Maynard, Arkansas

A trip to Maynard, Arkansas, located in the North Central part of Randolph County will take you back in time .L.F. Blankenship’s Directory of Randolph County, published in 1910, provides a fascinating perspective of this little town as perceived over ninety five years ago. “The town of Maynard located twelve miles north of Pocahontas among the foothills of the Ozarks, just south of the Missouri line, is a thrifty town of about five hundred inhabitants and is beautifully located, and the healthy record, good drainage, moral tone and hospitable people make it an ideal town in which to reside. There are no saloons or bad influences thrown out to people in that section which are demoralizing, not only to the residents but to the visitors to this beautiful little place. This same perspective holds true today.

The central attraction is the Maynard Pioneer Museum & Park. The log cabin with its natural look is the central attraction at the Maynard Pioneer Museum and Park, but in 1979 it was about to be torn down and destroyed on its original site on Hwy 328 East of Maynard.

Then the local citizens had a dream. The cabin was taken apart, “log by log” numbered, moved and reconstructed as the Maynard Pioneer Museum on the park grounds located on highway 328 West at Spring St. in Maynard.

Every relic in the museum reflects the personal use of our forefathers who lived in this area in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s.

Log cabin tours will take you back to the era of the founders of the community, when pioneers were struggling to make homes for their families. The furnishings of their homes and the farm equipment they used will tell you that were hard-working people.

Also an old original log cabin located East of Maynard near the Richardson school was dismantled very carefully by the property owners. After the cabin was donated to the Maynard Pioneer Museum and Park in 1999, the owners presented a diagram of numbered logs of how it should be reconstructed on the park grounds. It will remind us of the pioneer worship and the one-room school days. The age of the cabin is questionable, some residents remember it as being an old cabin in 1922. The church setting was designed to compliment weddings with a touch of the past.

In 1999, the local herb society constructed an outlined wooden herb garden with colorful plants and flowers. A rose garden and gazebo to enhance the park.

Every September, Maynard’s population of 381 increases by 4,000 to 8,000 due to its annual Pioneer Days Craft Fair and Festival.

Friday morning is the opening of the Craft Fair. Friday Evening every one enjoys a chicken and dumpling or hamburger platter dinner. After supper are the baked goods judging with plaques for the winners, a baked goods auction, a wild flower arrangement contest, gospel music, drawing for door prizes and plenty of good fellowship with friends and neighbors.

On Saturday morning, the craft fair and Pioneer Days parade begins another day full of fun and festivities. After the parade , and trophies have been awarded to the entry winners, park visitors are able to enjoy a lot of good food, visit business booths, visit with the many political dignitaries, shop the many crafters and listen to lots of good music from local bands. During the day there is a greases pig contest, games, a martial arts demonstration, and money in the haystack for the children to enjoy.

Another point of interest is the old concrete jail located behind the Maynard Community Center. A 6’X10’ structure was erected around 1936 and was in use until 1953. The door of the jail is made of old wagon rims. The little jail served its purpose for many years, and those who spent a night there, never want to return.