New exhibits on display at museum

BELLA VISTA — The Bella Vista Historical Museum has two new small exhibits that Bella Vista Historical Society co-president Xyta Lucas recently shared.

The first exhibit celebrates the 45th anniversary of the incorporation of the Bella Vista Historical Society. Lucas said that, in 1975, Bella Vista was designated to be a bicentennial city, meaning it would have backing to hold a bicentennial in 1976. A group put together information for the celebration, and there was a bicentennial committee and a historical committee. The two committees had a joint meeting and decided to set up a permanent historical society.

The certificate of incorporation from the state is on display, dated Nov. 19, 1976.

The historical society started having meetings at the Hill ‘N Dale restaurant on northeast Lake Bella Vista and talked about a permanent building, Lucas said. They considered several locations, including Wonderland Cave, the Caretaker’s Cottage and the Artists’ Retreat Center. Then they learned that Cooper Communities was willing to donate the plot of land where the museum now stands. Cooper Communities often helped organizations and churches get started, Lucas said.

The agreement had a reversionary clause, meaning the land would revert back to Cooper if the organization ever stopped using the land for the historical society. Later on, Cooper signed a quitclaim deed, and now the historical society owns the land, Lucas said.

After securing the land, the group started fundraising for a building. It published a book called The Bella Vista Story in 1980, edited by George Phillips. It qualified for a loan, built the building and opened in 1985. The historical society has always worked with all volunteers and no paid staff, she added.

The second exhibit features a new pictorial history book about Bella Vista called Bella Vista, written by Lucas and Bella Vista Historical Society co- president Dale Phillips. It has five chapters chronologically ordered from the late 1800s to the present, Lucas said. It was published by Arcadia Publishing Company. Lucas and Phillips spent the pandemic months while the museum was closed working on it.

All proceeds from sales of the book are going to the museum. The book is available in the gift shop on Saturdays and Sundays.

The authors have book signings coming up. One is scheduled on May 22 at the Bella Vista Business Association fair outdoors at Riordan Hall.

The book is dedicated to Carole Linebarger- Harter, who served as president of the historical society for 18 years. Lucas said Linebarger-Harter kept the museum going during the time she was president.

“If it weren’t for Carole, we wouldn’t have a museum,” she said.

The first exhibit celebrates the 45th anniversary of the incorporation of the Bella Vista Historical Society. The second exhibit features a new pictorial history book about Bella Vista called “Bella Vista.”