Tag Archives: Quapaw Quarter Association

201 years of the Quapaw Line

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Stones placed in Riverfront Park denote where there Quapaw Line started from La Petite Roche

On August 24, 1818, the Quapaw Line was drawn.  Starting at La Petite Roche and heading due south, this line formed the boundary between the Quapaw tribal lands and public lands available for settlement.  (In the 1810s and 1820s, the Quapaw alternated between Central Arkansas and Northwest Louisiana depending on preferences of the tribal leadership.)

Though by 1824, the Quapaw were forced by the federal government to give up all of their lands in the area, the line continued serve as an important marker.   In the ensuing six years, the first permanent settlement of Little Rock took place and streets were planned.

The 1818 treaty referred to La Petite Roche as the Little Rock.  Some have speculated that this is the first official use of “Little Rock” to designate the outcropping and to name the area.  When the U.S. Post Office was established in March 1820, it was given the name Little Rock.

There is a marker commemorating the beginning of the Quapaw Line located at La Petite Roche in Riverfront Park.  The first segment of the line is also noted in the park.  There are also sunken markers place along the line at various points.  In MacArthur Park, at the corner of 9th and Commerce Streets, there is a marker noting that the line passed through at that location.  A few years ago, engineers from Garver retraced the line using modern technology. They found the original surveyors’ work to be extremely accurate.

A good account of walking the Quapaw Line through downtown Little Rock can be found on this website.

Most of what is now called the Quapaw Quarter was located to the west of the Quapaw Line.  However, it did take its name from the fact that the tribe had once lived in that area and was later sequestered to lands near it.  The name for the area was chosen by a committee composed of David D. Terry, Peg Newton Smith, Mrs. Walter Riddick Sr., Dr. John L. Ferguson, and James Hatcher. They had been appointed to a Significant Structures Technical Advisory Committee to advocate for preservation of important structures as a component of the City of Little Rock’s urban renewal efforts.

Latest Quapaw Quarter Association Preservation Conversation focuses on Quapaw Tribal Pottery

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1c2d437f 4244 41b6 b953 0d7bf560b583Join the Quapaw Quarter Assocation for their next Preservation Conversation which features a lecture about Quapaw Tribal Pottery by Betty Gaedtke, a member of the Quapaw Nation. The program is supported, in part, by the Arkansas Humanities Council.

It is tonight, August 8, at the Mixing Room at the Old Paint Factdory, 1306 East 6th Street.  The 6pm lecture is preceded by a 5:30pm reception.
5:30 pm (reception), 6:00 pm (lecture)

RSVP: The event is free and open to the public, but space is limited. Please RSVP .

Parking: There is parking directly in front of the doors that are marked “live”, “print”, “meet.” If those spots are taken. park in the parking lot to the right. There is also street parking in front of the building.

Entrance: Enter the event space through the door facing 6th Street marked “Meet.”

Questions? Call 501-371-0075 ext. 3 or email qqa@quapaw.com

Betty Gaedtke Artist’s Statement:

“My interest in making pottery began decades ago, but since I had a full time job with the US Postal Service, it was nearly impossible for me to dedicate the time for it. When I retired early, my husband and I bought property near Yellville, Arkansas. In 2010 we built a house there and moved to our getaway in the Ozark Mountains. I was very fortunate that in our local area there are numerous potters, many whom studied and taught all over the country and the world. I soon became friends with many of them and began personal one on one lessons and monthly group workshops with experienced potters.

I was mentored by Helen Phillips, a world renowned potter and teacher, Robin MacGrogan, a lifelong potter and professor in pottery and the arts, Sue Whittington, an experienced potter, and Marian Yancey, an experienced potter. As I became more comfortable making my own pottery, in 2012 I decided to dive into where my real passion was, pottery made by my Quapaw tribal ancestors. I took personal one on one lessons with Lisa Crews, experienced in Mississippian pottery, who taught me how to make head pots and animal & human effigy pots in Quapaw and Mississippian styles.

I have since made about 300 Quapaw and Mississippian pots making them in the styles and decorations unearthed in Quapaw villages. My inspiration comes from my many visits to museums that display Quapaw pottery and twice viewing hundreds of Quapaw pots stored at the University of Arkansas. I have read many books that are dedicated to some of the best Quapaw and Mississippian pottery ever found. I have pots displayed at several museums around the country. “

Learn about Roofing Historic Buildings at tonight’s QQA Preservation Conversation

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The next QQA Preservation Conversation takes place tonight, July 11.

