Monday January 25th
Today, after a visit to downtown El Dorado I will continue on US 82 West to Texarkana and then on To Paris, TX.
Click on the photos below for a larger image.
My digs in El Dorado (Spanish for "the golden one" or "city of gold"). $40 a nite. The Flamingo Hotel is located at 420 South West Avenue and is only a few blocks from downtown. The brick structure just visible behind the hotel is South Arkansas Community College. This was the original site of the El Dorado Female Institute.
Records indicate that a school was operating in south Union County by 1838. In 1843, Lacy and his wife, Julia, formed El Dorado’s first private academy in their small home. After two years, he left to manage his plantation and turned his students over to Elizabeth Banks, who founded what became El Dorado Female Institute (current site of South Arkansas Community College). The school occupied land donated by Albert Rust, the first U.S. congressman from Union County.
Source: History of El Dorado, Arkansas ©2009 City of El Dorado, Arkansas
El Dorado is building a conference center which is right near the Flamingo Hotel. From the hotel I walked the two blocks to downtown El Dorado.
I have seen some BIG churches on this trip. And this, The First Baptist Church of El Dorado, is on of the largest thus far.
I would love to have had a peek inside.
The present church building was erected in 1921-22. It has been described as “one of the most imposing edifices in the state”. Around this time, the foot pedal organ was replaced by a beautiful Skinner organ, which helped to greatly enlarge the music ministry. The main building has been added onto several times over the years and in 1969-70, it was extensively renovated.
The renovations included replacing the opalescent glass windows with faceted stained glass windows and adding a pipe organ that was built into the architecture of the room. Since that time, First Baptist Church has added a day care/family life center (located across North West Avenue and connected to the main building by an elevated pedestrian bridge) and a separate youth facility, “2fifty2”, which is located across Main Street from the Sanctuary.
This is the elevated pedestrian bridge which leads to the church's "day care/family life center". Although needed and practical it is certainly and architectural blemish which hopefully will be addressed someday.
This memorial to the Confederate soldier was erected by the United Daughters of the Confederacy in 1909.
The WikiPedia entry for the United Daughters of the Confederacy lists one of the organization's objectives as: "To collect and preserve the material necessary for a truthful history of the American Civil War..."
This was in one of the shop windows and caught my eye.
A look down "main" street. As it was not yet 10am, the shops were not open.
The "Mink Eye" bar at 106 S Jefferson Ave. Too early for me...
What made El Dorado, El Dorado? Oil!
By 1923, El Dorado boasted fifty-nine oil companies, thirteen oil operators, and twenty-two oil production companies. The city was flooded with so many people that no bed space was available for them, leading to the building of neighborhoods of tents and hastily constructed shacks throughout the city. The city’s population reached a high of 30,000 in 1925 before dropping as the boom played out in the late 1920s.
The oil-producing area of the Smackover Pool covered more than 25,000 acres and, by 1925, had become the largest-producing oil site in the world. The Smackover Pool would eventually produce 583 million barrels of oil by 2001.El Dorado calls itself “Arkansas’s Original Boomtown.” In 2000, the annual value of the state’s total mining production (from minerals, oil, and natural gas) topped $1 billion. Oil companies still rank among the leading employers in south Arkansas.
In memory of the Great Oil Boom.
This 31,000 pound stream driven vacuum pump is from Arkansas' first oil field - the El Dorado Field.
The light was fighting me and I had trouble getting decent shots.
The Rialto Theater is in the process of being restored and upgraded.
Yet another big Church - the First United Methodist at 201 S. Hill Street. Be sure to take a look at the 175th Anniversary slide show.
This is the old El Dorado post office, now the U. S. District house. But, I did not know that.
You can't tell here, but the guy way down the hall was constantly giving me the eye-ball and looking at me suspiciously. When, camera snapping, I got down to his end of the hall, he asked: "Have you been here before". When I told him "no" he got quite concerned and said: " I thought you were the architect who was in here before. You can't take pictures here. This is a Federal Court house".
I explained to him I thought it was the post office and was then sure of it when I walked in and saw the rows of old brass PO boxes. He then told me I needed to "get the pictures off my camera". I told him that would require reformatting and I would loose all my pictures of the downtown buildings. I tried to assure him I had no terrorist agenda. Still puffed up with self importance he explained you just couldn't be to careful. Finally I told him I would leave and I exited the building, memory card intact.
