Historic Arkansas Lodging at Queen Wilhelmina
State Park
The beginning of this grand, historic lodging tradition high atop Arkansas's
second highest mountain is rooted in the 1890s when railroad expansion
was big business in this country. Arthur Stilwell, vice president of
the Kansas City, Pittsburg and Gulf Railroad (KCP&G), decided to
build the first north-south railroad, a route from Kansas City,
Missouri to Port Arthur, Texas, to provide rail access to the Gulf of
Mexico. This brought the railroad's route through Arkansas, and
inevitably the Ouachita Mountains. During the routing of the tracks
through the valleys of the rugged Ouachitas, a flat area near the top
of 2681-foot Rich Mountain was discovered. This windswept, mountaintop
location was brought to the attention of the investors of the
KCP&G, many of whom were Dutch, as a site to build a resort retreat
featuring a grand hostelry to entice railroad patrons to travel the
rails.
The luxurious hostelry of Victorian splendor was constructed of native
stone and timber at a cost of $100,000. The building was illuminated by
carbide lights and made for a glorious site as carriages topped Rich
Mountain from the train stop at the base of mountain's north side.
Thirty-five guest rooms graced the second floor, with at least four
"water closets" to serve their guests. Maids and cooks were housed on
the third floor. And, the glorious first floor was used as a place to
socialize. Especially beautiful was the dining room which, when
converted to a ballroom, would seat 300 people.
Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands was to be crowned in September
1898. To honor the young Queen of the Netherlands, the magnificent
structure was called "Wilhelmina Inn." A suite of rooms was located in
the southeast corner of the second floor and named for the Wilhelmina
in the vain hope she would visit.
The grand opening of the inn came on June 22, 1898. Soon, Wilhelmina
Inn became known as the "Castle in the Sky." The grandeur of this
renowned mountaintop inn with its breathtaking scenery, fine
accommodations and exquisite service, however, was to last only a few
short years. Less than three years after the opening of the lodge, the
Kansas City, Pittsburg and Gulf Railroad, facing enormous financial
troubles, was sold to what is now the Kansas City Southern Railroad.
With the new owners in place, the lodge was abandoned by its former
owners and languished into disrepair. Although the historic Arkansas lodging facility did not close
permanently until 1910, its heyday had too quickly come to a close. The
building fell into decay. The photograph below shows sheep standing in
what was once the grand ballroom where elegantly dressed ladies and
gentlemen danced.
By the 1930s, only remnants of the original structure's stone fences
and fireplaces remained standing, starkly silhouetted against the sky.
The year 1940 brought a brief respite and renewed hope for the now
desolate building. Earnest Rolston, a professor from Centenary College
in Shreveport, Louisiana, decided to create a summer music school using
a portion of the inn. The idea was good, but unfortunately the timing
was not. The beginning of World War II in 1941 ended any further
attempt to restore the old ruins.
After the decade of the 40s, the 1950s brought renewal into sight. The
war years had brought travel awareness to the many men and women who
had served in the Armed Forces. The growth of America's travel and
tourism industry was now on the horizon. In light of this, State
Senator Landers Morrow and other community leaders created Resolution
17 to create a new state park on the site where Wilhelmina Inn reigned
over the Ouachita Mountains of Arkansas. Act 76 was passed by the Arkansas General
Assembly in 1957. Plans were soon underway to construct a new lodge on
the site of the original inn.
Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, the second inn opened its doors
on June 22, 1963. Although less grand than the original hostelry, this
lodge contained 17 guest rooms and a restaurant. Occupying the same
site as the first inn, the second structure was built with some of the
rockwork still remaining from its predecessor. Operated for 10 years by
the State of Arkansas as an Arkansas State Parks lodge, the facility
was a popular travel attraction until, on the evening of November 10,
1973, a fire that began in the kitchen area destroyed it. Thankfully,
there was no loss of life, but the building was totally destroyed.
To carry on this grand lodging tradition atop Rich Mountain, Arkansas State Parks lost no time in constructing a new lodge on the site,
opening a new $3 million dollar state park lodge in 1975. Today, this
lodge is the crowning attraction of Queen Wilhelmina State Park. Within
walking distance of the lodge are a park amphitheater, playground,
campground with 40 sites and a modern bathhouse, and hiking trails. To add to the park's summer season offerings, two private concessions
operate a miniature train ride and a rehabilitation center for species
native to Arkansas. Queen Wilhelmina State Park remains as it has
always been--the crowning glory of the Ouachitas. Come experience this
royal Arkansas getaway high atop Rich Mountain.
For more on the history of Queen Wilhelmina State Park or the history of the Arkansas State Park System, go to our Interactive History Timeline. Plan a vacation in the Ouachita Mountains of Arkansas.