Pat Hutter lived the history. John McLarty rediscovers it.
The Washington County Historical Society honors both Springdale residents as its Distinguished Citizens for 2015. They will be recognized during the annual membership luncheon at 12:30 p.m. Sunday at Mermaids Seafood Restaurant in Fayetteville.
Washington County Historical Society
What: Annual meeting with recognition of distinguished citizens
When: 12:30 p.m. Sunday
Where: Mermaids Seafood Restaurant, 2217 N. College Ave. in Fayetteville
Tickets: $30, advance only
Information: 521-2970, 575-5314
Hutter serves on the Board of Directors for the Rodeo of the Ozarks, held each summer at Parsons Stadium in Springdale. She holds the seat once filled by her father, Thurman "Shorty" Parsons, generally considered one of the rodeo's founders.
"She's been doing the Rodeo of the Ozarks for her entire life," said Allyn Lord, who nominated Hutter for the honor. Lord is the director of the Shiloh Museum of Ozark History in Springdale and a member of the historical society.
"She's attended every performance of the rodeo across seven decades and has never missed a single rodeo parade," Lord wrote in her nomination. "She does it unpaid and has done it every year since she was a teenager. She's humble, and she works her tail off.
"Her intention is to keep alive the tradition begun by her father -- a tradition swaddled in nostalgia, flag-waving patriotism and old-fashioned family fun."
In addition to earning a degree in business management from the University of Arkansas, Hutter was a barrel racer in the 1950s and spent her career training horses for barrel racing with her late husband, Joe. She was honored with the Lenora Reimers Award by the Women's Professional Rodeo Association in 2013.
McLarty will retire as the associate director and transportation studies director of the Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission at the end of the year. The award honors his professional work as well as his volunteer work with the Northwest Arkansas Heritage Trails Partners and the state and national associations dedicated to preserving the Trail of Tears, said Susan Young, outreach director of the Shiloh Museum and historical society member, who nominated McLarty. Most recently, McLarty served as the project manager for the development of the Razorback Regional Greenway.
"In these roles, McLarty has made sure that historic preservation was part of the conversation as regional planning occurred," his nomination form reads. As the commission members planned new roadways, he ensured the preservation of the history of the routes -- including the Butterfield Overland Mail Co. route, Civil War roads and the Trail of Tears, all of which passed through Northwest Arkansas.
A geography major in college, McLarty's own road began with a small GPS project, mapping from historical documents the Butterfield stagecoach route, he said.
McLarty admitted he loves history and will continue his discovery of the historic routes.
"We've just discovered some old county road records that offer tantalizing clues," he said with excitement. The Heritage Trails Partners will tie these with 1830s records of property owners.
Board members and officers of the Washington County Historical Society also will be elected at the meeting.
Tickets are $30 and must be purchased in advance.
NAN Our Town on 10/01/2015