The Ott family of Parkin purchased the
Northern Ohio School from the Kelly family in
1959. The Kellys had been using the school
for a hay barn. The Ott family transformed
the old "barn" into a home by portioning
rooms and designing a living . . . — — Map (db m221318) HM
Step into the school gently. It's filled with history
and memories … maybe some from your school days.
As you enter the school you will see the
classroom as it was on any given school day
between 1936 and 1948. The school was . . . — — Map (db m221320) HM
Much of what is known about the Northern
Ohio School came from first-hand accounts
known as oral histories. People interviewed
were former students, teachers, children of
the sawmill owners and workers, persons who
lived in Sawdust Hill, or . . . — — Map (db m221319) HM
The legacy of the Mississippian culture lives forever through the Three Sisters Garden, like the one you see planted here.
The American Indians who lived here over 500 years ago were expert farmers whose most important crops were corn, beans, . . . — — Map (db m116605) HM
Welcome to Northeast Arkansas Pick up your Discovery our guide in the part visitor for center.
From pre-history to today, people have come here for a variety of reasons. Settlers found a state rich in wildlife and wilderness. Ancient . . . — — Map (db m232112) HM
Ongoing warfare with other
Native American groups
led villagers to construct a
defensive ditch around their
town. The depression before
you was a formidable obstacle
to anyone trying to attack. You
will cross this ditch several
more times . . . — — Map (db m231813) HM
As northern timberlands were depleted,
timber buyers looked to the dense forests in
the south. In March 1902, S.W. Sterling, a
timber buyer for a firm in Grafton, Ohio,
was buying timber in Missouri when he
heard about the fine timber at . . . — — Map (db m221310) HM
Rural education in the Delta was no easy task
for students or teachers. There were many
obstacles to overcome, such as weather,
walking distances, and family responsibilities.
Plus, being an African-American school,
students and teachers were . . . — — Map (db m221316) HM
Daily lessons revolved around the "three R's:"
reading, writing and arithmetic. The Child's
World Reader, a basic math book, and a
speller were the textbooks used.
Class was in session from 8AM through 3PM
except in September and . . . — — Map (db m221317) HM
The flood of 1912 was the greatest disaster ever suffered by Parkin. Breaks in the St. Francis and Mississippi levees covered the land and into our homes from 4 to 30 feet in depth in April and part remained until summer. Most of the people fled to . . . — — Map (db m234421) HM
Around 1900, there were about 16 one-room
schoolhouses in and around Parkin. Most
were on plantations for the education of the
sharecroppers' and farm workers' children.
The Northern Ohio School, built around 1910,
was no different. The school . . . — — Map (db m221314) HM
The Parkin
archeological site was
preserved better than
most because it was
reoccupied during most of the 20th century. The residents who lived on the ancient
village site.
in the 1900s came to
call their neighborhood
Sawdust Hill or . . . — — Map (db m231817) HM
As the Northern Ohio Cooperage and Lumber
Company expanded, so did the need for housing and
services for its workers. Out of this came the Sawdust
Hill community. At its peak, over 60 structures,
including shotgun-style houses, a Baptist church, . . . — — Map (db m221309) HM
Arkansas experienced a number of economic
advances in the first quarter of the 20th
Century. Extensive railroad building in the
late 1800s set the stage for economic growth.
Although the Delta's popular economic image
is King Cotton, . . . — — Map (db m221313) HM
In 1541 Chief Casqui
greeted Hernando
de Soto not far from.
where you are standing.
This trail highlights the unique
history of the archeological site.
The fully accessible 1/4 mile trail
will take you approximately 30
minutes to walk. . . . — — Map (db m233181) HM
After Arkansas seceded from the Union in May 1861, Confederate officers began to recruit in the Wittsburg area. Companies B, D, F and K of the 5th Arkansas Infantry Regiment were organized at Wittsburg June 12-14, 1861. David Cross, for whom Cross . . . — — Map (db m116179) HM
The county was named for Col. David C. Cross. First seat of justice, Cleburne 1865. Moved to Wittsburg 1865 where it remained until 1884 when it was removed to Vanndale and later in 1903 the county seat was established at Wynne, where it has since . . . — — Map (db m158125) HM
Down the trail from where you are standing is the most well-preserved remaining section of the historic Trail of Tears in Arkansas.
Tradition and heritage run deep jn the collective souls of the Five Southeastern Tribes (Choctaw, Chickasaw, . . . — — Map (db m142034) HM
