Ozark Living

Har-Ber Village Museum, located at 4404 W. 20th St. in Grove, Okla., is a pioneer-era village and history museum that offers a one-of- a-kind educational and entertaining experience for the entire family. "We house a myriad of exhibits inside period piece log cabins," said executive director Nicole Reynolds. "We are a walk-through of an Ozark village from about 1830 to 1840." e museum holds many priceless collections, with 90% of the antiques coming from Northeast Oklahoma and the surrounding three states. e family attraction is suitable for all ages and features educational programs for students and adults. It all sits on 38 acres that offer not only the museum, but also nature trails, mining sluice, picnic pavilions and a cafe on-site. e museum itself takes up six of those acres and houses over 26 buildings. Yes, you can make a day of it! Har-Ber Village Museum is a unique chance to walk through the Ozark area's past. "It is unusual to get to see so many local artifacts representing how our forefathers in the area lived," Reynolds said. "It gives our children and generations to come a place to come as a family and reminisce together." e replica pioneer village includes many of the same features that a village would have had in the 1800s. ere is a courthouse, doctor and dentist office, the classic one-room schoolhouse, a bank, and a jail. e village also includes homesteads and mercantile with a working blacksmith forge, and a living history cabin that houses a working hearth. You will even find gallows and a dining hall complete with a saloon. "Each building is outfitted with the antiques of that era," Reynolds said. "Our schoolhouse, for example, is the one-room schoolhouse from Goshen, Arkansas. It was originally opened as the Mountain Home School in 1902." e gallows were built one-third of the original size using the actual dimensions from the gallows used in Fort Smith during that era. "e unique thing about the gallows is that we have 13 steps with displayed ropes with 13 twists like in Fort Smith," Reynolds added. "We also have the Lowry Cabin that was an original homestead from Jay, Oklahoma. ese represent out past villages here in the Ozarks." Har-Ber Village was established in 1968 by Harvey and Bernice Jones. Harvey was quite the pioneer in his own right. In 1918, he founded Jones Truck Lines in Springdale with two mules and a wagon. By the time he sold it in 1980, it was the largest independently owned trucking line in the United States, and remains so to this day. In the 1940s, Harvey and Bernice bought the land that Har-Ber Village Museum currently resides on as their summer home property. Once they built their home, Bernice, being a devout woman, wanted a place to be able to reflect and pray, so Harvey built her a chapel. at lead to the parsonage and schoolhouse. "At this point they thought it would be neat to build a pioneer village to share with the Grove community," Reynolds said. rough the 1950s and 1960s they added more and more local items to their collection, and eventually decided to establish Har-Ber Village. In 1968, exactly 50 years aer the founding of Jones Truck Lines, Har-Ber Village was founded. It was incorporated as a nonprofit museum in 1980 and has been running as a museum ever since. "eir philanthropy did not stop there," Reynolds noted. "Bernice was also the driving force for e Jones Center in Springdale. ere was so much that this couple gave to Northwest Arkansas and the surrounding areas." A popular addition to the Village is the nature trails – a 2.6-mile journey through the property that includes educational panels about indigenous fauna and flora, reptiles, mammals and birds. Some of it is paved, some is not. Visitors can experience gorgeous lake views from two areas. e trails are pet-friendly and open year-round from sunup to sundown. Har-Ber Village also offers a venue for any occasion. An indoor/outdoor event tent that seats 100 people at dining tables is perfect for hosting weddings, company picnics and large family reunions. ere's even a bridal dressing cabin on-site. "We have a covered picnic pavilion that seats 48 for your small family reunions or birthday parties," Reynolds said. "We have an audio/video room for your personal meetings or business retreats. is room seats up to 30. Or you can have a small private ceremony for a vow renewal or intimate wedding at our chapel inside the Village." As a nonprofit, the museum relies on admissions, donations and fundraisers to stay in business. "If we do not support these types of nonprofits, they go away," Reynolds added. "In order to preserve a place that offers education programs, history, and community events, we need to come out and support them. We are preserving the Ozark heritage and way of life during the pioneer times." Har-Ber Village Museum is open the second Saturday in March through the first Saturday in November. e hours of operation are 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. ursday through Monday, closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Har-Ber Village Museum will be hosting its Civil War Historical Days April 21-23 – a weekend of living history with a festival- feel. Visitors will enjoy battle reenactments, township raids, daily living demonstrations, and so much more! For a list of upcoming events and ticket information, call 918-786-6466 or visit www.har-bervillage.com. Har-Ber Village Museum opens for the season 10 • April 2023 • OZArK liViNG

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