My grandfather, F.O. Butt and my grandmother, Essie Cox Butt, of Eureka Springs, AR, had seven children and 13 grandchildren, six of whom are living. Five of those six grandchildren (Tom Butt, Jack Butt, Joe Butt, Kathlen Butt Tiffany and Essie Butt Anderson) convened in Fayetteville, Arkansas, this week. Joe and Kathleen flew in from Phoenix. Jack and Essie live in Fayetteville.
Butt cousins and spouses, left to right: Tom Butt, Shirley Butt, Joe Butt, Eileeen, John Siversen, Jack Butt, Nancy Siversen, Kathleen Butt Tiffany, Nancy Cozart, Jackson Butt, Emilie Butt, Anne Butt, Essie Butt Anderson and Andy Cozart
On Tuesday was the traditional Butt family visit to Eureka Springs, where we had lunch at the Basin Park Hotel (eight floors, each a ground floor), next to which was my grandfather’s law office. After lunch, we visited Eureka Springs Mayor Butch Berry, who is an architect and once owned the building where F.O. Butt’s law office was located. We also stopped by the other grand historical hotel, The Crescent.
Shirley, Eileen, Joe, Essie, Kathleen and Tom at Basin Park Hotel
Shirley at the Basin Park Hotel
Four cousins at the former F.O. Butt law office, Tom, Kathleen, Essie and Joe
Law offices of F.O. Butt
Historic Crescent Hotel in Eureka Springs
Eureka Springs is so steep church below Crescent Hotel is entered through the bell tower
Our place in Fayetteville called “Deepwood” is on the west side of Fayetteville on the side of Mount Kessler next to a regional park with miles of mountain biking and hiking trails. Deepwood is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and was designed and built by one of my architecture professors, Herb Fowler.
On the trail in Mount Kessler Regional Park
Eastern hog-nosed snake on Mount Kessler
On Wednesday, another 1962 classmate, Richard Holt, flew in from Austin for a four-day visit, and we had dinner with other 1962 classmates on Wednesday night.
From left to right: Shirley Butt, Rosemary Faucette, Richard Holt, Tom Butt, John Backus and George Faucette. All the guys are Fayetteville High School class of 1962.
On Thursday, Shirley, Jack, Richard and I left for Camp Orr in Newton County where we all attended Boy Scout camp back in the 1950s. We had two missions: (1) affix a plaque to the Camp Director’s Cabin that was built in 1970 using funds donated in memory of my brother, Martin, and (2) begin restoration of a 150-year-old log structure that was once a smokehouse and the only surviving structure from the original homestead that became Camp Orr in the 1950s. Nancy Siversen to whom Martin Butt was married at the time of his death in 1969, and her husband, John Siversen, live in Australia but are visiting Arkansas currently and were able to join us The cabin was completed and dedicated in 1970, but neither Jack nor I were able attend, and no plaque was ever installed.
Affixing the plaque
The plaque
From left to right: Jack Butt, Nancy Siversen, Shirley Butt, Tom Butt, John Siversen
Tom Butt, Jack Butt and Richard Holt at the Buffalo River Camp Orr swimming hole
On Friday, we began the smokehouse project by cleaning out at least 5 years’ accumulation of trash and junk and removing the failed roof structure. The construction crew consisted of Tom and Jack Butt, Shirley Butt, Richard Holt, Bob Largent (Harrison, AR) and the Camp Ranger (caretaker) Billy Williams.
The smokehouse in a 1996 photo (Misty Langdon)
Accumulated junk, unfortunately, no treasures
The smokehouse as we found it
Installing new rafters
Installing spaced sheathing to support the metal roof
Completed new roof structure ready for metal roofing next phase)
Tom Butt and Richard Holt at the Ponca low water bridge on the Buffalo River, traditional starting point for float trips back in the day
On Saturday and Sunday, we shared a meal with Charles and Sandy White and Jay and Judy McDonald. Charles and Jay are both 1962 Fayetteville High School graduates.
Tom and Shirley Butt with Charles and Sandy White, both Fayetteville High School 1962 graduates
Jay and Judy McDonald with Tom and Shirley Butt
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