FYI to Abandoned Atlas Foundation just wanted to let you know that in the last couple of months 6 juveniles have been caught on campus and all stated that due to this video they wanted to come see for themselves. Now with that said they were released into the custody of their parents with a dire warning that if caught again on campus not only would they have to go before the federal judge but their parents also would have to appear with them.
@@harrisdail9939 in fact, I will pin this comment to make sure that anyone else who sees this video knows not to go! Thank you again for your hard work and making sure this place is well protected.
Heart-wrenching. I was in Hot Springs, Arkansas last year for the first time in my life and was fascinated by this beautiful structure. I don't understand how we can give 75 billion to a country that most people cant even find on a map and totally neglect our own Communities. Quite frankly it's an outrage. This building must be saved.
My grandma is 80 and has lived in Hot springs Arkansas all her life she worked at this rehab for many years before they made her retire a few years before it closed down she loved working at the rehab as a nurse taking care of the patients..
Thanks for this film. My Great Grandfather as mayor of HS was instrumental in getting the funds from Congress to have the building built. Many years later, we had our 1947 Ford repainted at the body shop there around 1973. I think it cost all of $35!
Great video. I live in Hot Springs and hope they can restore it but I know how expensive it can be. I live in a 103-year-old Craftsman bungalow and I found out how expensive it can get when the plumbing breaks down or it needs electrical work done on it and my house is tiny when compared to a building that size.
ACTI used to have this summer program for senior students in highschool to experience college and i was a student there for the summer of 2018 and became interested with it's rich history. When I see it today with it being seen like this and it's sad that Hot Springs or the Arkansas government isn't even trying to do anything with it. I believe it could be a massive museum or something better especially with it's size. Thank You for making this video, it's very well put together and very informative for those wanting to know it's well put together and rich history
I'm here visiting, and my head has been snapping toward this building the entire time. I'm from out of state, but I so hope this building can be saved!!
Thank you for doing this. This building was an important part of my life, as well as many people that may have been born there when their dads were recovering there from a war, or worked there and lived in the Officers Quarters. Thank you Michael. XOXO
I very much enjoyed this documentary very impressive work Mr. Michael Schwarz. I’ve got some very good ideas on how we can save this building. In order to save this building we have to have an inspirational powerful story and I have that story I look forward to our conversation very much so Mr. Schwarz sir
Had a good friend from college who had grown up in Hot Springs. We went there one Christmas and tour the rehab center. I was very impressed. This would have been Christmas of 1974.
Thank you so much for making this video I use to be a ACTI student on the campus and seeing the building up that close it just brings back memories of when I was at that very building staying in the hospital rooms I have a few stories of paranormal experiences I would love to be able to go back on the campus and relive the memories I made with my friends I hope I can one day
Hello Mr. Schwarz, I am now going to sit down and really pay attention to your documentary so far I’m enjoying it very much so. Very extremely good work I do enjoy what you’ve done here. So far Mr. Schwarz
This place reminds me of the Baker Hotel in Weatherford TX (built around the same time by a man inspired by the design of the Arlington). The Baker is currently undergoing a complete renovation after being abandoned since the 1960s. Seems like a similar renovation/hotel conversion would work for it. Of course it would require tens of millions. (The Baker renovation is supposed to be about $25M).
Another great video!! This would be an awesome place for our displaced and homeless veterans. Sadly, our government has failed all of the veterans across the U.S., this could be a place for them to call home. Of course, the government would have to put out some money to bring it livable, but seems they want to spend the least amount they can on the men and women who fought for our country's freedom. I know it's not a simple task, but it is a task that could be put in place if the government would just try.
I think the buildings should be restore and used for all of our homeless veterns, it would be a way to get them a place to live and call home instead of being out on the streets and begging for money and food.
This place was a rehabilitation center because I was there for almost 3yrs and I would go to that bowling alley at times to bowl and they had classes for people to take to earn a living once they got out of here
My wife and I toured the Baker back in the late 90s when the city was giving informal tours. It was an incredible building but also an incredible mess. I’m glad it’s finally being restored and we have plans to go stay in it once it opens. Seems like if an investor with vision could be found it could make an amazing hotel.
If you want to know the rest of the story, the truth, about how the Old War Army Navy Hospital got shut down, I can put you in contact with an individual that has more photographic & video evidence from the years 2016 to 2017 telling the unknown truth about how the campus got shut down. His name is Brian Ridlon. He wants to help save the campus and the buildings, but only if the truth is told. He would like you to do a documentary with him, telling the rest of the story about the Old War II Army Navy Hospital in Hot Springs National Park.
How can the rest of us get the truth ? If he wants the truth to be told all he has to do is upload his video information and details of what he knows ! It’s not like back in the day where you needed a news paper to print your story or news station to decide they want to cover your story ! Obviously this video is a testament to the new day and age we’re living in where anyone who holds a side of the truth can put it out there ! Not only can they but it’s so simple ! All you need is a Mobil phone ! So if what you say is true and he wants the truth to be told then tell him to tell it ! But it’s unacceptable to say before this building can be saved he wants the truth to be told ! Rather it’s told or not it needs to be saved . And if the information he has is important and needs to be known then he needs to tell it ! Simply upload a video you could even do that by uploading a link to it in this thread !
