SCOTT -- Rural poverty was a pervasive fact of life in Arkansas during the first half of the 20th century, at Christmas time as well as the rest of the year. That point is made by one poignant exhibit at the Plantation Agriculture Museum.
Mounted on a panel at the state park in Scott is a single orange enclosed in a clear plastic cube, along with a photograph of Sid McMath. Posted text explains the connection between the citrus fruit and one of the state's most respected public figures of the 20th century:
"Former Arkansas Governor Sid McMath (1912-2003) grew up in a cabin in very poor conditions in Columbia County.
"In an interview shortly before his death, he recalled how he would receive an orange for Christmas. It was such a rare treat that he would make it last all day, holding it, smelling it, eating every part of it."
Christmas presents for youngsters in those so-called Good Old Days often were homemade by parents or grandparents with more love to deploy than cash. So it seems apt that do-it-yourself is a theme of the museum's eighth annual Holiday Open House, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. on Saturday.
Crafts and other items in the gift shop will be marked down by 20 percent during the event. The museum's website asserts that families can "enjoy a relaxed atmosphere while shopping, making handmade crafts, sipping hot mulled apple cider or coffee, and nibbling on homemade treats."
Museum admission, as always, is free. Staff members will guide the craft making, which requires a fee of $3 per session for each participant or $15 per family. One of the more charming crafts involves making tree ornaments of fluffy little angels from bolls of cotton, which park staff grows on the property.
Plantation Agriculture Museum, 15 miles southeast of downtown Little Rock, changes some of its exhibits every so often. That gives visitors who haven't stopped by in a few years fresh perspectives on rural life from Arkansas' admission to the Union in 1836 through World War II, when mechanization largely replaced human labor.
Cotton back then was the prime cash crop on eastern Arkansas' flatland farms, thanks to the cotton gin invented by Eli Whitney in 1793. A miniature model of a gin is housed in the museum to show how the cotton seeds were mechanically removed. A park interpreter is happy to show how the little gin works and let visitors turn the crank.
On the museum grounds, two large buildings give a clear sense of what cotton processing was like. The Dortch Gin Building contains a fully restored ginning system along with photographs illustrating the process. Seed Warehouse No. 5, from which processed cotton was loaded for shipment, is entered through vintage Cotton Belt Railroad boxcars.
Scott no longer offers the humongous temptation of the one-pound Hubcap Burger at Cotham's Mercantile, which was destroyed by fire in May 2017. But visitors can drive another 8 miles southeast on U.S. 165 for lunch (except on Sunday) in tiny Keo at Charlotte's Eats & Sweets.
So old-fashioned that it does not accept credit cards, Charlotte's is famous for its pies, some of them topped with towering meringue. The pies go fast, so savvy diners order their favorite flavors at the start of the meal. Whole pies can be bought to take home and savor, if any should happen to still be available. Or you can call ahead to reserve.
Plantation Agriculture Museum, at the junction of U.S. 165 and Arkansas 161 in Scott, is open 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, 1-5 p.m. Sunday. Admission is free, with a charge for some guided tours and other activities. For details, visit arkansas.com or call (501) 961-1409.
Charlotte's Eats & Sweets, 290 Main St., Keo, is open 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Tuesday-Friday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday. Call (501) 842-2123.
Style on 12/11/2018