Thomas Wolfe, in the title of his 1940 novel, said, “You can’t go home again.” Yet I’ve never had a problem returning to Little Rock, Ark., again and again. I relish the progress in my hometown, as if I were nurturing my own child.
My latest trip to Arkansas’ capital city was just a few months before Thursday’s 40th anniversary of the day nine black students entered the Little Rock Central High School campus escorted by federal troops. Until William Jefferson “Bill” Clinton became president, it was another governor, Orval Faubus, who in trying to halt the integration had made the name of Little Rock known around the world, infamously so.
I remember, as if it were yesterday, the caravan of green-suited troops traveling up 14th Street to Central High School, 11 blocks west of my home. My family and I stood on the corner of 14th and Ringo Streets in awe as endless truckloads rumbled up the street. The next few days, weeks and months were turbulent times for the entire city.
No doubt these lingering memories of civil unrest, along with the misconception that Little Rock is Dogpatch and its citizens are hillbillies, have limited visitors to the “Land of Opportunity,” the “Natural State.” So on this brief excursion home, more than just calling on family, friends and attending church, I wanted to fully explore all Little Rock has to offer any vacationer.
When I grew up, if anything happened in Arkansas, it happened first in Little Rock, the state’s cultural, educational, financial and geographical hub. So I spent the first afternoon reacclimating myself to the latest urban delights in this bustling metropolis (current population: 182,274 city, 550,937 area), which is nestled in a mishmash of verdant palisades and lush valley along the swift-moving Arkansas River.
My first stop was the downtown cultural and entertainment River Market District, a five-block area east of the Statehouse Convention Center. Located in an old warehouse area, the district is compact and walkable. It envelops Riverfront Park (complemented by a belvedere commanding a great view of the suburb of North Little Rock across the river), a 1,200-seat amphitheater and the $3.5 million River Market. The noted la petite roche or little rock that gives the city its name can be seen in the park (Markham Street and La Harpe Boulevard).
An arcade outfitted with a food court offering Japanese, Middle Eastern, Cajun Creole and Mexican cuisine, along with the ubiquitous barbecue, the River Market (which I would return to several times during my sojourn) is a magnet that draws Baby Boomers and Generation X’ers alike. On Saturday morning, Little Rockians crowd the market to buy fresh flowers, select cuts of meat and poultry from the butcher, or sip gourmet coffee as they read newspapers and chat. Saturday is also the big market day for farmers from around the state who bring fresh produce and other goods to sell in the two adjacent pavilions.
As I wended through the narrow streets, I was delighted to discover that the River Market will soon be joined by the new $10.3 million Central Arkansas Library (opening this fall) and the Museum of Science and History in a “Museum Center” that will also mix commercial developments with offices, restaurants and shops.
I ended the day at the Children’s Museum of Arkansas, located at Union Station (1400 W. Markham), which still operates as a train station. Memories of days gone by flooded my consciousness upon entering the parking lot. As children, my brother, sister and I would board the train every Thanksgiving for St. Louis to visit our cousins. Because the dining car of the train was segregated, my mother would pack us a box lunch of fried chicken, bread, fruit and other goodies. We could hardly contain our excitement at traveling alone to the big city for a few days of fun.
The next five days were filled with a flurry of activity. History and culture were paramount on my list as Little Rock wisely has preserved much of its past. A tour of the Quapaw Quarter–the name Quapaw is borrowed from the Quapaw Indians who lived in central Arkansas before the white settlers arrived in the early 19th Century–revealed much of Little Rock’s history. The 9-square-mile historic district encompasses the Arkansas Territorial Restoration, the Old State House, Villa Marre, the Governor’s Mansion, the old Arkansas Museum of Science and History, the Decorative Arts Museum, Trapnall Hall and an outstanding collection of private homes of Queen Anne, Colonial Revival and Craftsman architecture.
