EIC Journal

Indian Cave on Calico Rock Bluff

2010-06-03T08:22:00.000-07:00

Click images to enlarge.

View Video Here.

A property-owner from Calico Rock, Ed Matthews, recently asked the EIC Crew to visit the site of an interesting and very unusual cave within the city of Calico Rock. Ed and others with properties near the cave have long wondered about the origins of the unique rock walls that have been built inside the natural shelter and asked us to investigate and add our insight.

On Saturday, May 29th, 2010, the EIC Crew, joined by Tony McGuffey and his wife Roberta as well as by Jeff and Laura Snyder, visited the site during a preliminary trip to prepare for a future expedition to more thoroughly investigate what we found. The cave, which lies only a few feet from a main County Road, has a carefully concealed entrance, the mouth having had a stone retaining wall built in front of it and backfilled to create a small slit in the earth with steps leading to the cave below. The natural shelter is approximately 40 feet wide and as many feet deep with walls constructed of stone to create three seperate rooms resembling a warehouse or underground dwelling. In fact, a natural hole in one wall of the cave opens into a small chamber containing clear, fresh water which stands in a natural reservoir. This "cistern" is accessible from above the cave as well as from inside. The largest man-made wall runs the width of the cave and sports a doorway and two wondows perched near the roof of the shelter.

The property-owners near the site have never spoken with any long-time residences of Calico who remember anything at all about the use of this cave. No one in living memory seems to have any idea whatsoever how the site was created or for what it was used. Speculation persists.

Some have offered the suggestion it was used as a speak-easy during the days of prohibition. Others have guessed it might have been used as storage for munitions during the Civil-War, though...as we found on our preliminary visit...it's very moist inside the structure. Buddy, a local landowner who has lived near the cave for 20 years, told us that they had tried keeping potatoes in the cave but they soon rotted suggesting that the cave would not have been used for the purpose of storing produce of any kind.

Personally, considering the fact that there were many in Izard County during the Civil-War who opposed slavery and who were also defiant towards the Confederacy, I believe it is possible the site could have been used as a stop on the notorious Underground Railroad, though its just as possible some home-owner during the latter part of the 19th century simply built the walls in the shelter cave as a summer home to stay cool during the suffocating heat of the season.

The EIC Crew has asked those who were along for this preliminary visit to the site to share their own thoughts about what we observed. We also invite readers to join the conversation. We will be revisiting this post in the future after we have had a chance to more thoroughly investigate the site. We hope to even dig a few small "test-holes" to see what kind of artifacts we can find which will help to give a better picture of how the site was used in the past...and who actually used it.

We welcome your comments!

Backtrack, Forward - Ho!

2010-01-27T10:22:00.000-08:00

I know. Terrible, ain't it?

We set up a journal, start publishing descriptions of our adventures, then just quit!

We oughta be ashamed of ourselves!

Well...hopefully we can spend a little time retracing our steps in a general way over the past TWO DAD-GUM YEARS we've failed to update the EIC Journal! Then, perhaps we can start all over again.

The last entry to the journal (apart from the publication of a letter from our friend, Cindy Cooper) was way back in June of 2008. It covered the hazards of getting out among nature in the hot, humid months of summertime in the Ozarks. We've found over the past 3 1/2 years that the hardest time of the year to persuade ourselves to get out and explore is when the tiny flesh-eating monsters lie in wait and will suck you dry if you've not already been drained by the oppressive heat and humidity! It's MUCH easier to get out in the snow, ice, and cold driving rain than it is to wade out into a field or grove of biting insects, by golly!

Despite the complaints, however, we did manage to learn something during the summer of '08 that has been beneficial to our goal of helping preserve the history and culture of the county. To avoid the weeds, woods, and the perils the former, we began visiting cemeteries in the county. This new tactic really opened up a whole new window into understanding the history and culture of this unique and wonderful place. As we visited these places of rest and began to learn about the lives of those buried there, the colorful and interesting history endeared the county to us even further than previously.

What we've learned over the past couple of years is this:

Izard County was the Wild West before there even WAS a Wild West!

We visited 17 separate cemeteries during the summer of '08. Since then, we've visited 19 more. You can find each listed on the sidebar of Exploring Izard County

Mind you, though we're often apprehensive about getting into the woods during the months of monsters, that doesn't mean we were complete wimps! We were able to visit many wonderful places during the summer of '08 including some of our favorite places like the Trimble House, the Jehoiada Jeffery Homeplace, The A.C. Jeffery Homeplace, The Hunt-Copp Mill remains, and Hobo's Den.

