The Crater of Diamonds is a forty-acre field located near Murfreesboro, Pike County, Arkansas, where diamonds can be found in their natural matrix. John Huddleston, who owned the property, found the first diamond in 1906. The Crater of Diamonds has changed hands several times over the years and several attempts have been made at commercial mining. All such ventures are shrouded in mystery; lawsuits, lack of money, and fires are only a few reasons for failure. The mine was operated by private interests as a tourist attraction from 1952 to 1972 when it was purchased by the State for development as a state park.
This field is the only diamond area in North America open to the public. Over 60,000 diamonds have been found at the Crater (an eroded volcanic pipe) including such noted finds as the Uncle Sam (40.42 carats), Star of Murfreesboro (34.25 carats), Star of Arkansas (15.24 carats), and the Amarillo Starlight (16.37 carats).
This collection contains materials relating to the Crater of Diamonds near Murfreesboro, Pike County, Arkansas.
· I. Correspondence (Reel MG00045)
o A. 1907
o B. 1908
o C. 1909
o D. 1910
o E. 1911
o F. 1912
o G. 1913
o H. 1914
o I. 1915
o J. 1916
o K. 1917
o L. 1918
o M. 1919
o N. 1920s
o O. 1930s
o P. 1940s
o Q. 1950-1955
o R. 1956-1959
o S. 1960s
o T. Undated
o U. Chicago resale of stock in Kimberlite Company
o V. Perrine promotion 1940
o W. Henry Ford Reyburn's dealings and list of shareholders
o X. Van der Gracht negotiations
o Y. M.M. Mauney
· II. Business and financial papers
o A. Stock certificates
o B. Tax statements
o C. Tax receipts
o D. Bills and receipts
o E. Account sheets (Reel MG00046)
o F. Expenses
o G. Cost estimates
o H. Coca-Cola
o I. Checks and deposit slips
o J. Promissory notes
o K. Operating costs
o L. Diamond collateral notes
o M. Diamond valuations
o N. “Old Diamond Records of Austin Q. Millar”
o O. Visitor register
o P. Time books
o Q. Miscellaneous
· III. Legal papers
o A. Agreements
o B. Pike County Chancery Court papers
o C. Appeal from Office of Register and Receiver
o D. Declaration of trust
o E. Affidavit
o F. Certificate of a claim to copyright
o G. Deeds
o H. Warranty deed and assignment of diamond mining lease
o I. Deed research papers
o J. Redemption certificates
· IV. Printed materials
o A. Periodicals: Articles relating to Crater of Diamonds
§ 1. “America’s 35 Acres of Diamonds," Junius B. Wood, Nation’s Business, 1949 March
§ 2. “America's Only Diamond Mine,” Booton Herndon, Collier’s, 1951 August 25
§ 3. “Diamond Mines of Arkansas,” Domer L. Howard, The Lapidary Journal, 1951 October
§ 4. “...Reprints...From The Lapidary Journal 1951 October and 1957 April issues”
§ 5. “The Incredible American Diamond Mine Mystery," Martin L. Gross, True, 1959 September
§ 6. “Diamonds As Big As Your Fist In Arkansas,” Mario Cleri, Male, 1963 September
o B. Periodicals: Articles relating to diamonds, et cetera
§ 1. “Summary of Diamonds and Diamond Mines,” Austin Q. Millar, The Mining World, 1911 June 10
§ 2. “Rotary Pans-Their Design and Operation,” A.V. Eulich, Engineering and Mining Journal-Press, 1925 June 20
§ 3. “Chrome Bearing Peridotites of Lake Abitibi,” H.T. White, Journal of the Canadian Mining Institute, Part of Volume XII
o C. Brochures, pamphlets, et cetera: relating to Crater of Diamonds
§ 1. “Hunt For Diamonds at the...Big Mine. Arkansas Diamond Mine-Home of the Famous ‘Uncle Sam’-Largest Diamond Ever Found In North America... Murfreesboro, Ark.”
§ 2. “List of Machinery, Equipment and Supplies of the Arkansas Diamond Corporation Located at Murfreesboro, Ark...”
§ 3. “Sensational Diamond Discovery Opens up New Field at Murfreesboro, Arkansas, Diamond Gem Mine First Producing Area Located in 40 Years. Yours To Explore.”
§ 4. “Star of Arkansas-Millar's Crater of Diamonds”
§ 5. “Visit ‘The Crater of Diamonds’ Murfreesboro, Arkansas. The only place in North America where Genuine Diamonds are found and given away.”
§ 6. “Won't You Come and Hunt Diamonds With Me! The Crater of Diamonds.”
§ 7. “The Fabulous ‘Crater of Diamonds’ at Murfreesboro, Arkansas. ‘America's Only Diamond Mine’”
§ 8. “Arkansas Diamond Company”
o D. Brochures, pamphlets, et cetera: relating to subjects other than Crater of Diamonds
§ 1. “An Affair of Interest to the Public and the United States Diamond Mining Company…”
§ 2. “The Cullian Diamond: A Description of the Big Diamond Found in the Premier Mine, Transvaal” by F.H. Hatch and G.S. Corstorphine
§ 3. “Diamond-Bearing Peridotite in Pike County, Ark.” by Hugh D. Miser and Clarence S. Ross
§ 4. “Diamonds in Wisconsin…”
§ 5. “Facts About Murfreesboro, Ark.”
§ 6. “...Holiday in Arkansas. Pike County. Murfreesboro...”
