Help the Crater enrich its history

By Waymon Cox

  Greetings from Crater of Diamonds State Park!  Individuals have always played a major role in the history of this park.  From the geologists and prospectors who first searched for diamonds here over a century ago, to the travelers who visit today in hopes of finding their own gems, their experiences are woven together in the long, fascinating, and continuing story of the Crater.  Much of our history has been documented through land deeds, letters, and photographs signed, written, or taken by individuals involved with the diamond mine.

  Today, Crater of Diamonds State Park has a great archival collection of photographs and documents detailing our history, but we are always looking for more materials to reveal new information and help us better understand the past!

  We are looking for photos and/or documents pertaining to Crater of Diamonds State Park (especially during the 1980s and ‘90s), any diamond mining tourist attractions operating before 1972, and commercial diamond mining companies in operation during the 20^th century.  Special interest areas include, but are not limited to, the following:

Members of the Mauney family (who originally owned land on part of the diamond-bearing crater); the Martin Plant (circa 1948); the Diamond Preserve of the United States (1951); Howard Millar and family (who operated the Crater of Diamonds attraction beginning in 1952); the Diamond Field, Volcano Hill, or Mauney-Martin Diamond Mine & Picnic Grove attractions; Art Slocum’s mining operation and tourist attraction (1958-1962); Roscoe Johnston’s Arkansas Diamond Mine or Big Mine attractions (opened in 1963).

  Anyone may participate in this project by allowing us to scan photographs or documents into a digital format for our archives.  To contribute, call Crater of Diamonds State Park at 870-285-3116, or e-mail us at craterofdiamonds@arkansas.com to schedule a date and time to bring collections to the park.  Later, we will publish an article listing contributors and featuring photos and/or documents collected.

  If you have ever visited or worked at the diamond mine and have a boxed collection of memories, we hope you’ll consider helping us enrich the Crater’s history!

Search area last plowed:  October 20, 2011

Most recent significant precipitation:  October 28, 2011

Diamond finds for October 23 - 29, 2011 (100 points = one carat):

October 23 - David Solak, New Port Richey, FL, 5 pt. brown

October 24 - Ron Jenkins, Carlisle, AR, 6 pt. yellow, 6 pt. yellow

October 25 - Julie Lister, McPherson, KS, 54 pt. yellow

October 26 - Dana Betts, Kneeland, CA, 1.48 ct. yellow

October 27 - Lacy Hodges, Lone Grove, OK, 9 pt. brown

October 29 - Kenny & Melissa Oliver, Rosston, AR, 17 pt. white; Chip Burnette, Killeen, TX, 14 pt. yellow