During the summer of '09, we continued our tactic of trying to stay out of the weeds by resuming our visits to cemeteries. We were rewarded by finding such historical jewels as Wayland Arbor Cemetery. But, of course, we also visited other very interesting places like the Rector Log Barn, Moser Schoolhouse, Shady Grove Schoolhouse, and the Pleasant Grove Schoolhouse (converted into a store-building along Arkansas 56.

A Note from Cindy Cooper

2009-03-17T21:38:00.000-07:00

Following is a moving e-mail I recently received from Cindy Cooper after she viewed our latest post about Knob Creek:

Bring's tears to my eyes... It won't be long until it will start falling in. It seems like yesterday that I was a little girl and would walk over there. Uncle Gralen was blind, but he would always know when I was walking up in the yard...even from where he always sat at that window in a rocking chair. I always said he could see... because he was always at that window...but he couldn't. My Aunt Grace would be cooking in the back-kitchen and Great Grandma Turis would be settin' on the front porch swinging. She would have her little can of snuff and she'd roll her little stick in it then put it in her mouth. Her hair was long and she would unroll it and show me how she'd roll it back up.

They had an old grandfather clock that sat on the mantel and Aunt Grace would always wind it up just for me...it was stolen some time ago. I remember a white crochet bed spread that was on the bed . It was so beautiful to me. Out in the smokehouse, they had a grater that grandma would go get out and let me play with.

I remember those flowers being planted . She had some that were all different colors...like wild flowers. To this day, Easter flowers and wildflowers are my favorite!

I remember the old barn in back and the cows Aunt Grace milked. Out to the side of the barn was her clothesline, then a fence, and over from the fence was her garden. The road at that time passed in front of the house and up the side. They had a big collie dog like Lassie...can't remember his name. Great Grandma had a pair of tiny glasses. When she passed away someone gave them to me. I've since passed them on to Janet.

Me and Brother Pod would not miss a week to go over there to see them. Of course, Pod stayed at the creek most of the time and I would walk up from the spring from RJ's. Many times, Aunt Grace would give me a bucket and I would walk to the spring and get water for her. She never made me that I remember. I wasn't very strong, but I would always get them water. The cistern was at the side of the house but I just liked going to get them water...guess I thought I was being big.

I remember the newspaper being put up in the walls and closet. Aunt Grace would make up some flour and water and make a paste and put it on the walls.

Well...I have went down a lane Tonight that has me crying! Everyone calls the place “The Robert Cooper Place”, but to me and Brother Pod, it was our Grandma Turis or Aunt Grace's. Brother Ed wasn't born yet, so he doesn't have these memories of growing up on Knob Creek like me and Pod...or the ones we had of grandma Turis. I remember that Doyle was a baby when we saw the bear in the field that scared me and Pod to death! We had Doyle in a wagon.

I don't know how Grandma spelled her name so I guessed at it. She was over 100 years-old when she died in the Calico Rock nursing home. I loved her with all my heart and still miss them all! - Cindy Cooper

Rollercoaster Recon!

2008-06-28T06:04:00.000-07:00

Wow!

The last couple of months has been completely unpredictable! One should wonder why, though.

One would think that...considering it happens the same way every danged year...that a person would realize that the period of late-Spring to early-Summer is the very BUSIEST time of year. At least if you have kids involved in baseball/softball and church activities!

Heck - One should likewise have come to the conclusion LONG AGO that this time of the year is the most brutal time to be trekking through the bush to see the wonders hidden there. After decades of experience, one should also recollect that hiding among the hidden wonders of Izard...are the hidden MONSTERS of Izard.

Monsters that cling to every blade of grass...leap from every tree - eight legged critters that suck the juices out of you and leave you clawing in agony for over a week! Flying leviathans that likewise leave you scarred...some so stealthy you never know they were even there!

And...though I've personally only had a couple of years to develop my own "dos and dont's" of nature photogtaphy and historical documentation...one should also quickly retain the knowledge that the Ozark Jungle does not give good visibility of photographic subjects. There are photos (especially of buildings and structures) that are just unachievable this time of year.

And then there's the HEAT!

And the blasted HUMIDITY!

So...one should know not to make predictions or plans during the two to three month period of late-Spring and early-Summer! Getting one's self...or gracious landowners out of the A/C to take photos is just too UNPREDICTABLE andsets up a rollercoaster-ride for the enthusiastic explorer.

