Garland County Historical Society

Garland County Historical Society The Garland County Historical Society was founded in 1960 to preserve the history of Garland County.
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T. F. Linde - Hot Springs dentist, Mayor and Police Judge - 1880'sOne of the first well documented shootings in Hot Spri...
05/30/2026

T. F. Linde - Hot Springs dentist, Mayor and Police Judge - 1880's
One of the first well documented shootings in Hot Springs involved a dentist (who was also serving as Mayor and Police Judge) and the editor of The Hot Springs Daily Hornet - Charles Matthews. Mr. Matthews had written an editorial accusing him of being tough on minor infractions but allowing the gambling elements to proceed unchecked. Matthews (unarmed) met Linde on Valley Street (now Central Ave). Linde began firing at Matthews from a distance, pulling out a second gun and eventually struck Matthews 3 times. Linde also wounded a street peddler and a city councilman who had heard the commotion and came outside to see what was happening in their small town!
Everyone recovered, no charges were filed. Mr. Linde was not removed from office for wounding 3 people.

Matthews did suffer fatal wounds a short time later from a different disagreement over his editorials.

Leo and Verne, The Spa's Heyday, Orval E. Allbritton
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Thornton Ferry Road started in Hot Springs before the Highway 70 & 270 junction and extended to the ferry crossing. On t...
05/29/2026

Thornton Ferry Road started in Hot Springs before the Highway 70 & 270 junction and extended to the ferry crossing. On the other side of the river, it became the Old Dallas Road through Sunshine to Black Springs to the Old Dallas community near Mena.
In the late 1880's, the fares for Thornton Ferry were adult - 10¢, child - 5¢, two horses and a buggy or wagon - 50¢ with additional prices for livestock in a drive, by type, etc.
Source: GCHS Record 2017, article by D. Kilgore, this photo is undated

This second photo is title Ferrying Ouachita - 5/16/1930
Highway #6 (now Highway 270 W
The people posing were not identified but the vehicle, we think could be a ca 1925 Buick wagon.
The photo is stamped by DeLux Studio in Hot Springs National Park, Ark.

There were 9 ferries operating on the Ouachita River at this time, plus a couple of crossings and fords. The ferries were Wheeler Ferry, Gibbons Ferry, Thornton Ferry, Gardner/Brown Ferry, Kaiser Ferry, Higdon Ferry, Smith/Clay Ferry, Ralston Ferry and Spurlin's Ferry before the dams were built and the lakes formed.

Garland County, Arkansas: Our History and Heritage, I. B. Anthony, Editor
The Arkansas Historical Quarterly
Vol. 1, No. 2 (Jun., 1942),
Arkansas Historical Association

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🎣Go fish!The Publicity Director for Spa New, Alta Smith captioned this press release as "Enjoy year round fishing in the...
05/27/2026

🎣Go fish!
The Publicity Director for Spa New, Alta Smith captioned this press release as "Enjoy year round fishing in the lakes and mountain streams at Hot Springs National Park." Preston Wilson is holding the fish in the top photo. Note the wooden fishing boat with the Lion Oil decal on the front.

The bottom left photo highlights some young guys enjoying their catch at the lake. Does anyone recognize the guys from ca 1950?

The bottom right is captioned March 3, 1951, He's a winner in one of the fishing rodeos, staged annually at Hot Spring which is lake surrounded.

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Many local children attended child care, early education and elementary programs at St. Michael's. The Monastery of Our ...
05/26/2026

Many local children attended child care, early education and elementary programs at St. Michael's. The Monastery of Our Lady of Charity and Refuge, also known as the Good Shepherd Home, has provided services in Hot Springs since its inception in the early twentieth century. One of the schools operated by the order was St. Michaels on Malvern Ave.

