Travel - grace grits and gardening

Wilson, Arkansas

February 3, 2014 By Talya Tate Boerner

I’ll admit it. When the Wilson family sold out to Gaylon Lawrence Sr. and Jr. in 2011, I was skeptical. And worried. Lee Wilson & Company was as much a fixture in our little corner of Northeast Arkansas as the Mississippi River. Before my Daddy started farming, he worked as an accountant for Lee Wilson & Company. We lived in Wilson, Arkansas on tree-shaded Washington Street.

How could a total stranger just waltz in and buy up one of our towns? Our cutest town. The town where my high school team played football on Friday nights while I cheered from the sidelines.

Well it happened alright to the tune of $150 million. And so far, from what I’ve seen (and I’ve seen the chocolate chess pie at the Wilson Cafe) the change is a very tasty thing.

The Wilson Cafe (at the former Tavern location which still holds a sweet spot in my heart) is serving up marvelous homestyle food like 3-inch thick meatloaf smothered in cream gravy with sweet potato pie for dessert. And it isn’t just the food that has me blogging. The entire experience was a treat—clean, understated decor, walls lined with original paintings from local artist Norwood Creech, attentive wait staff willing to move us three times as our group continued to grow… Really, for a moment, I forgot I was home in the Delta.

Over one hundred years ago, Robert E. Lee Wilson created a vast empire from Mississippi Delta swampland. The effects of his vision have been far-reaching, affecting the entire region and country, affecting me. Change is often unsettling and difficult, yet Lawrence appears to be enhancing Mr. Wilson’s original vision, breathing life back into the charming town. And he’s only just begun. Additional plans including a private charter school and relocation of the Hampson Archeological Museum which houses a huge collection of pre-Columbian artifacts.

For the first time in a long time, Wilson is attracting first-time visitors, but perhaps more importantly, Wilson is bringing people back home.

Grace Grits and Gardening

Architecture of the Ozarks

November 13, 2013 By Talya Tate Boerner

Eureka Springs, Arkansas

Spring Street (or thereabouts…)
wordless wednesday

upper spring

storefront shell

grotto

along hiking path

moss

face in stone wall

“…just close your eyes and breathe softly through your nose; you will hear the whispered message, for all landscapes ask the same question in the same whisper. ‘I am watching you — are you watching yourself in me?’― Lawrence Durrell, Spirit Of Place: Letters And Essays On Travel

talya

Grace Grits and Gardening
Farm. Food. Garden. Life.

Civil War in Helena, Arkansas

November 11, 2013 By Talya Tate Boerner

(Note: Helena Advertising and Promotions Commission sponsored this blogger trip. Opinions are my own.)

Freedom Park

On this Veterans Day, I’m thinking about my recent Civil War tour of Helena, Arkansas. Arkansas is rich in Civil War history and Helena in particular has a unique past as a Union stronghold. Yes, Union… Although a pro-South state, the town of Helena (population 1,600 at the time) was largely untouched by Civil War until General Samuel Curtis marched into town with twelve thousand Union soldiers.

This year marked the 150th year of the Battle of Helena. I’m embarrassed to say until my recent trip to Helena, (courtesy of Helena Advertising and Promotions Commission), I wasn’t aware of this battle. I was always more concerned with diagramming sentences than history, and this particular battle slipped through the cracks of my Arkansas education. Plus, perhaps understandably the Battle of Helena was completely overshadowed by Gettysburg, which occurred the same day.

My quick glimpse of Civil War sites will not do justice to the incredible history lesson that is Helena. Visit Civil War Helena for a more comprehensive look. Better yet, drive on over.

Freedom Park

Camps at Freedom Park housed most of the slaves escaping through Arkansas. This was Arkansas’ first stop on the Underground Railroad.

Re-enactor Jack Myers (Delta Cultural Center) at Freedom Park.

Freedom Park includes five exhibits with illustrated panels,
life size figures and statues, and structures representing a plantation house and refugee dwelling.

Fort Curtis

From inside this earthen fort, the sky looked the same, yet the ground felt hallowed.

Fort Curtis

Battery C

Strategically placed along the tip of Crowley’s Ridge, Battery C was perfectly positioned to defend from Confederate land attacks as well as control the Mississippi River. A truly breathtaking view, the land has been preserved and protected by a tangled growth of kudzu.

View of the Mississippi from Battery C

Battery C under development – Wire structure to represent original earthen battery.

Helena is a must see for history buffs. Even if you’ve never considered yourself a fan of Civil War history, you’ll probably change your mind after a visit to Helena. How could you not?

On great fields something stays. Forms change and pass; bodies disappear; but spirits linger to consecrate ground for the vision-place of souls…This is the great reward of service. To live far out and on, in the life of others;…to give life’s best for such high sake that it should be found again unto eternal life.― Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain

talya

Grace Grits and Gardening

Farm. Food. Garden. Life.

P.S. A big thank you to Jack Myers and Ron Kelley (Delta Cultural Center) for tours of Freedom Park and Fort Curtis and Cathy Cunningham (Southern Bancorp Community Partners) for providing a fascinating look at Battery C under development.

Check out my other Helena blog posts by clicking on the links below…
King Biscuit Time and the Music of Helena
Canoeing the Mississippi River at Helena

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