The first item on the "Points of Interest" list
was the Jefferson County Courthouse. The Jefferson County Court
House was far more important than its function as the administrative center of
each county. It was historical, from its beginning to its presence in society
today. This was apparent with its dominant position in town, either situated
at the center of a large square or located on the highest reputation (or at
the end of Main Street as in Pine Bluff). Outside the major cities throughout
the United States, the building fulfilled a role in a town plan. It reflected
the same urge to build something of lasting value and symbolized the belief in
self-government and democracy. In other words, the courthouse was the focal
point of the community. At some time or another, almost every citizen must
have journeyed to the courthouse to assess property, pay taxes, obtain a car
license, probate a will, etc… And, in the case of a new courthouse, the
journey might have been made to observe the latest exhibit that was presented
in the museum (Leslie 10-1).
Another important historical site included within
the section of “Points of Attraction,” was the Public Library.
Finally established in 1931 after many years of work by dedicated women, the
library was the center for learning. With the construction of the library,
the school systems expanded. The literacy rate increased dramatically after
1931. The massive cream-colored brick structure, pleasing when looked upon,
included 55,000 volumes and a collection of historical documents in French and
Spanish. The writers used the historical information found within the library
to discover other impressive sites of Pine Bluff (West 192).
The antebellum days of Pine Bluff was host to the
construction of many houses, including the Portis House. Built
by slave labor in 1844 as a town house, the house was built by Samuel Taylor.
The Taylors owned a plantation that was located just southeast of Pine Bluff.
The one – and - one –half – story structure was built of hand-hewn lumber by
the Portis’ slaves. The architectural style reflected the ante bellum fashion
of columns, a porch, and tall brick chimneys, which rose on each side of the
gables (West 192)
Other homes constructed in Pine Bluff during a
revolution or revival in architectural style, were the Thompson House
and the Bocage House. Both built in the 1860s, during the slave
and steamboat days. The Thompson House was a survivor of the mansions built
in Pine Bluff. The design was the style of the Greek Revival Period, a period
found to be of importance to the writers. The writers knew the style and were
able to notice it by the red trumpet vine mantles, a prominent characteristic
of the Greek Period. On the other hand, the Bocage House was the home to the
largest tree in Pine Bluff. The two-story white-frame structure, built in
1866, had steep gables and exceptionally wide eaves. The house managed to
survive all of the hazards such as fires and tornadoes to stand, even today,
as a living relic of Pine Bluff’s past. One of the outstanding features of
the house, an interest of the federal writers’, was the hanging (unsupported)
spiral staircase from the first to the second floor. Since the house was so
magnificently large for its era, and the south was so largely bankrupt after
the civil war, the owner had left the cotton fields to pursue a career in
politics. He became Judge Joseph W. Bocage (Leslie 40-46).
Another great blow to the economy of the area
during the 1930s was the disastrous drought of 1930, which caused both crop
failures and human suffering. The limited resources of the community provided
for by the local mills brought some relief. The Pine Bluff Cotton Oil
Mill was used to produce oil from the seeds of the cotton, the cash
crop of Pine Bluff. Due to the invention, the oil was used to produce food,
such as cake. It was also used in the large manufacturing companies in or
near Pine Bluff to keep the machinery oiled and functioning (West). Other
important mills occupied during the time were the Wheeler-Lumber Mill
and the Norton-Wheeler Stave Mill. Since the drought, railroad
traffic had decreased and the demand for forest and agricultural products
diminished. However, it was not until the popularity of the two mills readily
increased, that the economy began to slowly improve. The Wheeler-Lumber Mill
gathered lumber from nearby forests, and transported it to the Norton-Wheeler
Stave Mill, which used the lumber to turn out staves and heads for whiskey
barrels and finished wood for furniture factories. Now matter how you view
the two, the federal writers believed that the two worked together as a team
to help improve the economy of the South after the 1930s. They also created
products that could be shipped by railroad to increase the use of the railroad
in the south because, the more the railroad ran in the south; the more income
the south would receive (Leslie 171).
Another industry that the writers’ found
significantly important to the Pine Bluff area was the Ben Pearson Inc.
and Bow and Arrow Factory. The writers found the creation of the bow
and arrow to be very unique. They were fascinated with the process of
creating a bow from walnut to its beautiful finish that “… exaggerates the
latent effects” (West 194). The arrow, made from fine turkey feathers, were
cut and glued together by young girls (West 194). It was also noted that
Pearson entered into an agreement with John Rust, an inventor of a cotton
picker, whereby Pearson would produce Rust’s pickers using his manufacturing
company that was used to produce the bows and arrows. The machine created
moved three miles per hour and could pick a bale of cotton in that length of
time (Leslie 194).
The demography of Pine Bluff in the early 1930s
consisted mainly of farmers and cotton buyers, both white and black. Because
Pine Bluff was near the center of the state’s Negro population, the Arkansas
general assembly authorized the establishment of a Negro Branch Normal
College. As the school slowly progressed over many years, it was
later decided to rename the school in 1929, due to the fact that agricultural
and mechanical studies had been added to the selection of courses available.
The Arkansas Agricultural, Mechanical, and Normal College was the new
state-supported institution for higher education of Negroes. About 450
students attended classes in the early 1930s. Also noted within the
demography, the writers decided to include the Roman Catholic Cemetery (West
194).
As home to the great Chief Sarasen, the savior of
two white children that were kidnapped by an unfriendly tribe, the cemetery
stood to be the oldest cemetery in Pine Bluff. It was noted that many of the
graves dated back to the many early settlers, some of which were Indian,
including the Quapaws, and also some Frenchmen, which came to benefit from fur
trade with the Quapaws (Leslie 12-15).
About 20 blocks from the cemetery stood
Oakland Park. The park was a civic venture of Pine Bluff Kiwanis Club
(Leslie 180). The park was host to 64 tree-shaded acres at the northwest edge
of the city. Within the park was a 9-hole golf course, which the writers found
to be entertaining while the writers were visiting Pine Bluff, a pool, a lake
stocked with bass, a small zoo, a baseball field, tennis courts, and cabins.
The park was the highlight of entertainment within the city. The park was a
place of family orientation, simultaneously affordable and enjoyable to all
the Pine Bluff residents.