Like I said, I am the person who shut down the old World War II Army Navy hospital because they were performing government experiments out of that building for 40 to 50 years and I got the proof to prove it 1.) Broken Equality , Broken Equality at ACTI/Civil Rights for People with Disabilities & Native American Equality Dear, President Joe Biden & Vice President Kamala Harris I’m going to tell you truly extraordinary story. Their names are Brian Andrew Ridlon, and Matthew Robert Ridlon, and we are brothers. Brian was born in Fort Scott, Kansas to Doris Elmina Springer Ridlon & Evan Anthony Ridlon on March 1, 1976. And they spent a short period of his life living in Pittsburg, Kansas with our mom, dad, and our oldest brother, Tony, while our dad was going to Pittsburg State University. A few years later, after the family moved back to Arkansas, Matthew was born in Little Rock on November 2, 1982, and spent his early childhood living Sherwood, Arkansas. Brian, as he grew up, was diagnosed with dyslexia & alexia, which resulted in tremendous amounts psychological & emotional trauma, as well as bullying & abuse at the hands of peers & adults alike at school, at work. The bulling & abuse due to these disabilities has continued off & on to this very day. Matthew when was first born almost died, shortly after birth, due to complications during, and immediately after labor. He would also would be diagnosed with autism before his third birthday. This would result in his mother, Doris Emina Springer Ridlon, becoming a child birth educator, becoming certified in the Bradley Method. This would bud into a volunteering partnership & career with Centers for Youth & Families, that last nearly 35 years. At the height or her career in the 1990’s, she would go to various schools in the Little Rock School District, and would teach childbirth & care classes to teen mothers Central High School was one of those schools. She continued to work for the Centers for Youth & Families babysitting, and doing therapeutic crafts with the kids until 2014. Her greatest gift was with children, and she continued to work & volunteer with children at church even after her work with the Centers for Youth & Families ended. In the Great State Kansas, from the dates of December 9, 1952 to May 17, 1954 there raged a court battle named Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, 347 U.S. 483. This hotly contested court case, eventually, made it to the United States of America Supreme Court. The landmark decision, in which the court ruled that U.S. State laws establishing racial segregation in public schools are unconstitutional, even if the segregated schools are otherwise equal in quality. Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka. In response to the Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka ruling, southern states like Arkansas responded with passing what is referred to as the “Sovereignty Law”, and established the Arkansas Claims Commission in 1957 by the Arkansas General Assembly, with Orval Eugene Faubus as Arkansas Governor at the time approval, to prevent the integration of public schools in the state. Is was created to prevent the “Little Rock Nine” from attending Central High School. Governor Faubus & this racist law, not only has it been used oppress people because of race/ethnicity, but it has also oppressed people of a lower economic/social class, and has oppressed those with disabilities, especially, on up to the present. Governor Faubus used this racist Sovereignty Law, as an excuse to deploy the Arkansas State Army National Guard to block the “Little Rock Nine” from entering Central High School, and going to their classes. It took The President of the United States, Dwight D. Eisenhower, to send in the the U.S. Army Reserve to enforce the U.S. Federal Supreme Court’s ruling, order the Arkansas State Army National Guard to stand down, and allow the nine African-American teenage children to enter the school. If integration was birthed in Arkansas, then it was conceived in Kansas, where Brian Andrew Ridlon would be born eighteen years later. Kansas is where Elder Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s fight for his dream truly began to come pass. A dream that was passed from his father, Rev. Martin Luther King Sr. A dream that came together in 1964, when he echoed the words of his father, “I Have A Dream!”. His dream was to have abolished laws oppress & divide people because of race/ethnicity, economic/social, and disability status like the Sovereignty Law abolished, and the Arkansas Claims Commission shut down forever. 2.) You maybe asking, why is this relevant in the current day? We’re going to tell you a story about the students of ACTI (Arkansas Career Training Institute) in Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas, at the old Army Navy Hospital, a national historical landmark, and the first military hospital ever built in the United States. This is no different than Central High School. It’s now fixing to have a different form of history tied to this Sovereignty Law, the same law that was meant to persecute nine African-American students, and prevented them from receiving an equal education at Central High School, in Little Rock, back in 1957. This racist & socially oppressive law known as the Sovereignty Law, through the Arkansas Claims Commission was used to oppress, and abuse the students of ACTI. You are now going know the story, how Brian Ridlon became the voice of the students of ACTI, fighting for an equal education, and quality healthy positive work environment. The State of Arkansas used this law, born of racism, to butcher & terrorize their family, and drive their mom in & out the hospital; and caused her emotional & physical distress which lead to her death. Involuntary manslaughter by the Sovereignty Law of Arkansas. Back in 2015, they went to Arkansas Rehabilitation Services to be evaluated on our disabilities to see if we were eligible for services which Brian Ridlon has dyslexia & alexia, which is profoundly bad. Matthew Ridlon has autistic spectrum disorder. They found them both to be significantly disabled. And they both started the process of being to go to school in Hot Springs. Brian’s field counselor at Arkansas Rehabilitation Services (ARS) was Mrs. Stacy Gravitt, and Matthew’s ARS field counselor was Mrs. Nikita Nash. Their counselors at ACTI were Mrs. Nola Newton for Matthew, and Brian had Mr. Edwin Mitchell. Matthew was the first to go to ACTI alone on February 1, 2016, as a full time student resident. He was there for a little less than a month before Brian came during the last week of February, but the orientation was rather uneventful for Matthew. Brian came for his 10 work trial for orientation & welding for late February early March, celebrated his 40th birthday. There didn’t seem to be anything wrong on the surface level. Eventually, Brian completed his first assessment, and went home during the first week of March, after his birthday. He anxiously anticipated his return for his 10 trial work for Cosmetology, and to be a full time student/resident in June of 2016. When Brian returned home, Matthew remain at ACTI. Matthew began classes in Adult Basic Education (ABE) in March, Career Ready Certification (CRC) class in March, and his culinary classes didn’t officially begin until after Easter Sunday. Easter fell on March 27 of 2016.
