Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Frontier Days Are October 26-27

In the 1840s when the southwest Arkansas town of Washington was a bustling outpost along the Southwest Trail, pioneers needed common sense and a lot of skills to survive here.

Spinning cotton, weaving cloth, churning butter and quilting were just a few of the skills required for life on the frontier, and on October 26-27, some of those traditional handicrafts will be on display during the 20th annual Frontier Days. Hosted by Old Washington Historic State Park, located nine miles northwest of Hope on Highway 4, the event will take place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day.

"Our emphasis during Frontier Days is on authenticity," says Carey Walker, park superintendent. "We want to demonstrate skills that were really needed during the 19th century."

The event will take place in the "old town" area of Old Washington Historic State Park, which is located on the east side of Arkansas Highway 4.

The park, which was created in 1973, preserves a number of homes and structures dating from the early to mid-1800s. Among those structures is the newly-restored 1836 Hempstead County Courthouse, which also served as the state's Confederate Capitol after the fall of Little Rock in 1863. Guided tours of the structures are offered daily.

During Frontier Days, visitors can see demonstrations of glass blowing, weaving, spinning, churning, quilting, candle dipping, rail splitting, storytelling and 19th-century printing techniques.

Artists will be sketching and artisans will form sachets from dried flowers and herbs. Visitors can also learn about such techniques as graining, which is used in restoring the historic structures in the park.

In addition, pioneer and civil war re-enactors will help further create the 19th century atmosphere and antique weapons will be demonstrated. Many of the handmade items created by the crafts people will also be for sale.

Performances of 19th-century secular and gospel music will add to the festivities.

Festival-goers can buy box lunches or, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day, lunch will be served at the historic Williams Tavern Restaurant, known for its delicious southern-style fare.

Sassafras tea and other 19th-century foods will also be available for sampling. A $2 entry fee per person allows admission on both days.

Also this fall, Old Washington will host performances of The Romantic Realist-Albert Pike at 7 p.m., November 8-9, and at 2 p.m. on November 10.

The play, which was written by Ann Bittick of Washington, will be performed by the Washington Players. On November 8-9, admission is $17.50 per person and includes dinner. Admission is $8 for adults and $5 for children under age 12 for the November 10 show, which doesn't include a meal.

On November 16, you can get into the Christmas spirit during the Christmas Designers Workshop from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Here you can learn hands-on techniqes to create Christmas decorations.

The fee is $20 and includes lunch.

Make plans to return to Old Washington from 4 to 8 p.m. December 7 for Christmas and Candlelight.

During this popular event, the park is festive with 19th century decorations, and hundreds of luminairas light the streets and walkways. Carolers and minstrels will perform, and visitors can tour the park's historic structures.

Admission is $10 for adults and $6 for children at the gate. Advance registration is $9 for adults and $5 for children.

For more information on these and other events, contact the park at P.O. Box 98, Washington, AR 71862. (501) 983-2684.