Sunken Lands C of C to create cultural roadway

Zack A. Tucker, representative for the Sunken Lands Regional Chamber of Commerce, outlines the plans the Chambers has to create a Sunken Lands Cultural Roadway. The announcement was made during a program at Marked Tree last Wednesday. (Democrat Tribune photo/Dan Brawner)

Nearly 200 years ago in 1811-12, a series of earthquakes changed the landscape of northeast Arkansas and southern Missouri. One thing which changed drastically was the area, primarily in Poinsett County, known as the Sunken Lands.

Now, nearly two centuries after those earthquakes, the towns of Marked Tree, Lepanto, Tyronza and Dyess, are working together as the Sunken Lands Regional Chamber of Commerce (SLRCC) to try to increase tourism to their respected areas.

Their newest project in this effort, the Sunken Lands Cultural Roadway, was announced before some 50 people during a gathering in Marked Tree at noon last Wednesday, July 1.

SLRCC President Soozi Williams opened the presentation, which was held on the grounds of Ibera Bank in a large tent, followed by SLRCC Treasurer, Harvey Howington who explained exactly how the Sunken Lands area was formed.

"The Sunken Lands of Northeast Arkansas were just one of the results of (the 1811-12) earthquakes," said Howington. "Spear Lake southeast of Lepanto was also caused by this quake. One result of this was the sand boils or sand which boils up out of the ground as it is replaced with other material. Today there are dozens of small earthquakes per year, especially up around Manila."

Cindy Grisham, Graduate assistant ASU Heritage Sites, then gave an overview of the formation of the SLRCC itself.

"When you think about a chamber of commerce, you think about community development," said Grisham. "Most of the time this has made people think about industry. It doesn't usually make people think about tourism, but in Arkansas we should think about this because it's our second largest industry."

But to fully take advantage of what the area has to offer, Grisham said the towns needed to work together. She stressed that the SLRCC was not trying to replace the C of C's of the individual cities involved, but would enhance each one.

Grisham went on to say that the four towns realized how advantageous it would be to form the SLRCC so the plan went forward with representatives from each town. As a result the SLRCC was formed.

Historical items from the Marked Tree Delta Area Museum helped to highlight the announcement last Wednesday of the formation of the Sunken Lands Cultural Roadway. (Democrat Tribune photo/Dan Brawner)

Not only were there representatives for each of the four main towns present last Wednesday, but also from Senator Blanch Lincoln's office as well as various county offices. County Judge Charles Nix and other county and civic leaders were present for the announcement.

"We're trying to create a different Chamber of Commerce because tourism is a different animal," Grisham continued. "People say that we don't have anything here for tourists, but if we just look around, we do. I hear (the same thing) in other places because no matter where you live, people think they don't have anything, but we do. Showing people what we do have is what the chamber is all about. We have agri-tourism, eco-tourism, heritage-tourism and a lot of things."

"What we need to understand is that tourism is economic development," said SLRCC representative Zack A. Tucker during his portion of the program which included the actual announcement of the roadway. "We have people shopping in the cities of the area, but the money they spend is not growing in any way. It just continues to move around the communities involved. But with tourism, people bring new money into the area and growth is created."

With the goal of both increasing tourism and developing the sunken lands area, Tucker said the SLRCC decided one of the best avenues was to develop the Sunken Lands Cultural Roadway.

"It would be much like the Scenic Byways roads of the Mississippi River and Crowley's Ridge," continued Tucker. "It would encompass our four communities plus Wilson in Mississippi County."

He said the road would start at Tyronza and run along U.S. 63 to Marked Tree, then to Lepanto on state highway 140, to Dyess on state highway 14 and end at Wilson by way of U.S. 61.

"(U.S. 61 at Wilson) just so happens to be part of the Great River Road, another part of the national scenic byway," said Tucker. "Millions of people travel this road each year from Minnesota to Louisiana."

Tucker said to enhance the travel experience, a "Sunken Lands Passport" would be created for visitors on the road. With that 'passport' people would be able to have access to discounted attractions on the route. Among those would possibly be the museums at Lepanto and Marked Tree, the Painted house at Lepanto, the Southern Tenant Farmers Museum in Tyronza, the Johnny Cash memorial at Dyess and the Wilson Plantation.

Also, there would be various historical markers created to highlight various points on the route.

In that historical vein, Chamber official announced that both the Dyess Colony and the Southern Tenant Farmers Museum in Tyronza would be celebrating their 75tb anniversaries later in July.

"One thing about tourists, when they come here and hear of the sunken lands, they want to physically see a hole in the ground," Tucker concluded. "We have to get them to understand that this is a humongous area in northeast Arkansas. And what we have to do is show them something which ties us into the Sunken Lands and the heritage and culture which we have here."