Society of Southwest Archivists


Fayetteville


Fayetteville Historical Hike: A Walking Map of Historic Sites

Walk or drive to any of the fifteen historic sites listed on the map.


Razorback Greenway History Hike

Beginning at the Lafayette Street Overpass one block east of Old Main, this trail continues south with multiple points of interest, ending at an intersection with the Tsa-La-Gi-Trail.



Springdale


Shiloh Museum of Ozark History

118 W. Johnson Avenue, Springdale, AR. Hours: Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. 479-750-8165


This regional museum provides exhibits, programs, and events on the history of Northwest Arkansas and the Ozarks. The museum also has a large research library and collection of photographs and other historic images.



North Washington County


Tontitown Historical Museum

251 E. Henri de Tonti Boulevard, Tontitown, AR. Hours: Friday-Sunday, 1 p.m.-4 p.m. 479-361-9800


Father Pietro Bandini, born in Italy and schooled in France, bought a plot of land in Northwest Arkansas in the late 1890s. Around forty Italian-American families followed Father Bandini to the area where they established farms in what eventually became Tontitown. Grapes became a successful cash crop, and in 1899 the farmers and their families celebrated by holding a Grape Festival. Every year since, the Tontitown Grape Festival is attended by locals and visitors alike.



South Washington County


Devil’s Den State Park 

11333 West Arkansas Highway 74, West Fork, AR. Open daily 8 a.m.-8 p.m. 479-761-3325


Built in 1933 by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), this popular state park is known for its scenic hiking trails. The many bluffs, rock shelters, and caves were used as hideouts for outlaws in the late 1850s, and during the Civil War, Confederate and Union forces were both in the area.


Ozark Folkways 

22733 North Highway 71, Winslow, AR. 479-634-3791. Hours: Thursday-Saturday 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sunday Noon-5 p.m.


Formerly the Ozark Native Craft Association, Ozark Folkways exhibits, teaches, and markets native Ozark crafts from their 1950s era rock building along Scenic Byway 71.


Winslow Museum

108 Winslow Boulevard, Winslow, AR. 479-634-3901. Hours: Monday-Friday 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Saturday by appointment


What started as a stagecoach stop in the mid-1800s grew into a small town known as Summit Home. In 1882 a railroad tunnel was completed that allowed the St. Louis-San Francisco (Frisco) Railway train depot to open. A year earlier, the town’s name had been changed to Winslow to honor the Frisco Railroad’s president, Edward F. Winslow. During the 20th century, the town’s population declined, but the train tracks are still in use.



West Washington County


Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park

506 East Douglas Street, Prairie Grove, AR. Open daily 8 a.m.-5 p.m. 479-846-2990


On December 7, 1862, Union forces pushed the Confederates south during the Battle of Prairie Grove. A one-mile walking path is located where heavy fighting occurred. Historic buildings show visitors what life was like in a 19th century Ozark village. There is also a driving tour CD available in the park’s Hindman Hall museum. Across the street from the park’s main entrance is the Prairie Grove Airlight Outdoor Telephone Booth that is the first (and only, so far) of its kind to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Downtown Prairie Grove has historic buildings dating from the late 1800s and its main street has become known for its antique stores and flea markets.


Arkansas Country Doctor Museum

107 North Starr Avenue, Lincoln, AR. Hours: Wednesday-Saturday 1-4 p.m. 479-824-4307

This museum displays artifacts and documents in a former doctor’s home and clinic that tell the story of how Arkansas’ early 20th century physicians treated their rural patients.


Historic Cane Hill Museum

14335 South Highway 45, Cane Hill, AR. 479-824-4455. Hours: Wednesday-Saturday 10 a.m.-2 p.m.


Located in a 1940s building that was used as a grocery store on its main street, the museum includes exhibits showcasing the long history of Cane Hill beginning in the early 1800s. Other historic buildings on and around main street include several other businesses, four historic homes, the Methodist manse, and the newly restored Cane Hill College, which was the first college started in Arkansas and was established by Cumberland Presbyterians in 1834.



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