First Diamonds
Near this site in August 1906, local farmer and amateur treasure hunter John Wesley Huddleston discovered the first diamonds in Pike County, Arkansas. According to one of many accounts, Huddleston was panning for gold on his farmland one day when he found two smooth, shiny crystals unlike any he had ever seen. Believing they were diamonds, he tested the stones against a carbide grinding wheel, which they easily scratched. After a jeweler in New York confirmed that Huddleston had found genuine, gem-quality diamonds, he sold his land to a group of Little Rock investors for a $36,000 option. Although he eventually lost most of the money, the legacy of "Diamond John" was established and continues to be celebrated today.