Arkansas Museum of Natural Resources offers step back in time
Outdoor writer and photographer Corbet Deary is featured regularly in The Sentinel-Record. Today, Deary writes about the Arkansas Museum of Natural Resources.
Arkansas is blessed with literally millions of acres of public land. Many, in turn, travel from abroad to experience the opportunities that await those with a passion for the outdoors.
Of course, there is something to be said for striking out on one’s own and happening upon treasures lurking in the midst of Mother Nature. However, such endeavors can prove time-consuming. And without being well acquainted with an area, one’s overall experience is often lessened.
Don’t get me wrong. I am not trying to convince folks to avoid bushwhacking and exploring our forests. In fact, I have been kicking around the Ouachita Mountain area my entire life. And even though my time in the Ozarks has been much more limited, I have embarked upon a few bushwhacking excursions in the northern section of the state, as well.
Since my time in other sections of the state are more limited, I often gravitate toward our state parks during these excursions, and for good reason. First and foremost, all of the grunt work has already been done. Worlds of interesting information are at my fingertips. And with designated paths running through the facilities, I can experience the highlights of that particular section of the state in a short period of time.
There are 52 state parks throughout Arkansas, each and every one well worth visiting. Some of the parks are situated in mountainous areas, while others are nestled on the banks of lakes and rivers. Others are designed with adventure in mind, while others focus on a rich history of the vicinity of their location.
I have visited every Arkansas state park throughout the years. I can’t think of one I would not revisit. However, I do have my favorites. And although an avid outdoorsman, my all-time favorite facility offers no trails cutting their way through the forest, no breathtaking scenery, nor is it perched on the edge of a reservoir or waterway. In fact, my favorite park is situated within a stone’s throw of a busy highway in southern Arkansas.
The Arkansas Museum of Natural Resources focuses on the rich history of the small town of Smackover, and how it experienced five months of fame in 1925 as “the focal point of one of the wildest mineral booms in North America.”
Let’s begin with a general description of the story of Smackover. According to information posted at the facility, the area’s economy was dependent upon the production of cotton and the timber industry, both of which were declining during the early 1900s.
But with the discovery of oil in 1921 came a fury of job opportunities. And the population exploded. The first oil well blew at the nearby town of El Dorado in January.
The search for “black gold” led north, toward Smackover. And when oil was discovered in the village in July of 1922, its population soared from fewer than 100 to 25,000 in a matter of months.
The 40-square-mile Smackover field was productive, to say the least, and was ranked first among the nation’s oil fields during the aforementioned five-month period.
It just so happens that this particular section of the state is located over one of the largest brine reserves in the world. And what importance did brine play in the economy? Well, bromine is a derivative of brine and is used in the production of many products that we use today.
We recently had an opportunity to revisit the Arkansas Museum of Natural Resources. And the displays and interpretive stations were as intriguing as they were during my initial visit to the facility several years ago.
Entering the building, we were greeted with skeletal structures of prehistoric animals. To see these recreations of dinosaurs would have deemed the drive to Smackover worthwhile, but the journey back in time continued to grow even more interesting as we continued our tour through the building.
A series of large photos with a short history of the town, located just beyond the reception desk, kind of set the stage for the remainder of the tour. Several interpretive stations were situated throughout the building.
I grew engulfed in simply looking at some of the original tools of the trade used in the oil industry. It didn’t take long to determine that those working in the oil fields were accustomed to hard labor and often dangerous conditions.
There were also several hands-on exhibits that would keep youth occupied throughout their tour. Heck, I even felt compelled to turn a few cranks during our recent visit.
I also enjoyed learning of the many uses of brine at the bromine gallery. It was interesting to learn of other sections of the world where brine is located, and how its derivative, bromine, is an essential element of our society as it has many, many uses in everyday life.
A section of the museum focused on how oil production played a huge role in the industrial revolution. And to see how something as simple as a gas pump has changed with technology was quite interesting.
I most enjoyed a walk through a re-creation of the muddy streets of Smackover during its heyday in the mid1920s. It was a reminder of a time when life was much more simplistic.
Unlike the box stores that we visit today, the general store carried the bare necessities. Hotel accommodations consisted of nothing more than a small bed in a small and dim-lit room, the newspaper office consisted of a primitive press, and the jail was not much more than a hole in the wall that was separated from society by flat metal bars. And the tool store sported heavy and bulky implements used in the mining industry.
Long benches constructed of rough-cut lumber served as seating in the movie theater. And the seating in the restaurant was as primitive. And the two antique vehicles parked along the street in front of the storefronts were far less luxurious from what we are accustomed to driving today.
A circus truck was also parked nearby the recreated street of yesterday. And why would a circus truck find its way to this museum? Well, according to the information posted at the facility, the wagon was the circus carriage of Rhene Miller Meyer, the famous “Goat Woman,” who is a legend in southern Arkansas.
We eventually walked alongside a life-size exhibit of two workers bringing a gusher under control before heading upstairs to yet another exhibit. From the upstairs exhibit, we embarked upon an elevator ride back to the lower level. Unlike most elevator rides, this one appears to travel through the depths of the ocean during the Jurassic period.
After taking in all of the indoor exhibits, we headed outside and ended our excursion with a walk through a path leading alongside fullsized derricks and other oil drilling equipment used from the 1920s to the modern era.
And although our visit was behind us, I was also aware that there was much more to be learned about the interesting history of Smackover. That in mind, we all agreed that yet another visit to the Arkansas Museum of Natural Resources was in order. And we would eagerly return to this Arkansas state park again in the near future.
To get to the museum from Hot Springs, take Highway
270 east to Malvern and take Highway 9. Travel 51.3 miles on Highway 9 and take a right onto Highway 79 south. Go
11 miles, take the Highway 7 ramp and turn left onto Highway 7 south/South Adams Avenue. Travel 19.5 miles and the destination will be on the left.