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The Goat Woman


There is a small town in South Arkansas called Smackover. It was a booming oil town in it's day. It is also known for being the home of Rhene Miller Myer, also known as the "goat woman."
It is a true and fascinating story. She used to be an opera singer in a big city. She fell on hard times and came to Smackover, lived in a box car, a caboose, and had many goats.
Anytime we passed through Smackover as a child, my mother would point out the goat woman's house. She lived out on the highway and I remember seeing her goats and maybe a time or two seeing her out there with them.
The Museum of Natural Resources in Smackover now displays her boxcar and pictures in their collection. There is even a children's book about her.

Well........I think I have my own little goat woman. What was Emily's favorite thing about Silver Dollar City????????????????? Yes, the goats. What is Emily wanting as a pet now? Yes, a goat. She spent about an hour with these goat on Saturday. She learned all about them and would tell all the people coming to the petting zoo about them. She wants to be a vet when she grows up.

Comments

Angie said…
AWE...my parents have goats as pets and the grandchildren feed them vanilla wafers and cheese puffs!!

Brooklynn dressed up as a vet for school for dress up as what you want to be!!
The Ormons said…
That would be great to have a Vet in the family. Bless Emily's heart then she would have all the pets she could ever dream of. Love that sweet girl
Tara G. said…
Perhaps when the economy collapses you can have goat's milk and cheese?!?!
Caroline said…
We just fed some goats yesterday :)

On the way to B'ville. I need to get some cute paper napkins and plates for my daughters party, do you know of any good party stores or boutiques around there?

Thanks
Caroline
Tracy said…
SG loves the goats also. We are trying to convince Dia that she needs a couple on her farm.
Jodi said…
We have 2 goats and they are seriously the best pets! They don't really stink and our daughters LOVE them! They are Nigerian dwarfs and are just so sweet. We have an auto watering system and they eat a lot of hay, so we just make sure they are well stocked. So much easier than cleaning out litter boxes or taking out a dog! It's perfect for our family!
Melissa said…
that is sweet...but i think goats are nasty...LOL

my girl always wanted to be a farmer when she grew up LOL
Nancy said…
Goats milk is better for you than cows milk ~ I love it that she loves goats!!
Claire said…
What a sweetheart she is! She reminds me of my little sister - she's always been animal crackers!

Cxx
Holley Williams said…
I actually grew up in Smackover, Arkansas and remember the goat woman. According to the children's book about her, she was in the circus before she came to Smackover. I remember going to her shack one time and she sang for us.
Kristen said…
I'm from El Dorado (real close to Smackover...in fact my first car came from a dealership in Smackover) and I've never heard about the goat woman. Interesting! You mentioned a book, was it a book about her being a goat woman or about the box car? I remember reading 'The Boxcar Children,' or something like that. Thanks for this history lesson! :-)

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