Otus the Head Cat
Burns Park tunnels undergoing repair.
Dear Otus,
Last weekend, our family made an end-of-summer trip to Arkansas with our son, Dick, before he headed off for his freshman year at Indiana University. We wanted to show him what his great-grandfather did during World War II.
Dick is named for Richard DiCantillion, who was only 16 when he helped build the military tunnels under what is now Burns Park. My grandfather was quite a colorful character and had a fascinating scrapbook of the tunnels.
We were disappointed to find the tunnel gate locked after only 50 yards. Some local folks told me that you were the one to ask what was going on and when the complex might be reopened. Al DiCantillion, Ellettsville, Ind.
Dear Al,
It’s always wholly a pleasure to hear from out-of-town visitors and to have the opportunity to thank your grandfather through you for his service during the war.
It took a dedicated cadre of 18,378 workers — both civilian and military — to construct that vital secret complex under what was then part of sprawling 48,000-acre Camp Robinson.
The tunnels’ primary function was to serve as the headquarters of the U.S. Army Code and Cypher School (AC&CS) that trained code breakers for service overseas at Britain’s Bletchley Park, where they worked on the German Enigma and Lorenz ciphers.
The northwest segment was also the first headquarters of the 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional), better known as Merrill’s Marauders, who were made famous in the 1962 film starring Jeff Chandler as Frank Merrill, commander of the long-range penetration jungle warfare outfit.
Journalist/author Cornelius Ryan (A Bridge Too Far), has written that what happened beneath Burns Park helped shorten the war by up to two years.
After the war, the complex quickly fell into disrepair as the land above it was declared surplus and sold off to become Burns Park. Due to safety concerns, the complex main entrance (see photo) north of Arlene Laman Drive near the archery range was gated and closed about 150 feet into the hillside.
All of that changed during the first term of longtime North Little Rock Mayor Casey Laman, who served from 1947 to 1972. The visionary Laman was quick to see the tourist potential of the forgotten complex and set about to rehabilitate its 17 meandering miles beneath the park. The project was completed by Laman’s successor, Pat Hays, who served from 1972 to 2013.
The city rewarded Laman by naming its library system after him, and Hays had the senior center named in his honor.
There are three main underground trails in the vast complex. The easiest (but least scenic) is by train ($2 fee) and explores the 1.5-mile Savannah Lou Discovery Tunnel. It begins in Funland, heads south and ventures underground beneath the visitor center near the disc golf course, then turns west beneath the ballfields and tennis center before returning.
For hardy spelunkers, there’s the partially unfinished Josie Linnea Dripstone Tunnel, a daylong, guided tour through nine miles of a twisting, narrow passageway that intersects a large natural cavern (lunch break) and travels under the interstate to near the Covered Bridge and back near the Hospitality House on Military Drive.
But most popular for casual hikers is the 2.75-mile Isabella Jo Tunnel that begins at the old south main entrance. The hand-cut stone entrance was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1993 along with the Argenta Historic District.
The Isabella Jo Tunnel was originally named the Carpal Tunnel after Calvin C. Carpal, the city’s director of waste management from 1929 to 1956. Hays changed the name — for tunnel and trail signage continuity within the park.
The tunnel extends straight into the hillside for 700 yards before branching into several large underground caverns, one of which is the size of an arena football field. The tunnel floor contains spring-fed Harper Creek, which empties into White Oak Bayou south of the Bonzai BMX course.
Unfortunately, following heavy rains, the usually muddy and sluggish Harper Creek frequently overflows its banks and covers the walkway. Earlier this month, Mayor Joe Smith ordered the complex closed for dredging. City engineers expect the work to be finished by Labor Day.
Until next time, Kalaka says that’s all well and good, because with 206,000 visitors annually, the popular tunnel complex is second only to the Clinton Presidential Center as a local tourist attraction.