Arkansas folk singer’s cabin rebuilt, moved to Nature Center
CHOCTAW — Charles and Ila Riddle of Wichita, Kansas, visited Choctaw and the South Fork Nature Center recently to see the old cabin where Charles Riddle’s famous grandmother, Almeda Riddle, and three children lived for a short time.
His great-grandfather built the cabin, Charles said.
“I have his ax,” he said. “He probably used it to cut and shape these logs.”
Folk singer Almeda Riddle (1898-1986) was a Van Buren County native. She was born and raised in Pangburn in Cleburne County and died in Heber Springs in 1986. Her unique folksy singing style evolved as she learned from her father, a fiddler and shape note teacher. Almeda impressed musical historians with her solo performance repertoire of more than 500 authentic folk songs, some from the 17th century. A legend in her time, she received national music honors, and her music lives on in recorded performances.
“This was Granny’s home after the tornado,” Charles said as he stood in front of the cabin at the South Fork Nature Center in Choctaw. “My Dad was one of the children who survived.”
The tornado Charles referred to occurred on Nov. 25, 1926, near Heber Springs.
“It was on Thanksgiving,” Ila said, and Charles added that members of the family were all running to the storm shelter when the winds felled a big tree, killing both Almeda’s husband and the baby he was carrying. “The log also hit an uncle and dented his skull, and hit Granny, leaving a scar on her head. Their home was gone, so they lived in this log cabin for a while.”
Following this tragedy, Almeda kept on singing as she raised her family and contributed much to the world of music. She received invitations from all over the country, gave concerts and made recordings. She co-authored her autobiography, and Ila and Charles said they remember going to Heber Springs for Granny’s book-signing.
Luckily, Almeda’s cabin was moved and reconstructed in 2007 by David Peterson and Don Culwell, retired University of Central Arkansas professors of math and botany, respectively. In its present location, the cabin has served many groups as a classroom, a shelter and a historical reminder of pioneer life in the Ozarks.
South Fork Nature Center is a public outdoor conservancy and educational site. More than 500 species of plants, including rare orchids, have been identified on its 60 acres and are preserved in the herbarium at the Van Buren County Library. Public-school students take field trips to the center to learn from docents about pollinators, botany, art, mycology, ichthyology, forestry, wildlife, birding, climatology and all things outdoors.
The center’s staff is all volunteer, and the 2.5 miles of trails are maintained by the Master Naturalists and other volunteers. The center is funded by donations and has collaborated with such agencies as the University of Central Arkansas, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, the Nature Conservancy, BHP Billiton and more.
The Nature Center is currently closed to visitors, except by appointment, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. For more information, visit www.southforknaturecenter.org.