18 minute read
Big changes are taking place in Little Rock
By Kris Grant
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Located smack dab in the middle of “the natural state” and with a population of just over 200,000, Little Rock, Arkansas is an intriguing destination that has blossomed over the past two decades.
It’s due in no small part to the opening of the William J. Clinton Presidential Library & Museum in 2004, which spurred the growth of its downtown, and ushered in new hotels, restaurants and civic pride.
Libby Lloyd, Little Rock Convention and Visitors Bureau’s Director of Communications, was a fabulous guide to her city of six bridges spanning the Arkansas River. As I was to soon discover, Little Rock was full of big surprises!
The Clinton Center restaurant, 42 Bar and Table, is named in honor of the 42nd President.
Photo courtesy of The Clinton Foundation
The William J. Clinton Presidential Library & Museum
The William J. Clinton Presidential Library & Museum was formally dedicated on November 18, 2004, when its Foundation, represented by Chelsea Clinton, handed over the keys to the building to the archivist of the United States. The Clinton Library became the eleventh presidential library in the Presidential Library System managed by NARA (the National Archives and Records Foundation,)
The central core of the Clinton Library & Museum is where I found the President’s daily schedule.
Photo by Kris Grant
Libby pointed out that many people were shocked when Bill Clinton chose an undeveloped industrial area on the outskirts of Downtown Little Rock as the location for the Clinton Center, “There was nothing there,” she said. “But he knew what he was doing. Downtown has experienced dynamic growth, with new hotels and restaurants along the riverfront, expanded transportation networks and development that’s continuing to this day.”
The modern structure of rectangular glass and steel juts out toward the Arkansas River and the Rock Island Railroad Bridge, drawing upon President Clinton’s metaphoric idea of “building a bridge to the twenty-first century.”
A timeline of Clinton’s two presidential terms lies at the core of the museum through the middle of the first floor, with alcoves of various domestic and foreign policy subjects along both sides. Here I found detailed records of each day of the President’s schedule. And sure enough, in late March 1994, several days were marked as “personal vacation.”
That’s when Bill and Hillary and daughter Chelsea spent their spring break vacation in Coronado, hosted at Crown Manor, then the oceanfront home of M. Larry Lawrence, owner of the Hotel del Coronado who was serving as Ambassador to Switzerland at the time. During their visit, the Clintons spent time in Downtown Coronado, perusing books at Bay Books and chatting with locals. On one day of their visit, 13-yearold Chelsea went bike riding down Ocean Boulevard. That’s when an occupant of a parked car along the boulevard suddenly swung open the driver’s-side car door and to the consternation of the secret service knocked the un-helmeted first daughter off her bike. I was serving as executive director of the Coronado Visitors Bureau at the time. We contacted Holland’s Bikes about the incident and they generously donated a helmet, which bureau staff delivered to the manor. A few months later, Hillary’s book, “It Takes a Village,” was published and –gosh darn it! – she included this gesture in her narrative as an example of small town neighborliness.
Ann Kamps, manager of Volunteer and Visitor Services at the Clinton Presidential Center, led me on a tour, which included replicas of the Oval Office and Cabinet Room during President Clinton’s terms. “President Clinton really wanted to include these exhibits because he realized that many visitors here would never be able to tour the White House and the West Wing.”
The Clinton Library features a replica of the Oval Office as it was decorated during President Clinton’s terms.
Photo by Kris Grant
That’s me, sitting in the President’s chair in the Cabinet Room.
Photo by Kris Grant
Visitors can pose at the Presidential desk as I did and even pick up the receiver of Clinton’s desk phone for a commemorative photo (available for a small fee.) And they can also take a seat in the Cabinet Room, where I sat in the seat with a brass marker reading “The President.”
Ann explained that there’s a formal seating arrangement for Cabinet meetings, with each Cabinet member assigned a chair according to the date the department was established.
