Enter Trail #13, The Benton County Quilt Trail, sponsored by Calico Cut-Ups Quilt Guild at Bella Vista and Rogers Historical Museum

#13-1, Rome City Log Cabin, is at 11516 N. AR 43 Hwy, Maysville AR. There is limited or no cell service here, so once you find #13-2 at the Maysville Community Center, proceed south on Hwy 42 past the station on the right. This barn location will be on the left if you are traveling south. Note that Highway 42 is the state boundary in this area with homes on the west side in Oklahoma and homes on the east side in Arkansas. Back in the late 1870’s Richard Keith ran a hardware store in Maysville, in a time that was as wild and wooly as they ever were. He conceived the idea of making his own town south of Maysville, moved his thriving business, built bricks on his own farm and used those bricks to build a beautiful new building for his hardware store. The city he began was called Rome City. After a number of years, he let go of the dream of building his own city and moved his business operations and every hand made brick to a new thriving town that became known as Gravette. He built a substantial city block of buildings including the Buffington Hotel. He still remained in the hardware business until he retired. The log Cabin pattern represents the early days of log cabins and wood structures. This transitions to the heart of the design and the hand made brick that was precious to Richard Keith in the construction of so many historic buildings. The blue shades on the sky side, earth tones on the
ground side and brick in the center.

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#13-2, Maysville, is located at 12015 N Hwy 43, Maysville AR. This quilt was designed by a Thaden School student, Hadley Ward. She created a design that incorporated the history of the area and utilized quilt shapes to tie the design together. The main attraction is the tree. In the bottom portion, the roots end in tears to show the hard times that the town of Maysville has gone through such as the trail of tears, the fires, and the Civil War. The top of the tree is to represent how Maysville has grown from the troubles and thrived. I decided to make it an apple tree because I read in a brief history about the town that there once was an apple orchard in the town. The pencils represent the old schoolhouse and the triangular figures bring some geometry into the piece, making it more quilt-like.

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#13-3, Ole Bessie, is at 25881 Austin Road, Gravette AR. To get a close look, enter the driveway and go past the feed bins to the large barn where Ole Bessie hangs. Beware of dogs. Best to take your photo from the car. The Jim and Lisa Singleton property is located three miles north of Maysville, Arkansas. 115 acres were purchased in 1999 and soon afterward they built their home and barns. Having an agricultural background, a love for cattle and the land, Jim now produces some of the finest Brangus cattle in the country as well as Bermuda hay that has won national honors and is sought after by many horse owners. The Singletons were honored with the Benton County Farm Family of the Year in 2020 award for their agricultural achievements.

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#13-4, Tri-Block. 2 Henry Circle, Bella Vista AR. Quilts are viewable from Pamona Drive. Jim Richardson shares: My barn quilt ambitions result from a remembrance of my mother Rosella’s participation in the Eastern Iowa Heirloom Quilter’s group. Even after her passing on in 2000, she passed on a number of quilt tops to the organization, carrying it forward for others was her way. Correspondence with my siblings indicate the existence of an ongoing “Quilt Factory” from these humble beginnings. Multiple children and grandchildren own her quilts to this day. As a boy, quilting was the least of my ambitions, even today I can barely sew on a button. Regardless, my rural Iowa roots surfaced and I’ve grown to appreciate the vibrant coloring and wide variety of geometric designs depicted on barn quilts. I plan on continuing the endeavor throughout the greater Benton County/Bella Vista area with placements on friends and neighbor’s homes and possibly in public spaces. 

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#13-5, Daddy’s Tractor, is at 16505 Bethel Heights Rd., Gentry AR. Note that this block and #13-6 are on gravel roads and are near each other. Owner is Peggy Dillahunty. She shares…The John H. Dillahunty farm was purchased in 1969. It was a working poultry farm until 1989. In the late 70’s, we bought a few bottle calves, and that was the beginning of our dairy which we ran until June 2018. John and his dad, Harlan, built this barn themselves from sawmill lumber and reclaimed sheet metal in 1970. Harlan had worked in the shipyards in WWII, and John learned a lot about carpentry from his dad. The Tractor Quilt Block is in remembrance of John and his love of Ford tractors.

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#13-6, Midwest Star is at 9935 S. Brigance Rd., Gentry, AR. Note that this block and #13-5 are on gravel roads and are near each other. Owner Wendy Jackson, who is the agriculture teacher at Gentry High School, shares…This barn became part of our family farm in 1974. Ike stamps had built the barn over 90 years ago. He used the barn as a woodworking shop and made violins in his spare time. In the 50’s and 60’s it was used for a dairy barn by Jake Griggs. After we purchased it as part is our farm, it was used for hay storage for our dairy farm.

