A Visit to the War House

My dad played with my children. Maybe because they were active, fun-loving, outside-playing boys. David ran and ruled at The Pond and as King of the Dirt Pile out back. Daddy would drive Mother and David to El Dorado to get a Wendy's kid's meal. Whoever heard of a town Not Having a Wendy's...or a McDonalds.


Forward 8 years and McDonald's is in Camden and Daddy has retired.  Now, both he and Rich are playing in the dirt with trucks. Richard helps drive Poppy's truck on adventures to The Pond. They wave to the little blonde-haired girl on the back of the school bus. They also play war games at the War House. Rich was fascinated with the cannon, cannonballs,and The Civil War history and legend.



 Today, I visited the War House and had a short conversation with college classmate and sorority sister Kathy Kesterson Boyette. She's the President for the Ouachita County Historical Society, Big plans are underway for Fort Lookout where the 1966 Conifer staff and Ben Bracken photographed students depicting scenes such as "High above the winding river..." I picked up a copy of Goodbye, Camden High School, old District 35, (the old beautiful building) Historical Quarterly. A historical listing of businesses in downtown Camden during the 1950's is included.

On our drive south to El Dorado,we saw a sign indicating that future I-69 would pass to the south of Camden, but still in Ouachita County. I'm surprised. I wonder if Camden is pleased? We did not take time to see the Goat Woman's circus car at the Oil Museum.  Marvin knows about the Goat Woman and what it's like to have a bad hair day(Goat Lady Hair).  I explained it all to him.

The McCullom-Chidester House was built in 1857 and has long been on the National Register. Also on site is the Ingham Library building, which was the first library I visited as a young girl in the early 1950's.

Camden, indeed, is Where History Lives...along with my growing-up memories and those of my sons, also. My sons carry memories of Camden, associated with their Poppy and Nana.