By: Kendall Keylor
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — It all started with the construction of Old Main.
A large piece of limestone was left behind when it fell off the back of an oxcart as it was being transported to the area where Old Main was being built.
The stone became known as Spoofer’s Stone.
Back in the 1800’s, the rules were different for students at the University of Arkansas.
“Back in that time, male and female students weren’t allowed to really intermingle,” said John Thomas, Manager of University Communications. “For the ones that had love interests, they were basically able to hide love notes in the crevices of that rock.”
Later, it became a popular spot for marriage proposals.
Spoofer’s Stone holds a special place in an Arkansas alumn’s heart, specifically on February 3rd, 1995.
“We got over there, and he started talking and telling me about how we wanted to spend the rest of our lives together,” said Michelle McCaslin-Cook, 1994 Graduate of the University of Arkansas. “He got down on one knee, and he was at the rock, had me sit down, and proposed.”
Although now, the stone is crumbled into pieces after accidentally being hit by a contract worker’s car.
Many people on Facebook were not happy when they found out what happened to the stone.
For example, some comments read, “I hope whoever is responsible for this damage to a historical iron on our campus will pay completely to have it repaired,” or “I hope this repair comes at the cost of the construction company who destroyed it and not at the cost of the students.”
The university if in the process of repairing the monument now.
“We think based on what the experts have told us that it can be repaired, and it will be in a short amount of time,” said Thomas.
The impact the stone has on the community continues to live on through many.
I asked Michelle what Spoofer’s Stone means to her today, and what the significance of the rock is to her now.
Michelle said, “I think the exciting thing for me with Spoofer’s Stone is that it’s always been a thing from Northwest Arkansas, even when my children were young, I could bring them and show them where their parents were engaged, and walk them through what happened and how our family started.”
Thomas explained that a company from Missouri is coming to repair the stone, and is expected to be fully repaired within the next few months.
“Since it had been here for so long, people really related to it because it had an innocent feeling to it because of how far back it goes,” Thomas said.