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| National Forests date to 1891 |
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| Question: What information do you have on the early formation of the Ozark National Forest? |
| Answer: This is the second question we have received about the Ozark National Forest and in an earlier column, this subject was discussed. That column, mainly about the Henry Koen Experimental Forest, is on file at the Heritage Museum. |
| In 1891, President Harrison withdrew some 13 million acres from the public domain, and that was the beginning of the National Forest. First called "timber reserves," set plans were not in place for several years since the Forest Service wasn't in place at the time - just a small Division of Forestry within the Department of Agriculture. Even then, the "reserves" were in the Department of Interior. |
| In 1905, the Division of Forestry became the U. S. Forest Service, and the name "Reserves" was changed to National Forest. |
| The boundaries set for the Ozark National Forest by the proclamation of 1908 enclosed approximately a million acres. Another 1909 proclamation added another half-million acres. Not all of this was government land, since many homesteads and other private holdings were scattered over the area. |
| Both sections of this forest land were administered by the same headquarters at Fort Smith. In 1909, they were separated and the Ozark headquarters was moved to Harrison, where it remained until moved to Russellville in 1918. |
| The first supervisor of the Ozark Forest was David E. Fitton. David married Lula Vance Garvin in 1911, and for years they were a well-known, prominent Harrison couple. Mention of the Fitton name usually brings to mind the Lyric Theater, since they were the owners of that magnificent motion picture "house." David E. died in 1950 and Lula died 20 years later. They were parents of two sons, David Edwards Fitton, Jr. and Garvin Fitton. |
| Garvin served in World War II, was captured by the Germans, spent time as a POW, and escaped and rejoined the American forces in 1945, returning to the States to practice law in Little Rock. He, Martha Ann and children returned to Harrison in 1953, where he had a law practice until his death in 1995. One of their children, Tom Fitton, is a Harrison businessman and makes his home in Western Hills. |
| David Edward Fitton, Jr. graduated from West Point and made the service a 30-year career. David flew P-47s in the South Pacific in World War II, the F-86 in Korea, and was an advisor to the Vietnamese Air Force in 1968-1969 during the Vietnam War. David and his wife Ruth now live in the Fitton family on North Cherry Street. This historic home was built by Ford Morris Garvin in 1886. |
| Now, getting back to the Ozark Forest - the early history of the Forest is full of trouble and difficulties. It literally fought for its life. Opposition came both from those bent on further exploitation and fraud, and from local settlers honest in their convictions as to their rights and land practices. |
| For the first 15 years, the work of Forest officers consisted mainly of fighting forest fires, building lookout towers and simple cabins, and constructing trails and roads. Travel within the Forest was by horseback since roads were few and poor. By 1924, better days were dawning. |
| The Forest service began to receive more funds for construction of trails, roads, telephone lines and lookout towers. Public cooperation and goodwill existed and fire protection was established on a permanent basis, which still exists today. |
| The advent of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in 1933, with their large contribution in money and manpower, brought about adequate road systems, ranger stations and thousands of other physical improvements. Many acres were planted with pines, and timber stand improvement work was done. |
| There is so much more that could be told about the Ozark National Forest, and the Boone County Heritage Museum files on the Forest are available for in-house use. A rare 1948 brochure entitled Ozark National Forest, Arkansas - 40th Anniversary, 1908-1948, was recently donated to the museum by Martha Milburn. So if you want to know more, stop by and spend some time. You might be surprised what you will find. |
| Have you submitted your family history for publication in the upcoming Volume II of the Boone County, Arkansas Family History Book? Become a part of Boone County history and document your family in this book! For more information, visit the museum, located at 124 South Cherry Street in the historic 1912 Harrison High School Building. Hours are 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. |
| This column appears Fridays in the Harrison Daily Times. Mail questions to Boone County Heritage Museum, P. O. Box 1094, Harrison, AR 72601. Marilyn Breece can be contacted at bchm@alltel.net |
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