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#13-7, Stained Glass Flowers, is at Wallflower Farm at 1451 It’ll Do Road, Pea Ridge AR. It’s on the double doors of the barn located to the right of the house. The Battle at Elkhorn/ Battle at Pea Ridge was fought in the early weeks of March when likely there were daffodils and early wildflowers blooming. The ugliness of war may have been softened somewhat by flowers that reminded the soldiers of home, of family, of spring and the promise of peace, one day, ruled by the King of Kings. Our happy yellow barn and farmhouse echo the colors of spring overlaid by the rays of the sun which warm the earth and give life to everything they touch. The sky above with its storm clouds burdened with rain, gentle breezes, foggy mornings and beautiful sunrises and sunsets are like watercolor paintings created by God himself. The clouds that bring rain to wake up the seeds and plants in spring and feed them throughout the year. Rain also fills the rivers and streams that carry life to everything they touch, giving farms the much needed moisture for crops and livestock. Each portion of the quilt represents the miracle of life and the masterful plan of the God that created this beautiful earth and how farmers use those gifts to care for our families and communities. The quilt will be installed on our large metal barn where our animals are cared for and much of the work done on the farm begins.

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#13-8, Stained Glass North Star, is at 1451 It’ll Do Road, Pea Ridge, AR. It’s located on the barn to the left of the house. Many a Civil War Soldier gazed up into the night sky, thinking of home, of loved ones and seeking direction and guidance. Stars have always been a guide to sailors, travelers, pioneers and wanderers. The North Star is the one that can always be counted on and is often likened to Christ as the center. The night sky is a source of wonder – gazing into the immensity of space – but those Civil War soldiers who looked up into the endless sky sought solace. counting on the knowledge that the Lord knew where they were and heard their prayers. The star shape is also seen in nature, in flowers – symmetrical in shape and repeating their patterns thousands of times over. Owner Mechel Wall explains, “As a flower farmer, I am amazed at the intricacies of the flowers I grow and am constantly in awe of how they just know what to do, when to grow, when to bloom and with predictable perfection – they fill the measure of their creation.”

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#13-9, Carpenter’s Star. Located at 1350 Stratsman Lane, Rogers AR. Owner Judy Bell shares. I am an avid quilter and have always liked this pattern but found it too complicated for me to put in a quilt, so I decided to use it for my barn quilt. The 2 story white barn was built in 1948 by T. W. Cotton who owned the property at that time. Mr. Cotton farmed the 60 acres surrounding the barn. He was assisted in the building project by his sons and several neighbors. The barn was built with a high open roof in the center and 2 sheds on the sides. During construction of the barn, one of the local men fell from the high rafters and was seriously injured. Typical of folks at that time, the neighbors went together to help the man and his family with his medical bills and other needs. The man eventually recovered. In 1955, Ruel Stratsman and his wife Orma moved to Arkansas from Wyoming and purchased the farm. Mrs. Stratsman was a beloved teacher in the Cave Springs School for many years. Mr. Stratsman converted the south shed into a milking parlor. In 1978, Wayne and Judy Bell purchased the farm and have lived there since then.

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#13-10, Double Friendship Star, 6251 SW Regional Airport Blvd., Bentonville AR was painted by Judy Bell. This block was chosen to commemorate the many years of friendship this old barn has witnessed since its’ construction in 1900. Neighbors are now different but deep friendships still remain with some descendants of the families who have lived in this area for some 120+ years. This very unassuming barn, clad in corrugated sheet metal, has seen many changes since it was constructed around 1900 by Bart Douglas. The exact date of construction is unknown, but Bart built the house due west of the barn in 1913 and a concrete floor (which appears to have been added later) has the date 1913 scratched in the surface. Made of heavy oak timbers, the barn has a milking parlor, corn crib, a full loft, and a room which was probably used to house cattle separately. Sometime in its past the entire barn, including the shake roof shingles and all doors, were covered with corrugated metal to protect it from the elements. Its interior remains in pristine condition.

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#13-11, Benton County Fair. Located at 7640 Southwest Regional Blvd., Bentonville. The block is large enough to be viewed at a distance from the highway with a place to pull off at the gates. The fairgrounds are typically open on weekdays 9am-4pm and on weekends at times when events are hosted. Usually the east entrance off Barron Road is the gate that will be open. The Benton County Fair was established in 1904 and was held in a few locations including Rogers, but for the majority of the years it was held in Bentonville off the square at S.E. 8th and S. Main Streets. In the mid 2000’s, working collaboratively with the city and Walmart, the fair received 60 acres and the construction of a new facility near the now NWA national airport. We are so grateful to Benton County Quilt Trail Founder Mechel Wall for her leadership and her offer to help us finish our barn quilt block aptly called “County Fair.” Quilt dept. co-superintendent Judy Bell found the pattern. Mechel was inspired by the colors of the ribbons awarded to participants during the Benton County Fair. She brought this festive pattern to life suggesting a carnival feel. The B is for Benton County and Bentonville – a primary location of the historic Benton County Fair, founded in 1904.

