BY LEANN DILBECK –
Potter Fire Department was dispatched at approximately 6:15 p.m. this evening to Lone Cedar Lodge. Potter Fire Chief Vernon Wells said the building was fully engulfed when they arrived on the scene and Hatfield Fire Department provided mutual aid.
Wells said between the two departments, almost 20 firefighters battled the blaze but it was a total loss. Wells said the property was very grown up and the structure was unoccupied. According to him, property owner is Pharis Presley from Arkadelphia, Ark.
The exact cause of the fire is unknown. Wells confirmed that electricity was still on at the meter.
Located on the corner of county roads 412 and 42, aka Old Line Road, in an area that used to be called Rainbow Springs, the building dates back to the 1920’s.
About Author
Jeri Pearson
Jeri is the News Director for Pulse Multi-Media and Editor of The Polk County Pulse. She has 10 years of experience in community focused journalism and has won multiple press association awards.


My grandparents owned this Lodge from 1945 to approx. 1954. Spent the first 4 years of my life there and all the summers until they sold.
For Carl Niesen. Do you know Lon and Loucile Rhodes> Lon was my dad’s brother. I spent time at the lodge when I was a teenager.
My dad lived there prob in the 30’s . John Watkins . His grandmother
Was Grace Coffman.
For Jeanne Fair Deville, yes I known them quite well, they are my grandparents on my mothers side.
My grandparents live there in the 1990’s. I came out to Mena, Arkansas to help my grandma after a stroke…My daughters and I lived there till after my grandfather passed away in the front sitting parlor. I have very fond memories of the lodge.
I remember the Lodge from the early 1960’s when I was staying with my Grandparents in Old Potter. Wesley (Smidge) Smith and his sister Alexis were good friends of mine. Their parents owned the Lodge at that time. Sure do hate that I lost contact with Wesley and his sister.
There was A green house in the back and use to watch my grandmother after her stroke use her quartz crystals to get energy . She would hold one crystal to the sun and one one to the ground . There was nothing positive energy on that property.
I always asked my grandmother Before Borgelt why there were so many doors in the house? Her response was it use to be a brothel.
I am the ex-wife of Wesley Porter Smith. This house was a lodge, for hunters. It’s origins are unknown to me, but I had visited there many times. There were 4-5 bedrooms but no A/C. The owner, William Parker Smith was a veteran of WW2, and held captive in Korea.