Welcome to Parkin Archeological State Park , one of 52 beautiful,
historic state parks, each with their own special mission. The
other thing they each have is a geocache. This adventure is based
around visiting all 52 state parks. Each park cache has a clue that
you will need to find the final, 53rd cache located somewhere in
the state. Just download the clue sheet and start your adventure. We
encourage you to upload photos on the geocaching.com page when
you find one and also to tell us about your visit to the park on
the state park blog. As an extra incentive, For
a limited time you can pick up an Arkansas State Park geocoin at
the final location and send it on it's way to visit parks
throughout the world!
Parkin Archeological State Park in eastern
Arkansas at Parkin preserves and interprets the Parkin site on the
St. Francis River where a 17-acre Mississippi Period American
Indian village was located from A.D. 1000 to 1550. A large platform
mound on the river bank remains. The site is important for
understanding the history and prehistory of northeast Arkansas.
There were once many archeological sites similar to Parkin
throughout this region, but they did not survive as eastern
Arkansas was settled.
Many scholars believe the Parkin site is the American Indian
village of Casqui visited by the expedition of Hernando de Soto in
1541, and written about in his chronicles. Arkansas State Parks and
the Arkansas Archeological Survey manage this National Historic
Landmark. In conjunction with the founding of the state park, a
research station was established at Parkin by the Arkansas
Archeological Survey. Station archeologists conduct research at the
site that provides visitors with a unique opportunity to see how we
learn about prehistory. Visitors can watch research in progress,
and see firsthand the results of careful excavations and laboratory
analysis. Along with including an archeological research
laboratory, the park visitor center includes an interpretive
exhibit area, auditorium, and gift shop. A picnic area, playground,
and standard pavilion (enclosed) are located nearby. The park
interpretive staff offers audiovisual programs, site tours,
workshops, and other educational programs, and special events, and
activities. When archeological excavations are underway, visitors
on guided tours can observe them.
Visitors experiencing Parkin Archeological State Park can also tour
the circa 1910 Northern Ohio Schoolhouse. By the beginning of World
War II, there were 15 one-room and two-room schoolhouses providing
education for children in Parkin, a town of less than 2,000
citizens. Today, the Northern Ohio School is the only one of these
early Parkin structures still standing. The stories it tells of
what took place here in the early 20th century in and around the
Sawdust Hill community are compelling parts of the historic fabric
of Parkin, just as is the park’s interpretation of the prehistoric
village of Casqui is, too.
As the 20th century dawned and northern timberlands were depleted,
timber buyers looked to the dense forests in the South. In March
1902, S.W. Sterling, a timber buyer for a firm in Grafton, Ohio,
was buying timber in Missouri when he heard about the fine timber
at Parkin, Arkansas. Sterling bought a mill located just south of
the American Indian mound here. Between 1902 and 1904, Henry
Coldren moved his Grafton, Ohio, lumber company to Parkin. In 1906,
Sterling and Coldren merged their two companies and established the
Northern Ohio Cooperage and Lumber Company. The mill provided work
for many people during a time when there were few jobs other than
agriculture. Sawmills depended on river and rails to ship finished
lumber to growing markets in the North. At the turn of the 20th
century, Parkin had river, rail, and vast uncut timberlands. Parkin
was poised to take advantage of the timber boom. Around 1910, the
Northern Ohio Cooperage and Lumber Company constructed a wood
framed one-room schoolhouse for mill workers’ children.
Three-quarters of the sawmill workforce were black men. The school
was built adjacent to the northern boundary of the prehistoric
American Indian village site within easy walking distance of the
mill community.
The Northern Ohio School provided first through eighth grade
educations for the children of the sawmill workers until all the
Parkin area schools were consolidated into the Central Elementary
School in 1948. Parkin Archeological State Park is on the northern
edge of Parkin at the junction of U.S. 64 and Ark. 184 north.
Please check the park Web site for hours of operation. Park Permit
Number 2008-1
Plan some time for each of the parks and enjoy your visit. Learn
about natural, cultural and state history. Take in a hike, a swim,
a boat ride. Go fishing, cycling or just relax. For more
information on geocaching in an Arkansas State Park visit our
geocaching page. For information on
geocaching throughout the Natural State visit Arkansas
Geocaching. Have a great time and we’ll see you in a
park!
|