3.) Matthew’s culinary class officially started in April 2016. What short of a time period they had us work in the cafeteria, they primarily had Matthew wash dishes & cookware. He only did prep work twice, and only a small number of the senior students were allowed to cook anything in the cafeteria. The only time he had actually cooked something, cheese dip, at ACTI, was getting ready for the SkillsUSA competition that was in April of 2017, But that’s digressing. His culinary teacher, Bert Clevenger, who was a stand in for the original culinary arts instructor, that left days before Matthew started at ACTI, decided to pull the students out of the cafeteria, inexplicably, in late May of 2016. The students were, basically, put to doing bookwork, and watching their instructor demonstrate cooking on a plug in hotplate, an electric griddle, and plug in toaster oven, where Matthew and the students of this time would get very little hands on experience. It was pathetic, and sad in all honesty. Mr. Clevenger said, there would be a new kitchen by spring of 2017, which turned out to be a lie. Mr. Clevenger, Matthew later would found out, had no educational credentials to be a culinary instructor. It wouldn’t be until 2018, before a new kitchen would be opened at the building across the street from the main campus, Reserve Street & Opera Street, where the cosmetology classroom was located; more than 6 months after Matthew left ACTI. When Matthew first came to ACTI, his first dorm room Matthew was assigned to him on February 2016 was on the fifth floor and he didn’t seem to notice any major problems with the room. His dorm-mate was, Jeremy Buck. But in May 2016, around the same time my culinary class was pulled out of the cafeteria, the entire wing of the fifth we were living was ordered to relocate to different dorms, as asbestos was discovered that had been forgotten from years ago when the federal government ordered its removal. Employees were disturbingly tight lip when Matthew & other students asked where was the asbestos located, and who may have been exposed to this carcinogenic material. The clean up took many weeks, before they declared it supposedly safe. And to this very day Matthew does not know if his dorm-mate or even he, himself, may have been exposed, and if so to what extent. He & Jeremy Buck remained on the third floor for the next five months, until October 2016. During this time period Brian returned back on June 21, 2016, and his last day of ACTI was on October 14, 2016, but more his harrowing story later. In October 2016, Matthew & Jeremy were moved to Ross Hall on the Third floor. They were going to move the 21 & older students there in late August. But when they started moving students in dorms, those students were greeted with dorms in disrepair, half-repair, and even rooms with a horrible disgusting bedbug infestation that was never truly remedied. That said, Matthew & Jeremy stayed at Ross Hall until Jeremy graduated on December 8, 2016, and ACTI let out for the month long holiday brake. Matthew returned back too ACTI on January 8, 2017, and he was put in Ross Hall on the third floor again; but this time he was in a different dorm. He was living at Ross Hall from early January to early May, when he too suffered the bedbug infestation that was moving from one dorm to another. Matthew, since it was just days after he had just gotten back from spending a weekend seeing Doris Ridlon, his mom, was terrified that he may have brought them home. And his mom if he had, specially with her health problems, could make her critically ill, if not kill her. Luckily, the bedbugs didn’t get carried back to his mom, back in Little Rock. Matthew moved back to the main building on third floor. There Matthew would spend the last few weeks, until June 9, 2017. 4.) Despite never getting to have a real kitchen to cook in at ACTI; despite him not being given the chance, at the very least, to take a simple Osha Certification class, nor to take the material handling class at ACTI, just to have something to fall back on; the State of Arkansas through its employees at ACTI,are hiding behind a law, born of racism, and kept alive through it mistreatment of the poor, and the disabled, the Sovereignty Law, want to push people out. Saying things like, “You’ve completed your hours in my class!” Or “You’re technically employable!” That is I, Matthew Robert Ridlon’s story summarized. Now, are you ready to read & see how much pain & suffering this Arkansas Sovereignty Law has really caused me, and my family, and my fallow students? Let me tell you the rest of the story; the story of the students of ACTI, Brian Andrew Ridlon, Doris Elmina Springer Ridlon, Broken Equality, the Civil rights movement for people with Disabilities, how it ties into my story, and the dream of Elder Rev. Dr Martin Luther King Jr., Mr. President & Made. Vice President. My brother is Brian, my brother. And Doris is our mother. When Brian came back to ACTI on June 21, 2016, he began his second ten day assessment in cosmetology, which he passed. He started noticing some things occurring at the school. It just seemed very odd & strange. But he tried to stay busy & diligent on finishing tasks at hand. So, he didn’t pay too much attention of it at the time. Later on, he became quite startled, and disturbed by how the general staff that was bullying, and mistreating the students on a cruel level. So, incredibly disturbed, that he notified Disability Rights of Arkansas, and filed a report. Little was done. Brian came in contact with an individual by the name of Kris Stewart. And he showed her several videos, where the students informed him of their of their hazardous living condition, among several other incredibly frightening things that came to his attention in just under three months, and three weeks. In his last days he had become severely ill from exposing himself to the deplorable living conditions, which he developed lesions & sores all over his body & genitals, and hair falling out of his head, trying to assist & help comfort fellow students of ACTI. His last day was October 14, 2016. After leaving the school, he tried diligently to find some form of justice, the right