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UER Forum > Archived US: South > Watson Arkansas (Viewed 1050 times) dwtaylor999  Location: Unassigned Lands, Oklahoma Gender: Male  |  Watson Arkansas < on 2/7/2011 7:24 AM >   I'm currently working in southeast Arkansas, the local term is SEARK, building a fixed wireless broadband network for remote areas. I was out scouting for possible tower locations and took a few pics. With one possible exception, nothing very exciting, so feel free to bail at this point. My travels took me to the small town of Watson, and like many small towns, is a pale remnant of what it once was. It's primary claim to fame is that it was the Desha county seat, pronounced DE-SHAY I was politely informed, when the previous county seat at the nearby town of Napoleon was literally washed away by the Arkansas River in the late 1800s. All that remains of Napoleon is this old sign. The sign points to a goat path that ends in...you guessed it... the Arkansas River. Not to be outdone on signage, Watson erected their own sign proclaiming their past prominence. A small side note. It seems being the county seat in Desha county was highly sought after, as after Watson got it from Napoleon, Arkansas City stole it from Watson, only to have it stolen from them by Dumas, who has managed to hang on to it into the current era. Watson, already in decline, suffered heavily in the great 1927 flood of the Arkansas and Mississippi rivers, which was the costliest natural disaster in the nations history at that time. Watson was once a thriving agricultural community benefiting from its railway access, but like the railroad, those days are long gone. It's school closed in the 1980s and is now used as the city hall. Much of its "downtown" is gone, but there where a few items I checked out. This is the remnants of the Watson city jail. It's listed on the Arkansas register of historic places, but not the national, because it doesn't have a roof. I'd never heard of that requirement, but it must be so. Close by the jail, was the shell of an old cotton gin. The interior was stripped. The town still had some of its old concrete street markers. Somebody had attempted to repaint them, and then back into them. After all that excitement, I felt the need for a repast, and stopped to break my midday fast at Bonnies cafe. I'll admit, I originally thought it was abandoned, but lunch was served. The food was quite good, and I give it four stars. The One Stop however, was abandoned, so no Coke for me. The interior was nothing but boxes of what appeared to be, more boxes. In the distance I could see the old city water tower, still in use, and possibly a location for a transmitter, as their where already antennas on it. I was approached by the gentleman who managed the water department/fire station/garbage pickup and he advised I would have to talk to the city council. I asked for a closer inspection of the water tower, as it was fenced off, but he advised that only authorized personnel where allowed access due to homeland security directives. I tried picturing the plot to poison or destroy Watsons 90 year old water tower, but just couldn't make it happen. I then headed north toward the Arkansas River levy, in hopes of finding something more suitable on higher ground. I did find a couple of interesting items on the way. After passing over the levy, I did find the one thing that made the trip worth while. I'll have to go back with a ladder to get access, but it looks likes it would be worth the trouble. It's an old decommissioned railroad bridge and from the giant counterweights in the center, appears to have been a draw bridge. There is an old workers platform that would allow access, but I'll need a machete, ladder, and flamethrower to get to it. In closing, if you're thinking this thread was a waste of time, I did warn you at the beginning. [last edit 2/8/2011 4:25 AM by dwtaylor999 - edited 1 times] Ruins, the fate of all cities. consecrated  Location: Connecticut Gender: Male Æthereal  |  |  Re: Watson Arkansas, a brief tutorial <Reply # 1 on 2/7/2011 12:39 PM >   I liked this thread. Good write-up and interesting place. Thanks for sharing! seicer  Location: New York Gender: Male  |  |  Re: Watson Arkansas <Reply # 2 on 2/8/2011 11:17 PM >   An ex-Missouri Pacific line that was in operation from 1903 to 1992. The bridge is 72 years old and is being converted into a rail to trail. Impressive bridge and trestle! http://weeklygrist...o-yancopin-bridge/ Abandoned dwtaylor999  Location: Unassigned Lands, Oklahoma Gender: Male  |  Re: Watson Arkansas <Reply # 3 on 2/9/2011 2:17 AM >   Sweet, thanks for the info and link! [last edit 2/9/2011 2:17 AM by dwtaylor999 - edited 1 times] Ruins, the fate of all cities. 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