One should think, anyway.

Now...though we haven't plodded off the beaten track...much...this Summer (the times we have DID spark our memories), we have visited some sights either on...or not far off the highways and backroads. We've seized the season and used this time to get some of the old buildings and historic structures in the county documented for Exploring Izard County. As a matter of fact (I'm making no prediction here), I'm calling the owner of the old Trimble Homeplace today to see if we can set up a visit. The Trimble family made the journey west from Kentucky with members of the Lafferty family and were among the very first white-settlers in the county! The house still stands...and because it has been officially carbon-dated...we know it is the oldest known house standing in Izard.

Though we'll make no predictions for a month or two, one thing's for certain!

We'll continue to take every opportunity to seek out and visit the amazing wonders that Izard County offers!

A Note from Mrs. Mary Lafferty Wilson

2008-05-09T08:16:00.000-07:00

"I started to write this two weeks ago and got side tracked. I just want to say that I really enjoyed the road trip to see the schools and other sights. I enjoyed meeting everyone there. Listening to the stories about your lives and those of your parents and grandparents. Seeing the photos of your parents, grandparents and great grandparents. It was such a delight.

I had been in Izard County twice before but both times we went down toward the town of Lafferty and the first time the Mill was still standing but I do not remember if it was still there the second time. The house of Sarah Lafferty Lindsey we were told was down a road that we needed a 4 wheel drive to get through. I am not sure that it is even standing now. We never did get down that road as it had rained we were afraid of getting stuck.

I really enjoyed this trip to Melbourne and the areas that I did get to see. The old history book says that people in Izard county are nice and polite and I you are all evidence of that.

I was wondering if there was a genealogy group in Melbourne for Izard county. There is so much history left there and someone should take time to interview all the older generation that remember their parents and grandparents and put a book together for the County, for future generations and for those whose roots are in Izard County.

When I talk about Izard County I feel like I am in a genealogy time warp. My ties to the county are to the first settlers there.

My father James A. Lafferty was born in 1875 in Young County, Texas, my grandfather John Annis Lafferty in 1838 in Carrolton, Arkansas (my grandfather was born 104 years before I was born), my great Grandfather Jacob Binks Lafferty in 1796 in Franklin Co., Georgia he arrive from Sumner county Tennessee in 1810 in Izard County as a young man along with his father John Lafferty born 1759 in Ireland Also with them was the mother of the Lafferty children, Sarah Lindsey.

Sarah was related to Caleb Lindsey, who started one of the first schools in the area, and Eli Lindsey who brought the word of God to the area.

It was interesting that you all knew your grandparents and some of you your great grandparents. I enjoyed the stories you told about your parents and grandparents and the part they took in building a community that you have all been part of."

*****

"I was the last child of James Lafferty (number 15) that he had with 3 wives.

My lack of knowledge of my fathers family spiked my interest and I tracked down my half siblings and we put together a book of descendants of Jim Lafferty. His first child born in 1904.

From there I wrote "Lafferty, genealogy, legend, history, myth". a 400 page book copy written 1995 and I traced the descendants of the old Izard County pioneer and at that time I had found 1200 plus descendants and their stories and history. Since then I have continued to add to my database and if God gives me time, I will do another book next year.

The Lafferty's of Izard County married into many of the early families there and the Lafferty genealogy links with the Criswell (5 Lafferty/ Creswell marriages), Hankins, Bundy, Dillard, Hams, Billingsley, Shell, Denton, Sheid, Herman, Clem, Guffey, Clay, Campbell, Hickman, Curtis, Caulder, Brazaele, Nailor, Fletcher, Reinhart, Hooper, Sipes, Slover, Maples, Woody, Hodges, Harris, Tinkle and many more.

It has been interesting to follow the families and find descendants in many parts of the country. To know that their ancestors and kin played a part of the history of the early settlement of Izard County.

I am excited that some people have spiked interest in working toward the preservation of the Schools. The School played such an important part in the settlement of the area. Those one room schools were a long way from the first school in the area where Caleb Lindsey gathered the children of the neighborhood in a cave in what is now Randolph County and taught Elementary school there.

I hope to see you all again when we have another road trip in April of Next year. Maybe even sooner."

Mary Lafferty Wilson

Note:
You can find the website Mrs. Mary hosts for genealogytrails.com. on the sidebar. Mrs. Mary wants everyone to "please feel free to contribute information".