The President occupies the taller chair at the center of the east side of the table; the Vice President sits opposite the President. The Secretary of State, ranking first among the departments heads, sits on the President’s right. The Secretary of the Treasury, ranking second, sits to the Vice President’s right. The Secretary of Defense (third) sits to the President’s left and the Attorney General (fourth) sits to the Vice President’s left. She continued with the full cabinet’s seating, but I won’t list them all here.
When Cabinet members conclude their terms of service, they are permitted to purchase their cabinet chairs, which bear brass plates indicating their cabinet position or positions and dates of service.
I inquired if the scandal of the President’s “inappropriate relationship” (as he put it) with a White House intern and resulting impeachment hearings were addressed in the library. Ann led me to a single panel in a side alcove that documented the events.
I found this quite in contrast to the Nixon Library in Yorba Linda, California, that has an entire gallery dedicated to Watergate. Of course, the outcomes were quite different:
Nixon resigned his Presidency; Clinton survived. On February 12, 1999, the Senate voted on whether to remove Clinton from office and the president was acquitted on both articles of impeachment (perjury and obstruction of justice). The prosecution needed a two-thirds majority to convict but failed to achieve a bare majority.
Still another exhibit is Clinton’s Presidential limousine, a 1993 Cadillac Fleetwood, one of just three ever built. With protective systems designed by the Secret Service and a state-of-the-art communications system, it took three years to build.
The Clinton Presidential Limousine
Photo by Kris Grant
As luck would have it, Rotary Club of Little Rock was meeting in the Great Hall at the Clinton Center the day I was there, so Libby, Ann and I joined them. With more than 400 members, Little Rock Rotary has an even larger membership than Coronado Rotary Club’s membership of 250. It was a terrific program, but I missed the opportunity to dine at “42,” the museum restaurant.
Little Rock Rotary regularly meets at the Great Hall of the Clinton Center.
Photo by Kris Grant
Our 42nd president was born in Hope, Arkansas, a rural town in the southwestern corner of the state, and I was intrigued to learn about the challenges he faced during his youth. He was born William Jefferson Blythe III on August 19, 1946, three months after his father died in an automobile accident. In his early years in Hope, Bill was raised jointly by his mother, who was often away taking nursing classes in New Orleans, and grandmother, who taught him to read at an early age. When Bill was in second grade, his mother married Roger Clinton and the new family moved to Hot Springs with Bill taking his stepfather’s surname. But his home life was difficult, with Bill often acting as mediator between his mother and stepfather, an alcoholic, whom his mother divorced, then soon remarried during Bill’s teen years.
Clinton attended high school in Hot Springs where School Principal Johnnie Mae Mackey recruited teachers who emphasized public service. Clinton remembers his band director, Virgil Spurlin, as having a huge impact on his life, crediting him with taking a personal interest in every student’s life, including home life, and also teaching him basic organizational skills and allocating resources. “He raised everyone’s aspirations and hopes; he was unbelievable,” said the former president who said Spurlin’s influence convinced him he could marshal others, which he said was a basis of leadership.
Spurred on by supportive teachers, Clinton became an active student politician as well as a leader in the school’s activities. He was active in the Beta Club, National Honor Society, chorus and band, the Hot Springs Key Club and the Order of DeMolay. He became an all-state saxophone player.
In 1963 he was named a Hot Springs High School delegate to Boys State, where he was elected as Arkansas’ delegate to Boys Nation. While attending Boys Nation in Washington, D.C., Bill Clinton shook hands with President John F. Kennedy. A photograph of that meeting, only four months before President Kennedy was assassinated, is one of President Clinton’s proudest possessions.
And speaking of the importance of schooling, read on…
Little Rock’s Central High School National Historic Site
Little Rock Central High School is the only school operating within the National Park System.
Photo by Kris Grant
Little Rock’s Central High School was dedicated in 1927, a massive structure of Art Deco and Gothic Revival styles that was recognized by the American Institute of Architect’s as “America’s Most Beautiful High School.” But what happened at the school thirty years after its founding wasn’t pretty.
In 1957, nine African-American teens attempted to integrate Central High School but, on Sept. 2, Arkansas Governor Orval Faubus ordered the National Guard to block their entry “for their safety.”