Now, don't you think if they took the protection of the courthouse seriously they would secure all the doors (including the side one I had come through), post signs about no photography and get a more youthful and fit rent-a-cop who might actually be able to handle a dicey situation? What a joke!
Yet another beautiful church!
This is the First Presbyterian at 300 East Main Street.
The Union County courthouse is truly monumental in size. It is on the National Register of Historic Places along with about a dozen other structures in downtown El Dorado.
See those two guitars at the corner of the Square?
I saw no explanation as to why they were there or how they got there.
Entry to the Armstrong Building. I neglected to make a note of the location.
The Lion Oil Building is a 115 feet (35 m) 8-floor highrise building in El Dorado, Arkansas constructed from 1926 to 1927. It was designed in the Venetian Gothic style with Art Deco accents by Mann & Stern of Little Rock. It was designed to accommodate the bustling oil community’s financial needs. Col. T. H. Barton established the Exchange Bank in 1924, and later became president of Lion Oil Company as well, thus housing his petroleum company’s corporate headquarters here until the 1970’s. In 1993, the Exchange Bank moved a few blocks north, changing to Citizens First Bank and is now Regions Bank. The historic building was renamed First Financial Centre in 1998.
The Lion Oil Building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.Source: WikiMapia
I felt like and antique myself when I noticed this Ford Bronco had "Antique" class plates on it.
This nice old Art Deco building at 204 North West Avenue is the Municipal Building / City Hall.
Built from 1927 – 28
Art Deco by Mann & Stern of Little Rock
National Register of Historic Places, 1986City Hall was originally located at the corner of Cedar and Cleveland, but the swelling population of the oil boom necessitated this “newer” structure that cost $125,000 in its day. Its central tower and marbled lobby are the most impressive features of this excellent example of Art Deco architecture. Prior to this building, on this site was the Banks Female Academy run by Mrs. A. R. Banks from 1846 until her death in 1853. The school continued under the guidance of trustees with the pioneer family names of Goodwin, Ammons, Tatum, Cowser, Marr and Smead until after the Civil War when the academy was moved to 300 South West Avenue.
That was the end of my tour of downtown El Dorado. I am looking forward to coming back with Betsy and staying a bit longer and doing some more exploring.
Now, on to Texarkana!
If ever there was town that was on the skids, and had been on the skids for while, it is Texarkana.
In 1970 the population was around 50 thousand, the census count for 2000 was around 30 thousand. But all is not lost. Texarkana seemed busier and a few more store front occupied than when I visited in 2005.
I parked in front of the long defunct Woolworth's and headed towards downtown.
Zapata Bar and Grill at 217 Walnut Street was the only eatery I found open when I was here in 2005. They are still open. In fact, they expanded their operation by rehabbing the adjacent building and turning it into a private party hall. I did not eat there in 2005 because I considered it too pricey. Still is.
Part of an old farm supply store which commandeered the entire block.
Although you can no longer get "Seed, Feed and Chics" here, you can get a brew and specialty pizzas and sandwiches at Hopkins Icehouse - 301 E 3rd Street.
The famous post office which straddles Arkansas and Texas.
I tried to get into the Post Office to use the rest room but I was turned away because I had a camera. Pesky terrorists!!
The post office and federal courthouse in Texarkana is the only federal office building in the U.S. to straddle a state line. This is a picture of that symmetrical building, and the Arkansas/Texas boundary runs right down the middle. I straddled the state line myself (standing on the yellow line in the middle of State Line Avenue) while taking this picture. That's Texas on the left and Arkansas on the right. Note the differing texture and color of the pavement on the left and right sides of the road.
Texarkana maintained separate post offices until 1892. This is the third joint post office occupy this space, which is sometimes called "Photographer's Island," apparently because so many people do the same lame, touristy thing I did. The base is made of pink granite from Texas. The walls are made of Arkansas limestone.
Source: Arkansas Traveler
Check out these other Arkansas Stories from the Arkansas Traveler.
After taking these photos I decided I had better hit the road. I went back to my car and started driving in what seemed the right direction but I was soon completely turned around.