EIC...Two Years On

2008-04-28T07:50:00.000-07:00

Yes...it's the second anniversary of the first post at Exploring Izard County!

Our event this past Saturday, the Ozarks Skoolin' Road Trip, was a wonderful success in every area and the perfect Birthday Party for EIC. We had some wonderful stories shared by interesting people swapped our own stories with those of our readers ...other lovers of Izard. While having a fun day enjoying the Izard County spring at some very special places, we also were able to raise money for the restoration/preservation of the Old Schoolhouse at Lunenburg. We were also successful, I believe, in getting across to those who participated in the event the importance of doing what we can to help restore/preserve other historic sites in the county including Lunenburg's sister, Te Old Scoolhouse at Mount Olive.

We visited the Clay Cave, Athens Courthouse Site, Piney Creek, and the delightful arroyo above Piney Creek on the Gorby Road before driving on to our final destination, Knob Creek Church.

We were graced by the presence of Mrs. Mary Lafferty Wilson (the great-great grandaughter of John Lafferty himself and avid family historian) and her husband Art. I met Mrs. Mary online by accident sorta...and have enjoyed our e-mail exchanges since. Her passion for the history of her family and its role in the development of this area is inspirational to me.

The deeper I get into the land and the people who dwelt in the land...the more determined I am to learn, document, and share all that I can share. This county deserves to be noticed. Its history deserves to be re-discovered!

Thanks everyone, for encouraging us to do more of what we've been doing. I know that your interest is what drives me personally.

Lunenburg, Hunter Mountain, Pumpkin Central, and Mount Olive

2008-03-03T12:09:00.000-08:00

We were busy this weekend! Finally...the flu-bugs and the weather took a breather and allowed us a constructive couple of days.

Saturday morning, Newburgian and I drove out to Lunenburg and got some shots of the old stone Schoolhouse there. The people of the community have recently been working hard to clean up the grounds of the school...which is also the site of the old wooden structure that finally fell down in the late 1980s. The steps and parts of the foundation of that building can still be seen. The community has very recently received a grant to go towards restoring the old stone building and the check was presented to them last week at the Capitol in Little Rock by Governor Mike Beebe.

While in Lunenburg, we took the opportunity to document some of the old abandoned homes along the main street through the old town. There truly is a ghosttown atmosphere in this ancient little village...one of the oldest in the county.

Later in the day, HillbillyRecon and I drove out Jumbo Road and onto an old, old track that led to an old one-room wooden schoolhouse that we were unawre of until very recently. We still are not quite sure what ti was called in its day. It sits atop a little rise above a "branch" and sports quite a long rock retaining wall complete with steps. It was a surprise to find such a well-preserved example of one of the old wooden one-room schools so far off the beaten track.

From there, we drove the track down to where the old Richardson house stands. The Richardson house is a period log cabin that is slowly wasting away but is still restorable. It sits a few yards above the bank of Mill Creek downstream a little ways from Pumpkin Central.

After leaving the Richardson place, we headed back around through town and out Knob Creek Road to climb the steep slope of Hunter Mountain to visit the Hunter Mountain Cave. The cave's entrance is similar to that of Stone Box Cave...a deep crater in the side of the hill. There are two entrances once one descends the conical slope to the bottom of the crater. A quick look inside afforded a view of a seemingly unstable structure but also the promise of an intersting cave-crawl in the future. This cave is rumored to go through the mountain to another opening along a bluff...another excursion, perhaps.

Sunday afternoon, HillbillyRecon and I drove to Mount Olive where we documented the old stone schoolhouse there...the sister to the school at Lunenburg. The building is an almost exact copy of the one at Lunenburg and still has the original tile roof! Though the floor is a bit rotten, and the widows are all but gone, this building is awe-inspiring. Great craftsmanship is apparent in the structure of this amazing old fieldstone schoolhouse. Even the large cistern in the rear that serviced the school and its patrons is an example of great workmanship.

After visiting the school at Mount Olive, we explored the grown-up area between the old Presbyterian Church and the railroad track to find the old depot building which is rumored to still partially stand. Although we didn't find that particular building, we came across a giant double chimney towering above the low brush among the thick stand of trees. The chimney must have been a central one in a large home at one time. The perimeter of the old structure can still be made out on the leaf-covered ground. Nearby, we found another foundation of a sizeable building along with its collapsed cistern.

