Logan County Magazine 2019

Cultural heritage of Mt. Magazine There is little archeological evidence that Native Americans lived on Mount Magazine.

A few scattered projectile points indicate that they hunted big game here, but a lack of pottery and other types of artifacts seems to say they did not occupy the crest of the mountain throughout the year. Extreme winter weather probably pushed them to lower elevations.

French hunters and explorers named most sites along the Arkansas River in the 1600s and 1700s. However, as waves of new settlers entered the Arkansas Territory, some names changed. In 1819, botanist Thomas Nuttall wrote of his observations as he traveled up the river. Near Dardanelle Rock a prominent landmark was called Magazine for its shape resembling a storehouse. That mountain is now called Mount Nebo. All of the mountains between the Arkansas and Petit Jean Rivers were called the Magazines. As Nuttall continued up river, he wrote that “a lofty ridge appears to the south called by the French the Cassetete, or Tomahawk Mountain.” Later surveyors and mapmakers called it Reveille or Revolee Mountain. Eventually, each Magazine mountain had an official name with the largest of them representing the whole range.

Families began settling on Mount Magazine after the Civil War. Almost every flat area was farmed. Names of those early settlers, like Cameron, Benefield, Brown, and Greenfield, are still used today. However, none of their buildings are still standing. Old wagon roads and stone fences can be found in many areas.

A railroad brought many people to the Petit Jean valley around the turn of the century.

Passengers were awed by the scenic beauty and spread the word about wonderfully cool Mount Magazine in Arkansas. In 1900, the railroad company decided to develop the west end into a resort town, which included streets, parks, a post office, and a hotel called the Skycrest Inn, the mountain’s first hotel.

Near the inn was a dance pavilion, which was 18 | 2019 - LOGAN COUNTY