§ 7. “How Diamond Saws Are Made By One of the Principal Manufacturers”
§ 8. “State Mineral Survey In Arkansas” by George C. Branner 1940
o E. Newspapers and newspaper clippings
§ 1. [Diamond Edition], Pike County Courier, 1927 February 18
§ 2. “Arkansas Diamond Hunt,” The Commercial Appeal, 1956 February 16
§ 3. “Fifty Years of Dreaming and Digging In North America's only Diamond Mine,” Arkansas Democrat Sunday Magazine, 1956 August 5
§ 4. “Arkansas Diamonds Bring a Bonanza-Of Tourists’ Dollars,” The Wall Street Journal, 1959 May 11. (Reprint)
§ 5. Miscellaneous clippings (Reel MG00047)
o F. Broadsides
§ 1. “Arkansas Diamond Co. Little Rock Balance Sheet As Of 1914 April 20”
§ 2. “Notice is hereby given that on Monday, the 8th day of June, 1914, at 1:30 o'clock, there will be held the annual meeting of the stockholders of the Arkansas Diamond Company…”
§ 3. “Notice of Annual Meeting of Stockholders of Arkansas Diamond Corporation...1938...”
§ 4. “Weekend Holiday To Crater of Diamonds, Hot Springs, Arkansas..."
o G. Other
§ 1. Comic masks for photographs
§ 2. Poster
§ 3. Placemats
§ 4. Blank form
§ 5. Calendar
§ 6. Business cards
o H. Park file of recent clippings
· V. Writings
o A. Articles, et cetera
§ 1. “Biography and References: Kimberlite Diamond”
§ 2. “Crater of Diamonds”
§ 3. “The Diamond Mines of Pike County, Arkansas”
§ 4. “Diamonds.” Extract from Arkansas Geological Survey's Outlines of Arkansas’ Mineral Resources, 1927...
§ 5. “Dr. John T. Williamson-Diamonds in Tanganyika”
§ 6. “...How It Happened” by Glenn A. Green
§ 7. “The Occurrence of Diamonds In Pike County, Arkansas”
§ 8. “Outline of the Arkansas Mine (present Wilkerson property)”
§ 9. Miscellaneous writings on diamonds
§ 10. “The Parent Rock of the Diamond in South Africa.” Published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society, 1899 July 27
§ 11. “If you lived in a rent shack...” by Zoe Johnson
o B. Reports
§ 1. “Diamonds In the Peculiar Crater Filling Of Extinct Volcanoes Of Arkansas and Africa: A Comparative Analysis With a Review and Comment On Some Of the Theories Of Origin Of the Diamond” by Austin Q. Millar
§ 2. “Geo-electric Delimitation of the First Pipe of Kimberlite Discovered on the Diamond Fields of Kasai” by I. de Magnee, International Geological Report of the 18th session Great Britain, 1948
§ 3. “Kimberlite Diamond Mining and Washing Company: Our Practical project and Great Commercial Possibilities...”
§ 4. “Memorandum, September 14, 1920. Diamond Mines.”
§ 5. “Preliminary Geological Report on a Shore Line Block in Hempstead County, Ark.” by Howard A. Millar
§ 6. “Report No. 9 Ozark Mine Trail Test Washing”
§ 7. “Results To Be Expected”
§ 8. “Separate and Distinct Tests of Widely Separated Localities on Ozark Mine and Analysis of Recovery”
§ 9. Kimberlite Diamond Mining and Washing Company statements, et cetera
§ 10. “Report on the Arkansas Diamond Property” by John Q. St. Clair, Mining Geologist, Grand Junction, Colorado, 1956
o C. Lists
§ 1. “List of Diamond Cutters in New York City”
§ 2. “List of Diamonds”
§ 3. “List of References On Diamonds (including Diamond Mines and the diamond industry)”
o D. Notes
§ 1. [Notes by Austin Millar] (Reel MG00047-MG00048)
§ 2. Mining notes by Howard A. Millar, School of Mines, University of Minnesota
§ 3. Mineralogy notes by Howard Millar, mining engineer, 1907, University of Minnesota
§ 4. Geology notes
§ 5. Geology notes on kimberlite occurrences in southwest Arkansas and Texas, also on Victor Mine in Africa
§ 6. Concerning Ellis Fagan
§ 7. On fires
§ 8. “Introductory”
§ 9. “Special”
§ 10. Notes for book
§ 11. Concerning Austin Q. Millar's meeting with Henry Ford, Sr., of the Ford Motor Company
§ 12. Diamond mines, et cetera
§ 13. Description of diamonds
§ 14. Diamond mine property
o E. Other
§ 1. Reward poster
§ 2. “Outline Preliminary To Writing a Report On Diamond Bearing Crater In Pike County, Arkansas”
· VI. Maps, blueprints, et cetera
o A. Maps
§ 1. “Mauney and Ozark Diamond Mines”
§ 2. “Diamond Mines and Prospects”
§ 3. “The Prairie Creek Peridotite Occurrence showing the Arkansas, Ozark and Mauney Mines with Surface Workings, Topography and Approximate Locations of Intrusive Rocks” 1932
§ 4. “Survey of the Crater of Diamonds for Mr. and Mrs. Howard A. Millar Murfreesboro, Ark., June, 1960”
§ 5. “Farm Map and Farm Plan: Solon House, Murfreesboro, Pike County, Ark.” 1946
§ 6. “Geological Map of the Prairie Creek Area Peridotite in T. 8 S., R. 25 W., 2 1/2 Miles South-Southeast of Murfreesboro, Pike County, Ark.”
§ 7. Survey Maps
§ 8. Plat maps (Reel MG00049)
o B. Blueprints
§ 1. “Flow Sheet of New Ozark Diamond Concentration Plant”
§ 2. “The ‘Mauney’ Mine April 20,1914”
§ 3. “Arkansas Diamond Company”
· VII. Diamond papers
· VIII. Photographs (Reel MG00049-MG00050)
