Harriet Tubman Statue in Little Rock

Last night I went to a Archeological Society meeting in Little Rock, down from the Clinton Presidential Center. I had a few minutes before I met up with some other college students attending the same meeting, so I took this opportunity to take a stroll.

I had parked under the I30 bridge, on the opposite side of the Clinton Library, on E. Markham St. On the back side of E. Markham street is the Ottenheimer Plaza and the Arkansas River Trail. Along the Arkansas River trail you would find many sculptures, adorned with plaques on who donated the sculpture and what the sculpture is called.

I didn’t walk the entire trail as it is quite extensive and it was a very hot day, but I stopped and snapped a few pictures of the Clinton library and some of the sculptures and artwork in the area I was in.

It reads: “Children if you’re tired, keep going. If you’re hungry, keep going. If you’re scared, keep going. If you want the taste of freedom, keep going.”

One sculpture in particular caught my eye. It is of a woman holding the hand of a little child. Me being a mother of a three year old and quite used to holding my daughter’s hand as I walk, thought oh what a cute sculpture. I snapped a picture, then read the plaque to see what it was called and who the artist was. The Plaque said it is Harriet Tubman. Being a person who loves History my first reaction was, oh how cool is this!

I wasn’t able to research why there was a Harriet Tubman sculpture near the Clinton library until today when I found another wordpress blog explaining more about it.

Click this link to find out more about the sculpture: http://lrculturevulture.com/2012/02/12/sculpture-vulture-harriet-tubman/

The Shoppach House

A few months ago my parents, nephew, daughter, and I visited The Shoppach House Historic Park, located on 503 North Main Street Benton, Arkansas. It is a Historical Landmark and is also a rare opportunity to be able to visit the place, as it’s never open. I had the pleasure of talking to a nice elderly woman who gave me quite a story of the house and the Union Army that occupied it. A few men and women from the ‘Sons of Confederate Veterans David O’Dodd Camp 619’ were there, dressed in period clothing, as well as in Civil War uniforms. They had a cannon that they were firing off every hour and were also showing guns, bullets, and other pieces from the Civil War Era.

The Shoppach House is the oldest structure in central Arkansas and was once owned by a German immigrant farmer, John F. Shoppach. He and his wife, Siddy, had 11 children, 6 of them survived passed infancy.

The house was built in 1852; the local Native Americans made the bricks that were used to build the house. John F. Shoppach died at the age of 52 in 1861.

In 1863, Union Army Soldiers occupied most of Benton. Some of them camped across the street from the Shoppach House; Fort Bussy was just down the street where the water towers now stand today. In September 1863, Union Soldiers commandeered the Shoppach House.

‘Built in 1852 of bricks made on the site, this is the oldest house standing in Benton. In April, 1861, Saline County’s Company E, First Arkansas Infantry, Confederate States of America, was presented with a battle flag made by the ladies of Benton. The ceremony was held in the Shoppach house yard, following which the company left for Virginia, where it took part in the Battle of Bull Run, and subsequently, other major battles. When Benton was occupied by the Union Army in 1863, Union Army officers took quarters in the Shoppach house.’

Also, behind the Shoppach House is the Pilgrims Rest Church built in the 1860’s andthe DeToni Post Office built in the 1940’s.

A Little History on a Town Called Prattsville

I thought that I would share a little bit of historical knowledge about the town that I’m using for my novel. I spent an entire day at the Grant Count Museum in Sheridan, Arkansas, going through the museum and thumbing through many books looking for specific information. My parents still live in Prattsville, so I tend to ask my dad if he remembers this or if he can go visit that for me. Most of the time I make the road trip (45 minute drive) and do a scenic tour myself.

The town that I’m using for my novel is called Pratt. It is a real town, though it was called Pratt’s Ferry named after John Pratt. It had a very small population in the 1840’s. Later in 1857 a post office was built, officially naming the town Prattsville; the post office is still in operation today. Pratt’s Ferry was still used to cross the Saline River until a bridge was built in 1913. Prattsville today has a population of 282. It’s located on Highway 270 and 291.

Prattsville school was built in 1930, closed in 1994, and torn down in 2002. My sisters and I were students at Prattsville until it closed. The students were split between the two closest towns, Poyen and Sheridan; two towns that I also use in my novel. I re-built the school for my novel as two of the characters are school age.

Another place that I use is the restaurant that is still located in Prattsville called The Whippet. It was named after the school mascot. In my novel I changed the name of the restaurant just to be safe. But if you ever decide to visit Prattsville, be sure to stop at The Whippet and ask for their bowl of mixed beans, they’re the best! The Whippet also has a lot of other great items on the menu and the staff is wonderful and really friendly. They have a guest book next to the register for everyone to sign. I’ve noticed people from all over the world have visited there.

A few other places that I use are the city hall and a Sheriff’s station. Prattsville has a city hall, but does not have a Sheriff’s station. After doing some research from the surrounding towns, I’ve come to realize that small country towns can have Sheriff sub-stations and that’s what I’m using in my novel. The main Sheriff’s station is in Sheridan (actual fact, which I also added in my novel).