Living history

LITTLE ROCK — Cadron Settlement came to life once again on Sept. 28 as students from Conway's Carl Stuart Middle School participated in their annual living history project at what is now Cadron Settlement Park on the banks of the Arkansas River west of Conway.

Dressed in costumes appropriate for the 1800s, students manned several "stations" set up in the park, which is now maintained by the U.S. Corps of Engineers, and explained to visitors what roles they were portraying.

"This is a fun hands-on-day for Arkansas history students," said Sherry Tipps-Holder, the eighth-grade teacher who teaches both Arkansas and world history at the local middle school. Tipps-Holder and fellow teacher Kaye McMillian are in charge of the project, which is made possible through a grant from the Arkansas Humanities Council.

"This is our eighth year for the project," McMillian explained. "We come every year when we study Arkansas history. This is a perfect place to recall our state's history. We want to take advantage of it as often as we can."

According to information on a marker erected at the park, the Cadron Settlement is an "old settlement on Arkansas River at the mouth of Cadron Creek founded about 1814. Granted post-office in 1820. Designated as capital of Arkansas territory by House of Representatives in 1820. County seat of Pulaski County 1820-21. County seat of Conway County 1825-81." The Corps of Engineers dedicated the park in May 1979. In addition to the school's living history day, several annual re-enactments are held at the site, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. For more information on Cadron Settlement, visit the Web site www.encyclopediaof arkansas.net or any local public library.

Recent visitors to the park were able to attend a class in a one-room school house, watch children play old-fashioned games, meet Osage Indians, taste pioneer foods such as hand-churned butter and watch pioneer women quilt and spin. Steamboat captains were on hand to explain the importance of riverboat travel during the early years and fur trappers displayed their wares. In total, there were 25 different stations where visitors could hear facts about the area.

Among the historical characters portrayed by students were John Standlee, portrayed by Ben Sattelbergan, early explorer of the area, and John McElmurry,portrayed by Tyler Thurman, owner of what is now called the Cadron Blockhouse, which was used for a trading post, tavern, public gathering place, inn and fort, said Wesley Manion, who portrayed the Blockhouse interpreter. Hernando DeSoto, portrayed by Hart Denton, the Spanish explorer who once traveled through the area, was portrayed as well as Thomas Nutall, portrayed by Mitchell Eason, the English naturalist and explorer who mapped the area.

A number of Cherokees were also portrayed as they crossed the Trail of Tears during the removal of the Native Americans by the United States government from the East to the West.

Eighth-grader Seth Washispack played the role of JohnClaw, a French fur trader, who explained the life of a trader was "very hard here. We had to deal with insects, which carry disease," he said. He showed some of the furs he hoped to trade while at Cadron - a skunk, raccoon, coyote, otter and squirrels.

Haley Kinggard, another eighth-grade student, portrayed an Indian maiden. When asked the name of the character she was portraying, she said, "I'm known only as the wife of Robin Shelton." She was among those crossing the Trail of Tears. "Many, many Indians died here," the Indian maiden noted. "Almost 500 died from measles and they are buried all along the bluffs. I died from cholera."

Several members of the Early Arkansaw Reenactors Associationparticipated in the project. Earl Harrell of Little Rock took on the persona of an Eastern frontiersman and trapper, whose role during the recent living history day was to demonstrate quill and bead work. He was set up inside the blockhouse along with Larry Thompson of Conway, who portrayed the "sutler," or owner of the trading post. He showed visitors some of the basic stock items that might have been available at the trading post - blankets , guns, tins, cooper, knives and traps.

All eighth-grade students from Carl Start Middle School, as well as those from St. Joseph School, toured the settlement during the day. A group from Rich Mountain Community College in Mena were at the park as well and took advantage of the living history lesson.