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Queen Wilhelmina State Park----Mena, AR

Wilhelmina Park, located on Rich Mountain a few miles from Mena, was declared an Arkansas State Park on March the second, of 1957. However, the lodge there opened to the public in 1898, over one hundred years ago. The lodge was to serve as an attraction to the area to build up the number of customers who used the passenger railroad. It was first named the "Wilhelmina Inn", in honor of the Queen of Holland, because much Dutch money was invested in the building of Arthur Stillwell's railroad. There is much debate to whether the Queen was actually there, but there was said to be a suite for the Queen herself, built and furnished precisely to her specifications. (Mena Weekly Star, 26 Jan, 1898, 9 Feb, 1898)

The First Lodge

In 1895, Edwin Walters, on a surveying trip for the nearby railroad, suggested that Rich Mountain would be an ideal place for a resort. In 1897, Arthur Stillwell announced that a resort named "Mount Mena" would be built on the mountain. The main feature of the resort would be an inn at the top of the mountain.

A large rock hotel building was constructed and name the "Wilhelmina Inn" in honor of the Queen of Holland because of the immense Dutch money that was involved in the building of the railroad. The hotel opened on June 22, 1898 with a gathering of 75 guests (Vail.). At that point, the hotel had 35 rooms (one of which is said to have been a suite for the Queen herself), and a dining room with a seating capacity of 300, which also served as a ballroom where an orchestra entertained guests.

Dis-Repair

The early popularity of Queen Wilhelmina Inn was short lived, and changed hands often. It closed after only three seasons of operation. Several factors contributed to its downfall. Transportation from the railroad station in Mena to the Inn was difficult to obtain, another economic depression had set in, and more modern medicine erased the claims that the mountain's cool air cured ailments.

In May of 1905, the hotel and hundreds of lots on Rich Mountain were disposed of at a drawing held at the hotel. Chances were sold for $30.00. The prize was the Inn. Three thousand people attended the drawing. Despite many valid attempts to revive the Inn and transform it into a thriving resort, the hotel declined. Eventually, all that stood were fragments of its stone walls. For six decades, there was no inn on Rich Mountain.

The Park

On Thursday, March 21, 1957, Gov. and Mrs. Faubus, Winthrop Rockefeller, and KCS President William N. Deramus met in Mena to discuss the establishment of the Queen Wilhelmina State Park. It was created when the Arkansas legislature passed Concurrent Resolution No. 17, on March 7, 1957. The resolution appropriated roughly $70,000 for the purchase of the original 460 acre site. About 800 of the lots were donated as gifts to the state. The park was officially dedicated in October of 1957. The Tulip Queen of Holland, Agustia de Zoete, was present, and stood on the front steps while officially naming it "Queen Wilhelmina State Park". The park opened to the public in 1958.

L. Landers Morrow, however, felt that the state would not develop the park unless there was a steady flow of tourists. He person surveyed the route for the miniature train that was to built in the park. He brought in a crew and ordered 1.6 miles of track to laid, investing around $30,000. The Kansas City Southern (KCS) railroad line allowed the use of their name, and even donated paint for the cars, which were named for different towns along the KCS line. Morrow began the train ride in the spring of 1959, and it was one of the main attractions. It reported 1,020 passengers on May 29 of 1960.

The Second Wilhelmina Inn

On June 2, 1959, H. C. Walker Construction Co. of Mena began restoration of the Queen Wilhelmina Inn, using the remaining walls of the original inn, and working as money became available. The first to open, in the spring of 1961, were the single story kitchen and dining room. The slow pace of funding delaying the dedication of the second inn until June 21, 1963, the 65th anniversary of the original inn. Governor Faubus gave the dedicatory speech. Later, in 1971, the state spent $183,000 on renovation of the inn.

The Fire

At about 3:25 a.m. on Saturday, November 10, 1973, the Mena Fire department received word that the Queen Wilhelmina Inn was full of smoke. When the fire chief, Edell Eggar, arrived, the kitchen on the west end of the building was completely engulfed in flames ("Fire Rages Wilhelmina Inn" Arkansas Gazette). Eggar and a volunteer who came with him soon ran out of water and had to drive five miles to a nearby creek to refill. When they returned, the whole building was on fire, and the best they could do was keep the large propane tank cool ("Wilhelmina Inn Destroyed by Blaze" Mena Evening Star). Luckily, none of the 29 guests and staff were injured. (Mena Weekly Star 15 Nov 1973)

Yet Another

The Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism wasted no time in replacing the inn. The modern inn, the third, was reopened by Governor White in 1981 (Stevenson). This new building, costing $1.3 million dollars, is the largest of the three inns, having 38 guest rooms, two "Queen's" suites and a conference room. Also, to better safe-guard against fire, a 50,000 gallon water storage tank was added, along with a distribution system and fire plugs.

CREDITS: EXCERPTS: The Arkansas Memory Project