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Keelboaters Re-Enact Historic Expedition on Ouachita
A little over two centuries ago this week, eighteen intrepid explorers in the Dunbar-Hunter Expedition were making their way down the Ouachita River in a keel boat from Hot Springs to the Mississippi River. And this past week, a group of ten people were duplicating that journey. Members of the Early Arkansaw Reenactors Association (EARA) traveled down the Ouachita River from Moro Bay State Park to Finch Bayou Park in Louisiana in a replica keel boat in a recreation of the Dunbar-Hunter Expedition. President Thomas Jefferson in the winter of 1804 sent the Dunbar-Hunter Expedition to explore the Ouachita River and Hot Springs area in the new Louisiana Purchase addition to the United States. The expedition left Natchez, Mississippi, in October, 1804, and arrived at the Hot Springs area in December. They spent December exploring the area and left the Hot Springs area in early January, 1805. In 2004, EARA built a 40-foot replica of the type of keel boat used in the original expedition, christened the Aux Arc, and began floating the Ouachita that winter, traveling from Camden to Moro Bay State Park in the first phase of the re-enactment. This year, the group left Moro Bay State Park on Tuesday, December 26. They spent that night on the river and then camped at the Crossett Harbor Wednesday night. On Thursday, they continued south and arrived at Finch Bayou Park in Louisiana on Friday, December 29. Ed Williams, an administrator with the Little Rock School District, is the president of the EARA. He was joined on the trip by nine others. They included Larry Layne, a semi-retired contractor; Robert Carrol, a database administrator with Axiom, Berl Harrell, who is retired from the U. S. Navy; Tim Richardson and Jimmy Pitre, who both work for Falcon Jet in Little Rock, Bob Rogers, a plumber from Fort Worth, TX, and his fourteen year old son, Robert.
In addition to those eight, Harvey Alexander, a college professor in Schenectady, New York, and his wife Mary took part in the trip. For Mary, it was her first trip to Arkansas. While the replica boat is equipped with a square sail, the prevailing southerly winds on Wednesday meant that the two teams of four oarsmen each had to man their oars all the way, with the two teams taking turns rowing. In spite of the wind, they covered about 25 miles in ten hours of rowing that day, arriving at the Crossett Harbor a little more than two hours after their projected 4 p.m. arrival time. When they arrived in Crossett, the boaters found a hot meal of chili ready for them, prepared by Ovid Switzer with other refreshments provided by Bruce Switzer. They camped at the harbor Wednesday night and then headed south along the river again on Thursday.
"This is a way we can apply some of the skills we have learned about how people lived 200 years ago," Williams said of the new expedition. He noted that the expedition had a copy of Dunbar's journal from the 1804-1805 voyage, which they read along the way. He also noted that Dunbar had been trained in preparing latitude and longitude readings and prepared notes which proved to be very accurate. The original expedition also collected samples from plants and animals along their journey, but those samples have now disappeared. Williams noted that next Christmas, the group hopes to complete a third leg of the journey, beginning at the Finch Bayou Park in Louisiana and then traveling to Monroe. He said that he thinks that it will take three to four years to complete the journey to the Mississippi. Historical Background While the Louis and Clark Expedition to the American northwest has traditionally received a lot of historical coverage, that expedition was not the only one to explore the newly-purchased vast area of the Louisiana Purchase.
