Local history abounds at depot-turned-museum in Arkadelphia

By JOEL PHELPS | The Arkadelphian

Linger long enough inside the old train depot in Arkadelphia and the place will seemingly rattle into its former life as a bustling center where people of yesteryear awaited to board the next passenger train.

Long before the train approaches you hear the oncoming locomotive as the conductor hammers down on the horn. The floor beneath your feet begins to vibrate as the 15,000 tons of metal and cargo roar past. Through a window you catch a glimpse of the engine: red lettering flashes against a backdrop of yellow steel. Your body feels the thunk-a-thunk as each railcar rips along. The only thing separating you from the Union Pacific tracks outside, just feet away, is a chainlink fence, a narrow platform, and the depot’s brick walls.

It’s within these walls, erected in 1917, where artifacts are packed and local history abounds in the Clark County Arkansas Historical Museum.

Permanent exhibits at the museum include memorabilia, photographs and artifacts from the Caddo Indians to the current citizens of Clark County. Among the prehistoric artifacts on display is the partial skeleton of a wooden dugout canoe which, according to carbon dating, is over 1,000 years old. There are exhibits highlighting the county’s early pioneer settlers; the military service of soldiers in the Civil War and World Wars; and the historical business establishments and educational institutions that have called this county home. There is also a room at the museum where visitors can conduct family history research.

Changing direction

For years, the museum has operated under the umbrella of the Clark County Historical Association.

In an effort to better secure grants and raise funds — and with approval from the CCHA — the museum recently parted ways with the association, taking its own path and forming a separate nonprofit organization, now operating under the autonomy of Clark County Arkansas Museum Inc.

Both the association and museum are volunteer-led organizations who share the common goal of preserving and promoting local history. But when it came to applying for federal and state grant funds, they found themselves often competing for the same grants.

“We’ve been in the process of changing direction,” said Lisa Speer, historian who serves on the museum advisory board. The museum reopened in 2022 after shutting its doors to the public during the Covid pandemic. During that time the museum underwent some facility repairs, and curators have just recently been able to rotate the museum’s exhibits regularly. “We feel like we’re starting fresh,” Speer said.

A sports and leisure exhibit, which showcases some fascinating local history on athletes, will remain open through 2023. Speer aspires to transform the museum’s entrance hall into an exhibit that interprets local railroad history. With the original ticket window in this room and an abundance of train-related material throughout the museum, Speer said, centralizing the locomotive theme would make the entirety of those artifacts a cohesive exhibit.

Admission to the museum is free, and there is plenty of local history to see and study.

“Come in if you haven’t been here in a while,” Speer said. “There may be an exhibit you haven’t seen. We want to be the museum for all of Clark County, and we are always interested in acquiring new materials.” Volunteers are also welcome.

Hours of operation, subject to change, are noon until 5 p.m. Wednesday through Friday. The museum is located at 750 S. 5th St. in Arkadelphia. For more information call 870-230-1360.