BENTON COUNTY, Arkansas — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has begun preservation and removal work on parts of the historic resort town of Monte Ne, located in Rogers, Arkansas.
According to Beaver Lake Operations Manager, Derek Murken, the contractor began to stage equipment the week of Feb. 13.
“The plan will be to remove the Oklahoma Row section of the old resort before starting on the Oklahoma Tower,” said Little Rock District Executive Officer, Jay Townsend. “We’re working closely with the Shiloh Museum of Ozark History and Roger’s Historical Museum, as well as the Arkansas State Historic Preservation Office, to ensure we preserve material from the site that will help tell the story of Monte Ne.”
For 30 years, USACE has worked with museums and both the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program and the Arkansas Archeological Society to investigate ways to effectively preserve Monte Ne.
“Unfortunately, we weren’t able to find a solution that could overcome the costs involved in maintaining the site,” said Townsend. “Over the years as we worked to preserve the site, our rangers observed increased trespassing through the security fence and other dangerous activities. Vandals have covered parts of the structure in graffiti. It’s an incredible piece of history, but more and more, it’s become an attractive nuisance and safety hazard.”
It's the risk to health and safety that ultimately led USACE, lawmakers and historical preservationists to settle on the current preservation plan.
“The decision to remove the Oklahoma Row and Tower was not an easy one,” said Townsend. “But continuous exposure to high lake waters over the last decade has contributed to the dangerous conditions along Oklahoma Row. It’s only a matter of time before things start falling on their own.”
According to Townsend, the decision to move forward with the removal and preservation was a joint agreement that had support from preservationists, lawmakers, and USACE.
Beaver Lake Chief Ranger Jared Trammel says that the demolition has been postponed, as somebody vandalized the removal equipment itself.
Serena Barnett, the director of the Rogers Historical Museum says Oklahoma Row was a hotel built by William Coin Harvey at his Monte Ne Resort back in the early 1900s.
Harvey was a politician who ran an unsuccessful campaign for president in 1932. Barnett says the peak of the resort was up through the 20s.
“People from all over the country would visit Monte Ne. They'd come on the train, and then of course, as automobiles became more prevalent throughout the 20s, they would start coming in in cars as well. And so Monte Ne became this tourist attraction in Northwest Arkansas,” she said.
It had the world's largest log hotels, designed by architect A. O. Clarke, and attracted visitors from across the country for more than two decades.
The property became USACE’s after the White River was dammed to create Beaver Lake in the mid-1960s, leaving much of the resort and original town of Monte Ne underneath the lake.
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