El Dorado Visitor Guide 2023 - 44

AR Museum of Natural Resources
istory is a major draw to our area, as its richness drips
from every sight and sound. Celtic settlers arrived
in 1819 when it was still an indigenous territory
and a veritable " Garden of Eden " for trappers and
traders with its abundant wildlife and natural beauty.
Originally an agrarian community, this was truly the end of the
United States and the beginning of the Wild West. El Dorado
is still surrounded by century farms and indigenous mounds. A
simple walk through the woods uncovers treasures from long-lost
civilizations that the Earth has hidden for centuries.
The history of the area is kept alive through the South
Arkansas Historical Preservation Society's (SAHPS)
Newton House Museum (510 North Jackson Street).
Completed in 1849, the John Newton House has been restored
and is one of the last remaining Antebellum homes open to the
public for tours.
H
Additionally, SAHPS' campus includes the Gallery of History
Museum, the Union County Sports Hall of Fame, the Michael
G. Fitzgerald Entertainment Collection, and the Murphy USA
Exhibition Gallery with rotating exhibits and traveling exhibitions
from museums around the globe.
El Dorado is also home to the Museum of African American
History (700 Columbia Avenue), and the Quilted History
Museum, displayed in a personal residence just south of town.
Walk streets lined with vintage trucks and gas pumps and tour a
reproduction of an oil boomtown at the Arkansas Museum of
Natural Resources (4087 Smackover Highway). El Dorado
has the distinction of having more locations listed on the National
Historic Register per capita than most major cities.
Downtown El Dorado oozes with history that is right under your
feet, literally. From the wilderness, the city's founders carved
out what would become " the Richest City in America. " However,
progress does not come without pain. Jackson Avenue was once
dominated by rows of houses, apartments, hotels, saloons, and
theaters. All of that is gone now, burnt to the ground under
nefarious circumstances in the early 1900s. The blaze destroyed
much of the square as well and resulted in multiple casualties.
44 El Dorado Insider
The Presbyterian Cemetery, one of the oldest cemeteries
in Arkansas, occupies the 400 block of South Washington, near
downtown. Many graves date back to the Civil War and before.
Across from the Presbyterian Cemetery stands the McCall
building, the gateway to what was known in the 1920s oil
boom days as Hamburger Row. Here remains the site of one
of the many brothels in town, the Crystal Hotel, which didn't
shut operations until 1974. This entire " Row " along South
Washington Avenue featured places to eat, sleep, and find a
night's entertainment in whatever form was desired. The area was
dubbed " Death Alley " because a visit to Hamburger Row at night
was a dangerous prospect.
The Rialto Theatre (117 East Cedar Street), is one of the
last grand movie houses standing. Built in 1929, the Rialto has
its own connections to the seedier side of our history - it seems
there was much more going on than just movie stars arriving
by train on publicity tours and film premiers. The Rialto had a
secret entrance in the back leading to tunnels that opened into
either the Randolph Hotel or the Union County Courthouse's
elaborate basement " Clubhouse " . In 1932, one of the tunnels
collapsed during a clandestine movement of five " Randolph girls "
and a young male escort from the Rialto to the courthouse. All six
individuals who were trapped inside perished and their remains
are still in the tunnel.
Across the street from the Rialto, you'll find the Oil Heritage
Park, a sculpture garden that relays the history of the oil boom.
However, the original " Hanging Tree " was located on this site
until the 1920s when the branch broke from so many hangings.
The sheriff had gallows built, which stood on that location until
1936 when Arkansas changed execution laws.
History is not always pretty and not always written down in
a book. Take a look around El Dorado - chances are history is
staring right back at you!
For more information, including museum hours of operation,
contact the South Arkansas Historical Preservation Society at
(870) 862-9890, or visit us online at www.soarkhistory.com. p
http://www.soarkhistory.com
El Dorado Visitor Guide 2023

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