On the first day of school, Sept. 3, a mob gathered in front of the school and the students, who became known as the “Little Rock Nine” did not appear. On Sept. 20, a federal judge ruled against use of the National Guard to block students. The Little Rock police were given the responsibility of protecting the students. On Sept. 23, the Little Rock Nine entered the school; the police couldn’t maintain order and a riot ensued. The students left through a side entrance in a police car.
As we walked past Central High School, Park Ranger Patti Cummings held up photos that documented the events that took place there in 1957.
Photo by Kris Grant
On Sept. 24, President Dwight D. Eisenhower federalized the Arkansas National Guard and sent 1,200 soldiers from the U.S. Army’s 101st Airborne Division to Little Rock. The next day, the soldiers escorted the Little Rock Nine into the school through the angry mob that had gathered outside. And on the day following, Faubus appeared on television, stating “We are now an occupied territory.”
The 101st Airborne Division left in November, and the Little Rock Nine endured physical and verbal abuses throughout the year. But Faubus wasn’t done yet. He temporarily closed the schools in 1958, giving voters a choice: accept integration or reject it. They chose the latter path, thereby closing schools for the 1958-59 year. In 1959, the federal court declared the closings unconstitutional and the schools reopened in August. Three African Americans attended Central High that year. Today, with a student body of 2,000, Central High School is the only operating school within the National Park Service. Normally, park rangers take visitors on organized tours into the school’s halls while students are receiving instruction inside classrooms. But when I visited, the school was still closed because of Covid, with students still receiving instruction online.
The National Park Service Visitor Center, with dynamic interpretive exhibits including videos of television coverage of the events in 1957 and subsequent years, is located just across the street from the school.
I was a first-grader when television sets across the nation showed the upheaval that surrounded the attempts of nine African American students to cross the threshold of the all-white school. Television was in its infancy and we watched it unfold in black-and-white; my trip to Little Rock filled in all the color.
My tour, led by National Park Ranger Patti Cummings, began at the Visitor Center, walked through the school grounds and over to the Magnolia Gas Station, which journalists used as their hub during the crisis. The Mobil station has been preserved, its building and gas pumps frozen in time. Along the way, Ranger Cummings brought history alive, holding up photos from 65 years ago, as our footsteps retraced historic events.
The Magnolia Gas Station, part of the Little Rock Central High Sachool Historic Site, has been preserved in its 1957 condition.
Photo by Kris Grant
Gas pumps were restored to their 1957 appearance; note that gas was 25 cents a gallon.
Photo by Kris Grant
Daisy L Gatson Bates, president of the state chapter of the NAACP, became the spokesperson for the students. She pressed for immediate rather than gradual desegregation. In response, segregationists threw a rock through the window of her house, fired shots at her home and firebombed her yard. The street fronting the school is named in her honor.
In 1999, President Clinton presented the Congressional Gold Medal to each of the Little Rock Nine students on behalf of the U.S. Congress in a special ceremony at the White House. The Nine collectively donated one of these medals for exhibit at the Clinton Presidential Library.
Riverfront Park and River Market Entertainment District
The Clinton Presidential Bridge glows at night.
Photo courtesy of The Clinton Foundation
Six bridges span the Arkansas River and link Little Rock with North Little Rock. Illuminated by thousands of high-efficiency LED lights, the Main Street vehicular bridge, the Junction Bridge (a former railroad bridge converted to pedestrian use at Riverfront Park) and the Clinton Presidential Park pedestrian bridge add a splash of color to the Little Rock skyline.
The Big Dam Bridge (I have to laugh at that name!) is the longest pedestrian and bicycle bridge in North America.
Arguably, one of the best public parks in the country, Little Rock’s Riverfront Park offers an abundance of outdoor activity. Riverfront Park stretches eleven blocks and provides 33 acres or urban parkland on the south bank of the Arkansas River in downtown Little Rock.