to a quality education, and a healthy wellbeing for nearly eleven months. Brian spoke to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), filing an oral report them, and handing over a physical folder with sold evidence of his claims. There was also one filed with Dr. John Gary Wheeler M.D., with the Arkansas Health of Department - Contagious Diseases Department, who filed a report on behalf of the students of ACTI. Brian was falsely arrested for terrorist threatening, and false charges electronic harassment were filed, by an individual who made promises to help him with the situation at hand, who is second in charge at ACTI, Miss Lily Kersh. She was in contact with a former coworker of her’s, who worked at Pathfinders at the time, by the name of Rex Pratt, which Brian made aware of what was going on at the school, and Mr. Pratt in turn formed Miss. Kersh. Brian was sorely deceived by her, when she confronted him about the evidence he had, and vowed to do right for him & the students at the school. This individual, hiding behind the Sovereignty Law of Arkansas, lead to Brian, and our family being terrorized & victimized. This lead to tremendous emotional stress & physical suffering of our mom being driven multiple times into the hospital, starting just before Thanksgiving 2018. On February 17, 2020 she was taken to the hospital for emergency surgery, which left her fighting for her life for five months. Doris Elmina Springer Ridlon passed away on July 16, 2020. Just twelve days after her seventy-third birthday on July the fourth. All because of this horrible Sovereignty Law passed in 1957, that prevented Little Rock Nine from being able to attend Central High School.
I stayed there from Sept. 1994-Dec. 1995 for job training & PT. I heard the 9th floor was haunted. I need went up past the 6th floor where the student union is.
I use to not believe in ghosts or spirits, then I trespassed here at night and I was blown away of what I saw and heard there one night. The place still gives me nightmares.
I stayed in the nurse dormitories while doing an imternship when it waa Hot Springs Rehab Center back in the 90's. I recall being taken aback when i entered the elevator ans saw it was hand operated! The guy that worked it was named "Howard" and he lived across from my room in the dorms. He waa a great guy and we quickly became friends. The whole grounds feel drenched in history. It seems the burden to maintain it belongs to our government. So much money gets thrown around by our leaders. Its going to take someone who has strong political ties to save this place. I hope it gets the respect it deserves.
Awesome, A name change to this documentary interesting Michael Schwarz. Wow , hey you used to be called this documentary ( Huge abandon campus ) now you call it Exploring Americas abandon 1940s WWII Army navy hospital interesting name change wonder why you did that within the last 3 months to 1 month ago. That is interesting very interesting would you like to make a Nother name change Michael Schwarz We both actually know that I am the person that shut down the old World War II Army Navy hospital and we both know why it got shut down don’t worry Michael Schwartz
That place is NEVER going to be restored. Historic restorations and renovations are very expensive and there's no business in it. Not for an old hospital anyways. No that place is going to burn to the ground one day.
It won’t be renovated with that attitude. There are already five people interested in restoring it, but as I mentioned in the video, the problem isn’t that nobody’s interested, it’s that the state and the federal levels are battling it out.
The main building was on great condition when I graduated in 2010. As a Hutchinson pulled the funding for the school because he disliked that a lot of it’s graduates moved out if the state instead of staying to get jobs in Arkansas. It’s a major blow to people like myself who won’t ever get the chance I received here.
@@AbandonedAtlasFoundationthis person unfortunately may be right. The fact that it’s a government building stuck between two arguing bureaucracies may tie it up until it burns or reaches a point of degradation where it can’t be saved no matter how many developers may want to.
It's a shame, an awful shame that the federal government has not repurposed this building, and grounds. Hot Springs itself is a National Park and this property is right downtown. The state did use it for a number of years. And in my personal work, I did escort possible clients there. Our society and civilization is going backwards in many ways, in our utilization of people, properties, and all resources.
FYI to Abandoned Atlas Foundation just wanted to let you know that in the last couple of months 6 juveniles have been caught on campus and all stated that due to this video they wanted to come see for themselves. Now with that said they were released into the custody of their parents with a dire warning that if caught again on campus not only would they have to go before the federal judge but their parents also would have to appear with them.
@@harrisdail9939 good to know, I’m glad security is hard at work! I hope restoration comes soon for this amazing place.
@@harrisdail9939 in fact, I will pin this comment to make sure that anyone else who sees this video knows not to go! Thank you again for your hard work and making sure this place is well protected.
Heart-wrenching. I was in Hot Springs, Arkansas last year for the first time in my life and was fascinated by this beautiful structure. I don't understand how we can give 75 billion to a country that most people cant even find on a map and totally neglect our own Communities. Quite frankly it's an outrage. This building must be saved.
We couldn’t agree more, we are hopeful to see it saved!
💯💯💯
Agree
Exactly. And these buildings sit empty while homeless sit on the streets
What a waste of a beautiful property. Thanks for shedding light on this.
My grandma is 80 and has lived in Hot springs Arkansas all her life she worked at this rehab for many years before they made her retire a few years before it closed down she loved working at the rehab as a nurse taking care of the patients..
