One More Trip To The Delta

I recently made a quick trip down to Stuttgart to retrieve the pictures that the Arts Center of the Grand Prairie had been so kind to display for the last month. After carefully loading 33 framed prints into the back of the car (and not dropping any of them!), I made a little drive around town looking for stuff to photograph. I drove by the large Riceland facility, which was busy as always that day. On the outskirts of the factory was this metal shop with a rusty and faded sign. The metal building was reflected in the large rain puddle.



Nearby was another old shop, which also had a rusted metal front. I promise that I did not block the shop driveway to take this picture.



While I needed to hurry to get back home, I did make a quick detour over to DeVall's Bluff to get a few pictures of the old St. Elizabeth's Catholic Church. The church was built in 1912, but closed in 1986 when the last parishioner passed away. It was then abandoned and left to the elements.



About 10 years ago the building was purchased by a local community member who was able to get the building listed on the National Register of Historic Places.



The church was also listed as one of the state's most endangered historic places by the Historic Preservation Alliance of Arkansas. Hopefully the old church can be saved before time and weather take their toll on the building.

Fall In The Delta - Part 1

The other weekend I drove to Stuttgart to deliver some pictures, because the Arts Center of the Grand Prairie there is kind enough to host my photography exhibition for the next month (until December 16!). It was pouring rain that day, but the rain luckily held off when it was time to walk 33 framed photos in the Arts Center. But I am very happy and humbled that they chose my photos to display.

Stuttgart is a neat city. It is one of the two county seats of Arkansas County (the other is DeWitt), and it is widely known for rice and ducks. As I drove through town, I spotted this neat old home. Someone has mowed the grass, but the house does look abandoned.







I drove down Main Street and made a little visit to the old Riceland Hotel. The hotel was built in 1923, and was once the center of social life in town. When it was open, the hotel boasted visits from celebrities like Ernest Hemingway, Joseph Pulitzer and Clark Gable. Unfortunately the hotel closed in 1973, and has been left all but abandoned ever since (for some pictures from inside the hotel, click HERE). On the side of the building is a bright red door, which stands out in stark contrast to the building around it.



Stuttgart was settled in 1878 by German immigrants, and now has a population of about 10,000 people. It is home to Riceland Foods, which has grown to become the world's largest miller and marketer of rice.

During a break in the rain, I stopped by an old rice silo that sits just a few blocks from Main Street. It doesn't seem like it's in use anymore. Overgrown grass, that had turned a deep orange, was growing up in the disused railroad tracks that run by.











Nearby was this old home, which may also be abandoned? It had a Mickey Mouse looking out from the door, so maybe it's the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse?



From there I stopped by the Museum of the Arkansas Grand Prairie. The museum contains over 20,000 square feet and details the history of the Stuttgart. Among the exhibits is this recreation of a church that is similar to ones built by the town's original German settlers.



On the southern edge of the city is the Rice Capitol Inc. mill, which is the oldest in Stuttgart. It looks like it's still a busy place, but this tall structure along the road looks empty and abandoned, with broken windows along the rusted sides of the building.













I needed to start head home, but I had to make one last stop at this old abandoned gas station.















And after that I headed towards home. But instead of driving up to the freeway, I headed east on the backroads so I could find a few more things to get pictures of. Will post those pictures soon....

Stuttgart

Stuttgart, one of the two county-seats of Arkansas County, is an interesting town. It's an old place, established back in the 1880s. It's also a town known for two things: duck hunting and rice. Rice was first planted around Stuttgart in 1902, and now the town is home to the largest rice producer in the world.

Riceland Foods facilities dominate the town - a massive complex sits just off of Main Street. There are numerous silos that tower over the flat Delta lands surrounding the town, creating a skyline that resembles that of a larger city. This one old silo sits just a few blocks from Main Street in the middle of a residential neighborhood. The silo doesn't appear to be used anymore, no doubt replaced with newer and fancier silos elsewhere in town.

I haven't found any info about this silo, but it seems like it's been here for awhile.

On the southern part of Stuttgart is the Rice Capital Inc. rice mill, which is one of the oldest in the city. A few years back part of the building collapsed and sparked a fire, but luckily no one was hurt. When I drove by, there were some people out doing work on part of this structure, so maybe it can be preserved?

Fortunately the people out there working didn't seem to mind anyone stopping by for a few pictures...