JOLLY MILL NEAR PIERCE CITY, MISSOURI

On the cool morning of September 26, 2010, the Rebel Car Club and some friends convoyed over to a park near Pierce City. It was purchased in 1983 by The Jolly Mill Park Foundation and was placed on the National Register of Historical Places in that same year. It was built in 1848 by Thomas and John Isabell. It was known as "Isabell's Distillery". The village of Jollification thrived as a rest stop and resupply point for westward bound wagon trains to Kansas and Indian Territory.

The area was the scene of two clashes during the War Between the States. Bushwhackers terrorized and burned the village but spared the distillery. In 1872, the railroad into Indian Territory ended the need for the wagon trains. When mill owner, George Isabell, refused to pay the new tax on spirits, he closed the distillery but continued to mill flour. The village faded but the name "Jolly Mill" became commonly used by the year 1894. The mill was improved and continued to mill flour until the 1920's. It continued to grind grist until 1973.

Now it is an out of the way park that is a beautiful back drop for pictures and a quite place to picnic and play.

Devil's Den State Park, Arkansas

On May 1, 2010, a group of Rebel Car Club members went on a road trip. We traveled from northeast Oklahoma to northwest Arkansas. The state park is called Devil's Den. The only thing wicked about it is the winding road. Trailers over twenty-eight feet long are prohibited from entering at one entrance because they can not make the curves! But it is a beautiful State Park and free for picnickers.

Of course, when the Rebels take to the road, we take food and lots of it.

The park rangers were in awe of our vehicles.

Later in the afternoon in the main pavilion, a lady gave a lecture on raptors, birds of prey. She is licensed to keep and rehabilitate these birds. If they can not be rehabilitated so they can hunt well enough to feed and protect themselves, she is licensed to keep them. She had with her a barred owl that she has had for twenty-one years. I had no idea they lived that long! She also had a red-tailed hawk. Beautiful birds!

The weather co-operated nicely. We had a cloudy start to the day but abundant sunshine at the park.

First of Spring

According to the calendar, Spring arrives today. In northeast Oklahoma the weather is not cooperating. We have sleet mixed with rain and snow. Enough already!!!
We are looking forward to our first Cruise Night of 2010. That's April 24. YEA! We are also planning a drive over to a state park in Arkansas. I have been there before with my daughter and her family. Nice place. I'll post pictures and information later.
This Winter has been a rough one. We had a blizzard starting on Christmas Eve. About five inches of snow with thirty-five mile an hour winds. Christmas morning dawned bright, beautiful and white. We didn't see the ground again until after the first of February. We are not accustomed to snow being around here that long. We had a few nice days the past two weeks so the daffodils are blooming and the forsythia bushes are showing sighs of yellow.
Hoping you have a nice Spring.