It’s also where you can find “La Petite Roche,” the actual little rock for which the city is named. As Libby and I wandered along natural terraces and walkways along riverfront, I encountered sculpture after sculpture, 80 of them part of the Vogel Schwartz Sculpture Garden,
It’s all just a skip and a jump from the vibrant Riverfront shopping district and the Clinton Presidential Center beyond. The River Market Entertainment District (RMED) allows guests age 21 and older to carry alcoholic beverages in their RMED cup while wearing the RMED wristband in all public spaces and participating commercial properties, within the boundaries of the district.
The Junction Bridge was built as a railroad bridge in 1884; it was converted to a pedestrian and bicycle bridge in 2008.
Photo by Kris Grant
Le Petit Roche, or Little Rock, is much smaller than when it was first discovered in 1722, when it rose 18 feet above the water and was used as a significant river marker.
Photo by Kris Grant
The Arkansas State Capitol
Photo by Kris Grant
The Arkansas State building was built over a century ago as a replica of the U.S. Capitol and has been used in many movies as a stand-in. Designed in the Neoclassical style, Arkansas’ State Capitol features Arkansas granite, six bronze doors and three chandeliers crafted by Tiffany’s of New York. The dome has a 24-karat gold-plated cupola.
Governor William J. Clinton’s official photograph hangs inside the State Capitol.
An unexpected feature of the building tour was visiting the vault of the Treasurer’s Office. The state constitution mandates that all tax money must be kept in the Treasurer’s vault and I was allowed to hold a half million dollars here. All visitors on tour can do the same; you just can’t take it with you.
On the capitol grounds, “Testament: The Little Rock Nine Monument” stands in honor of the nine students who integrated Central High School. It is the first Civil Rights sculpture to be erected on any state capitol grounds in the South. The memorial features bronze sculptures of the nine, along with plaques bearing quotations from each of them. And, quite pointedly, the faces of the nine students look directly into the Governor’s office.
The figures of “Testament: the Little Rock Nine Monument” are positioned to face the Governor’s office at the Capitol.
Photos by Kris Grant
The Old State House Museum
Photo by Kris Grant
Built in 1833 and opened in 1836, it is the oldest surviving state Capitol building west of the Mississippi (just west!). It’s free to tour the building. Among its exhibits is an 1836 House of Representatives chamber, the “First Ladies of Arkansas: Women of their Times” exhibit and several rooms dedicated to the history of political leaders and their families over Arkansas’s 200 year history.
Bill Clinton announced both his Presidential bids at the museum.
Down the street is Little Rock’s Convention Center, and just across from it is the Capital Hotel, whose history reaches back to 1877. The hotel has hosted many political luminaries including President Ulysses S. Grant. I was struck by its elegance.
Inauguration gowns of the First Ladies of Arkansas are on display at the Old State House Museum.
Photo by Kris Grant
Time to eat!
I ate well in Little Rock and you can, too! Judging from my Rotary lunch at the Clinton Center, I’m thinking that the food at “42 Bar and Table” is equally delicious. At lunch, you can order an “Arkansas Traveler Burger” that includes your choice of 1855 Dry Aged Ground Beef, Ground Turkey, or Meatless Burger Patty served on a Toasted Brioche Bun with all the trimmings. And dinners here are relatively tame in price, the Chicken Pot Pie, is a traditional favorite ($19).
Maria and Elihue Washington stand before their James Beard award certificate at their Lassis Inn.
Photo by Kris Grant
For lunch one day, Libby took me to The Lassis Inn, an unpretentious (for sure) establishment that in 2020 was named by the James Beard Foundation as “A Classic,” After the award was announced, lines stretched for blocks around the restaurant but owners Elihue Washington Jr. and Maria Washington took it all in stride. It is one of the state’s oldest restaurants still
in the same location and one of the best for catfish and buffalo fish ribs. Playing an essential role in the struggle for civil rights, the restaurant served as a refuge for African Americans, including Little Rock Nine mentor Daisy Bates who often met at the restaurant with other civil rights leaders.