It's not often we have posts stacked up for Exploring Izard County. But this week, we were blessed with good weather and were able to get some amazing photos of some even more amazing places around the county.

The Young Americans!

2008-02-11T06:38:00.000-08:00

Yesterday Rick and I had the extreme pleasure of spending the afternoon with a friend of EIC, Jeffery Hodges, and his wonderful family.

Jeffery teaches at a University in Seoul, South Korea but was raised right here in the Ozarks. His childhood home was in Fulton County around Salem. His children, 8 and 11, are visiting the 'States for the very first time and we are so happy to have been able to give them a taste of the Ozarks!

Our group, consisting of the Hodges, My family, and HillbillyRecon and kids, first visited the high bluff across the White River from Calico Rock known as City Rock Bluff. After enjoying the awesome views from that vantage point, we stood in the Fuh-REEZING breeze and ate a bite before heading north to visit the Natural Bridge near Dolph.

The children enjoyed the various natural features of the deep hollow that is bridged by the massive stone arch...climbing rocks, challenging the icy spring-fed Calico Creek as they stepped from stone to stone to cross it. They stooped into cave-openings and examined crevices in the rocks.

The parents tried desperately to keep from falling on butts because of the heavy blanket of leaves obscuring the loose rocks beneath.

A typical day in the Izard County Outback! Sharing the Wonder!

I hope we didn't wear Sun-Ae, Jeff's wife, out on her first excursion. The Calico Creek "Gorge" is certainly rough and rugged terrain to navigate when one is used to clearly marked and relatively level trails. We'll know next time the family comes home to visit, though. Because no-one...from any place...who cherishes natural beauty...can resist a trek into these beautiful hills.

We welcome your return, Hodges Family. We so enjoyed your visit!

You can read Jeff's account of the trip at Gypsy Scholar.

Snowed Under!

2008-02-03T08:36:00.000-08:00

The past week has been exciting in the county and on the blog. Earlier in the week, we had a major wind-storm sweep through the county that blew some structures down and started a brush-fire that threatened several homes. On Thursday, we had snow that lasted until Friday before it began thawing due to welcomed unseasonably warm temperatures.
This, of course, offered us various opportunities for photos which you can see at Exploring Izard County.

Also exciting the past week was finishing up the single best month we've had concerning visitors and page-views at the blog. Thanks to everyone who has interest in this amazing place.

Also, a "thanks" needs to go out to whoever has shared the site through e-mail with others. Yesterday saw the single best DAY we've had on the blog with around 170 visits and well over 1000 page-views!

So...Thanks to whoever you are!

Vickery Cave Leads to Gid

2008-01-20T16:52:00.000-08:00

To get the kids out of the house today, we braved the icy weather to go to a cave located just off the highway on the Guion Road (Ar-58). It's been on our agenda since beginning the site so we decided to use it to get the young'uns away from the X-Boxes and Tivos for a few hours.
The Vickery Cave doesn't appear to be much more than a deep hole in the ground. The opening of the cave has collapsed in the not-too-distant past and to enter the cave proper, one must negotiate a tight crawl under that collapsed rock. The cave is known to have been rich in artifacts and was well occupied in ancient times.
As we approached the cave, we noticed a plume of steam jetting from the mouth of the cave into the crisp January chill. Upon making the descent into the hole we found that very warm air was gushing from the small entrance at the bottom! It is an amazing phenomenon and the kids absolutely loved it.
Since we didn't go into the cave, we didn't spend a long time at the site because...well...there wasn't much more to see than what I have described.
So we decided to go down the raod a piece to Gid and show the kids the waterfalls there.
We were rewarded with clear flowing water over green-mossed ancient flowstones sporting long, glistening icicles at the Gid Waterfall.
As the kids approached the Old Gristmill waterfall a few minutes later, they actually yelped with delight upon seeing the broad rockface of the falls covered in massive white sheets of ice with great icicles hanging over the frozen spray at the bottom.
It was cold today...so cold it would have been easy to stay at home and watch football or something really crazy like that. But we didn't...and I at least...am glad!

Lookout!

2008-01-13T16:48:00.000-08:00

The First and Second Lookouts have delighted the crew this past month. We've been on several excursions to both of the lookouts and found some pretty cool stuff! For a few days, we were enamored by the Chamber of the Morning Sun, a cave a landowner told us about, and which we were delighted to find catches the morning sun a casts a beam on the cave floor.
We've taken several trips to the second lookout and explored below the bluffs there. We located a small cave, a very interesting shelter and a bluffline that sports many cvisual and geological delights! The panoramic views experienced at different points along the bluffline - both along the top and the bottom - are worth the energy expended negotiating the steep hillside.

