FIRST - 100 YEARS OF EUREKA SPRINGS
N 36° 24.074 W 093° 44.263
15S E 433849 N 4028705
FIRST 100 YEARS EUREKA SPRINGS ARKANSAS
Waymark Code: WMZ6A
Location: Arkansas, United States
Date Posted: 11/20/2006
Views: 63
THIS MAY BE THE LARGEST MURAL IN ARKANSAS AS WELL.
IT IS A GREAT WORK OF ART AND FIRST OF IT'S CATEGORY.
The Eureka Springs area had a reputation as a tourist destination well before the first pioneers reached Arkansas. Several Native American legends tell of a Great Healing Spring in the Eureka Springs area.
On 14 February 1880 Eureka Springs was incorporated as a city. Thousands of visitors came to the springs based on Saunders promotion and covered the area with tents and shanties. Late in 1881 the town reached a population of 10,000. In 1881 Eureka Springs enjoyed the status of Arkansas's fourth largest city.
After his term as a reconstruction Governor, Powell Clayton moved to heavily unionist Eureka Springs and began promoting the city and its commercial interests. Clayton promoted the town as a retirement community for the wealthy and Eureka Springs soon became known for gracious living and a wealthy lifestyle.
In 1882 the Eureka Springs Improvement Company was formed to attract a railroad to the city. Eureka Springs soon established itself as one of the premier vacation resorts of the Victorian era. The town experienced a construction boom and thousands of homes and commercial enterprises were constructed in only two years. These Victorian buildings still exist and are responsible for the entire town of Eureka Springs being placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
In 1886 the magnificent Crescent Hotel was constructed at the top of the mountain and attracted a wealthy clientele. The hotel is a member of the "Historic Hotels of America" organization. The Hotel has been restored and is one of Arkansas's premier luxury hotels.
At the turn of the 20th century the fortunes of Eureka Springs began to decline. The national focus on science and technology lessened the attractiveness of Eureka Springs and its "magical waters". The Great Depression hit the town hard with many buildings deteriorating or being torn down for materials.
As the century progressed the town gained popularity as a retreat for artists, writers, and intellectuals who were seeking a simple and less expensive nostalgic lifestyle. Eureka Springs maintains its reputation as a safe haven for artists and other creative people.
Christ of the Ozarks
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Christ of the Ozarks
In 1964 controversial Minister Gerald L. K. Smith began construction of a planned religious theme park at Eureka Springs. The park was never fully developed as originally planned.
In 1966 the centerpiece of Smith's plan, the Christ of the Ozarks Statue, was completed overlooking the town on Magnetic Mountain at an elevation of 1500 feet. The sculptor, Emmet Sullivan was one of the sculptors of Mount Rushmore.
Smith also planned for a life-size recreation of ancient Jerusalem in the hills near Eureka Springs and did create the east gate of the recreated city. The Elna M. Smith Foundation still resides on the site and maintains a Bible Museum and continues to slowly work on the Jerusalem recreation.
The Smith foundation also conducts the famous Great Passion Play each night during the summer months. Hundreds of actors portray the story of Christ's crucifixion in an outdoor amphitheater. The play is conducted on the side of a hill where an impressive permanent set has been constructed complete with Golgotha and magnificent recreations of Jerusalem's streets.
Since 1976 country music and entertainment theaters including Pine Mountain Jamboree and Ozark Mountain Hoe-Down have entertained tourists and locals alike.
In recent years the popularity of Branson, Missouri, has both increased the number of tourists arriving in Eureka Springs but has also impeded on the town's old world charm. The influx of guests has also led to increased commercial activity.
Several franchised hotels provide accommodations. The town also has a large number of Victorian homes converted to Bed and Breakfasts, providing more personalized service and local flavor. Additionally, the Little Portion Hermitage[1], a ministry of the Catholic-based Brothers & Sisters of Charity, provides contemplative as well as inexpensive lodging.
Lifestyle and people
Eureka Springs has a unique eclectic mix of people and lifestyles. The city is proud of its reputation as a safe haven for artists and intellectuals. It was home to WPA-era muralist Louis Freund (one of his murals may still be viewed at the Banl of Eureka Springs), jeweler Elsa Freund (named one of the foremost jewely designers of the 1950's), novelist Constance Wagner, painter Tommy Thomas, and many others. Later, culinary writer and children's book author Crescent Dragonwagon, dubbed by USA Today "the most interesting person in Eureka Springs", made her home there for 33 years. With her late husband Ned Shank, she co-founded both the first bed-and-breakfast inn in the town, Dairy Hollow House, and later the non-profit Writer's Colony at Dairy Hollow.
Yet the town has also remained a premier destination for religious tourists visiting various Christian-themed attractions, including the Little Portion Hermitage[2], founded by prominent Christian musician John Michael Talbot[3].
Visitors to Eureka Springs can expect to see hippies, artists, bikers, local residents, preachers, a highly visible gay and lesbian population and UFO enthusiasts all pursuing their divergent interests in the same place. They might well run into the town's former mayor, Richard Schoeninger, who caused a stir by posing nude in the Arkansas Timesin 1984.
Events
Eureka Springs is the home to a large number of unique events. The town is a very popular destination for motorcyclists from around the world and plays host to annual motorcycle rallies and meets. Each year the town hosts several auto shows featuring different automobile styles.
The city also boasts an annual UFO conference and a twice yearly Diversity Weekend. Blues (with such names as Taj Mahal, Muddy Waters, the late Ray Charles and Keb' Mo' performing) , jazz, folk, and classical music are each celebrated with a weekend dedicated to the particular genre each year. A well-attended poetry festival is also held each year. There is a great deal of local theater as well, much of it held at the large stone auditorium, built in the city's downtown in 1929 and inaugurated with a concert by John Phillips Sousa. Later, a movie titled "...And Pass the Ammo", featuring Tim Curry and Bill Paxton, was filmed in the city, with the Auditorium featured in several scenes.
FIRST - Classification Variable: Place or Location
Date of FIRST: 01/01/1929
More Information - Web URL: [Web Link]
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