My dad worked there from 2006-2019 I worked there from 2017-2019
Thanks for this film. My Great Grandfather as mayor of HS was instrumental in getting the funds from Congress to have the building built. Many years later, we had our 1947 Ford repainted at the body shop there around 1973. I think it cost all of $35!
I lived there in the mid 80s. Went to cosmetology school there. I love that place, many memories ❤️
Great video. I live in Hot Springs and hope they can restore it but I know how expensive it can be. I live in a 103-year-old Craftsman bungalow and I found out how expensive it can get when the plumbing breaks down or it needs electrical work done on it and my house is tiny when compared to a building that size.
Thank you, and I just love the fact that hot springs is full of those hundred year old houses, how cool!
Awesome video Michael!
Thank you Brent! Can’t wait to see yours!
ACTI used to have this summer program for senior students in highschool to experience college and i was a student there for the summer of 2018 and became interested with it's rich history. When I see it today with it being seen like this and it's sad that Hot Springs or the Arkansas government isn't even trying to do anything with it. I believe it could be a massive museum or something better especially with it's size.
Thank You for making this video, it's very well put together and very informative for those wanting to know it's well put together and rich history
We always have hope i worked there for over 30 years now across the street i see it every day.pray that they dont let it die.
Great, informative video! Thank you!! Hot Springs is going to suffer greatly if this building is lost!
Thank you! I hope it can be saved.
I'm here visiting, and my head has been snapping toward this building the entire time. I'm from out of state, but I so hope this building can be saved!!
Thank you for doing this. This building was an important part of my life, as well as many people that may have been born there when their dads were recovering there from a war, or worked there and lived in the Officers Quarters. Thank you Michael. XOXO
I’m so glad you liked it! I really hope something can be done before it’s too late.
I very much enjoyed this documentary very impressive work Mr. Michael Schwarz. I’ve got some very good ideas on how we can save this building. In order to save this building we have to have an inspirational powerful story and I have that story I look forward to our conversation very much so Mr. Schwarz sir
These videos are amazing, and your efforts are worthy. Thank you for what you did in Topeka.
Had a good friend from college who had grown up in Hot Springs. We went there one Christmas and tour the rehab center. I was very impressed. This would have been Christmas of 1974.
Thank you so much for making this video I use to be a ACTI student on the campus and seeing the building up that close it just brings back memories of when I was at that very building staying in the hospital rooms I have a few stories of paranormal experiences I would love to be able to go back on the campus and relive the memories I made with my friends I hope I can one day
Hello Mr. Schwarz, I am now going to sit down and really pay attention to your documentary so far I’m enjoying it very much so. Very extremely good work I do enjoy what you’ve done here. So far Mr. Schwarz
Nice share. Thanks so much for this.
That would make an amazing hotel. It would also be a great building for a military college.
Visiting hot springs the hospital felt so ominous 😬it looks as if it looms over the town
Amazing video as always.
This place reminds me of the Baker Hotel in Weatherford TX (built around the same time by a man inspired by the design of the Arlington). The Baker is currently undergoing a complete renovation after being abandoned since the 1960s.
Seems like a similar renovation/hotel conversion would work for it. Of course it would require tens of millions. (The Baker renovation is supposed to be about $25M).
Another great video!!
This would be an awesome place for our displaced and homeless veterans. Sadly, our government has failed all of the veterans across the U.S., this could be a place for them to call home.
Of course, the government would have to put out some money to bring it livable, but seems they want to spend the least amount they can on the men and women who fought for our country's freedom. I know it's not a simple task, but it is a task that could be put in place if the government would just try.
I think the buildings should be restore and used for all of our homeless veterns, it would be a way to get them a place to live and call home instead of being out on the streets and begging for money and food.
I think they should turn it back into ACTI. It was an amazing campus when it was open. It was beautiful.
Who would pay for it?
The grounds are very haunted. If you go at night and avoid the security guard you will hear stuff from the buildings
This place was a rehabilitation center because I was there for almost 3yrs and I would go to that bowling alley at times to bowl and they had classes for people to take to earn a living once they got out of here
Do you have any pictures back when the bowling alley was in use? We’ve only seen what’s in the video, but it definitely seems like a great place!
Great video
Thanks! Looking forward to posting yours when renovations are completed!
Please save this beautiful building. Don't allow it to go down like the Majestic.
Of the Baker Hotel in Mineral Wells, Texas, can be restored (sister to the Arlington Hotel), so can this place!
My wife and I toured the Baker back in the late 90s when the city was giving informal tours. It was an incredible building but also an incredible mess. I’m glad it’s finally being restored and we have plans to go stay in it once it opens.
Seems like if an investor with vision could be found it could make an amazing hotel.
If you want to know the rest of the story, the truth, about how the Old War Army Navy Hospital got shut down, I can put you in contact with an individual that has more photographic & video evidence from the years 2016 to 2017 telling the unknown truth about how the campus got shut down. His name is Brian Ridlon. He wants to help save the campus and the buildings, but only if the truth is told. He would like you to do a documentary with him, telling the rest of the story about the Old War II Army Navy Hospital in Hot Springs National Park.
I would like to know.