Holiday Fun!

2007-12-29T12:52:00.000-08:00

Second Lookout

What a great couple of weeks we've had Exploring Izard County! Besides returning to Moonshine Cave, we also decided to take a stroll below the Second Lookout to explore the bluffline that runs along the ridge. We were rewarded with waterfalls, several little bluff-shelters, and an actual cave!
The cave is a small fissure that appears to go a good ways back into the mountain, but we don't know for sure because none of us had the energy (or guts) to proceed farther than a few feet inside the mouth. There was a fuzzy critter just inside, however...a hibernating bat which was completely oblivious to the mist gathered on its fur from the splashing drips of water seeping from the roof.

Needle's Eye and Moon Eye

Today, we were treeated to a hike that we have anticipated for some time...since friend of the site, Wayne Hill, e-mailed me about the feature known as "Needle's Eye and Moon Eye". After driving up Piney Creek...past the swimming hole lovingly known as "The Nars" (Narrows), we parked at the old Calvin Jones homeplace and proceeded to hike for about 30 minutes to a place above Mill Creek that delighted the whole crew!

The feature is a rock-formation in a bluff above the creek that features a tunnel through the bluff (Needle's Eye) , a large shelter that was once occupied by ancient peoples, and a wonderful natural bridge towering above (Moon Eye).

We all agree that his is one of the most astonishing sights we have visited and featured on the blog. Not only is the feature itself exciting, but the walk to the place was greatly enjoyed by the whole crew as well!

As an added treat, here's a couple of Photos of the old Doc Fleming/Hill place. It is rumored to be haunted! We've discussed adding a page to the EIC blogs called, "Haunted Izard County".

Oxford/Wideman Road and Moonshine Cave

2007-12-02T19:42:00.000-08:00

December 2, 2007
Moonshine Find

This afternoon decided a ride was in order because of the nice rain we experienced. The hills come alive during good rains and it's been a while since we've had one. With no particular place in mind, we set our course south along Sylamore Road and eventually decided to check the waterfall along Sylamore Road to see if it was flowing any more vigorously than the last time we went. Though still running somewhat, it wasn't gushing as we had hoped.

After poking around the bluffs in the hollow below the waterfall and shelter there, we decided to follow through on an idea at least one of us has voiced every time we've been to the site...we walked down the creek.

The creek-bed follows a winding but gradual course bordered on each bank by frequent bluffs and shallow shelters. About two hundred yards or so below the waterfall, my 7-year old son asked as we made our way carefully along the creek-bed, "Dad, would you be surprised if we found a cave while we are walking today?"

After a moment of thought, turning, I replied, "No, I wouldn't be surprised...I'd be happy though."

As I turned back to walk on ahead of our group, I looked across the creek to see a cave...pretty as you please...just above us.

No one had seen the cave...including my son...it was pretty weird! We climbed the bank of the creek to find the awesome cave veiled in mist rising after a light shower. The cave is of significant size...well-suited for habitation. Not a shelter, the cave looks to go some distance into the hill...we could not investigate because we had not anticipated a "find" like this and had not brought a single light.

Investigating the cave, we found it to have been well-dug by others in the search for ancient artifacts. The cave must be rich, because a few artifacts were lying on the floor in plain view...including a well-worn...hand-fitting hammer-stone. More modern signs included the bottom of a large glass jug and several metal barrel hoops. Though we have no way of knowing, our imaginations prompted us to dub the cave The Moonshine Cave until we can find any given name.

December 1, 2007

Oxford/Wideman Road

The Newburgian and I got out early Saturday morning without a specific place to go in mind. We ultimately decided to drive the road between Oxford and Wideman in the northern part of the county. Along the way we were able to photograph two wonderful old churches/schoolhouses and a very interesting old house and barn. The old Schoolhouse (without steeple) is just outside of Oxford. The other church is in old Wideman. I'm not sure what the names of the old churches/schools are but will endeavor to find out. The old house is very interesting...rare in that it has a quarried-stone basement with windows. It appears to be very old and I intend to investigate its history.

Look for a post later in the week at Exploring Izard County with a few more of the photos we took...and possibly the names of the churches.

