Calico Rock

View of Delft

 In 1660-1661, a painter by the name of Johannes Vermeer painted a masterpiece, known as the View of Delft. Cityscapes were uncommon during this period, and Vermeer's ability to capture motion and detail and freeze the moment by his hand was remarkable.

At a passing glance, the View of Delft simply looks like a generally good painting, at least to an untrained eye as I have. Upon deeper investigation, you can get a sense of the community, the town's trade income, the sophistication and talent of the local masons, as well as the class and culture of the people of Delft. My visit to Calico Rock was much like this painting.

Calico Rock consists of roughly 1500 residents. A small dot on the map, it remains a thoroughfare for weekend and holiday vacationers going to Norfork Lake, as well as a main crossroads between Batesville, Mountain Home, Norfork, and Mountain View. 

As a traveler passing through, one might miss the opportunity to unearth a fantastic example of a historic trade town of the southern Ozarks. I took a walk through the nostalgic ghost town section of Calico Rock and then found my way along the Main Street antique shops, cafe, and museum. To my delight, I found that Calico Rock is rich in history. Given some time, I peeled back the history and aura of this small town, page by page, reliving the early 1900's.

To read more in depth into the history of Calico Rock, visit EncyclopediaOfArkansas.net

We were casing out the bank for a possible heist! I wonder if it still holds legal tender?

Looking through a shop window across from the museum!