President Jefferson was not only interested in the northwest, but also in the Red and Arkansas Rivers, southern tributaries of the Mississippi. He wrote to William Dunbar of Natchez about leading an exploratory party in the areas of the Red and Arkansas. Because there was too much unrest with the American Indians and Spanish along the Red River, Dunbar suggested a shorter trip to "the hot springs on the Washita." Jefferson agreed and recommended Dr. George Hunter, a Philadelphia chemist, as the second principal. This first scientific expedition into the new territory left from Natchez on October 16, 1804, traveling down the Mississippi River to the mouth of the Red River, then upstream a short distance to the Black River, and finally to the mouth of the Ouachita River. They then traveled north on the Ouachita for 25 days before reaching the mouth of Gulpha Creek at the present city of Hot Springs. The Party and the Route Along with Dunbar and Hunter, the party consisted of a sergeant and 12 enlisted men from the garrison at New Orleans (Sergeant Bundy, Peter Bowers, John White, Robert Wilson, Mathew Boon, William Court, Edward Rylet, Jerimiah Loper, William Skinner, William Little, William Tutle, Manus McDonald, Jeremia Smith), Hunter's son George, Samual Blazier as a guide, and Dunbar's slave. They traveled up the Ouachita River for 21 days before reaching the next settlement, "the post on the Ouachita," Ft. Miró, the site of present day Monroe, Louisiana. At the Hot Springs The party camped at the hot springs from December 9, 1804, until January 8, 1805. Dunbar and Hunter improved a cabin built for summer use and stayed in it while the enlisted men camped. Dunbar reported to President Jefferson that "… the hot springs themselves are indeed a great curiosity; the temperature of their waters is from 130 to 150° of Farheneits' [sic] thermometer. The heat is supposed to be greater in summer, particularly in dry weather. In water of 130° which was comparatively in a state of repose to one side of the spring run, I found by the aid of an excellent microscope, both Vegetable and animal life, the first a species of moss, the latter a testaceous bivalve of the size of the minutest grain of Sand." Dunbar was referring to the algae and ostracods that live in the hot spring pool. In his journal, Dr. Hunter pondered the cause of the heat of the springs. He speculated, "Those scisti containing clay, iron, Bitumen silex and sulphur by the action of air and water generate heat, sometimes take fire, the sulphur being converted into sulphuric acid, seizes the clay and forms Alumn. Is this water heated by some such chemical mixture or combination, and thereby forced in the state of vapor to the upper internal cavaties or regions of the mountain, where it is condensed again into water as in the refrigitory of anAlembic, whence it falls again and issues throu such apertures as present themselves very hot yet still many degrees below boiling water? Of the hot springs, Dunbar wrote, "I shall only mention that from our analysis of the water of the hot springs, it appears to contain lime with a minute portion of iron disolved [sic] by a small excess of Carbonic acid: this is indeed visible upon first view of the Springs. An immense body of Calcareous matter is accumulated upon the side of the hill, by the perpetual depositions from the hot waters, and the bed of the run is coloured [sic] by red oxid [sic] of iron or rather Carbonated iron. Every little spring which rises up in a favorable situation, forms its own calcareous cup, considerably elevated in form of a Crater." Going Home The return trip to Fort Miró only took eight days. From Ft. Miró, Dunbar took leave of the party and traveled overland to his home near Natchez. Hunter and the enlisted men continued on to New Orleans. Records of the Journey Both men's journals are in the archives of the American Philosophical Society in Philadelphia, the repository of scientific papers and materials of the day. Dunbar's original journal is in the Ouachita Baptist University archives. William Dunbar died in 1810 and is buried near Natchez. George Hunter moved his family from Philadelphia to New Orleans shortly after the expedition and died there in 1823. Dunbar and Hunter were not the first to travel the Ouachita River or to taste the waters of the hot springs, nor were they the first to describe the region in journals or publications. They did succeed in the first scientific mapping and description of the Ouachita River valley. Their journals reveal an active European presence in the region, with numerous small settlements and individual homesteaders, trappers, and traders who had been utilizing the natural resources of the region for decades. The place names that are identified in the two men's daily entries are also indications of a region well known and used by these same people. Their voyage did not rival Lewis and Clark's, but their journey up the Red, Black and Ouachita rivers are important accounts that complete the story of Louisiana Purchase exploration. Discoveries Along the journey, Dunbar and Hunter took astronomical readings for use in plotting the route after their return. They also made observations about the plants and wildlife that they encountered, as well as the mineral resources. Abundant natural resources would be necessary to the success of settlers in the new territory. One of the most important discoveries was a source of rock suitable for whetstones for knife sharpening. This Arkansas novaculite became the primary source for whetstones by the mid-1800s and remained the main source until the advent of the manufacture of artificial whetstones in the 1970s. (Historical material abstracted from U. S. Park Service site for Hot Springs National Park at http://www.nps.gov/archive/hosp/expanded/newhotsprings/history/dunbar_hunter.htm) Keelboaters Re-Enact Historic Expedition on Ouachita A little over two centuries ago this week, eighteen intrepid explorers in the Dunbar-Hunter Expedition were making their way down the Ouachita River in a keel boat from Hot Springs to the Mississippi River. And this past week, a group of ten people were duplicating that journey.
