The Crater of Diamonds: A History of the Pike County, Arkansas, Diamond Field, 1906-1972

The first diamond mine in North America was discovered in 1906 when John W. Huddleston found two diamonds on his farm just south of Murfreesboro in Pike County, Arkansas. Experts soon confirmed that the diamond-bearing formation on which Huddleston made his discovery was the second largest of its kind and represented 25 percent of all known diamond-bearing areas in the world. Discovery of the field generated nearly a half century of speculative activity by men trying to demonstrate and exploit its commercial viability. The field, however, lacked the necessary richness for successful commercial ventures, and mining was eventually replaced in the early 1950s by tourist attractions that operated successfully until 1972. At that time the State of Arkansas purchased the field and converted it to a state park. Thus this work tell the rich and complicated story of America'a once and only diamond field, analyzes the reasons for the repeated failures of efforts to make it commercially viable, and explains how it eventually succeeded as a tourist venture.

Grantor dc:publisher

University of North Texas

Year dc:date

2002

Author dc:creator

• Henderson, John C.

Contributors dc:contributor

• Campbell, Randolph B., 1940-2022
• Totten, Herman L.
• Marcello, Ronald E.
• Odom, E. Dale
• Kamman, William
• Himmel, Richard
• Cobb, Steven

• Arkansas -- History -- 20th century.
• Diamond mines and mining -- Arkansas.
• state park
• US history
• Arkansas
• diamonds
• tourism

Statement dc:rights

• Use restricted to UNT Community
• Copyright
• Henderson, John C.
• Copyright is held by the author, unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved.

Language dc:language

English

Identifier

oclc: 53457869
untcat: b2563892
https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc3088/
ark: ark:/67531/metadc3088

OAI identifier oai:identifier

info:ark/67531/metadc3088