T
he Crater of Diamonds is not only known for its significant finds, but also for the legendary visitors and prospectors who devoted much of their lives searching for rare gems. One such individual was local resident James Archer. “We still don’t know how many diamonds Mr. Archer found, but it’s something over 5,000,” Howell said. Following his retirement in 1987, Archer was at the mine “practically every day for 30 years” he said. A National Geographic photographer took his photo for an article about the park that hangs in the Diamond Discovery Center. Cox continues the story. “He registered many of his diamonds but gave many away, too. There’s no telling how wealthy this made Mr. Archer, but he was able to put his kids through college with his finds,” Cox said. “But he wasn’t wealthy just because of the value of his diamonds, but because of the countless friends he made here. He taught many visitors through the years the right way to surface search and wet-sift for diamonds. James Archer died of a heart attack in 2003 here on the field at the age of 77 doing what he loved. He left quite a legacy.”
Local resident James Archer spent practically all of his retirement searching for diamonds at the park. He’s honored at the park with this photograph that was taken for a National Geographic article about the park.
Front Porch
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Arkansas Farm Bureau • Summer 2016
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