History With Sprinkles

Ice Cream Social freezes moments in memory

Local meteorologists say temperatures are going to be hot Saturday. But a big bowl of Hiland Dairy ice cream and a stroll through Fayetteville’s historic Headquarters House is just the thing to cool you off, says Dustin Seaton, Washington County Historical Society vice president. Seaton says that the group’s annual Ice Cream Social — now in its 48th year — is a prime opportunity for the public-atlarge to take a peek at all of the diverse initiatives in which the organization is involved.

“We have about 550 members and a board of about 20 to 25 committed individuals who meet and coordinate events and activities like lecture series and book reveals, anything that’s relevant to historical issues in Washington County,” says Seaton. He says the organization was founded in 1951, and, since then, its goal has been to “preserve the history of our county. We donate $200 every year to sponsor a local student to participate in the National History Contest, so that they can utilize local resources like the Shiloh Museum and the University of Arkansas for research. We maintain historical

properties, like the Headquarters House and a few other buildings in town — that way, we can preserve some of the historical uniqueness in Fayetteville and Washington County, in general.”

Timed to coincide with the beginning of the school year, the event is family friendly —“family pack” tickets can be purchased for $15, getting the entire family admitted for one price — and this year will feature live music by Trevor Stilwell and the Northwest Arkansas Heritage Brass Band. Seaton says that some years have even seen local politicians gladhanding on the grounds.

“It’s bipartisan, not exclusive to any one party,” he assures.

Tours of Headquarters House will give visitors a chance to see the home, built in 1853 by Judge Jonas Tebbetts. Used as both Union and Confederate headquarters during the Civil War, the structure is one of the town’s most historically significant sites.

“The Battle of Fayetteville was fought on its front lawn, and a doorway bears the scar of a minieball which is preserved in testament to the battle which our ancestors endured, and which earned the intersection of College and Dickson the title ‘Bloody Corner,’” according to the Washington County Historical Society’s website. The group purchased the house in the 1960s and now maintains it as a museum. Washington County Master Gardeners tend the grounds and gardens.

Heritage School members will dress in period costumes, and the bookstore will be open and selling copies of the Washington County Historical Society’s publications dating back to the 1950s.

“This is a one-day special — you can buy a whole year’s pack,” says Seaton. “There are a lot of great articles about people from Washington County who went on to do great things. We’re excited about offering them for sale as opposed to letting them sit down in the basement in boxes.”

Seaton says that, in the event of rain, those holding advance tickets to the event can stop by Headquarters House and pick up a bowl of ice cream and slice of cake to go.

File Photo/ANDY SHUPE “If you think about the historical society, you might think of something nerdy, but this is an opportunity for people of all walks of life to come together for a social gathering and eat ice cream and cake and not worry about the historic part. It’s been successful all of these years, so we’ve kept it going,” says Dustin Seaton.