Ledger Web Site Passes 1,000,000 Visitors for 2006 Some time during the night hours of December 19-20, the one millionth person for the year visited the Ashley County Ledger's electronic edition at ashleycountyledger.com. The year just closed was the first time for the electronic Ledger to pass a million visitors in one year. Justices Adopt Cleanup Ordinance In a special meeting on Thursday, December 28, all eleven members of the Ashley County Quorum Court attended a special meeting to adopt an appropriation ordinance to clean up over expenditures in the 2006 budget. Looking Back to the Top Stories from January-March, 2006 In the year that is coming to an end, many of the top news stories dealt with fires, both in the new year and in the old year of 2005. On Thursday night, December 29, the Fred's Discount Store in North Crossett burned. That fire came the same day that Ashley County Judge Emory Austin issued his sixth burn ban of the year, one that continued into the new year. Looking Back to the Top Stories from April-June, 2006 A fire on Tuesday night, April 4, destroyed the Cypress Lodge just north of Wilmot. The building had been a fixture in the area for many years and most recently operated as Kitchens Place, consisting of a café, grocery store, music and dance room and apartments. Wilmot Fire Chief Corliss McCain said that fire most likely started because of faulty wiring. Looking Back to the Top Stories from July-September, 2006 Herman and Patty Hamilton donated approximately four acres of land adjacent to the Norman Park to the city of Hamburg. Looking Back to the Top Stories from October-December, 2006 In October, the city of Hamburg received a large commercial chipper free of charge from Lincoln County which did not have the personnel to operate the chipper. Mayor Gordon Hennington said that the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality had ordered the city to stop burning limbs and other debris. With the chipper, the city started cutting up the limbs and debris and offered the resulting mulch to citizens at no charge. A Hamburg man was fatally injured Wednesday, December 20, as he attempted to cross railroad tracks in Emmett in Nevada County. Arkansas State Police identified the man as Michael D. McClain, 53, of 2406 Highway 189 North, Hamburg. Bond Set at $100,000 for Youth Charged in January Wildfire (Updated) A 17-year-old Ashley County youth is charged as an adult in connection with the January 8 fire which burned approximately 3,964 acres of timberland south and east of Hamburg in the Berlin Road-Highway 8 area. Hamburg Council to Take Bids on Garbage Truck, Well In a regular meeting lasting less than 15 minutes late Monday afternoon, December 18, the Hamburg City Council voted to try to sell two old garbage trucks and to seek bids to buy a new one. Hamburg to Use Growth Funds for 'Bonus' In its regular meeting on Monday night, December 18, the Hamburg School Board approved a non-recurring payment of $1,000 for each full time employee. Half-time employees will receive $500, and those who work ten hours per week or less will receive $250. Superintendent of Schools Keith Alexander said that the payments will be made this week. Crossett Citizens’ Bark Worse Than Threat of Pit Bulls in City The Crossett City Council is rethinking initiating a city-wide ban on pit bulls, one of the items on the council's November meeting. "We're not going to pursue that right now," Mayor Scott McCormick said at the beginning of the council's regular December meeting Monday night, December 18. Early Deadlines Set For Next Two Weeks With Christmas Day coming up next Monday and New Year Day the following Monday, the Ashley County Ledger will be operating with early deadlines for the next two weeks. Justices Approve Appropriation Changes In their regular meeting on Tuesday, December 12, members of the Ashley County Quorum Court adopted several changes to the budget for 2007 and heard a report on the audit for 2004 and other projects. Crossett Board Denies Transfer The Crossett School Board Monday night, December 11, refused to allow a mother's request to transfer her son to the Hamburg School District. The board voted 5-0 to deny the transfer request.
