19. For more information on Frontier Days and to schedule school groups, contact the park by phone at (870) 983-2660. More park information, including tour prices, is available on-line at www.oldwashingtonstatepark.com.

For information on nearby Hope's lodging, RV campsites in the city's Fair Park, restaurants and other area attractions, including tours of former President Bill Clinton's boyhood home at the Clinton Center, phone the Hope-Hempstead County Chamber of Commerce at (870) 777-3640.

 

Submitted by the Arkansas Department of Parks & Tourism
One Capitol Mall, Little Rock, AR 72201, (501) 682-7606
E-mail: info@arkansas.com

May be used without permission. Credit line is appreciated:
"Arkansas Department of Parks & Tourism"

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