Fact or fiction?

Arkansas’ answer to the Atlantis question

By Tiffany Joslin CONTRIBUTING WRITER

LITTLE ROCK — A trip to Beaver Lake in northwest Arkansas in spring 2007 was supposed to be about the fish.

While there were certainly plenty of fishing opportunities, I have to say that my biggest amazement came from the underwater resort of Monte Ne. During the time of my visit, spring of 2007, only the stairs and hotel tower were visible, but a trusty bass boat and a fish finder showed many more structures underwater. I left there with a lot of questions. What was this place? Where did it come from? When was it built? Who built it? And, probably most puzzling, why in the world was it under water? So, I came home, rolled up mysleeves and proceeded to put on my researcher’s hat. After a few hours worth of clicking link after link on the Internet, I found the answers to my questions and much more.

Monte Ne, the Spanish and Indian words for “mountain” and “water,” was built during the first two decades of the 20th centur y in the Ozark Hills of the White River Valley, a few miles east of Rogers.

The construction of Monte Ne was begun in 1901 by an educated, albeit eccentric, man named William Hope “Coin” Harvey.

Harvey was born in Buffalo, W.Va., in 1851 and later attended the Buffalo Academy and Marshall College. He began teaching at the age of 16 and was a member of the legal profession before he was even old enough to vote.

Harvey represented many clients, but one particular, and quite wealthy, client influenced Harvey more than any other. The client became the victim of a murder. Afterward, Harvey grossly mistrusted the effects of wealth on the human race.

He even developed a strong belief in using silver to coin money, rather than gold, at 1/16th the value (hence the nickname “Coin”). He was convinced that employment would increase because of the development of silver mines, and people would rid themselves of debt much faster, allowing them to prosper.

Harvey’s book detailing the proposed new monetary system, titled The Book, was written in 1929 and became the unofficial reference guide for the Populist Party. However, this idea didn’t gain much support outside of the party, and Harvey became even more disillusioned.

Harvey believed that civilization would never survive because of the current monetary system and, more importantly, lack of moral character, so he decided to build the resort of Monte Ne as a place to renew positive character attributes and provide refuge from the cold, cruel world.

Har vey also had a f ive - mile dedicated rail line built to connect his resort w ith the Lowell/Rogers area, promoting it as “the only place in America where gondolas meet the trains!” (For a fantastic story written by Gene Hull about Monte Ne and rare photos taken of Monte Ne before it was flooded, log onto www.trainweather.com/ JULY2005-16sml.pdf.) After an amphitheater was built between 1926 and 1932, guests were transported by a Venetian gondola from the train to the guest’s choice of destination. Two Venetian gondoliers were even brought in to teach local young men the proper rowing techniques.

Harvey became the presidential candidate for the Liberty Party in 1932, and the party’s presidential convention was held in the amphitheater. Shortly after the convention, the party began to dissipate and merged with the Jobless Party. Harvey continued his run for the presidency as an independent and came in sixth, with 53,425 votes (0.1 percent).

All in all, Harvey built three hotels (The Hotel Monte Ne, Missouri Row and Oklahoma Row), a political headquarters, a bank, a newspaper, the railroad, a publishing house, a power company, a golf course, music venues, the amphitheater and the first indoor swimming pool open to both men and women (quite the scandal for that day and time).

What Harvey was never able to complete was a huge obelisk structure he called the “pyramid.” Harvey was brokenhearted by the demise of “common courtesy and good manners” and felt certain that the world was nearing its end. He wanted to preserve some of the artifacts of modern civilization, so he began construction of the pyramid, 130 feet high and 40 feet square at the base. The amphitheater that was built was actually meant to stabilize the foundation and serve as a foyer to the pyramid. Harvey believed that the mountains of the Ozarks were actually going to fall into rubble and come crashing down on ev-ery living soul, so very near the top of the pyramid was to be the inscription: “When this can be read, go below and discover the cause of the death of a former civilization.” Inside were to be certain key books (his own among them, of course), encyclopedias, useful inventions like the phonograph and safety pins and a Bible, among other things.

Harvey died on Feb. 11, 1936, from complications related to influenza. No pyramid was ever completed, and no time capsule was ever filled. However, rumors exist to this day about a sealed tomb under the waters of Beaver Lake filled with mint condition automobiles and other treasures from the early 20th century.

In 1960, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began work on a new lake (now known as Beaver Lake) that would be 50 miles long, with one of its arms extending into Monte Ne. Before the actual flooding began, Missouri Row was torn down, and the land was sold into small lots. Most of the structure of Oklahoma Row was moved and is still standing today at the intersectionof Arkansas highways 94 and 94S. By 1966, the dam and lake were completed, and waters were at their full height (approximately 1,121 feet above sea level). The tower of Oklahoma Row still stands on its original lot and is the only visible building remaining at Monte Ne when the waters of Beaver Lake are at normal levels.

However, there have been a few major sightseeing opportunities for Monte Ne over the years. In 1977, the lake reportedly fell to 1,092 feet above sea level, exposing all of the amphitheater and lower rooms of the Oklahoma Row tower. Waters also dropped significantly in 1984 (to just above 1,100 feet above sea level), as well as 2005 (approx. 1,106 feet above sea level) and 2006 (approx. 1,105 feet above sea level), revealing portions of the amphitheater and various structures for an entirely new generation of visitors.

It is important to keep an eye on current water levels if planning to go and visit Monte Ne. Sometimes, as previously mentioned, the water level is perfect for exploring Monte Ne’s sunken past. However, at other times, such as this summer (water levels in mid-June 2008 reached 1,129.10 feet above sea level, only 9/10 of a footbelow flood level), conditions are not desirable. If you want to enjoy your Monte Ne experience, wait until water levels are normal, or below, for even better visibility. Have fun, but be safe. Local authorities would much rather spend an afternoon at a backyard barbecue than joining a rescue mission on Beaver Lake for a few “Looky-Loos.”

Even if the water level isn’t down, you can still see the tower of Oklahoma Row and the stairs to the amphitheater. The feeling you get in that area is like none other. Besides, maybe one of those vintage cars will pop up while you’re there.

Or, for those who prefer not to wait for the waters of Beaver Lake to reveal what’s underneath, this is also a popular destination for scuba divers.

For an even more in-depth look at Monte Ne and its history, log onto www.jamesmskipper.us and click on Flooded Resort at Monte Ne, AR under the Travel heading.

You can also visit the Shiloh Museum of Ozark History at 118 W. Johnson Ave. in Springdale, call (479) 750-8165 or log onto shiloh@springdaleark. org. Or, contact the Rogers Historical Museum at (479) 621-1117 or e-mail museum@rogersarkansas.com.

Tri-Lakes, Pages 126, 128 on 09/28/2008