Just about every church goer will be familiar with the old traditional church hymns “Victory In Jesus” and “Ill Fly Away” and many will know that these songs were written by E.M. Bartlett and Albert E. Brumley and published by the Hartford Music Company…but not everybody knows that the Hartford Music Company, started and founded by Bartlett in 1918, was located in Hartford, Arkansas, and that this is where Bartlett and Brumley were when they wrote these and other beautiful church hymnal classics. Other hymns written by either Bartlett and/or Brumley in the town of Hartford, Arkansas include “Jesus, Hold My Hand,” “He Set Me Free,” “I Will Meet You In The Morning,” “Turn Your Radio On,” Camping In Canaan,” and many, many more. Indeed, hundreds of hymns were thus written in the town of Hartford and thousands upon thousands of church hymnals were printed and produced there and distributed to countless churches all around the world.
But Hartford is more than just a town with a musical heritage and past – it is also a community that continues to be driven by its ongoing musical talents as it continually shapes and influences the world all around it in the most blessed and godliest of ways.
Along these lines, and every year, the people of Hartford hold and host the annual Hartford Hills of Fame Gospel Songfest. And for over twenty years now the community’s blessed past has thus been remembered and celebrated as the townspeople and surrounding countryside simultaneously rejoice and partake in the precious ongoing wave of heavenly music and musical talents that still permeates this entire region of Arkansas.
W. Ray Bertram
The Blind Film Maker of Arkansas
Blind Man’s Bluff Productions
“This Is Arkansas”
MrHayseedplowboy@aol.com
But Hartford is more than just a town with a musical heritage and past – it is also a community that continues to be driven by its ongoing musical talents as it continually shapes and influences the world all around it in the most blessed and godliest of ways.
Along these lines, and every year, the people of Hartford hold and host the annual Hartford Hills of Fame Gospel Songfest. And for over twenty years now the community’s blessed past has thus been remembered and celebrated as the townspeople and surrounding countryside simultaneously rejoice and partake in the precious ongoing wave of heavenly music and musical talents that still permeates this entire region of Arkansas.
W. Ray Bertram
The Blind Film Maker of Arkansas
Blind Man’s Bluff Productions
“This Is Arkansas”
MrHayseedplowboy@aol.com
Journey with us this Earth Day as we visit the home of Bob and Lynn Stokes, a lovely couple with one of, if not the only Earthship in Arkansas. This is just a taste of projects to come, wherein we will highlight many more self-sufficient, eco-friendly homes and their extraordinary owners.
I had a wonderful time with the Stokes, and their homestead is just absolutely the most peaceful soul healing spot in Arkansas.
This Is Arkansas & Blind Man's Bluff Productions is very pleased to present "A Booneville Football Friday Night." Throughout the entire high school football season in Arkansas - from beginning to end - it's just hard to beat a good football Friday night. This is especially true in the less populated communities and all the more so in the town of Booneville, Arkansas. Nestled deep in the heart of Logan County and located not too far from the majestic Magazine Mountain, the community of Booneville has a very strong, long-standing high school football tradition and the community and its athletic program enjoy a very special relationship indeed. As is the case with all of the town's highly active extra-curricular athletic programs, Booneville strongly loves and whole-heartedly supports its high school football team, cheer leading squad, and band. But in the end, words will never be able to adequately describe the fun, the thrills, the rewards, and the sense of community to be found in a football Friday night...so you'll just have to watch the production "A Booneville Football Friday Night" and see what it's all about :-) And this not a video about the football team and it's not a video about a football game - this video is a celebration of a football Friday night, all of the students that comprise the effort, the school system that makes it possible, and the entire community that supports and cheers them on. It all comes together in a way that provides a show and an evening quite unlike any other and it all happens right here...because This Is Arkansas.
