The Tale of Petit Jean

The Legend of Petit

Jean

By: Kyla Hauf

Petit Jean Mountain is the resting place for a very sad story. A tale of love and sickness. This story is shared with the families of arkansas who love to climb atop the mountain and enjoy the gorgeous veiw of the mountain and the river below.

photo from 17mag.com/outdoors/trails/explore-petit-jean-state-park-arkansas/

Petit Jean was a young girl who fell in love with a sailor. Her lover was deployed not long after they met. Feeling heartbroken to be seprerate from the love of her life she dressed as a man and joined the crew. Midway through the arkansas river her lover grew sick. She cared for him whiel still hiding her identity as a female. After her lover got better she began to grow ill. She had caught swamp fever from her lover. She grew extremly ill and by the time they reached a stop she was nealry gone. Her identity was revaled and she was buried above the mountian by her lover.

Many years after petit jeans tradegic death trying to stay with her lover other settlers found her burial site. They left her where she was and placed a old temple right beside her. The temple still stands but not completely. ruins of the old temple still staand not even a mile from where petit jean from buried. some say as the sun sets you can see her shadow standing on the edge of the cliff waitng for her lover to return  to her. But her lover returned to england after her death. He passed away on the journey back to england from swmap fever

Petit Jeans bravery and love has reached ears of many families for many generations. Many people get married in the ruined temple to honor her memory of her dedication to her love. Just recently i went to peitit jean mountian and witnessed the beauty of the mountain. I also witnessed the beauty of love as a young man proposed to his girlfriend on the mountian. stories like these are an inspiration to everyone. even me.

http://www.mygenealogyhound.com/vintage-photographs/arkansas-photographs/AR-Petit-Jean-grave-site-Petit-Jean-Mountain-Arkansas-photos.html

 https://www.arkansasstateparks.com/articles/more-walk-woods-petit-jean-state-park