Group Outing to Natural Bridge near Dolph

2007-10-23T20:13:00.000-07:00

We got word during the past week that our friend, Colt, was going to be in again for the weekend and wished to go see the Natural Bridge near Dolph. After friends and family joined the trek Sunday afternoon, we ended up with a group of 12.

We took the group, first, to the top of the arch and explained to them about the Natural Bridge's use in the past as an actual bridge. Those who owned the land long ago would each year pack dirt into the cracks and crevices across the top of the stone arch so that they could drive a wagon from field to field...a task that could take hours or days by going around the deep bluff-lined hollow of Calico Creek.

We then went down to see the arch in all its glory. The kids crawled through the tunnel in base of the bridge and happily jumped back and forth along the creek. Having experienced the beauty of the structure, we hiked downstream to the feature I had noticed the last time we visited the site...a cave. I did not get to climb the hill to investigate the place before and when we all did this time, we found a small domed-room with a round opening in its outside wall. It was amazingly similar to a Fred Flintstone-style house!

Yabba-Dabba-Doo!

We oohed and ahhed about the cave for a few minutes before hiking on "downstream" (in quotes because Calico Creek flows underground just below the cave)to investigate more of the hollow we had not yet seen.

Calico Creek Hollow (I'll call it that for lack of knowing any other name) is a stunning place. The clear, spring-fed creek runs through a channel cut deep into limestone rock with rock-bluffs rising high on both sides. Below where the creek flows under a cedar tree to disappear underground, the bottom upens up into a flat on the south side of the creek.

Just below this flat, the landowner's fence stretches across the dry creek-bed. That's as far as we got. We will return to investigate farther downstream to Goat Hollow and Cantrell Den when we get permission from the owner of the Goat Hollow portion of the creek.

This was our first outing of any size. It wasn't organized because of how it came together. We're hoping, however, to have more organized periodic outings in the future. We're hoping some of you would like to join us.

Colt's Labrynth (Mill Creek) 10/7/07

2007-10-12T09:44:00.000-07:00

Over a year ago, Ryan told us he had a friend who owned some land with a shelter cave that had some sort of painting. Ever since, we've looked forward to getting to see the site and take a look. Sunday afternoon, we got to go.

After an interesting ride to the site, we climbed up the side of a steep ridge to the awesome fractured bluff-line near its top. Navigating our way carefully (and breathlessly (as you'll notice if you watch the videos at the YouTube Hunkahillbilly page [sidebar]) over boulders and along the base of the bluff, we made it to the shallow shelter that also hides a very small entrance to an extensive cave (later excursion, we hope).

My first impression of the bluff-painting that is applied on the underside of the overhanging rock was that it did not look very old. Upon further inspection, however, it became clear that there was much of the painting that is faded. The visible portions are clearly not any form of modern pigment but looks to be a natural paint of some sort. It's quite interesting and deserves a closer look. As far Colt the landowner knows, it has never been studied.

After admiring the amazing painted sandstone bluff towering above the shelter, we paused to take a photo of our little troop. We then proceeded to enter a fissure in the bluff formed by a gigantic triangular portion that had separated from the bluff sometime in the distant past. The small gorge formed by the fissure is about thirty feet long and is walled on each side by a shear 30ft-40ft face. Rather than retracing our way back out, we crawled through a narrow fissure that led to the front of the broken off triangle of rock. It was a tough climb and a tight squeeze!

After admiring ourselves for having been able to get out through the narrow fissure (really we just needed to catch our breath!), we explored other passages similar as we made our way to the top of the bluff to see the amazing view of Mill Creek and the surrounding hills.

WE are so thankful for landowners like Colt, who are eager to share the unique and wonderful places they possess! Thanks, Colt, for the great adventure.

Cave and Spring near Old Sand Mine at Nasco

2007-09-30T18:29:00.000-07:00

At the area's district fair Friday night, I ran into the owner of the Old Sand Mine property on the River at Nasco. While talking with him, he told me about a cave near the old mine and gave me directions. Because he is in the process of selling the property, he suggested we make our visit as soon as possible.

We did so. We made plans late last night and got up with the sun to drive down the old Nasco Traverse to do a bit of real exploring.

It was an amazing morning. A spring below the cave empties into Lyons creek several hundred feet below. We crossed Lyons Creek after finding a suitable place to park our vehicle and found the spring branch the gracious landowner had described. Ascending a natural staircase carpeted in a rich emerald green moss, we made our way up the steep branch that is a series of tiny trickling waterfalls. Crystal pools of Ozark spring-water reflected the lush canopy of vegetation creating astounding contrasts with the vibrant moss that covers each rock along the stream.

