War Eagle Mill, Arkansas
Posted by Pete | Posted in News | Posted on 20-11-2009
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In the heart of Van Winkle Hollow sits the very quaint, War Eagle Mill…It has been rebuilt several times, three I think, but I am pretty sure the foundation is the same as the original. Up on the third flood, The Bean Palace, you will see mention of Peter Van Winkle, my boss’s great-grandfather…He owned a sawmill just down the hollow from the grist mill. The water that powers this mill runs under the blades and not over. The mill was down while we were there this year, waiting on a drive belt to come in. However, they still had plenty of flour on hand for sale…Also, we are still eating on the jams and jellies that are available from there. You will find this mill between Rogers and Eureka Springs, just off Highway 12. Also, you will want to tour Van Winkle Hollow and Hobbs State Park Visitors Center…You will enjoy the time spent there…Pete Hester
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Gad! I didn’t know that Helen (Pete’s Boss) had family connections in War Eagle, Arkansas. Marina and I go to the Arts and Crafts Fair just about every October. We don’t go to eat the beans and stuff. We just go to look at all the other stuff that the various vendors have to display and to sale. We seldom buy anything, but Marina loves to get ideas to copy. She is a good copy cat.
I think our best War Eagle Fair was the one just after 9/11. If you remember, the country was very nervious then. People weren’t traveling much, and they weren’t traveling by air at all. They must have been traveling by car because there was a bumper to bumper crowd at War Eagle. It is lucky that there was a big cow pasture in which to park because it was needed for that fair.
We missed the War Eagle Fair this year because it was occurring while we were in the North Carolina mountains for the fall color there. Next year, when we go to War Eagle, I will look for evidence of the Van Winkle habitat and perhaps the ghost of Pete’s boss’ ancestors. It will give me something to do while Marina scans the junk and stuff for ideas. We don’t spend all of our time at War Eagle, however. There are at least five other arts and crafts fairs going on at the same time in the area. We usually try to hit them all as well as Eureka Springs and the Passion Play. We usually stay at the Passion Play Motel while we are there.
Errol, the boss and I love to visit that area. I hope you will walk through Van Winkle Hollow and read about Helen’s great-grandfather, Peter Van Winkle. He is buried at Evergreen Cementary in the shadow of the University of Arkansas. We go to Eureka Springs just prior to or just after the crowds gather. Pete