ASU's Mastodon Exhibit Recalls Ancient Inhabitants

Craig Ogilvie, travel writer
Arkansas Tourism

JONESBORO – "Mona" looms large in the Arkansas State University Museum. Placed in an area with a staircase and balcony, visitors may view her from two floor levels. She is worthy of attention because "Mona" is a full-sized prehistoric mastodon skeletal model, cast from authentic fossilized bones.

Perhaps she occupies a prominent place in the 48,000-sq. ft. museum because, surprisingly, Arkansas has more known mastodon sites than any other mid-South state. In fact, The Natural State has 20 of the 29 recorded finds, dating back more than a century. Almost all of the discoveries have been made between Crowley's Ridge and the Mississippi River.

The ASU permanent exhibit opened a few months ago and the mastodon was officially nicknamed "Mona" in honor of museum educator Mona L. Fielder, who retired last October after a dedicated career that included spearheading efforts to get the display. In addition to the massive fossil-model, the room contains dozens of other examples of plant and animal life that became immortalized in stone millions of years ago. The "Walk Through Time" display ends with the story of the mastodons (Mammut americanum), a group of elephant-like mammals that roamed North America for millions of years.

Weighing four to six tons and standing some 10 feet high at the shoulder, the shaggy-coated mastodon was related to the mammoth, but was a bit smaller with thicker legs. Long up-curved tusks helped the ancient animal browse on leaves, twigs and other vegetation in the lush forests they occupied. The animals became extinct about 10,000 years ago, but modern elephants are distant cousins.

The museum display also includes two mural photographs of early Arkansas mastodon finds. One depicts Seth Reed's find near the Herman community in Poinsett County about 1911. The other shows Frank Reynolds with his discovery along Hurricane Ditch in Greene County in 1936. The actual bone collection, shown in the vintage picture, is displayed in an adjacent case.

According to the museum, Reynolds found the skeletal remains, protruding from the creek, while on a fishing trip with his brother-in-law, Lowell Rodgers. Not knowing what they had found, the two men carried some of the artifacts home, where they were recognized as prehistoric by a 12-year-old neighbor. It required about a month to excavate the remaining bones.

With local curiosity running high, Reynolds decided to place the items in his pickup truck and create a traveling exhibit. He drove from town to town, displaying the remains and telling the story of the find...for an admission price of 10 cents. While in Fayetteville, he visited the science department of the University of Arkansas, which confirmed that the fossils were from a mastodon. Reynolds donated his find to Arkansas State College (later University) in 1940.

The present display includes a mandible, tusk fragment, vertebrae, humerus and teeth. A video presentation is also part of the exhibit.

Other permanent exhibits in the ASU Museum include a priceless glass collection, natural history, geology, Native American displays, art and cultures around the world, early American history, military gear, pioneer days and a large collection of toys and dolls. "Old Town, Arkansas" is a series of exhibits along a typical Main Street community a century ago. Large storefront windows permit views of the doctor's office, barbershop, general store, newspaper and printing shop, bank and several other frontier establishments.

The Lutterloh glass collection remains a focal point of the facility. Displayed in a distinctive setting, the glasswork includes Venetian, cobalt, amber, splatter lustre, crystal and many others. An elaborate 1850 Baccarat candelabrum highlights the exhibits.

"Picturing Hemingway, A Writer in His Time" is a temporary photo exhibit (through June 17) that traces the life of novelist Ernest Hemingway from his birth in Oak Park, Illinois, to his adventures around the world. Originally created for the Smithsonian Institution's National Portrait Gallery during the Hemingway Centennial Celebration, the exhibit is supplemented for the Jonesboro appearance with additional photos from the 1927-40 era when Hemingway was married to Pauline Pfeiffer of Piggott.

The Hemingway-Pfeiffer Museum and Educational Center, developed and operated by ASU, assisted with the creation of the exhibit. The Piggott (Clay County) home and studio where Hemingway lived and worked during extended visits to Arkansas, have been restored and opened for pubic tours. Hours are 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays and noon to 3 p.m. on Saturdays. No admission is charged.

Located in the Dean B. Ellis Library (tallest structure on campus), the ASU Museum hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays and 1 to 5 p.m. on weekends. It is also a free museum. For more information, call 870-972-2074 or visit www.museum.astate.edu.