And special thanks to the Booneville School District, Their football team The Bearcats, the Booneville cheer leading squad, the Booneville marching band, Head Bearcat Football Coach Mr. Scott Hyatt, and the entire community of Booneville, Arkansas - without any of which this production would not have been possible. "This Is Arkansas" & Blind Man's Bluff Productions thoroughly enjoyed all of the time that we were able to share with the Booneville community over the course of this production and all of the good friends that we were able to make there throughout the production process.
W. Ray Bertram
The Blind Film Maker of Arkansas
Blind Man's Bluff Productions
And special thanks to the Booneville School District, Their football team The Bearcats, the Booneville cheer leading squad, the Booneville marching band, Head Bearcat Football Coach Mr. Scott Hyatt, and the entire community of Booneville, Arkansas - without any of which this production would not have been possible. "This Is Arkansas" & Blind Man's Bluff Productions thoroughly enjoyed all of the time that we were able to share with the Booneville community over the course of this production and all of the good friends that we were able to make there throughout the production process.
W. Ray Bertram
The Blind Film Maker of Arkansas
Blind Man's Bluff Productions
"This Is Arkansas"
MrHayseedplowboy@aol.com
MrHayseedplowboy@aol.com
"This Is Arkansas: The Ballad of Chalmers Ferguson" featuring Blind Man's Bluff music director, Patrick Millard.
If you live in Arkansas then you've probably heard of Magazine Mountain - it's the tallest point between the Appalachian Mountains to the east and the Rocky Mountains to the west...not to mention the home of the very popular Mount Magazine State Park. Yes, Magazine Mountain is a very popular place throughout Arkansas as a destination and a scenic wonder for the inhabitants of Arkansas and for many people beyond our state, so odds are good that you've heard of it.
But here is a distant piece of Magazine Mountain history that you have probably never heard. It is the late 1800's to early 1900's, a hundred or more years ago, and the man's name is Chalmers Ferguson. Chalmers is one of the more historically relevant inhabitants of Magazine Mountain around the turn of the last century. Frequently referred to as "the poet of Magazine Mountain" and even "the poet of Arkansas," the true story of Chalmer's life is as interesting as it is unforgettable. A very special thanks goes to Blind Man's Bluff Productions music director, Patrick Milliard, for writing and producing the song, "The Ballad of Chalmers Ferguson." As a song is both captivating and historically accurate as it relays and shares the events of Chalmers life that created the man and shaped the life that he would go on to live. Special thanks also goes to Blind Man's Bluff chief post-production engineer, Tanya Hopper, for the excellent work that she has done in producing this historically relevant music video around the song that Patrick produced. Appreciation also goes to several area historians (including Dr. Curtis Varnel of the Western Educational Service Cooperative based in Branch, Arkansas and Joyce Friddle of the Paris Coal Miners Memorial & Museum) for all of the assistance and direction that they provided our production team in this project.
We hope that you enjoy the production of The Ballad of Chalmers Ferguson...because this is more than just history - This Is Arkansas.
W. Ray Bertram
"The Blind Film Maker of Arkansas"
Executive Director & Producer, Blind Man's Bluff Productions
MrHayseedplowboy@aol.com
If you live in Arkansas then you've probably heard of Magazine Mountain - it's the tallest point between the Appalachian Mountains to the east and the Rocky Mountains to the west...not to mention the home of the very popular Mount Magazine State Park. Yes, Magazine Mountain is a very popular place throughout Arkansas as a destination and a scenic wonder for the inhabitants of Arkansas and for many people beyond our state, so odds are good that you've heard of it.
