Parker-Hickman Farmstead

The Buffalo National River is famous for the many old barns and homesteads contained within its boundaries. And if you travel to the put-in at Erbie, you can find several old barns and an farmhouse, including one of oldest structures to be found along the river.

The Parker-Hickman Farmstead contains a two-story farmhouse, which the National Park Service says was built in the late 1830s. Surrounding the house are several old buildings, including a few barns and an outhouse. The buildings are all well-preserved, and the Park Service has warmly invited all of us to go in and explore the inside of the farmhouse. In some rooms you can find layers of old magazines and newspapers on the walls, which were used in the olden-days as a form of insulation.

To reach Erbie, drive up Hwy. 7 past Jasper. There will be a dirt road that takes off to the west (there is a sign), about a few miles north of Jasper. Follow this dirt road for about ten miles. It will go past a river-access and the Erbie campground, but continue on until you reach the farmstead. It’s an interesting spot to explore, and a great reminder to a quickly disappearing piece of our history.