These adorable children(now about 45) are St. Michael's Pre-Kindergarten class in 1985
First Row
Joe Johnson
Brendon Berry
Michael Shultz
Dallas Evans
Dereck Doucet
Roylee Elliott
Jonathan Logan
Ashron Dowell
Melissa Irwin
Jenni Brinegar
Amy Lynn Manor
Christopher Hislip
Louis Millwood
William Keck

2nd Row
Timothy Mattingly
Parker Richardson
Kaemel White
Tommy Hampton
Davina Pickens
Jamila Phillips
Bryan Ashley
Erica Brogan
Courtney Payton
Christina Rogers
Mandy Ashcraft
Teresa Tart
Javauna Williams
Jenni Lee

3rd Row
Wesley Brown
Teaha Taylor
Joy Oakley
Douglas Jones
George Zeigler
Holly Morris
Megan Winick
Nicholas Smalley
Ayana Butler
Paul Rankin
Shawn Harris
James Walker
Andy Ragsdale
Andrew Pennington

Top
Mrs. Margaret Sikora
Mrs. Mary Larseigue
Sister Mary Ann Lalaneette
Miss Susan

If we've misspelled or misidentified - please comment below or send us a message. We are happy to correct!
School photos were donated by The Monastery of Our Lady of Charity and Refuge - thank you Sisters!

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Memorial Day remembrance of Lt. Paul James Riley. Paul James was a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy during WWII. Growing up ...
05/24/2026

Memorial Day remembrance of Lt. Paul James Riley.
Paul James was a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy during WWII. Growing up in Hot Springs, he was on the Trojan football, basketball and track teams. After graduation he attended the United State Naval Academy until he graduated in 1937. He completed flight training in 1940.
Assigned to the USS Enterprise, he was part of Torpedo Squadron 6 (VT-6). All 14 of its pilots received the Navy Cross for their actions during the Battle of Midway. Nine of the fourteen received posthumous awards and were carried as Missing in Action following that engagement but the bodies of these heroes of WWII were not recoverable.

The USS Riley, a destroyer es**rt named after him, was commissioned in March 1944. His sister Mildred (also a HSHS graduate) was chosen as the ship's sponsor by the Secretary of the Navy.

Navy Cross Citation
The President of the United States of America takes pride in presenting the Navy Cross (Posthumously) to Lieutenant Paul James Riley (NSN: 0-78730), United States Navy, for extraordinary heroism in operations against the enemy while serving as Pilot of a carrier-based Navy Torpedo Plane of Torpedo Squadron SIX (VT-6), attached to the U.S.S. ENTERPRISE (CV-6), during the "Air Battle of Midway," against enemy Japanese forces on 4 June 1942. Participating in a vigorous and intensive assault against the Japanese invasion fleet, Lieutenant Riley pressed home his attack with relentless determination in the face of a terrific barrage of anti-aircraft fire. The unprecedented conditions under which his squadron launched its offensive were so exceptional that it is highly improbably the occasion may ever recur where other pilots of the service will be called upon to demonstrate an equal degree of gallantry and fortitude. His extreme disregard of personal safety contributed materially to the success of our forces and his loyal conduct was in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country. [from Barry C - https://www.findagrave.com/user/profile/47806468]

His family also received a commemoration from President Franklin D. Roosevelt. It reads: In grateful memory of Paul James Riley, who died in the service of his country, SEA, Pacific Area, ATTACHED U.S.S. ENTERPRISE, 5 JUNE 1943 (Presumed)*. He stands in the unbroken line of patriots who have dared to die that freedom might live and grow and increase its blessings. Freedom lives, and through it, he lives -- in a way that humbles the undertakings of most men.
(Signed) Franklin D. Roosevelt,
President of the United States of America

USNA yearbook, 1937
Find a Grave - Paul James Riley
Garland County Historical Society

GCHS will be closed Monday in observance of Memorial Day
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Coca-Cola Bottling Company began refreshing Hot Springs in 1907. The soft drink was introduced to the public in Atlanta,...
05/23/2026

Coca-Cola Bottling Company began refreshing Hot Springs in 1907. The soft drink was introduced to the public in Atlanta, Georgia in 1903. John J and J. E. Ledgerwood (of Ledgerwood Brothers of Hot Springs) were granted the sole and exclusive right to bottle and sell the product in the Hot Springs territory. In 1926, the brothers sold the company to J.S. Lyell and his son Van M. Lyell. The rest is soft drink history! Glass bottles requiring deposits were cleaned, sterilized and inspected in the area just beyond large windows facing Market Street on a moving belt and often drew spectators. The bottles were often marked with the city and state of the initial bottlers. At least 5 generations of the Lyell family have been associated with the Coca-Cola Bottling Company in Hot Springs.

