History and Development
The Title of "Father of the Ouachita Trail" is given to Mr. Arthur P. Cowley, a former Public Information Officer of the Ouachita National Forest. Mr. Crowley graduated from the University of Missori with a BS degree in Forestry and began working for the US Forest Service in 1954. Also he recivied a Master's Degree in Education from the University of Arkansas in 1978. In the early 1970s Mr. Crowley was instrumental in developing the Forest Service's plan for the Ouachita Trail. As a Recreation Staff Specialist with the US Forest Service in Hot Springs, he assisted in the first phases of construction of the Ouachita Trail. He handled trail planning and coordination of trail construction on the forest from 1965 until 1979 when he moved to California as Public Information Officer and later became the Big Tree Coordinator for the Sequoia National Forest.
During his time in Arkansas, Mr. Crowley served as President of the Society of American Foresters, 1977-78 President of the Arkansas Recreation and Parks Association and Vice Chairman of the Arkansas Trails Council. He also helped formulate Training Resources in Environmental Education (TREE) and received numerous awards, including the 1974 Arkansas Wildlife Federation's "Forester of the Year" award. He retired from the US Forest Service in 1988.
Mr. Crowley died on Mar 4, 2010, just one year prior to the 40th anniversary of the completion of the initial sections and opening of the trail. An Arkansas Trails Day event was held at the original Eastern Terminus ( 34' 04.185 N 92' 26.304 W) at Lake Sylvia Trailhead in Perry County, Arkansas on Saturday, May 7, 2011. Mr. Crowley's contributions were honored with a bench and plague. His surviving wife Maureen and numerous family members were in attendance.
Construction of the trail began in May 1971 and was completed by 1981. Mr. Jim Rawlins completed the first documented through hike of the Ouachita Trail in 1983. He also authored the first trail guide "A Hiker's Guide to the Ouachita National Recreation Trail.".
Read more about this topic: Ouachita National Recreation Trail
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