Making our way breathlessly over boulders up the final steep climb, we finally made our way to a bluff which revealed a cave opening.

A stream of water flows from the mouth of the cave to disappear into the loose gravel that makes up the floor. It only took a glance to see that any attempt at exploring the cave beyond a few feet would prove a wet and painful experience. Though we had brought lights, we had not brought kneepads or any way to keep equipment dry. To explore into the cave (which looks enticing...you can glimpse deep passages from the water's edge), would have required more determination than we had at the time. Hopefully we will get to return more prepared.

Running parallel to the spring-branch is a wash...though currently dry, it must have plenty of water throughout the year because the moss on bluff-shelves that create a picturesque "grand staircase" up the little hollow to an interesting bluffface some twenty-to fifty feet higher up the hill than the cave described.

The trip[ today was wonderful. We love visiting new places we've never seen. And this was one p[lace really worth seeing!

I would like to return in the winter if we can get permission. From the position of the cave's mouth, I'm almost sure one would have an excellent view of the White River from that position.

Quick Trip To Calico Rock

2007-09-23T17:32:00.000-07:00

Very early this morning, Jaca, an integral member of our crew and at the top of my wife's list of usual suspects, stopped by and said, "Let's go for a ride!" As I do most days he does this, I complied.

We headed north and west to Calico Rock and captured images of one of the old schoolhouses in Calico Rock. Though I don't know much of the history of this building as of yet, I intened to find out when it was built and when it also operated.

It's an awesome old structure...standing high an proud, though looking rather worn...and terribly neglected. Walking around the stately old hulk, I was both invigorated by the majesty of the place and saddened by it's state.

It's not the first time I've felt these same old feelings. Several times since we started EIC, I've experienced them. The first was the old hotel/boarding-house alon g the tracks at Mount Oli ve. Others...like the old schoolhouse in the old Strawberry Township...come to mind as well. I am also reminded of the many wonderful old buildings that so captivated me as a child that have either burned or just rotted and collapsed.

2007-09-14T09:12:00.000-07:00

September 8, 2007

Totally Gid, Dude!

Today, we took our friend, Donny, to visit the amazing features at Gid. We visited both waterfalls and the old Indian Shelter above the Grist-Mill.

It was a beautiful day, though humid. The stream of water falling off the rock at the smaller of the two falls (upstream) was quite thin. We took the opportunity to spend a little time wandering around and looking at some of the interesting formations a little farther down the creek. We are quite sure the creek bottom and the hollow it follows would make an excellent hiking trail.

Downstream, at the Grist-Mill Waterfall, we drove to the top of the falls and got some footage and shots of the feature from above. Afterwards we descended the hill and enjoyed the cool spray as the spring-fed water pummeled the rock at the foot of the falls.

As we headed out, we stopped at the top of the opposite ridge and visited the old Indian Cave there. More great video! This feature is truly worth notice...a large shelter with two skylights...one of which has a stream of water falling into.

September 11, 2007

Return to Lafferty Cave

Rick and I both have sons whose birthdays occured this week. Today, we took one of them...Rick's...also a member of the EIC crew...to Lafferty. We climbed the falls up to the cave and went in to take a look. A hundred feet or so into the cave lies a pair of streams. Following the second of these brought us to a flooded tunnel. Though we had three lights, we had not come prepared to wade an underground creek. One day we will return fully prepared for an excursion.

We had fun, though. As we always do.

Denny

Lafferty Springs

2007-09-03T19:19:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, the first of September, our crew took a drive to Lafferty in order to document the spring and the cave above it. We arrived at approximately 10;45 a.m. and spent about 45 minutes at the location. While there, we explored the various outlets along the side of the hill, some which have been tapped for use by homes down in the Lafferty Valley below the springs.

We also ascended the steep wash that stretches from the cave at the top to the branch at the bottom. Because we did not bring any lighting, we only took a peek inside the cave and decided to come back for a more thorough investigation of the feature at a later date.

Our short trip allowed us to get some great shots of the Sanctuary Ranch as well as some of the dam on Lafferty Creek.

A reader had commented about the stone basin located at the spring in an earlier post ...which we photographed and have posted at EIC.

The spring was not as robust as we have seen in the past. An extended period of dry weather is to blame. We plan to return when we can capture the spring as it cascades down the wash.