A collision between two 18-wheelers at the intersection of Highways 425 and 82 eight miles south of Hamburg left the driver of one of the trucks dead. The accident happened at 9:50 a.m. on Tuesday, December 5.
LITTLE ROCK-The State Review Board of the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program nominated 33 properties in 24 Arkansas counties - including the Parkdale Baptist Church- to the National Register of Historic Places when it met Dec. 6, AHPP director Ken Grunewald announced.
Flave Carpenter, community developer for Entergy Arkansas, presented the Southeast Arkansas Cornerstone Coalition, Inc., with a $2,000 grant to help fund the purchase of a dedicated server to house data collected for the region. The server will be housed at the University of Arkansas at Monticello's (UAM) School of Business. Hamburg Chamber Office Moves to Pastime Theater Effective immediately, the Hamburg Area Chamber of Commerce offices have moved to a new location on the second floor of the old Pastime Theater building at 107 West Lincoln. The downstairs part of the building is the Pastime Hair Salon. Riley Runner-Up for Teacher of Year Gov. Mike Huckabee on Wednesday, December 6, presented $15,000 to Justin Minkel of Harvey Jones Elementary School in Springdale for being named the 2006-07 Arkansas Teacher of the Year during a ceremony at the State Capitol in Little Rock. G-P Plywood Mill Closes, Company to Reevaluate in January (Updated) Effective Friday, December 1, Georgia-Pacific's Crossett Plywood Division temporarily suspended production at one of its plywood plants--Plant One--leaving 300 workers jobless only three weeks before Christmas. Hamburg Holidays, Parade Set for Thursday Though the Hamburg Holidays celebration of the Christmas season has been a fixture in the city for a number of years, in 2005 the Hamburg Area Chamber of Commerce added a new eventn a Hamburg Christmas parade, which was a great success with over 30 floats entered. This year promises to be even better. UAM Sets Spring Registration Dates The University of Arkansas at Monticello will hold registration for the spring semester on Tuesday, January 9, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at all three campus locations in Monticello, Crossett and McGehee. Youth With Local Ties Killed in Colorado Snow and ice-covered roads in the Fort Collins, Colorado, area may be responsible for a one vehicle accident which led to the death of Tabor Martin, 10, of Oak Grove, LA, late Tuesday afternoon, November 28. The youth was a former Hamburg resident and is the son of Randy Martin of Hamburg. Bertha Sherrer Wins Wilmot Council Seat Three weeks after the general election on November 7, the final contested race in Ashley County was decided on Tuesday, November 28. Two Held, One Sought in Shooting of Seven People at Crossett Party Two Malvern brothers, formerly of Crossett, are in jail following a shooting at a private party early Thursday, November 23, in which seven people were shot. An eighth person was treated for a twisted ankle which occurred after the shooting began. Hamburg Council to Hire Engineer to Study Sidewalk Issue The Hamburg City Council, during its regular meeting on Monday night, November 27, voted to hire an engineer to prepare plans for a sidewalk along South Cherry Street to the high school and junior high. Turkey Dinners to Cost More this Year Arkansans will pay more for their traditional Thanksgiving dinners this year, says Arkansas Farm Bureau. Justices Approve Appropriations, Budget Ordinance The distribution of money dominated the regular session of the Ashley County Quorum Court on Tuesday, November 14. The justices approved two amendments to this year's budget ordinance, levied taxes for the new year, provided for the distribution of revenues from the Game and Fish Protection Fund, and then adopted the county's budget for 2007. Garbage Truck Subject For FH City Council The Fountain Hill Town Council Tuesday, November 14, had a 30-minute regular meeting, and discussed the town's garbage truck. Daughter and Grandchildren of Hamburg Native Killed in Denver Hit and Run (Updated) Rebecca Dace Bingham and her two children, Macie, 4, and Garrison, 2, died Friday night in Denver after being struck by a hit and run driver. New County Election Totals Vary From Those Presented Last Week Six days after the general election on Tuesday, November 6, the final unofficial totals for every race in Ashley County became available on Monday, November 13. Ashley County Election Commissioner Tommy Hooks said that the commissioners are waiting on one absentee military ballot, and when that ballot comes in, he thinks that the totals will be official. Hamburg Board Hears Reports from Foundation, Academy Routine reports took up most of the regular meeting of the Hamburg School Board on Monday night, November 13. The meeting was the first for the board in the new S. P. Portis Administration Building on East Parker.
