Lost in Time

The Arkansas Museum of Natural Resources is nestled in the quieter part of Smackover. A museum gloriously celebrating the history of Oil City. I befriended the curator who took me on a guided tour. She explained how the place came to be, dating back to 1923, the birth of the United States oil boom. The exhibition told the story of how oil was discovered, how it affected people's ways of life and how these discoveries gave rise to car culture. I compared it to exhibitions in other oil museums I had visited to notice unique details. In one exhibit, there were miniature models. As it traveled through time, the tiny figures representing people changed and oil drilling equipment evolved. It was as if I travelled through time myself. I learned about regional geology in guided tours and workshops. Additionally, the museum had a large collection of minerals and had a hall of fame for people who contributed to the development and use of petroleum products.