Our Current and Ongoing Projects
Century Farms – land used for agricultural purposes for at least 100 years by the same family more…
“Ghost Signs” – Old advertising signs painted long ago on the sides of brick buildings more…
Historic Marker Project – Maintenance of existing markers and addition of new ones all over Randolph County more…
Historic Tours:
- Walking Tour of Historic Downtown Pocahontas
Experienced guides explain the history of the people and the buildings of downtown Pocahontas. - Haunted Pocahontas Tour
This after-dark guided tour visits eight sites in downtown Pocahontas where historic ghosts will appear and explain the circumstances of their death…or the deaths they caused here. - Rock and Roll Highway 67 Tour
A guided van tour that visits seven points in Randolph County, along Rock and Roll Highway 67, where stars like Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison, Bill Rice, and Billy Lee Riley appeared during the early rock and roll years. - Historic Trails Project – Randolph County hosts 3 of Arkansas’ 4 Heritage Trails: The Trail of Tears [link to museum trail of tears page], The Civil War Trail, and Southwest Trail.
Downtown Maynard
Maynard Commercial Historic District – Working to preserve the downtown history of our county’s second-largest town, and to make it a national historic commercial district.
National Register Project – Structures and sites of at least 51 years old that have retained their historic appearance are eligible to be placed on the National Register of Historic Places. Five Rivers Personnel will assist owners in getting their property certified.
Pocahontas Neighborhood Historic Districts – Working to preserve and recognize several neighborhoods of 19th Century homes.
Randolph County Heritage Museum – Our most significant project more…
Randolph County Quilt Trail – Arkansas’ oldest quilt trail, where photographs of vintage quilts created by local quilters, enlarged and displayed outdoors throughout the county. We are currently working to add quilts to buildings in downtown Maynard as an extension of the county quilt trail more…
Thomasville Avenue Project – In honor and memory of one of our long-time members, Mayor Frank Bigger, we’re working to turn the clock back on the name of our town’s main street. Until about 1985 it was called Thomasville Avenue. Then, about that time, the city put up new street signs and someone put “Thomasville St” on the signs. Before we knew it, it was called a street in the phone book, on maps, on Google, everywhere! As Frank Bigger often said, “…we only had one avenue, and they’ve made it a street!” We’re going to work with the mayor and city council to get it officially proclaimed to be Thomasville Avenue, and to have that name submitted to the official mapping services.
Our Completed Projects
2006 Pocahontas Sesquicentennial – We put on the biggest local celebration since the Pocahontas Centennial event in 1956.
Founder’s Memorial – Established in 2006 at Masonic Cemetery in Pocahontas. This memorial preserves the graves of Pocahontas founder Ranson Bettis, his daughter and Arkansas First Lady Cinderella Bettis Drew, the memorial obelisk of Governor Thomas S. Drew, and the graves of some of the Drew children.
Civil War River Walk Memorial – Established in 2006 along the banks of Black River in Overlook Park, Pocahontas. Documents the important role Randolph County played in the Civil War on a trail of historic markers with benches.
Civil War Downtown Monument – Remembering the suffering of Randolph County during the American Civil War.
Pocahontas National Commercial Historic District – Creating one of the largest historic districts in Arkansas, with buildings dating back to 1860.
Old Court House Restoration Project – Keeping our county’s crown jewel looking its best.
Preserve America Project – National recognition of our preservation efforts. It was a federal program through which the State awarded historic preservation grants to local governments in areas of historic significance. Both the City of Pocahontas and Randolph County qualified for the program.
Rock and Roll 67 – Highway U. S. Highway 67 in Clay, Randolph, Lawrence, and Jackson counties have been designated as Rock and Roll Highway 67 in honor of the many early rock and roll stars, like Roy Orbison, Elvis, and Billy Lee Riley, above, who played at venues along that road when rock was young. It includes historic markers and historic sites.
Civil War Sesquicentennial 2011-2015 – Due to the great importance of Randolph County in the Civil War, the State sponsored several events here in the 150th anniversary year of that conflict. Scenic Driving Trails related to the war were also established in the county.
Frisco Railroad Depot Restoration – Preserving and using the 1921 Pocahontas train depot to create the local visitor information center more…