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#13-12, Rising Star. 6291 SW Anglin Rd., Bentonville AR. The Rising Star barn quilt block brightens up the hip roof style barn built with oak lumber that was handpicked by owner Bill Anglin in 1957. If barns could talk, it would tell you that it has been a place for milking cows, storing machinery, providing housing for calves and hay storage. Before the introduction of big round hay bales, the barn stored over 8000 square bales during summer harvest. Even in those hot August harvest days, stacking hay in the Anglin Barn was not all bad when you were treated to a late-night supper and homemade ice cream prepared by Bonnah Lyn Anglin. The barn continues to be used by the fourth generation of the Anglin family as part of their Triple A Farms dairy and beef operation. Submitted by Susan Anglin.

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#13-13, Sunflower, is at Old Applegate on Applegate Trail, a paved bicycle/walking trail west of Hwy 71B and Walton Blvd. Use the address of 1807 SW 2nd Street, Bentonville to find your way there. There is parking at the log structure or pull up the hill to the brown outbuilding. The Sunflower is on the back wall of the outbuilding, facing the bicycle trail. Painted by Mechel Wall, coordinator of the Benton County Quilt Trail, who is the owner of Wall Flower Farms. Helianthus divaricatus, another species known by the common name woodland sunflower, of the Aster (Asteraceae) family, is a deciduous, rhizomatous perennial that occurs in the U.S. from Louisiana to Oklahoma to Wisconsin thence east and south to the borders.  In Arkansas, this species is recorded from throughout much of the state except for portions of the Mississippi Alluvial and West Gulf Coastal Plains.  Preferred habitat is dry uplands in full to partial sun, such as found in woodlands, glades and prairie borders The hillside and old barn that tops it, was once the home of the historic Applegate Craft Fair. On the back side of the old barn is where this celebration of Sunflowers resides. Surrounded by seasonal sunflowers in their natural habitat and enjoyed by all who walk, jog or ride the Applegate trail, the sunflower design will remind passers by of the beauty of our native sunflower species. You may also want to check out the nearby Museum of Native American History at 202 SW O St., Bentonville.

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#13-15, Historic Fair, is at 802 SE C Street, Bentonville AR at the Thaden School. It’s installed on the white building next to the Louise Thaden home. The school occupies the former location of the Benton County Fairgrounds. The Benton County Fair was established in 1904 and was held in a few locations including Rogers, but for the majority of the years it was held in Bentonville off the square at S.E. 8th and S. Main Streets. In the mid 2000’s, working collaboratively with the city and Walmart, the fair received 60 acres and the construction of a new facility near the now NWA national airport. Plans for the old fairgrounds were unclear for some time, until it was determined to be the site of the Thaden School. In 2020, as part of Benton County’s Barn Quilt Trail, Thaden Student Hadley Ward volunteered to design and paint barn quilts including one that represented the Benton County Fair. It was displayed during the 2020 fair along with several others created by both traditional quilters and enthusiasts. Hadley researched fair history speaking with some long time fair volunteers, and designed a crazy quilt to represent various aspects of the fair event from the carnival to craft exhibitions, and livestock shows. The Historic Fair barn quilt is now displayed at Thaden as part of this community public art project.

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#13-16, Eunice the Chickadee, is at 28 Harlow Drive, Bella Vista, AR. Owner Dana Hill shares its story. My family is a family of birdwatchers. My Grandfather used to entertain my sister and me with whistles of various songbirds when we were very small. My Grandmother, Eunice, always had bird feeders and was delighted with every bird spotting. She passed down that love to my mother, who then passed it on to me, my sister, and now my niece. We all feed the birds, watch the birds, can name all the birds, and share sightings with each other. One of my grandmother’s favorite birds was the sweet little chickadee. My sister and I gave her a gift one time of chickadee printed curtains for her dining room. I can still hear her laugh and see her smile as she opened the gift. She quickly hung those curtains in her dining room, and they stayed there until she passed away several years later.  When my sister painted this lovely quilt block for me, it reminded me of the sweet spirit of my grandmother and how she gave us all a beautiful gift in teaching us to love birds, too. Therefore, the name of the quilt block had to be “Eunice, the chickadee.”  The design credit for this block goes to Christine Beals of Haslett, Michigan. You can find her work and place orders at Instagram.com/folkartbychristinebeals

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