Don't forget Saturday at 11am - Lt. Col. (Ret) Hugh Mills, Jr., Hot Springs native and highly decorated pilot of the Vietnam War - a true hero. A "can't miss this" program and perfect way to observe Memorial Day.

GCHS's publication The Record, 2008
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Young men (unidentified) scale a utility pole in Hot Springs ca 1922- reason not known!The corner of Orange Street and O...
05/22/2026

Young men (unidentified) scale a utility pole in Hot Springs ca 1922- reason not known!
The corner of Orange Street and Oak Street with HSHS on the right. T-model vehicles are parked in front of the houses facing the High School and beyond, you see the Eastman Hotel's Tower before a tornado took the Tower off in 1924. You also see some of the Eastman's top floors. The building with the water tower on the right was Ozark Sanitorium, a private facility, that eventually became Ouachita Hospital on Olive Street. The former hospital site sits empty at present.

H. Bone Collection

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Hotels existed on the Moody Hotel site at Orange St. and Ouachita Ave. in Hot Springs for nearly a century. The first ho...
05/20/2026

Hotels existed on the Moody Hotel site at Orange St. and Ouachita Ave. in Hot Springs for nearly a century. The first hotel on the site was named Oaklawn and was purchased by Nicholas Moody when he decided to move his family to Hot Springs for baths and treatment for ill health. The first hotel named Moody was built as a result of a fire on Ouachita Ave in 1895 with the Oaklawn Rooming House burning down.
That first hotel named Moody was completed quickly and was glowingly reviewed in the 1898 Cutter's Guide to the Hot Springs of Arkansas. The Milwaukee Brewers baseball team stayed at the Moody for nine straight years during spring training season... two years the Pittsburgh Pirates were domiciled there while taking the baths.
The second Moody was built after the first Moody Hotel was destroyed along with 40 blocks of other buildings in the Hot Springs Fire of 1905. Once again rebuilt on the same site footprint, the Moody fell victim to fire again in the Hot Springs Fire of 1913, along with the high school, Courthouse and hundreds of other structures.
The final blow to the Moody while serving as a senior living arrangement, happened August 1973 The Brandon Furniture Store Annex caught fire and the blaze quickly spread to adjacent buildings on either side. The Moody Hotel was destroyed - and this time, was not rebuilt.

GCHS Publication The Record 1974
Fire photos: donation courtesy of Julia Rivera and others
1906 photo source: Booklet, Hot Springs, published by S.H. Kress & Co
Photo of 2 unidentified men walking on Ouachita Ave toward Central Ave next to the COMO Hotel and a bus stop with the Moody Hotel burning in 1973 in the background.

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Help! These photos are with a larger group of photos from Ouachita Memorial Hospital in the 1970's and 80's. The hos...
05/19/2026

Help! These photos are with a larger group of photos from Ouachita Memorial Hospital in the 1970's and 80's. The hospital was located on Olive St. between Central Ave and Broadway Ave. The hospital became National Park Hospital

Please help with names, locations, events or whatever you remember! We would appreciate assistance identifying!

Army and Navy General Hospital, Hot Springs, Arkansas: Patients, members of our Armed Services, receiving heliotherapy o...
05/17/2026

Army and Navy General Hospital, Hot Springs, Arkansas: Patients, members of our Armed Services, receiving heliotherapy on the sun deck (using light to promote good health).
circa 1940's
This area of the hospital was eventually enclosed.
Photo: National Library of Medicine

Arlington Hotel Roof Sun Deck - Guests are enjoying a little sunshine on the sundeck at the Arlington
Heliotherapy was often prescribed as a medically indicated treatment with healthful benefits along with the baths - the therapeutic use of light ☀️
Several of the bathhouses, St. Joseph Hospital along with the COMO Hotel also enjoyed roof top areas available to guests / patients for sunshine therapy!
ca 1940's and 50's

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Address

328 Quapaw Avenue
Hot Springs, AR
71901

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 1pm
Tuesday 9am - 1pm
Wednesday 9am - 1pm
Thursday 9am - 1pm
Friday 9am - 1pm

Telephone

(501) 321-2159

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