Old Villines Homestead

Over the past couple of years, the Buffalo River National River folks have been spending a lot of time and money fixing up many of the old homesteads along the river.

The Villines  Homestead is one that has been getting a lot of attention.

The Homestead was build between 1880 and 1940 and belonged to Jim Villines.  “Beaver Jim” as he was known built the cabin when he got married to his wife Rachael.  His boyhood home is across the river at the interchange from Highway 43 to the Ponca River Access and is driven by tens of thousands of tourists a year.

Beaver Jim’s adult homestead is easily accessible from the Ponca Buffalo River access. Just head down to the Ponca river access and park on the side of the river you came in on. Cross the old Ponca low-water bridge and then head out on the old road to the left. This is a part of the Buffalo River trail to Steel Creek.

Quickly, the trail will split – the Buffalo River Trail will head off to the left and the road trace to the right --- up the hill. Head up the road trace and within a few hundred yards you’ll see the old Barn. Go check that area out.

On the back side of the barn is a short trail that heads up the hill to the home site. While the barn area is not structurally sound enough to enter, the home site appears to be. Up here there is an outhouse, a root cellar, another old building and the home itself.  The home was once an small cabin, but appears to have been added onto several times and is a good size now. 

Stroll around the homestead for awhile and you can head back on the old road – down the hill this time to your car by the river. Round trip this is only about a ¼ mile stroll.

Mileage: .25 roundtrip

Difficulty Level:  Very Easy

Trailbook:  None

Kids: Definitely

Star Rating: 3 out of 5

Comments

[Devoe Villines]

This was my great-grandpa's place. It was built around 1900 if I remember right. He lived there and passed there 1948. Slept in the loft as a kid in the early 1960s. Had a cousin and his family still living there at the time.

[Lance Estep]

My great grandmother Bessie Elizabeth Villines was born in this cabin in 1895/96.