Old Lunenburg Saloon: Dismantled, Moved!

On Saturday, September 25th, a group of around a dozen hearty individuals with a desire to see one of Izard County's historical treasures preserved met at the site of the Old Lunenburg Saloon to dismantle the old relic and move it to the grounds of the Lunenburg Community Center where it will be rebuilt and restored. For many years, people have talked about the need to preserve this important piece of Izard County's history and culture and on Saturday, a very big step was taken to finally follow through on the talk. Although the task of actually getting the building moved has now been accomplished, the hard work lies ahead as the logs are to be repaired, replaced, and preserved before the work begins on reconstruction.

While the repairs are being made and replacement logs sought, the Lunenburg Community Center Association will begin raising money to pour a concrete slab which the Saloon will eventually rest upon, buy the materials for the authentic cedar-shake roof, for period-style furnishings, and for any other costs created by the project...including upkeep of the building.

We hope you or your business will support this effort to preserve Izard County's history by donating to the Lunenburg Community Center Association. You can do so by contacting Roger Harvell at:
870-368-3618
or via e-mail at:
rogerh48@earthlink.net

Video Coming Soon!

Tagging the Tavern

Video Below!




It is unknown exactly when the old Lunenburg Saloon was erected. The town itself, originally called "Rocky Bayou" can be dated to at least 1820 and legend has it that the opening of the tavern occurred soon after the first business, a trading post, began operation.

Because of its early importance to the Izard County community, it is imperative that this unique structure is preserved. That's why The Lunenburg Community Center Association along with EIC has decided to dismantle the old relic which was donated by its current owners, Will and Pam Willbanks, and relocate it on the grounds of the existing Lunenburg Community Center (The old Lunenburg Schoolhouse).

This weekend, Jim, Bo, and I along with Roger Harvell prepared the building for dismantling by tagging the logs for reference when it is re-erected at it's new site. The logs will be stored until we can clean them all, restore those that need restoration, and replace those that cannot be salvaged. Once repairs have been made and replacements fashioned, a slab will be poured and the building will be restored complete with a period cedar-shake roof. The building will be moved on Saturday, September 25th, 2010.

EIC is proud to be a part of this important project and hopes that the community will get involved as well by helping the Lunenburg Community Association fund the project through donations and sponsorships.

If you would like to help us dismantle and move the saloon, join us at 7 AM next Saturday at the old Smith-Tate home near the bridge at Lunenburg!

Save the Saloon!

A Reminder that we'll be having our second meeting to plan the moving of the Old Lunenburg Saloon from near the old Smith-Tate home to its new location on the Lunenburg Community Center grounds.

We'll be setting up committees and need all the help and skills we can get!

Join us at the Lunenburg Community Center tomorrow night, August 10th, at 6PM!

Let's save this important historic building, Izard County's first saloon!

NOTE

We promised our e-mail subscribers an article covering our awesome journey as we've built Exploring Izard County this weekend. We're sorry to say that we'll miss our deadline but want you to know the article is in the works and will be worth the read once it's published sometime over the next couple of days! Stay Tuned!

New Historical Marker at Lunenburg!

This is the new Historical Marker recently placed in front of the Lunenburg Community Center commemorating the January 1864 skirmish that took place along Rocky Bayou.

Click Image to Enlarge.

Civil-War Re-Enactment Near Melbourne (Pioneer Day)

The Seventh Arkansas Volunteer Infantry will bring to life the Battle of Lunenburg on Saturday, May 1st at 3:00 p.m. The public is invited to the recreation of the battle in the same farm field south of Melbourne where the 1864 battle was fought. Led by their color guards, Confederate and Union re-enactors in authentic uniforms will take up positions as five full size cannons take the field. A second re-enactment is planned for Sunday, May 2nd at 2:00 p.m.

The Izard County Historical and Genealogical Society and the Arkansas Civil War Sesquicentennial Historical Marker Program are placing a plaque commemorating the battle on the grounds of the Lunenburg Community Center. This plaque will be unveiled on Saturday at 5:00 p.m. after the re-enactment. The text of the plaque reads:

“On January 20, 1864, a detail of 44 men of the Fourth Arkansas Mounted Infantry Volunteers (U.S.) under Capt. T. A. Baxter, the brother of a future Arkansas governor, attacked Col. T. R. Freeman’s Confederates, driving them from their camp at Lunenburg. Four Confederates were seriously wounded and two were captured, along with horses and equipment. The Fourth Arkansas lost one man killed in the skirmish. The combat at Lunenburg illustrates the war’s true nature: Most of the men in both forces were residents of Izard County.”

The Izard County Historical and Genealogical Society is raising $1,000 in matching funds for the plaque. Contributions can be sent to ICHGS, PO Box 306, Pineville, AR 72566. To watch the battle of Lunenburg, take Highway 9 southwest from Melbourne, turn left on Country Road 3, drive back three and a half miles to the Community Center. For more information, contact Historical Society President Roger Harvell at 870-368-3618 or mailto:rogerh48@earthlink.net