New owner has a new dream for an old theme park

MOUNTAIN HOME, Ark.— Dogpatch USA, the Li’l Abnerthemed amusement park in Newton County, Ark., has a new owner with a new vision for the property.

About 10 miles south of Harrison, Ark., the remains of the park are visible from Highway 7, just beyond an empty, faded marquee and padlocked gate.

Charles “Bud” Pelsor first drove past Dogpatch USA in the ’70s. He never visited the park, but he fell in love with the Ozarks.

“This is one of the most beautiful places I’ve been in my whole life,” he said.

Pelsor and his partner bought the property for $2 million in August. He’s the inventor of the “Buddy Bowl,” a spillproof dog bowl, and runs the business from the old ski lodge next to Dogpatch that he moved into with his assistant and his wolf Dia, short for Miss Arkansas Diamond.

Since August he’s been working hard to clear overgrowth. Dogpatch closed in 1993, but Pelsor can tell some of the overgrowth is older. “They stopped maintaining well before they closed. It was going downhill for a long time,” he said.

Workers uncovered flower beds and water fountains that were hidden under thick vegetation, The Baxter Bulletin reports.

“It is humbling because it’s such an overwhelming undertaking,” Pelsor said, laughing at his juxtaposition of words. He added that it’s easier to develop a property that has already been developed.

On Feb. 22, a “suspicious” fire destroyed three buildings.

Pelsor said this was a small setback that just shifted his focus temporarily and strengthened his resolve to revitalize the area.

“I’m one of those guys, you give me an obstacle and I’ll make an opportunity out of it.”

Pelsor’s first priorities are operating the trout farm and the mill. Then he’ll focus on making the Village of Dogpatch a destination for music, food and art.

Pelsor envisions a village of resident artists including blacksmiths, woodcarvers, basket weavers, glass blowers and fine artists. He wants to add at least one restaurant, and he wants to hear music everywhere.

Eventually, the Village of Dogpatch will be an off-the-grid ecotourism destination with gardens, orchards and a vineyard, Pelsor said. “We’ll teach the world how to grow.”

High interest in the park led Pelsor to host a Riverwalk Tour in December that brought more than 5,000 people from seven states.

The public will have another chance to see the progress at Dogpatch in May. Another Riverwalk Tour is in the works.