[Drasco1]

My Wife and I are from California. In 2003 we purchased a cabin and 15 acres for our retirement in rural Cleburne Co. I will retire this year after 38 years working on the Railroad. The people in Heber Springs, Greers Ferry and Drasco, Arkansas have treated us as family since the first year we bought the place. We told the people we have met that it was our intention to relocate and spend our retirement years in their community and we have been welcomed with open arms. They seem proud to share the Ozarks with us! Every vacation we spend in Arkansas, locals remember us. I have had a fully stocked cabin in the woods with everything including appliances, televisions, stereo equipment, and complete shop with all my tools. In nine years not one thing has been touched. I am amazed that everything is exactly as I left it after being away for six months at a time. There is NO WAY that would be possible in California. My place would be stripped completely in 6 months. Say what you want but this old Hippie is looking forward to ARKANSAS!!!

[RogMar]

Originally Posted by Drasco1

My Wife and I are from California. In 2003 we purchased a cabin and 15 acres for our retirement in rural Cleburne Co. I will retire this year after 38 years working on the Railroad. The people in Heber Springs, Greers Ferry and Drasco, Arkansas have treated us as family since the first year we bought the place. We told the people we have met that it was our intention to relocate and spend our retirement years in their community and we have been welcomed with open arms. They seem proud to share the Ozarks with us! Every vacation we spend in Arkansas, locals remember us. I have had a fully stocked cabin in the woods with everything including appliances, televisions, stereo equipment, and complete shop with all my tools. In nine years not one thing has been touched. I am amazed that everything is exactly as I left it after being away for six months at a time. There is NO WAY that would be possible in California. My place would be stripped completely in 6 months. Say what you want but this old Hippie is looking forward to ARKANSAS!!!

Glad to hear you found your slice. Remember to wear tick spray in the woods, realize that opening day of deer season truely is a holiday, squirrel is not just for breakfast anymore, that kettle out in the woods with the fire under it is not making ethanol, no matter what they tell ya, and don't poke the slicks with sharp sticks too often.

Welcome.

[AWC]

Originally Posted by Cali BassMan

OK so I followed a link earlier in this thread, it appears that maybe this Rob feller has more internet savvy that building savvy,,,,this is from some guys who actually went to go see the KKK
...As we made our way into Zinc, which is a tiny, almost-abandoned town that lies down a few winding dirt roads, everyone got to experience a bit of culture shock, since I was the only who had been there before. I grew up in a small town, but Zinc was like another world compared to it, like the land that time forgot. It was pretty much the embodiment of every bad Arkansas stereotype you've ever heard. There were dilapidated trailers and houses everywhere, some abandoned or half-burnt, as well as old vehicles all over the place. There were farm animals running loose, junk and trash littering all the yards, and no lawns to be seen. It was kind of sad, really.

I turned around at the edge of town and went back down a different road. We reached a sign that said Soliders of the Cross, and I announced to everyone that this was the property of the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan. Underdog sarcastically suggested we drive on in, but I had already made up my mind that we were going to and cheerfully started driving in just to freak everyone out. I was a little worried, since it was a Sunday, that there might be people there, but thankfully there were no cars in sight as we pulled up the drive.

Supposedly, this was the biggest remaining KKK group in the United States, but you sure as hell wouldn't know it from the outside of the place. There were just a few small buildings sitting on an acre or so of land, but only one of them looking recently built. If you didn't know it was the KKK, you'd drive right by it and just think it was a country church. All it took was one look at this place to realize that the KKK didn't exactly have the membership it once did.

And just in case anyone gets the wrong idea... I'm no fan of the KKK by any stretch of the imagination. However, I am curious by nature, and it was interesting to show my friends the place, since most people will only hear rumors about it. So, don't take the fact that we took a joyride through there as some sort of approval of them, because it's not.

Well, I just have to say this feller must never have really been there, or he was there a long time ago, by his description. I have. Yep, there are trailers along the road, there's even a hog farmer a ways down the road, all belonging to people who have long deep roots in Boone County. Far cry from trailer trash, just simple people making do. The Robbs own over a hundred acres, not 2, not 10. You can't see the church from the road, and there is no sign marking it. The driveway in looks like any country driveway with a gate in Arkansas that twists and turns up a hill. There are other buildings there as well, the National Headquarters of the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, and a Kids Korner building, also which can't be seen from the road. An interesting feature there is the the large playground, with new equipment.

If someone didn't take you there to show you it as an "attraction" or you didn't know someone involved, you'd never know where it was, nor would you just stumble upon it. You can't just drive by and see it.

I know this, because I own acreage in the area, and have met all my neighbors, the Robbs, and extended family included. They are some of the nicest people you would ever meet, and if you did, before you had any preconceived notions of what they believe, you would never know it.

They must have gained a lot of members since that guy posted his review as well, because our road gets a lot of traffic every Sunday going to that church in the hills, I've watched. I've also had people stop and ask for directions to "a church that's supposed to be out here" like they were afraid to say what church. I always chuckle and point the way.

I guess my point is there are a lot of folks, with a lot of different ideas, and a lot of folks with preconceived ideas. As far as KKK activity, they aren't a bunch of beer swilling, lynch everyone who isn't white jack wagons. They don't wear hoods and robes, they don't light crosses in peoples yards, they just don't act like the KKK you are taught to hate. There are groups that act like idiots, but not here. They are decent people, just like everyone else I know in the area. 4 times a year they have 3 day weekend events there, with families camping out, or staying in area hotels, and they are well mannered. No loud parties, no racing down the road, no driving thru my property. In short, as far as neighbors, and neighbors having guests over goes, they are the perfect neighbors. I've had much worse, in town, in Harrison.

I've never heard of them or anyone associated with them intimidating anyone who wasn't white in the Harrison or surrounding areas, and I doubt that anyone else has either. This group just isn't like that. I give everyone a chance, and judge them on their actions, and they are good people. Their beliefs have nothing to do with it. As far as I know, we can all believe whatever we want, it's a persons actions and attitudes to me and mine that will affect how I treat them.