If like more info too. I graduated in 2010 from there. I got some information from one of the directors about the funding issues
How can the rest of us get the truth ? If he wants the truth to be told all he has to do is upload his video information and details of what he knows ! It’s not like back in the day where you needed a news paper to print your story or news station to decide they want to cover your story ! Obviously this video is a testament to the new day and age we’re living in where anyone who holds a side of the truth can put it out there ! Not only can they but it’s so simple ! All you need is a Mobil phone ! So if what you say is true and he wants the truth to be told then tell him to tell it ! But it’s unacceptable to say before this building can be saved he wants the truth to be told ! Rather it’s told or not it needs to be saved . And if the information he has is important and needs to be known then he needs to tell it ! Simply upload a video you could even do that by uploading a link to it in this thread !
Like I said, I am the person who shut down the old World War II Army Navy hospital because they were performing government experiments out of that building for 40 to 50 years and I got the proof to prove it
1.) Broken Equality , Broken Equality at ACTI/Civil Rights for People with Disabilities & Native American Equality
Dear, President Joe Biden &
Vice President Kamala Harris
I’m going to tell you truly extraordinary story. Their names are Brian Andrew Ridlon, and Matthew Robert Ridlon, and we are brothers. Brian was born in Fort Scott, Kansas to Doris Elmina Springer Ridlon & Evan Anthony Ridlon on March 1, 1976. And they spent a short period of his life living in Pittsburg, Kansas with our mom, dad, and our oldest brother, Tony, while our dad was going to Pittsburg State University. A few years later, after the family moved back to Arkansas, Matthew was born in Little Rock on November 2, 1982, and spent his early childhood living Sherwood, Arkansas. Brian, as he grew up, was diagnosed with dyslexia & alexia, which resulted in tremendous amounts psychological & emotional trauma, as well as bullying & abuse at the hands of peers & adults alike at school, at work. The bulling & abuse due to these disabilities has continued off & on to this very day. Matthew when was first born almost died, shortly after birth, due to complications during, and immediately after labor. He would also would be diagnosed with autism before his third birthday.
This would result in his mother, Doris Emina Springer Ridlon, becoming a child birth educator, becoming certified in the Bradley Method. This would bud into a volunteering partnership & career with Centers for Youth & Families, that last nearly 35 years. At the height or her career in the 1990’s, she would go to various schools in the Little Rock School District, and would teach childbirth & care classes to teen mothers Central High School was one of those schools. She continued to work for the Centers for Youth & Families babysitting, and doing therapeutic crafts with the kids until 2014. Her greatest gift was with children, and she continued to work & volunteer with children at church even after her work with the Centers for Youth & Families ended.
In the Great State Kansas, from the dates of December 9, 1952 to May 17, 1954 there raged a court battle named Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, 347 U.S. 483. This hotly contested court case, eventually, made it to the United States of America Supreme Court. The landmark decision, in which the court ruled that U.S. State laws establishing racial segregation in public schools are unconstitutional, even if the segregated schools are otherwise equal in quality. Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka. In response to the Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka ruling, southern states like Arkansas responded with passing what is referred to as the “Sovereignty Law”, and established the Arkansas Claims Commission in 1957 by the Arkansas General Assembly, with Orval Eugene Faubus as Arkansas Governor at the time approval, to prevent the integration of public schools in the state. Is was created to prevent the “Little Rock Nine” from attending Central High School. Governor Faubus & this racist law, not only has it been used oppress people because of race/ethnicity, but it has also oppressed people of a lower economic/social class, and has oppressed those with disabilities, especially, on up to the present. Governor Faubus used this racist Sovereignty Law, as an excuse to deploy the Arkansas State Army National Guard to block the “Little Rock Nine” from entering Central High School, and going to their classes. It took The President of the United States, Dwight D. Eisenhower, to send in the the U.S. Army Reserve to enforce the U.S. Federal Supreme Court’s ruling, order the Arkansas State Army National Guard to stand down, and allow the nine African-American teenage children to enter the school. If integration was birthed in Arkansas, then it was conceived in Kansas, where Brian Andrew Ridlon would be born eighteen years later. Kansas is where Elder Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s fight for his dream truly began to come pass. A dream that was passed from his father, Rev. Martin Luther King Sr. A dream that came together in 1964, when he echoed the words of his father, “I Have A Dream!”. His dream was to have abolished laws oppress & divide people because of race/ethnicity, economic/social, and disability status like the Sovereignty Law abolished, and the Arkansas Claims Commission shut down forever.
2.) You maybe asking, why is this relevant in the current day? We’re going to tell you a story about the students of ACTI (Arkansas Career Training Institute) in Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas, at the old Army Navy Hospital, a national historical landmark, and the first military hospital ever built in the United States. This is no different than Central High School. It’s now fixing to have a different form of history tied to this Sovereignty Law, the same law that was meant to persecute nine African-American students, and prevented them from receiving an equal education at Central High School, in Little Rock, back in 1957. This racist & socially oppressive law known as the Sovereignty Law, through the Arkansas Claims Commission was used to oppress, and abuse the students of ACTI. You are now going know the story, how Brian Ridlon became the voice of the students of ACTI, fighting for an equal education, and quality healthy positive work environment. The State of Arkansas used this law, born of racism, to butcher & terrorize their family, and drive their mom in & out the hospital; and caused her emotional & physical distress which lead to her death. Involuntary manslaughter by the Sovereignty Law of Arkansas.
