Saturday, September 01, 2007

Lafferty Spring and Cave

Lafferty was originally called Anderson. The Mill Dam was built by Ransom W. Luther who operated a Gristmill there during the late 19th Century. The area is known for its magnesium mining which supported the towns growth.





















NOTE: If you notice filenames, you may have noticed that there is a reference to "ricspics" in the filepath. These are images taken by a charter member of our crew. Enjoy his shots...he has contributed greatly to this site.

EIC Journal entry here!

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

d. dad,

JK has a question. Its about the elevations stated (via link to zip 72556) at

http://radar.weather.gov/Conus/index_loop.php

I know on most Arkansas courthouses there's a brass disk located on a corner and an elevation is stamped thereon. The elevation to the best of my recollection differs from the 699' given on NOAA's site.

Any ideas? Oh, thanks for taking us to Moccasin. I remember very fondly a certain spring.

JK

Al-Ozarka said...

Iff 699' is not correct, JK, it must be quite close. My own location is at about 780' and I am up the hill from the square.

Anonymous said...

Well D. Dad,

It's hard to show sheepishness through typeface. That's the reason JK will simply acknowledge he did say, "to the best of recollection", and to add a friend with GPS came by, took JK in truck and showed him "recollection" is sometimes not the best thing to depend on.

Crow is not too bad 'cept for the doggone feathers. Not exactly hawking a loogie but pert near.

JK

Al-Ozarka said...

Sometimes...just sometimes, mind you...recollection is more satisfying than reality, eh?

Anonymous said...

Yes.

JK

Anonymous said...

I think this would be the first settlement of Izard County. Henry Rowe Schoolcraft was in this area in 1818. John Lafferty was well established by this time. I have heard tales of him being here when there were still bluff dwellers and a native american population in our area! Can you imagine what it was like then! Looking forward to our trip to Needles Eye.

Wayne Hill

Al-Ozarka said...

Me too, Wayne!

The weather...it is a-changin'!

In the next couple of weeks we're going to make a tentative schedule for some autumn excursions. I'll holler at ya!

Anonymous said...

JK "thinks" one can google a site called "encyclopedia of arkansas", its' got a piece on Lafferty that he was here as early as 1802 perhaps earlier (prior to the Louisiana Purchase).

JK has been in a fairly tedious process of tracing his own ancestry in N. AR and seems to see some indication that Lafferty and some others may've been trading hides (with help from Natives on the White) with the French at Arkansas Post. Bit rushed just now, will be back.

JK

Anonymous said...

http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/default.aspx

Plug Lafferty into "search" hit the results for Izard County.

JK

Al-Ozarka said...

JK, you'll be happy to know that the Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture is linked on the sidebar.

I've actually got an article pending publication in that much appreciated online publication.

The reference to Arkansas Post and trading is interesting. One of the caves we have documented near Melbourne is rumored to have had Spanish gold found inside in the past.

Also...this may be of interest to you and our other readers. (Scroll to page 25 of the document!)

Anonymous said...

Brings back a lot of memories having spent the first 10 years of my life (1948 - 1958)in the house nearest the Lafferty spring. Watched my father (Verlin "Tom" Pittman) lay the first water pipes from the spring to our house.

Also appreciate the pics from the Ray Cemetery. Did not know that it existed or that my great grandfather, JTW Barksdale, was buried there.

Thanks so much,
Gary Pittman

Anita Lopez said...

My mom was born in Lafferty Arkansas 1943. To Monroe and Lucille Harris.