CODSP presents John Huddleston Heritage Day
By Margi Jenks
On a hot August afternoon John Huddleston was on his hands and knees on his property looking for gold when he found a very shiny pebble. That shiny pebble turned out to be 2 ½ carat diamond. With that discovery on August 8, 1906 the story of diamonds in Arkansas began. Sixty-six years later,the site of that first diamond find became the Crater of Diamonds State Park. This year we are beginning a new tradition of celebrating the history of that first and all subsequent diamond discoveries.
On Saturday, August 6, 2011 from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM visitors can attend a program focused on the history of diamond mining at the Crater. It will be held in the Visitor Center Theater and is free and open to the public.
Lee Wagner (left) and John Huddleston (right)
The program will feature talks by Shirley Strawn and Glenn Worthington, both long time Crater diamond prospectors. Shirley, who found the Strawn-Wagner diamond among others, will reminisce about her great-great-grandfather, Lee Wagner. Lee was John Huddleston’s brother-in-law and for many years he was the mine manager and guard for the Arkansas Diamond Company. Glenn, who has also found many Crater Diamonds and written the book “Genuine Diamonds Found In Arkansas”, will talk about the history of the Arkansas Diamond Company. Park staff will also present other history-related topics. Visitors can test their knowledge of diamonds and the Crater, and win prizes, during a Jeopardy-style trivia game.
Update on Summer Fun for Kids Day Camp Due to park staffing conflicts the date of the last Friday Fun Day has been moved to the end of the month, Friday, July 29th. The program on our night-time friends—bats and owls, will run from 2:00 PM to 9:00 PM and include swimming at our Diamond Springs Water Park, and a cook-out. The cost is only $30.00 and we are still taking registrations for children who will be entering the 4th to 6th grades. Call park interpreters Margi or Waymon at 870/285-3116 to enroll your child.
Other Crater News If you are planning a trip that will take you through Memphis, TN this summer and fall, you might want to plan a stop at the Pink Palace Museum. From July 23rd to October 16th, the museum has a temporary exhibit on Diamonds. The main exhibit will have extremely interactive displays on many diamond subjects--their characteristics, mining, exploration, and many other topics. In addition, part of the display is a Crater of Diamonds State Park exhibit and a display of the Houran collection of famous Crater diamonds. The Pink Palace Museum is located east of downtown Memphis at 3050 Central Avenue. The museum's hours are Monday - Saturday 9am - 5pm, and Sunday 12pm - 5pm. It also has a planetarium and an IMAX theater, which is presently showing "The Ultimate Wave-Tahiti" and "Legends of Flight". For information about the Pink Palace Museum, call 901/636-2362 or visit their website http://www.memphismuseums.org/museum-visitor_information/.
Search area last plowed: June 9, 2011; Most recent significant rain: July 8, 2011
Total diamonds found in 2011: 341
Diamonds registered for July 10-June 16, 2011 (100 points = 1carat):
July 12 - Sarah Mottern, Indianapolis, IN, 5 pt. white, 29 pt. brown; Drew Zimmerman, Spring, TX, 7 pt. yellow, Idalia Trent, Rusk, TX, 53 pt. white
July 14 - Joshua White, Kansas City, MO, 35 pt. white; Glenn Worthington, Murfreesboro, AR, 8 pt. yellow
July 16 - Hannah Camyn, Spokane, WA, 72 pt. yellow