Back in 2015, they went to Arkansas Rehabilitation Services to be evaluated on our disabilities to see if we were eligible for services which Brian Ridlon has dyslexia & alexia, which is profoundly bad. Matthew Ridlon has autistic spectrum disorder. They found them both to be significantly disabled. And they both started the process of being to go to school in Hot Springs. Brian’s field counselor at Arkansas Rehabilitation Services (ARS) was Mrs. Stacy Gravitt, and Matthew’s ARS field counselor was Mrs. Nikita Nash. Their counselors at ACTI were Mrs. Nola Newton for Matthew, and Brian had Mr. Edwin Mitchell.
Matthew was the first to go to ACTI alone on February 1, 2016, as a full time student resident. He was there for a little less than a month before Brian came during the last week of February, but the orientation was rather uneventful for Matthew. Brian came for his 10 work trial for orientation & welding for late February early March, celebrated his 40th birthday. There didn’t seem to be anything wrong on the surface level. Eventually, Brian completed his first assessment, and went home during the first week of March, after his birthday. He anxiously anticipated his return for his 10 trial work for Cosmetology, and to be a full time student/resident in June of 2016.
When Brian returned home, Matthew remain at ACTI. Matthew began classes in Adult Basic Education (ABE) in March, Career Ready Certification (CRC) class in March, and his culinary classes didn’t officially begin until after Easter Sunday. Easter fell on March 27 of 2016.
3.) Matthew’s culinary class officially started in April 2016. What short of a time period they had us work in the cafeteria, they primarily had Matthew wash dishes & cookware. He only did prep work twice, and only a small number of the senior students were allowed to cook anything in the cafeteria. The only time he had actually cooked something, cheese dip, at ACTI, was getting ready for the SkillsUSA competition that was in April of 2017, But that’s digressing. His culinary teacher, Bert Clevenger, who was a stand in for the original culinary arts instructor, that left days before Matthew started at ACTI, decided to pull the students out of the cafeteria, inexplicably, in late May of 2016. The students were, basically, put to doing bookwork, and watching their instructor demonstrate cooking on a plug in hotplate, an electric griddle, and plug in toaster oven, where Matthew and the students of this time would get very little hands on experience. It was pathetic, and sad in all honesty. Mr. Clevenger said, there would be a new kitchen by spring of 2017, which turned out to be a lie. Mr. Clevenger, Matthew later would found out, had no educational credentials to be a culinary instructor. It wouldn’t be until 2018, before a new kitchen would be opened at the building across the street from the main campus, Reserve Street & Opera Street, where the cosmetology classroom was located; more than 6 months after Matthew left ACTI.
When Matthew first came to ACTI, his first dorm room Matthew was assigned to him on February 2016 was on the fifth floor and he didn’t seem to notice any major problems with the room. His dorm-mate was, Jeremy Buck. But in May 2016, around the same time my culinary class was pulled out of the cafeteria, the entire wing of the fifth we were living was ordered to relocate to different dorms, as asbestos was discovered that had been forgotten from years ago when the federal government ordered its removal. Employees were disturbingly tight lip when Matthew & other students asked where was the asbestos located, and who may have been exposed to this carcinogenic material. The clean up took many weeks, before they declared it supposedly safe. And to this very day Matthew does not know if his dorm-mate or even he, himself, may have been exposed, and if so to what extent. He & Jeremy Buck remained on the third floor for the next five months, until October 2016. During this time period Brian returned back on June 21, 2016, and his last day of ACTI was on October 14, 2016, but more his harrowing story later. In October 2016, Matthew & Jeremy were moved to Ross Hall on the Third floor. They were going to move the 21 & older students there in late August. But when they started moving students in dorms, those students were greeted with dorms in disrepair, half-repair, and even rooms with a horrible disgusting bedbug infestation that was never truly remedied. That said, Matthew & Jeremy stayed at Ross Hall until Jeremy graduated on December 8, 2016, and ACTI let out for the month long holiday brake. Matthew returned back too ACTI on January 8, 2017, and he was put in Ross Hall on the third floor again; but this time he was in a different dorm. He was living at Ross Hall from early January to early May, when he too suffered the bedbug infestation that was moving from one dorm to another. Matthew, since it was just days after he had just gotten back from spending a weekend seeing Doris Ridlon, his mom, was terrified that he may have brought them home. And his mom if he had, specially with her health problems, could make her critically ill, if not kill her. Luckily, the bedbugs didn’t get carried back to his mom, back in Little Rock. Matthew moved back to the main building on third floor. There Matthew would spend the last few weeks, until June 9, 2017.
4.) Despite never getting to have a real kitchen to cook in at ACTI; despite him not being given the chance, at the very least, to take a simple Osha Certification class, nor to take the material handling class at ACTI, just to have something to fall back on; the State of Arkansas through its employees at ACTI,are hiding behind a law, born of racism, and kept alive through it mistreatment of the poor, and the disabled, the Sovereignty Law, want to push people out. Saying things like, “You’ve completed your hours in my class!” Or “You’re technically employable!” That is I, Matthew Robert Ridlon’s story summarized.
Now, are you ready to read & see how much pain & suffering this Arkansas Sovereignty Law has really caused me, and my family, and my fallow students? Let me tell you the rest of the story; the story of the students of ACTI, Brian Andrew Ridlon, Doris Elmina Springer Ridlon, Broken Equality, the Civil rights movement for people with Disabilities, how it ties into my story, and the dream of Elder Rev. Dr Martin Luther King Jr., Mr. President & Made. Vice President.