Join the QQA to learn about roofing historic buildings with Woody Simmons and Robert Purtle of Bray Sheet Metal. Woody and Robert have worked on historic buildings all around the state, including:

  • Copper Built-in gutters at the Empress in Little Rock
  • Repair and maintain slate roof at the Lincoln Home, Little Rock
  • Repairs to asbestos slate at the Pollock Home, Little Rock
  • Reroof wood shingles after fire at St Edwards Catholic Church, Little Rock
  • Install of slate roof, Cathedral of St. Andrew, Little Rock

When: July 11, 2019
Where: Mixing Room at the Old Paint Factory in the East Village,1306 East 6th Street, 72202
What Time: 5:30 pm (reception); 6:00 pm (lecture)

RSVP: The event is free and open to the public, but space is limited. Please RSVP.

Parking: There is parking directly in front of the doors that are marked “live”, “print”, “meet.” If those spots are taken. park in the parking lot to the right. There is also street parking in front of the building.

Entrance: Enter the event space through the door facing 6th Street marked “Meet.”

Stained Glass windows focus of tonight QQA Preservation Conversation

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The Quapaw Quarter Association is hosting its next “Preservation Conversation” tonight.
Jay King’s talk will cover history of stained glass, the care and maintenance of antique windows, what a basic repair job entails as opposed to full scale restoration,and the commission process.
The program starts at 6pm, with a 5:30pm reception preceding it.  It will be in the Mixing Room at the Old Paint Factor in the East Village (1306 East 6th Street).
Jay King began his career in glass repairing antique stained glass windows in Chicago’s Old Town. In 1974 he moved to Austin, Texas where he learned the art of constructing windows while working at Renaissance Glass Co. and several other local studios. In 1988 he set his sites for Eureka Springs, AR, but found too much to fall in love with in Little Rock, so has been here ever since. He decided to start up his own stained glass studio, Arkansas Glassworks, in 1993.
As Arkansas Glassworks, Jay has built stained glass windows for numerous homes and churches around the state. These days, churches are his main focus, but he continues to both build and repair windows for homes as well. He still manages to make the occasional window that calls him to build, regardless of commission. He’s also known to teach his craft to the few who are still around who want to learn it.

Parking: There is parking directly in front of the doors that are marked “live,” “print,“ “meet.” If those spots are taken. park in the parking lot to the right. There is also street parking in front of the building.

Entrance: Enter the event space through the door facing 6th Street marked “meet.”

Questions? Call 501-371-0075 ext. 3 or email qqa@quapaw.com<

The Quapaw Quarter Association 55th Spring Tour of Homes is this weekend

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This weekend, Join the QQA for the 55th Spring Tour of Homes in MacArthur Park, Little Rock’s oldest historic district. Visit the Mills-Davis House and the Bracy-Manning House on sixth street, the Holtzman-Vinsonhaler house on 9th street, and others.

Tickets

Candlelight Tour, Dinner & Silent Auction ($150.00)
Mother’s Day Brunch ($60.00)

Dates & Times
May 11, 2019
Tour starts at 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm

Candlelight Tour, Dinner & Silent Auction starts 5:00 pm – 9:30 pm (located at the Arkansas Arts Center)

May 12, 2019
Mother’s Day Brunch 11:00 am — 1:00 pm (located at Curran Hall, 615 E. Capitol)
Tour 1:00 pm — 5:00 pm

Check-in Sites
Curran Hall, 615 E Capitol Ave, Little Rock, AR 72202.
MacArthur Park, outside the MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History, 503 E 9th St, Little Rock, AR 72202.
The Patrick Powers House, 1402 Commerce, Little Rock, AR 72202.

The QQA 55th Spring Tour Preview Party is tonight

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Image result for qqa logoJoin the QQA for the start of the 55th Tour of Homes, 2019!
Attendees will party like its 1929 at the Albert Pike Hotel and get an exclusive sneak peak at the homes chosen for this year’s tour in the MacArthur Park Historic District.
Saturday, March 30, 2019 – 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm
Tickets are $40.00 at the door.
QQA will introduce guests to the houses selected for this year’s tour, serve up some delicious food and a signature cocktail, and listen to music by local band Whale Fire.
The Spanish-Revival style Albert Pike Hotel was built in 1929 at a cost of one million dollars. It was one the best known hotels in Little Rock for many decades.

Get a Sneak Peek at QQA 55th Tour of Homes on March 30

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http://www.quapaw.com/static/images/QQA_logo.pngJoin the QQA for the start of the 55th Tour of Homes, 2019!
Attendees will party like its 1929 at the Albert Pike Hotel and get an exclusive sneak peak at the homes chosen for this year’s tour in the MacArthur Park Historic District.
Saturday, March 30, 2019 – 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm
$35.00 in advance until 11:59 pm on March 29 and $40.00 at the door.
QQA will introduce guests to the houses selected for this year’s tour, serve up some delicious food and a signature cocktail, and listen to music by local band Whale Fire.
The Spanish-Revival style Albert Pike Hotel was built in 1929 at a cost of one million dollars. It was one the best known hotels in Little Rock for many decades.