Friday I had the pleasure of riding with Ricky Dale Harrington to Forrest City in St. Francis County where the Arkansas Black Mayors Association concluded their Board Meeting with an excellent catered dinner and speeches by candidates for governor. Democrat Chris Jones was there, but Sarah Huckabee Sanders did not attend. Ricky made a great campaign speech and represented the LP with his usual degree of grace, humility and insight.

It was my pleasure to meet so many good men and women who are serving their cities, towns and communities in the often thankless job of Mayor. My own experiences in that position were some of the most challenging – and rewarding – of my life.

Saturday took the campaign to Lowell in Benton County. Ward Nail Park was the site of the annual Mudtown Days festivities.

It was a pleasure to meet the Libertarian activists there to man the Benton County LP booth and spread the word. I also had the opportunity to shake some hands and ask for votes. Potential voters were universally polite and largely accepting of the possibility of voting Libertarian.

A local history buff, and probably the only person there who was my senior, filled me in on why Mudtown days are held in Lowell.  Seems the Butterfield Trail stage ran through an area just east of modern Lowell. It was a low area that held on to any precipitation as mud for an extended period. Locals could make some money helping get the stage out of that mud and feeding them and putting them up overnight. Thus the name Mudtown.

The possibility that ruffians from Washington County may have, on occasion, come up to rob the stagecoach and its passengers before the good citizens of Mudtown could lend assistance was also a topic of conversation. It is a moot point now, because when the railroad was built, the town simply moved and was renamed Lowell.

Great story, whether completely accurate or not! And a great two day jaunt from Border (almost) To Border.

— Frank