Hot Springs National Park in Garland County, Arkansas — The American South (West South Central)

Mountain Towers

Hot Springs National Park

Photographed by James Hulse, September 29, 2023

1. Mountain Towers Marker

Inscription. In 1877, Enoch Woolman built a wooden observation tower on Hot Springs Mountain that was 80 feet tall. The tower became a popular attraction with the public and rewarded visitors with picturesque views of the surrounding area. Sometime between 1885 and 1895, the Woolman Tower was struck by lightning and burned to the ground. In 1906, the Woolman Tower was replaced with a steel tower by Arkansas National Bank President Charles N. Rix.

The new observation tower, or Rix Tower, was 165 feet tall, included an Otis elevator, and was equipped with a high powered telescope. The total cost to erect the Rix Tower was $20,000. In 1971, it was declared unsafe and was dismantled. The current Hot Springs Mountain Tower opened its doors to the public on June 3, 1983. It stands 216 feet tall and cost over $1.5 million to build.

Caption
Lower Right: This 1884 drawing of the Enoch Woolman structure depicts the first observation tower to be built on Hot Springs Mountain.

Erected by National Park Service, US Department of the interior.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Parks & Recreational Areas. A significant historical date for this entry is June 3, 1983.

Location.

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34° 31.052′ N, 93° 2.751′ W. Marker is in Hot Springs, Arkansas, in Garland County. It is in Hot Springs National Park. It is on Hot Springs Mountain Drive, on the left when traveling east. The marker is located at the entrance to the Hot Springs Mountain Tower. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 401 Hot Springs Mountain Drive, Hot Springs National Park AR 71901, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Arkansas’ Ouachita Mountains.

It is also in the American South

and specifically in the Upper South.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

the Louisiana Purchase,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: The Zig Zag Mountains (approx. 0.2 miles away); Shortcut Trail (approx. 0.2 miles away); "Where Fun, Frolic and Frivolity Reigns" (approx. 0.2 miles away);

The Mountain Tower and Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by James Hulse, September 29, 2023

2. The Mountain Tower and Marker

Happy Hollow Spring (approx. 0.2 miles away); Happy Hollow (approx. ¼ mile away); Cold Water Springs (approx. ¼ mile away); Dressed to Hike (approx. 0.3 miles away); "A Handsome and Durable Structure" (approx. 0.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Hot Springs.

The Mountain Tower image. Click for full size.

Photographed by James Hulse, September 29, 2023

3. The Mountain Tower

Credits. This page was last revised on October 13, 2023. It was originally submitted on October 13, 2023, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. This page has been viewed 586 times since then and 66 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on October 13, 2023, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.