On our trip to the Crater of Diamonds State Park in Murfreesboro, Arkansas, we passed by this beautiful log cabin a few minutes away & had to stop in! It was erected in the 1830’s & is named the Mauney House, after the original owner. 

When Mauney’s neighbor, John Huddleston, unearthed diamonds on his property in the early 1900’s, & experts confirmed precious gems we’re rich in the surrounding soil, Mauney say a way to profit off his land. He & his sons set out plowing up the fields to bring the gems to the surface & then opened their “mine field” to the public! For just $0.50 a piece, visitors could search all day for gems & keep anything they find, just like today at Crater of Diamonds State Park! Within the first month one lucky visitor found an 8.1 carat diamond!  Unfortunately for Mauney, there wasn’t a sufficient enough road system at the time so visitors were limited causing the mine to close after only 1 year. Now the property, as well as Huddleston’s, are owned by the State of Arkansas.

If you ever visit the Crater of Diamonds State Park, make sure to stop in & have a look! The paintings on the walls are a must see & it’s a really neat little place to stop & take some pictures!