My brother is Brian, my brother. And Doris is our mother. When Brian came back to ACTI on June 21, 2016, he began his second ten day assessment in cosmetology, which he passed. He started noticing some things occurring at the school. It just seemed very odd & strange. But he tried to stay busy & diligent on finishing tasks at hand. So, he didn’t pay too much attention of it at the time. Later on, he became quite startled, and disturbed by how the general staff that was bullying, and mistreating the students on a cruel level. So, incredibly disturbed, that he notified Disability Rights of Arkansas, and filed a report. Little was done. Brian came in contact with an individual by the name of Kris Stewart. And he showed her several videos, where the students informed him of their of their hazardous living condition, among several other incredibly frightening things that came to his attention in just under three months, and three weeks. In his last days he had become severely ill from exposing himself to the deplorable living conditions, which he developed lesions & sores all over his body & genitals, and hair falling out of his head, trying to assist & help comfort fellow students of ACTI. His last day was October 14, 2016. After leaving the school, he tried diligently to find some form of justice, the right to a quality education, and a healthy wellbeing for nearly eleven months. Brian spoke to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), filing an oral report them, and handing over a physical folder with sold evidence of his claims. There was also one filed with Dr. John Gary Wheeler M.D., with the Arkansas Health of Department - Contagious Diseases Department, who filed a report on behalf of the students of ACTI. Brian was falsely arrested for terrorist threatening, and false charges electronic harassment were filed, by an individual who made promises to help him with the situation at hand, who is second in charge at ACTI, Miss Lily Kersh. She was in contact with a former coworker of her’s, who worked at Pathfinders at the time, by the name of Rex Pratt, which Brian made aware of what was going on at the school, and Mr. Pratt in turn formed Miss. Kersh. Brian was sorely deceived by her, when she confronted him about the evidence he had, and vowed to do right for him & the students at the school. This individual, hiding behind the Sovereignty Law of Arkansas, lead to Brian, and our family being terrorized & victimized. This lead to tremendous emotional stress & physical suffering of our mom being driven multiple times into the hospital, starting just before Thanksgiving 2018. On February 17, 2020 she was taken to the hospital for emergency surgery, which left her fighting for her life for five months. Doris Elmina Springer Ridlon passed away on July 16, 2020. Just twelve days after her seventy-third birthday on July the fourth. All because of this horrible Sovereignty Law passed in 1957, that prevented Little Rock Nine from being able to attend Central High School.
I really hope it gets preserved. What a beautiful building with beautiful history.
We do too!
how did you wanage to get inside? did you get permission for the owners? i've seen security monitoring the main building this past week or so
Yes, there is security out there, so please do not trespass here!
I want to get inside i believe some clandestine operations are being done
would make a great haunted office building and apartment complex
I live here. It’s horrible. The first “Veterans Hospital” ….in a National Park
I went to that school
I stayed there from Sept. 1994-Dec. 1995 for job training & PT. I heard the 9th floor was haunted. I need went up past the 6th floor where the student union is.
I use to not believe in ghosts or spirits, then I trespassed here at night and I was blown away of what I saw and heard there one night. The place still gives me nightmares.
I stayed in the nurse dormitories while doing an imternship when it waa Hot Springs Rehab Center back in the 90's. I recall being taken aback when i entered the elevator ans saw it was hand operated! The guy that worked it was named "Howard" and he lived across from my room in the dorms. He waa a great guy and we quickly became friends. The whole grounds feel drenched in history. It seems the burden to maintain it belongs to our government. So much money gets thrown around by our leaders. Its going to take someone who has strong political ties to save this place. I hope it gets the respect it deserves.
Again the city doesn't see potential in housing. This building is so beautiful and such a prominent part of downtown.
Awesome, A name change to this documentary interesting Michael Schwarz. Wow , hey you used to be called this documentary ( Huge abandon campus ) now you call it
Exploring Americas abandon 1940s WWII Army navy hospital interesting name change wonder why you did that within the last 3 months to 1 month ago. That is interesting very interesting would you like to make a Nother name change Michael Schwarz
We both actually know that I am the person that shut down the old World War II Army Navy hospital and we both know why it got shut down don’t worry Michael Schwartz
Not bad 3years to from knocking down to building....Bravo 🤣
That place is NEVER going to be restored. Historic restorations and renovations are very expensive and there's no business in it. Not for an old hospital anyways. No that place is going to burn to the ground one day.
It won’t be renovated with that attitude. There are already five people interested in restoring it, but as I mentioned in the video, the problem isn’t that nobody’s interested, it’s that the state and the federal levels are battling it out.
The main building was on great condition when I graduated in 2010. As a Hutchinson pulled the funding for the school because he disliked that a lot of it’s graduates moved out if the state instead of staying to get jobs in Arkansas. It’s a major blow to people like myself who won’t ever get the chance I received here.
@@AbandonedAtlasFoundationthis person unfortunately may be right. The fact that it’s a government building stuck between two arguing bureaucracies may tie it up until it burns or reaches a point of degradation where it can’t be saved no matter how many developers may want to.
It's a shame, an awful shame that the federal government has not repurposed this building, and grounds. Hot Springs itself is a National Park and this property is right downtown.
The state did use it for a number of years. And in my personal work, I did escort possible clients there. Our society and civilization is going backwards in many ways, in our utilization of people, properties, and all resources.
The federal government is not known for being terribly efficient or good stewards of resources unfortunately.