I was in a pretty sparse part of town but I spotted some fella in front of Randy's Auction house at 902 West 3rd Street walking his two dogs. By the time I got pulled off the street and parked he was heading into the building. I called out to him and he held up his hand for me to wait and then coaxed his two mutts inside and closed the door behind him.
I told him I was trying to get back onto US 82 West and could he give me directions? He could, and did - sorta. He then proceeded to give me the most protracted, convoluted and confusing directions I have ever gotten - almost. I say "almost" because as soon as he finished he then said: "Or you can go the easy way" and out came another string of rights and lefts and this street name and that street name. Great.
I pried myself away as it looked like he was not done talking yet. I jumped in the car, got it turned around and was heading out when he comes running out of the building saying he had thought of a better way. I listened to him politely and then drove off the way he had mentioned previously and the way I thought I could remember. Well, I finally did get out of town and back onto the open road after driving through about 10 miles of congested sprawl. Whew!
Just to the west of Texarkana are the small towns of Nash, Hooks and New Boston. As I was heading west I saw this sign and caught a glimpse of something interesting so I turned around and pulled into the gated entry.
This "vinery" is located at 8306 west New Boston Road between Nash and Leary
It turned out I stumbled onto a grape-vine wreath making "factory". Last thing I expected.
I asked the woman about the operation, but she spoke poor English or did not want to talk to me. She called her boss on a cell phone. I spoke to him and he said he would be there in about 10 minutes. I decided to wait and snapped a few shots while I did. Meanwhile she worked non-stop with this chop box cutting up grape vine sections.
Wreaths, wreaths and more wreaths!
I estimate there were around 5000 wreaths on this trailer. That's a lot of chop saw work, winding, wrapping and tying.
All the while I was snapping my camera there was a fella over in a corner running a log splitter. (They sold firewood also). He kept shooting me suspicious looking glances but never left the splitter. I waited about 15 minutes for the boss and then finally left.
As I started back down US 82 I passed the Red River Army Depot. A huge sprawling complex where they repair, rebuild, overhaul, and convert the Army's light tracked combat vehicle fleet, including the Bradley Fighting Vehicle System.
I was gettin' hungry so I decided to pull off and make my self a cheese sandwich with the now stale and dried out Trader Joe baguette.
Thinkin' I might get something better than my cheese distinctively I pulled in here. But, no luck.
Renewed by my lunch I proceeded onto Paris.
Here we are in downtown Paris, TX.
This is the old R.F. Scott Building in Paris, now A-1 Office Supply.
Window detail of the R.F. Scott Building
This marble fountain in the town square was donated by John and Emily Culberson after the disastrous fire of 1916. Read more about the Culbersons below.
The Plaza Theater dates back to at least 1926. It closed as a movie theater in the early 1970s. It is now home to the Paris Community Theater.
When I first saw the First United Methodist Church I was stunned by the sheer size of the building, let alone it's beauty.
I googled until I was bug eyed-ed trying to find any information about this church, but I had no luck.
This is the Lamar County Courthouse. Having learned my lessons, I didn't go into this one.
Build: 1917
Architect: Barry & Smith and Sanguinet & Staats
Style: Classical Revival with Romanesque detail
Material: Built from marble and granite cleaned from the burned 1897 courthouse, the pink granite is from the same quarry as the State Capital.Source: ©1998-2008. Texas Escapes
Corner details of the Lamar County Courthouse.
After leaving the downtown area I went back to the
Kings Inn Motel and checked in. At 40 bucks a nite, it is overpriced.
After unloading and setting up I went off in search of the Eiffel Tower.
I found it! And they say everything is bigger in Texas...
Then I went for an evening stroll on the nearby Trails de Paris.
There are a number of tree identification markers along the trail.
At the opposite end of this bridge there is deck with seats and two nice sized trees coming up through the decking.
One of a series of signs encouraging parents to interact with their children while on the trail.
And, finally - dinner. This is my hotel room kitchen. I brought a coffee pot and a two burner hot plate. For dinner I fixed some bow-tie pasta with sauce. The pan the water is boiling in is the same one which accompanied Betsy and me on our Honeymoon - 27 years ago!
After that busy day I was in the sack at 8:30. Nite-nite...