But here is a distant piece of Magazine Mountain history that you have probably never heard. It is the late 1800's to early 1900's, a hundred or more years ago, and the man's name is Chalmers Ferguson. Chalmers is one of the more historically relevant inhabitants of Magazine Mountain around the turn of the last century. Frequently referred to as "the poet of Magazine Mountain" and even "the poet of Arkansas," the true story of Chalmer's life is as interesting as it is unforgettable. A very special thanks goes to Blind Man's Bluff Productions music director, Patrick Milliard, for writing and producing the song, "The Ballad of Chalmers Ferguson." As a song is both captivating and historically accurate as it relays and shares the events of Chalmers life that created the man and shaped the life that he would go on to live. Special thanks also goes to Blind Man's Bluff chief post-production engineer, Tanya Hopper, for the excellent work that she has done in producing this historically relevant music video around the song that Patrick produced. Appreciation also goes to several area historians (including Dr. Curtis Varnel of the Western Educational Service Cooperative based in Branch, Arkansas and Joyce Friddle of the Paris Coal Miners Memorial & Museum) for all of the assistance and direction that they provided our production team in this project.
We hope that you enjoy the production of The Ballad of Chalmers Ferguson...because this is more than just history - This Is Arkansas.
W. Ray Bertram
"The Blind Film Maker of Arkansas"
Executive Director & Producer, Blind Man's Bluff Productions
MrHayseedplowboy@aol.com
The Battle of Haguewood Prairie, also known and commonly referred to as "The Haguewood Fight," occurred between Confederate and Union soldiers about mid-way through the Civil War on a battlefield located one mile northeast of current-day Paris, Arkansas. On May the 20th & 21st of 2013, a student reenactment of key elements of the conflict was held in Paris, Arkansas. This reenactment (and the production of it) was made possible by the Arkansas Humanities Foundation and the "Battle of Haguewood Prairie Grant" that it awarded to Dr. Curtis Varnell and The Western Educational Co-op (located in Branch, Arkansas). Waldron High School biology teacher Patrick Millard wrote, produced, and performed the song "The Ballad of Haguewood Prairie" specifically for the student reenactment. Students from 7 school districts and 3 universities came together to take part in the Civil War reenactment and a number of local historians volunteered to teach and coach the students along the lines of the historic figures that they were representing. This Is Arkansas is always very happy to work with school districts and this type of production is always one of our favorite kinds to pursue and assist within.
W. Ray Bertram
The Blind Film Maker of Arkansas
MrHayseedplowboy@aol.com
The Blind Film Maker of Arkansas
MrHayseedplowboy@aol.com
Founded in 1890 and boasting a population of 2,748, the small town of Mountain View, Arkansas is the proudly self-proclaimed "folk music capital of the world"...and Mountain View does everything that it possibly can to live up to that lofty title, too. Snuggly nestled amongst the scenic Ozark Mountains and located near Ozark Folk Center, the town is home to scores and scores of highly talented and very enjoyable musicians and singers. The place is beautiful, the people are friendly, and every Friday night all of the musicians come together to provide a totally unforgettable and truly unique Arkansas experience as they all gather and play and sing for all of the townspeople and whoever else that might be just passing through. There's no organization, there's no schedule, there's no play list, and there's no pecking order...all of the musicians simply come together in numerous random groups near and around the town's court house, they all start playing and singing together, and they simply don't stop :-) Song after song, style after style, and always with a smile on their faces and a tune in their hearts, they start playing around 5:30 or 6:00 pm every Friday evening and they don't stop until the cows come home.
So come to Mountain View, Arkansas on a Friday night and, when you do, make sure that you bring a friend, bring a chair, and bring a smile - and you'll end up enjoying all three the whole evening long...
...because This Is Arkansas :-)
W. Ray Bertram
"The blind film maker of Arkansas"
BLIND MAN'S BLUFF Productions
So come to Mountain View, Arkansas on a Friday night and, when you do, make sure that you bring a friend, bring a chair, and bring a smile - and you'll end up enjoying all three the whole evening long...
