Founders Day to be Celebrated at Petit Jean State Park
Founders Day to be Celebrated at Petit Jean State Park
Who would have guessed that a simple country doctor could have made such a big difference in the lives of future Arkansans and visitors to Arkansas, all because of his love of a very special place called Petit Jean? The legacy of Dr. T.W. Hardison and other founders and builders of Arkansas’s first state park will be commemorated on Petit Jean State Park’s annual Founders Day, the Saturday of Labor Day Weekend 2010.
The day’s events will begin at 8:30 a.m. with a walk starting at the park’s ball field to see and old chimney and other structures built in the 1930’s by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). At 11:00 a.m., a reading of tales by Dr. Hardison, who was also a gifted writer and storyteller, will take place in the lobby of historic Mather Lodge. A family oriented “riddle hunt” activity is also planned for Mather Lodge, beginning in the lobby at 2:00 p.m. And at 4:00 p.m., visitors of all ages are invited to play a “Petit Jean style” version of softball at the ball field.
In the evening, the park’s early years, as well as special things about other Arkansas state parks, will be featured in a presentation at the amphitheater, beginning at 8:00 p.m. And at 8:30 p.m., the amphitheater will be the place to hear Dr. Hardison’s version of a local killing of a man, a fascinating Petit Jean area story from more than 100 years ago.
This event is free of charge and open to the public. For more information, contact the park at (501) 727-5441 or by email at petitjean@arkansas.com. You may also visit our website at www.petitjeanstatepark.com.
