JACKSONPORT — When Portfest is in full swing, it can be easy to forget the history of Jacksonport State Park. Crowds gather at the main stage with blankets and camping chairs. They pull in on boats and stand in line for gator-on-a-stick and funnel cakes.
But even when the park is at its most crowded, park superintendent Mark Ballard can be counted on to remember what made the park — and the city of Jacksonport — what it is today.
Ballard, who started working at Jacksonport in 1990, said that passing down the history of the area to the region’s young people and visitors to the park is vital to learning from that history.
“It may be cliched, but if you don’t know where you came from, how can you know where you’re going?” Ballard said. “History plays an important role in telling us how we became who we are.”
Located along the White River, Jacksonport was a river port town in the 1800s, visited often by steamboats. But stories of the town during the Civil War are what draws the interest of many visitors.
“Over 5,000 [Confederate] troops surrendered at Jacksonport to the Union,” Ballard said. “Historical markers tell the story of Gen. Jeff Thompson on a steamboat delivering a farewell speech to the troops as they surrendered. It’s quite a significant speech.”
Ballard said that while activities are planned year-round, the park is at its busiest in the early summer and fall. The park’s biggest draw is the White River, where people boat and fish, Ballard said. Twenty campsites are also available. Park interpreters often walk through the campground, encouraging visitors to come to programs on the park’s history, Ballard said.
“In the past two or three years, the idea of a ‘stay-cation’ has been big,” Ballard said. “They’re not going to the beaches and traveling far, but staying in the state of Arkansas. We get a lot of folks who are exploring the different state parks we have.”
Ballard said that the campground and history programs often draw visitors back for return trips. Civil War buffs occasionally make the journey as well to learn more about the history of the area.
In early June, a new marker titled The Shelling of Jacksonport was dedicated in the park. The marker tells the story of when a Confederate gunboat shelled the town in an attempt to battle the Union, Ballard said. The Union had previously occupied the town, but at the time of the shelling, Union forces were miles away, Ballard said.
“I’m always learning something new about the past here,” Ballard said. “With us being in the Civil War sesquicentennial, it’s a good time to learn more about what happened years ago in this area.”
Staff writer Emily Van Zandt can be reached at (501) 399-3688 or evanzandt@arkansasonline.com.