Park Avenue Pop Quiz

How much do you know about Park Avenue? Take a pop quiz about just a few points of its interesting history.

What was Park Avenue’s nickname?

The “Old Wire Road.” An iron wire between Hot Springs and Little Rock brought Hot Springs telephone service in 1880.

What amusement park on Park Avenue hosted a beer-drinking bear and a murder trial?

Castle Park (at Mount. Ida Street from the 1880s to 1917). It boasted Bruin, who would wrestle his trainer for bottles of beer. It also was the scene of a murder trial in 1887, when the circuit court met in a building at the park and tried a man accused of murdering prominent local resident John C. Hale Jr. (He was acquitted.)

How many structures on Park Avenue are on the National Register of Historic Places?

22

What home on Park Avenue welcomed former Union Gen. William T. Sherman and former Confederate Gen. Pierre G. T. Beauregard?

Wildwood (erected at 808 Park Ave. in 1884 by Dr.

and Mrs. Prosper Ellsworth). It would have been very interesting if the generals had attended the same dinner party, but they dined at Wildwood in different years. They would have admired the Queen Anne style, three-story mansion that features beautiful hardwoods and carving, stained glass windows, and a foundation of Garland County novaculite.

Where is the most impressive tower on Park Avenue?

On the Short-Dodson House (755 Park Avenue). The three-story stone tower is a highlight of architect Joseph G. Horn’s circa 1902 design, a blend of Queen Anne and Chateauesque styles. In 1947 a motel was built on the western half of the lot.

When did a Hot Springs streetcar make its last run on Park Avenue?

Oct. 16, 1938. The last trolley/streetcar ride ended at the car barn on Park Avenue (current site of Park Place Baptist Church’s parking lot). The car barn had been home to mule-drawn trolleys starting in 1874 and electric ones by 1882. In 1938, buses replaced the trolleys.

What gangster made a Park Avenue hotel his Hot Springs “home”?

Frank Costello. He encouraged the owner of the Jack Tar Motor Court (856 Park) to add a hotel and bath house in 1950 (the last bath house built in Hot Springs). With one exception, Costello subsequently stayed at the Jack Tar Hotel on his visits to Hot Springs. The motor court was eventually torn down, and the remodeled hotel is now a senior housing facility.

Who was Velda Rose?

The daughter of Garland Anthony, the builder of the Velda Rose Motel (1950) and the Velda Rose Tower Motor Court and Hotel (1964) in the 200 block of Park Avenue. It was the first motor hotel in the city to have a level-entry, attached, and covered parking deck on all its floors.

Where can you get a cheeseburger and a shake at a Park Avenue business that is on the National Register?

Bailey’s Dairy Treat at 510 Park Ave. The Art Moderne structure, built circa 1952, was originally called Butchie’s Drive-in.

Who is the most famous person to have lived on Park Avenue?

Former President William Jefferson Clinton. His first home in Hot Springs was at 1011 Park Ave., where he lived from 1955-1961. And he probably loved the cheeseburgers at Bailey’s!