Boy Land of Arkansas

Urban exploration in Arkansas
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Aerohog
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Boy Land of Arkansas

Post by Aerohog »

Has anyone checked out the Boy Land site on the east side if 71 in Winslow? It was part of a youth program started in 1963. I assume this was the grounds of the old Winslow Park Club. I saw it about 1963 when the old ruined or burned out lodge had been rebuilt to be used for the program. In the woods around the lodge were the old fireplaces and chimneys of the cabins belonging to club members. Been following this site for some time, but couldn't get it to take my enrollment. Got more to say but need to figure how to get my keyboard switched back to English.
wlhyatt
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Re: Boy Land of Arkansas

Post by wlhyatt »

I am intrigued, is it the place off of Mountain Lodge Trail?
I can't think of anything down that way that sticks out as an old camp or anything.
Aerohog
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RE: Boy Land of Arkansas

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Can't say where it was for sure, but not far off 71. I don't have a perfect memory-too much Jack and craft beer for that- but in 1963 a friend of mine and I were going to band camp at the U of A from Fort Smith and our moms were driving us up. I don't know what got our attention-maybe the BoyLand sign was already in place on the high ground east of 71. someone in Winslow said they had rebuilt an old lodge. We drove up the hill and their was a good-sized orange stone building that I think was on our left. I've looked at Google sat maps trying to spot it without success. I do remember seeing a few old chimneys. and, I believe, fireplaces scattered around the immediate area. The Boy Land of Arkansas sign was there for a number of years on 71, maybe even after they stopped using the facility. Seems like this was as you were going out of Winslow on the north side, but then there wasn't much to Winslow 50 years ago.
Aerohog
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RE: Boy Land of Arkansas

Post by Aerohog »

Looked at Google Maps-they have much better photos than they had a while back when I looked at Winslow. Mountain Lodge Trail is correct. It looks like the structure at the north end of the loop is the ruin of the school/lodge. It's the correct shape-two wings joining at an angle. Now I can search west of 71 for an old hamlet that I thinks lay on the west side of the railroad tracks.
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ropingk
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Re: Boy Land of Arkansas

Post by ropingk »

you all knwo we ned pics dont you
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Aerohog
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Re: Boy Land of Arkansas

Post by Aerohog »

My best friend retired to NWA. I'll ask him to go by the site some time when he's going to Fort Smith, if no one else gets a pic. The lodge was built by people who had vacation cabins and houses in Winslow as a place to socialize. The first lodge burned in 1926, I believe and, they rebuilt a stone lodge. There's a partial document on the web involving a loan for $20,000. There were several small hotels and people letting rooms to summer visitors. Winslow has a nice historical website. To me growing up in the 50-60's, there was nothing of interest there, going northbound it's where you drop off the back end of Mount Gaylor. Perhaps it was more accessible than Eureka Springs. I don't know what differentiated Winslow from communities further south in the Boston Mountains.
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