...because This Is Arkansas :-)
W. Ray Bertram
"The blind film maker of Arkansas"
BLIND MAN'S BLUFF Productions
"This Is Arkansas"
(c) 2013 all rights reserved
(c) 2013 all rights reserved
The Battle of Haguewood Prairie, also known and commonly referred to as "The Haguewood Fight," occurred between Confederate and Union soldiers about mid-way through the Civil War on a battlefield located one mile northeast of current-day Paris, Arkansas. On May the 20th & 21st of 2013, a student reenactment of key elements of the conflict was held in Paris, Arkansas. This reenactment (and the production of it) was made possible by the Arkansas Humanities Foundation and the "Battle of Haguewood Prairie Grant" that it awarded to Dr. Curtis Varnell and The Western Educational Co-op (located in Branch, Arkansas). Waldron High School biology teacher Patrick Millard wrote, produced, and performed the song "The Ballad of Haguewood Prairie" specifically for the student reenactment.
Thank you for watching and stay tuned for more This Is Arkansas productions currently in the works.
Thank you for watching and stay tuned for more This Is Arkansas productions currently in the works.
Hartford, Arkansas is a town with a very rich history that spans back over one hundred years and it's full of noteworthy people and colorful individuals. And as you'll see through this video,the Hartford School District and it's teachers and volunteers are actively working to keep the town's past alive as they work with their students toward educating them on their heritage and celebrating it with them. The Hartford "Living Museum" is both an excellent example of creative education in practice, a delightful history lesson on multiple levels, and an enjoyable production to watch all rolled into one video...and we hope that you enjoy the show :-)
W. Ray Bertram
The Blind Film Maker of Arkansas
Blind Man’s Bluff Productions
“This Is Arkansas: Education:
MrHayseedplowboy@aol.com
W. Ray Bertram
The Blind Film Maker of Arkansas
Blind Man’s Bluff Productions
“This Is Arkansas: Education:
MrHayseedplowboy@aol.com
Not only is Mount Magazine the highest point in all of Arkansas, but it is also the highest point between the Smokey Mountains to the east and the Rocky Mountains to the west. Join Dr. Curtis Varnell of the Western Arkansas as we explore and learning about the history of this notable mountain and it's many geographical features - it's very much a lesson worth learning :-)
W. Ray Bertram
The Blind Film Maker of Arkansas
Blind Man’s Bluff Productions
“This Is Arkansas: Education"
MrHayseedplowboy@aol.com
W. Ray Bertram
The Blind Film Maker of Arkansas
Blind Man’s Bluff Productions
“This Is Arkansas: Education"
MrHayseedplowboy@aol.com
The Battle of Haguewood Prairie, also known and commonly referred to as "The Haguewood Fight," occurred between Confederate and Union soldiers about mid-way through the Civil War on a battlefield located one mile northeast of current-day Paris, Arkansas. On May the 20th & 21st of 2013, a student reenactment of key elements of the conflict was held in Paris, Arkansas. This reenactment (and the production of it) was made possible by the Arkansas Humanities Foundation and the "Battle of Haguewood Prairie Grant" that it awarded to Dr. Curtis Varnell and The Western Educational Co-op (located in Branch, Arkansas). Waldron High School biology teacher Patrick Millard wrote, produced, and performed the song "The Ballad of Haguewood Prairie" specifically for the student reenactment.
Thank you for watching and stay tuned for more This Is Arkansas productions currently in the works.
Thank you for watching and stay tuned for more This Is Arkansas productions currently in the works.
W. Ray Bertram
The Blind Film Maker of Arkansas
Blind Man’s Bluff Productions
“This Is Arkansas: Education"
MrHayseedplowboy@aol.com
The Sebastian Coal Mine, located in Hartford, is the very last subterranean coal min in operation throughout the entire state of Arkansas. Join us in this entertaining educational video as representatives of the mine take a group of students on a delightful tour of this one-of-a-kind Arkansas facility...it's quite the show :-)
W. Ray Bertram
The Blind Fim Maker of Arkansas
Blind Man’s Bluff Productions
“This Is Arkansas: Education"
MrHayseedplowboy@aol.com
W. Ray Bertram
The Blind Fim Maker of Arkansas
Blind Man’s Bluff Productions
“This Is Arkansas: Education"
MrHayseedplowboy@aol.com
