The
two RV Gypsies At The Old Grist Mill
at T.R. Puch Memorial Park
3800 Lakeshore Drive
North Little Rock, Arkansas 72117
October 15, 2022
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The two RV Gypsies visited
a historic re-creation of an 1880's water-powered grist mill. It is
in the opening scenes of the classic movie "Gone With The Wind."
It features sculptures by Senor Dionicio Rodriguez and is listed on
the National Register of Historic Places (Site #86003585).
In 1931, Justin Matthews, developer of the Lakewood neighborhood of
North Little Rock, contracted for the construction of a replica of an
old, water-powered grist mill dedicated to the memory of Arkansas's
pioneers. Neither the stone mill building, nor the general layout is
a reproduction of any particular mill, but is a familiar design of early
Arkansas, designed to fit the contour of a rough area.
Admission is free. Below: Entry sign and a Memorial Plaque at the
entrance. |
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Below: Walking to the left
of the entry - Karen Duquette took photos of the Grist Mill and the
first arch bridge. |
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The Mill, completed in 1933,
is intended to appear abandoned and is absent of doors and windows,
just as old mills that were in service in the early 1800s had become
by the 1930s. |
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Below: Karen Duquette photographed Lee Duquette on the amazing arched
entry bridge to the Grist Mill. |
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Below: After crossing the
bridge, Lee Duquette took photos of Karen Duquette on the arched entry
bridge, and then after she crossed over the bridge. |
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Below: Lee Duquette ready
to enter the Grist Mill. |
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Below: Front entry to the Grist Mill and a look over the side of the
bridge at the water wheel before entering the Grist Mill. |
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Below: Looking back after
crossing the arched entry bridge and before entering the Grist Mill,
Karen Duquette took a picture. Later, when she looked at the photo in
her camera, she saw a big brown thing in front of the car in the photo.
But it was not there in real-time (as photos a bit further down this
page proves), so it is something that somehow superimposed itself into
the photo (and not by either of the two RV Gypsies). Weird because they
do not remember seeing anything like that anyplace they have visited. |
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Below: Inside the Grist Mill,
the two RV Gypsies checked out both levels. |
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Below: Views from each of the
two top floor windows facing the arched entry bridge. |
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Below: Views from side windows |
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Below: Views from other windows
of the Grist Mill. The first one is looking straight down at the water
wheel. |
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Below: Lee Duquette returning
to the first floor of the Grist Mill, then exiting out the back door. |
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Below: After exiting the the Grist Mill, the two RV Gypsies took a
look back at the Grist Mill's waterwheel and engraved sign. |
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Below: Side views of the water
wheel and Lee Duquette by the Grist Mill |
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Below: Looking back towards
the entry arch - and a nice flower bush |
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Below: Views of the amazing
Big Arch Bridge before walking the side trail to it. |
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Below: Lee Duquette took two Panoramas of the Grist Mill.
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Below: Karen Duquette walked
to the Big Arch Bridge first, so Lee Duquette took a photo of her on
the bridge, and she took a photo of the Grist Mill entry. |
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Below: Lee Duquette ready to
enter the Big Arch Bridge. |
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Below: View of "Lake Number
2" from the top of the Big Arch bridge. |
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Below: Lee Duquette enjoying the view. |
Below: A big rock shape that Karen Duquette
liked. |
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Below: Descending the Arch
on the other side (near the exit - which is also the entrance) |
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Below: After Lee Duquette descended the arch bridge, he took a photo
of Karen Duquette who was still on the bridge. |
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Below: Before Karen Duquette
left the bridge, she photographed Lee Duquette who was already down
on the trail, taking a photo of the Grist Mill - also, shown below. |
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Below: As the two RV Gypsies
were leaving the Grist Mill, Karen Duquette took two last pictures of
the Big Arch Bridge/ |
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