The Arkansas Territorial Restoration (200 E. 3rd St.) is an intriguing retreat to the 19th Century. The hourly guided tours showcase the oldest building in Little Rock, the Hinderliter Grog Shop (1819); two 1840s houses, hand-built by Scottish stone masons; and a re-creation of the 1824 print shop of the Arkansas Gazette, the oldest newspaper west of the Mississippi River. The costumed actor who portrayed one of the first residents of the museum’s houses topped off the tour. After a quick spree at the museum’s gift shop, which sells works from more than 200 Arkansas artisans, I appreciated all the more the state’s independence and ingenuity.
A tour of the Villa Marre (1321 S. Scott St.), a 19th Century Italianate Victorian home decorated with period furnishings, gave me insight as to how rich people in Little Rock once lived. Its facade was featured as the backdrop for the award-winning television show “Designing Women.”
I could only stand outside to admire the Old State House (300 W. Markham), the Greek Revival building that served as Arkansas’ capitol from 1836-1911. Now a museum of Arkansas history with changing exhibits, it was the stunning backdrop for Clinton’s entry into the presidential race and, subsequently, for both of his victory speeches. The museum is undergoing extensive renovation and will open in spring 1999.
Toltec Mounds Archeological State Park and the Plantation Agriculture Museum, in the Delta farm town of Scott, about a 20-minute drive southeast of the capital city, were the next destinations on my journey back into Little Rock history.
Scott’s Toltec (490 Toltec Mounds Rd.) is the site of Arkansas’ tallest prehistoric Indian mounds, inhabited from 600 to 900 A.D. The mound complex is an archeological interpretive center, a National Historic Landmark and on the National Register of Historic Places. Soothing Native American music set the mood as I meandered from exhibit to exhibit of prehistoric artifacts. And, although I felt a connectedness to the environment, my imagination worked overtime as I tried to picture a village that today is only a wide open field with markers.
Opened in 1989, the Plantation Agriculture Museum is housed in a store built in 1912 and pays homage to the importance of cotton to Arkansas’ economy. Static and rotating exhibits portray plantation life with displays of early implements, cotton gin and bales. One exhibit about Scott Bond, a slave who became a wealthy merchant, brought the past startlingly to life.
Toward mid-week, I realized I would need at least another week to really investigate all Little Rock has to offer. I hadn’t even scratched the surface in a city that features so much natural beauty–parks, lakes, streams–nor had I done the requisite shopping at Pavilion in the Park, Park Plaza, University Mall or McCain Mall, just to name a few. Carefully plotting my next move, I opted to check out the arts scene, restaurants and Central High School.
Visiting the Decorative Arts Museum (7th and Rock Streets), also known as the Pike-Fletcher-Terry House, brought a rush of nostalgia as I browsed its seven galleries. As a 10th-grade biology student, I was required to assemble a leaf collection that needed a ginkgo specimen. This mansion was the only place in town to find it. Urged by my mother to speak to the lady of the house, I timidly asked the 70-something Mrs. Adolphine Terry, who had marched in every progressive cause from the suffragette movement forward, if I could pick some leaves from her tree. Gracious and gregarious, she granted my request, simultaneously imparting advice. The experience is forever etched in my memory.
The Arkansas Arts Center (MacArthur Park, 9th and Commerce Streets) was reserved for a Friday evening excursion to hear jazz while viewing the stupendous works of art. Nationally recognized for its diversity, the center houses a children’s theater, museum school, gift shop and the Vineyard in the Park restaurant. Its 7,000 fine art and decorative art objects include important American and European drawings and major works by Rembrandt, Delacroix, Van Gogh, Degas, Rubens and Picasso.
Barbecue and fried catfish were staple restaurant fare when I was a young adult living and working in the capital city. Eating out in today’s Little Rock requires more savoir-faire as cuisine now runs the gamut from nouvelle American to continental. Three restaurants satiated my palate.
Bella Italia (1501 N. University), an intimate, upscale Italian restaurant where the attentive waiter doted on my every wish, yielded a scrumptious black linguine with seafood. Vino’s Pizza (923 W. 7th St.), a funky, noisy, poetry-reading, independent-film-showing micro brewery, served up a delicious fresh crunchy salad and a “mean” calzone. Vino’s serves at least 16 brews. The elegant Cafe St. Moritz (225 E. Markham), near the River Walk District, prepared a delectable repast one evening after a jazz series at River Market. My companions and I dined sufficiently on roast lamb, seafood and pasta.
