Historic Arkansas

One of the really cool things I get to do with The Barefoot Traveler is to stay at some of the historic places in our area. One of them that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places is the Helm-Blair Farm House. Recently, I was invited by the owners, Marci and Jay Reno to stay there for a couple of nights. It is located near Snowball in Searcy county, Arkansas. This property not only has the restored farm house but also two historic cabins!

I made the drive late in the day and arrived just before sunset. As I got out of my truck, I tried to imagine the early settlers clearing the land and building a home out in what was then, the wild. I went inside and checked out the bedrooms.

The first bedroom had two large double beds with windows to let in the sunshine and views. The second bedroom had a queen bed, plus a fireplace, sofa, and a tv with a dvd player, complete with dvd's. I decided that I would choose the second bedroom for my sleeping quarters and brought in my bags. I was very tired and decided that I would make something to eat and go to bed early. My plan was to get up early and hike around the property to see the other historic buildings on the site.

Since it was quite hot and humid out, I set the air conditioner for 75 and turned on a couple of overhead fans. The farm house has modern heating and cooling, and in just a short time, the inside of the house was very comfortable. I went and checked out the kitchen. The farm house has a fully equipped modern kitchen, complete with everything you will need for cooking elaborate dinners or simple lunches. Pots, pans, coffee pot, microwave, flatware and utensils are all neatly stored away. There was also an invitation to use whatever food stuffs were in the kitchen. I had brought along some potatoes, pork chops and salad so I made up a very nice supper and took it into the dining room to eat.

The dining room was simply wonderful. The original hand hewn logs from the homestead have been lovingly preserved. The dining table sits 8 and there is a sideboard with additional condiments, candles and a toaster for morning breakfasts. As I ate my pork chop dinner, I could see how much work it took to build a house by hand, shaping the individual logs, fitting them in place, all done without any power tools.

After supper I decided to watch a movie in the bedroom. The sun had set and the temperature was dropping. I turned off the air conditioner and opened up a few windows. I fell asleep before the movie ended. The next morning I awoke to the sound of thunder and rain.

It was dark out, the clouds hung heavy over the woods. The rain was pelting down hard. My original plan for the day was to hike the property and take some pictures of the other historic buildings but Mother Nature had decided that, at least for the morning, I was going to enjoy an inside day. Lucky for me the old settlers were pretty smart. Their house had a beautiful, large, screened-in porch! I had brought along an old mp3 player with 2 old computer speakers and power units. I set it up on the rear table and had an instant stereo. Once I had music for the morning, I made myself some breakfast and ate it out on the porch. The rain, thunder and lightening were pounding down, but I was well protected, and accompanied by The Cate Brothers, I enjoyed a large and tasty breakfast.

The rain continued throughout the entire morning and into the afternoon, quite heavily at times. Finally, in the late afternoon the sun started to peek out. I grabbed my camera and waterproof bag, (just in case), and headed out the door, across the road and over the creek via the foot bridge. The first structure I came across was a cabin. From my reading I knew this was the Gates Cabin. I spent some time examining the joinery. The marks from the original hand saws were still there, and the joints were tight as could be. This cabin also had a very nice screened-in porch. The Reno's told me I could go in this cabin if I wanted so I did. The interior was delightful. It was the perfect size. A modern kitchen sat in the rear, with the bed on one side of the room and the sitting area with fireplace was on the other side. Another bed was in the loft. I particularly liked the original look and feel of the place. This cabin was built in the 1870's and it continues to look much like it did then. I locked the cabin back up and started down the path when all of a sudden a tremendous thunderstorm broke out. I quickly put the camera in it's bag and headed quickly back to the farm house. Unfortunately I didn't move that quickly and got thouroughly soaked before I got back.

About two hours before sunset it stopped raining again. I decided to risk another walk, but this time I decided to wear my swimming trunks and save my last change of clothes for Sunday morning. I retraced my steps back past the Gates cabin, past the old barn and garden area and along the old farm road. While the sun was out, it was pleasant walking along, spending some time checking out each of the old buildings and having the sun warm me up. Eventually I stumbled onto the other historic cabin that is located on the property. I had been informed that this cabin would be occupied for the weekend, so I just walked around trying not to be intrusive. Just as I got past the cabin it started to pour again. This time I just put the camera away and headed back. It was a hard rain and I walked back slowly, since I was dressed for it. It was actually quite pleasant, and I arrived back soaked to the skin. I dried off, changed clothes again, and made a hearty supper which I ate on the deck. As the sun set I sat on the deck and watched the lightening bristle through the nite sky. Sunday morning I got up early, since I had promised a friend I would visit him on the way home. I cleaned up the farm house and then headed out.

I had a great time at Ozark Historic Cabins. Jay and Marci Reno have lovingly and carefully preserved a historic piece of Northwest Arkansas. The cabins and farm house certainly allow one to slip backwards in time without giving up any of the modern convienences you would expect in a quality vacation rental. All are complete and all you need is your food and beverage of choice for a visit. I particuarly enjoyed the large property and regret that the weather did not cooperate for me to be able to show you the entire property. You can see more of the scenic places on their website though. This property is also horse friendly and there are lots of places to ride, both on the property and in the Buffalo National River Park, which is approximately 4 miles away. Jay and Marci would be glad to give you tips and directions on some great rides. Ozark Historic Cabins would be an ideal place to have a small family reunion or group gathering, with the farm house as the central base and outlying cabins for privacy and intimacy. Now is the time to make a reservation to visit Ozark Historic Cabins. Summer and fall are some of the best times to visit our area, so give Jay or Marci a call and book your visit, you will really enjoy yourself.