Jack and Corri Sundell, owners of The Root Cafe
Photo by Kris Grant
After a scrumptious breakfast of Eggs Benedict, country ham and biscuits and gravy at the Roof Café (and, no, I couldn’t finish it all!), I had the pleasure of meeting owners Jack and Corri Sundell.
The Root’s mission is to “build community through local food” and they seek to foster a sense of connectedness among individuals, families, organizations and businesses of central Arkansas by offering a focal point for sustainable activities. It’s not surprising that Jack is a former Peace Corps volunteer in Morocco, who also worked as a livestock intern at the Heifer Ranch, a learning center of the Little Rock-based Heifer International, that seeks to end poverty throughout the world by empowering farmers.
A few years ago, The Root Café received a $25,000 grant from the viewers of the HLN TV network’s documentary series, “Growing America: A Journey to Success.” And, more recently, it received a $150,000 grant from the Chase Bank Mission Main Street Project, allowing the Sundells to add a dining room onto their existing structure and begin serving dinner.
Owner Blair Wallace stands out front of Ciao Baci.
Photo by Kris Grant
On my last night in Little Rock, we dined at Ciao Baci, and were joined by the restaurant owner Blair Wallace, who bought the restaurant in 2019 after previously working there for ten years as a server and bartender. I loved this restaurant that is nestled into the Hillcrest neighborhood of Little Rock. In fact, it’s a former bungalow house that was turned into a restaurant in 2001. Inside, it’s warm and intimate with a welcoming bar. We ate outside on the wide wrap-around porch. The food was exquisite; the prices, “neighborhood friendly.” Here you’ll find an impressive wine list, great appetizers (try the calamari).
The Esse Purse Museum traces the history of the 20th century as seen from the styles and contents of women’s purses, decade by decade.
Photo by Kris Grant
I made one last stop in Little Rock at the Esse Purse Museum in the fun and quirky SoMa (South Main) district. This one-of-a-kind museum features women’s purse styles across the years and the contents – think hatpins, war ration coupons, cigarettes and peace signs. The museum’s permanent exhibit, “What’s Inside: A Century of Women and Handbags 1900-1999,” grew out of a traveling exhibit selected from owner Anita Davis’ extensive collection.
So… what’s in your purse, ladies? I imagine today’s purses are growing ever smaller, since just about everything – cameras, flashlights, calculators, airline tickets to Little Rock, can be contained in a cell phone. Well, maybe not lipstick!
IF YOU GO..
Photo by Kris Grant
Your Guide to Little Rock
Little Rock Convention & Visitors Bureau
Complete listings of events, accommodations, restaurants, museums and more.
www.littlerock.com
Getting there
By Car:
U.S. Interstate 40, crossing the country from the West Coast to the East Coast, runs directly through Little Rock, as does Interstate 30.
By Air:
The Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport (LIT) is served by American, Delta, Southwest, United, Allegiant and Frontier airlines.
Photo by Kris Grant
Museums and Attractions
The William J. Clinton Presidential Library & Museum
Open Monday – Saturday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., Sunday, 1 – 5 p.m. Adults, 12; Seniors, 62+, $10, Youth, 7 – 17, $7; 5 and under and active-duty military.
www.clintonlibrary.gov
Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site
2120 Daisy L. Gatson Bates Drive, (501) 374-1957. Open daily, 9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. except Thanksgiving, Dec. 25 and Jan. 1. www.nps.gov/chsc
Arkansas State Capitol
Open weekdays, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.; weekends, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Guided tours are free; call to reserve at (501) 682-5080
www.sos.arkansas.gov
Esse Purse Museum Free admission, www.essepursemuseum.com
Recommended Restaurants
The Root Café www.therootcafe.com
Ciao Baci www.ciaobacilr.com
www.loc8nearme.com
Recommended Hotels
Lobby, the Capital Hotel
Photo by Kris Grant
The Capital Hotel
www.capitalhotel.cm
Downtown Holiday Inn Express and Suites
(It’s where I stayed; close to the Clinton Center)
www.ihg.com