It's time to start gearing up for the annual Hamburg Holidays! Because of Hamburg's wonderful community, last year's first parade was a complete success and a tradition the Hamburg Area Chamber of Commerce would like to see last for decades to come. Crossett School Board Approves Bonuses The Crossett School Board Monday night, November 13, approved bonuses for full-time and part-time employees, which will be given in December. Crossett Board Again Hears About Uniforms School uniforms continue to be an issue in the Crossett School District, even though the board voted 4-0 October 9 to no longer require uniforms after January 1, 2006. Daniel, McCormick and Walker Win Mayor’s Seats; County & State Give Democrats Victories Two Ashley County cities will have new mayors, and voters in another returned the incumbent to office during the general election on Tuesday, November 7. Chicken Pox Cases in County Now at 176 Ashley County has had a total of 176 cases of chicken pox since the outbreak began in early September, Ann Wright of the Arkansas Department of Health said Tuesday, November 7. The Hamburg School Board on Monday night, October 30, met to consider two proposals to expel students, one boy at the junior high and the other boy at the high school. Hamburg Council Hears Reports, Approves Condemnation The regular meeting of the Hamburg City Council on Monday night, October 23, was a very routine one with only one action item on the agenda. Pickup Driver Remains in ICU in Little Rock The driver of a pickup truck which burned after colliding with a log truck south of Crossett on Highway 133 near the Louisiana state line remained in ICU at Baptist Medical Center in Little Rock Monday morning, October 23, according to Arkansas State Police. Photo Galleries Now On-Line at Ledger Web Site Effective on Friday morning, October 21, the electronic edition of the Ashley County Ledger has a new feature, a series of photo galleries. Hamburg Board Discusses Building Priorities The Hamburg School Board, in its regular meeting on Monday night, October 16, selected officers for the year and spent most of its meeting discussing facilities plans for the future. Gathering of Monarch Butterflies Said to Be Unique Some residents of Ashley and Chicot counties had the chance to observe something that may be unique when possibly as many as 100,000 monarch butterflies converged east of Wilmot this past week. City Council Hears Reports, Mayor Makes Appointments The Crossett Sewer Committee made a $1.5 million principal payment this month on $5.5 million in bonds it borrowed to fund a major sewer rehabilitation project. Claude Spainhour, committee chairman, told the Crossett City Council Monday night, October 16, the bonds are now on track to be paid back in 15 years instead of the original 20-year life of the bonds. Ledger's Web Site Wins Another Award During the 2006 annual convention of the Arkansas Press Assocation in Hot Springs the weekend of June 22, the Ashley County Ledger's electronic edition was recognized as the third best weekly electronic edition in the state.
Crossett Council Approves Budget The Crossett City Council adopted an operating budget for 2007 in a special meeting Friday, December 29. The budget estimates revenue for next year at $3,987,000, approximately $164,000 more than last year. It also includes no raises for city employees. |
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