I also managed to sneak in a trip to the Old Mill in North Little Rock (Lakeshore Drive and Fairway Avenue), a historic re-creation of an 1800s water-powered grist mill featured in the opening scene of the movie “Gone With the Wind,” and a tour of the Aerospace Education Center (3301 E. Roosevelt Rd.), which features an IMAX Theater and interactive exhibits.
But I couldn’t leave Little Rock without one last emotional look at my alma mater, Central High, a five-story, neo-Gothic Revival-style building. My memories of Central in the late ’60s are simple. It was a place where I had to hustle to make a class on the fourth floor after rifling my first floor locker for needed books. A place where black and white students, for the most part, agreeably went about the business of getting an education. Once cited as America’s most beautiful school, Central is now designated one of the country’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. As I wandered the campus, I found it hard to believe that such a beautiful, dignified place was once occupied by troops and angry mobs; that nine young black students could have caused such a volatile outbreak. But they did.
The Little Rock of today is no longer just a city of black and white. Asians and Hispanics have joined the mix to make my hometown a city of diversity with a wealth of culture, history and activity to sustain its residents and entice visitors. I can’t wait to go home–again.
DETAILS ON LITTLE ROCK
Getting there: Southwest (800-435-9792) has the only non-stop from Chicago to Little Rock (prices start about $150 round trip), but TWA (800-221-2000) and other major airlines have connecting service.
Amtrak (800-872-7245) provides passenger train service three times per week from Chicago. Round-trip coach fare is as low as $155.
Getting around: While Arkansas’ capital city operates a public transportation system (Central Arkansas Transit) and there are plenty of metered taxicabs, trying to get around Little Rock’s 105.4 square miles is best done by car. Avis, Hertz and Budget all have service counters at Little Rock National Airport.
Accommodations: Two wonderful discoveries on my trip home were bed-and-breakfast inns, both located in the historic Quapaw Quarter. The Empress of Little Rock (2120 Louisiana St.; 501-374-7966) is a beautifully restored Gothic Queen Anne-design mansion. The five available rooms range from $100 to $140, including gourmet breakfast. The Neo-classic Hotze House Bed & Breakfast (1619 Louisiana St.; 501-376-6563) also has five guest rooms available. Prices range from $90 to $110, including full breakfast.
The downtown Doubletree Hotel (Markham and Broadway; 800-222-8733) starts at $85 (single or double). Other choices: the Holiday Inn-Select (201 S. Shackleford St.; 800-465-4329) at $88 (single) to $96 (double), and the Courtyard by Marriott (10900 Financial Center; 800-321-2211), $76 (single or double).
Central High commemoration: President Clinton will participate in the commemorative ceremony at Central High School on Thursday. The schedule of events, which began Saturday and runs through next Saturday, includes the opening of a Central High visitors center in a former gas station across the street from the school; the center will hold a series of signing ceremonies that will feature civil rights leader Daisy Bates, author of “The Long Shadow of Little Rock,” and several members of the Little Rock Nine. Other events will include a history symposium and a civil rights conference. On Saturday Central High School will celebrate its 70th anniversary. Call 501-371-4525.
Excursions: Little Rock’s central location makes it a perfect base for daylong side trips to:
– Pinnacle Mountain State Park. Just 15 miles west of downtown Little Rock, the 1,800-acre park contains five trails, a picnic area with a pavilion–and the mountain for which it was named. Open every day. 11901 Pinnacle Valley Rd., Roland, Ark.; 501-868-5806.
– Hot Springs National Park. Take the thermal baths at the world famous resort, just 53 miles southwest of Little Rock. The “works,” which takes about 1 1/2 hours, includes a 20-minute whirlpool soak, scrub-down, steam cabinet, sitz bath, a hot pack and a refreshing needle shower, followed by a massage. The cost is about $34. For information contact Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism, at 800-NATURAL.
Information: Little Rock Convention and Visitors Bureau, P.O. Box 3232, Little Rock, Ark. 72203; 501-376-4781 or 800-844-4781; and on the Web at www.littlerock.com/lrcvb.
