Texarkana, AR: Hut Club
Address: 4432 E Broad St, Texarkana, AR 71854
Status: Burned down (unknown date)
Elvis Dates: November 17, 1955
I Visited On: June 10, 2023
My experience
Unfortunately, didn't get fantastic pictures of the site, because I was in Texarkana while a massive storm was rolling in, which involved pouring rain, thunder, and lightning. I probably still would've gotten out of the car to take pictures, if the Hut Club wasn't under a couple of inches of mud and water at that moment, and I wasn't wearing converse and not rain boots.
Anyway, the Hut Club is next to a gravel path off the main road behind a screen of tall trees. There isn't really any lighting near the site, so I suggest visiting in the day light, if possible.
The Hut Club burned down years ago (exact date unknown), but there are still remnants, including charred wood, burned records and CDs, and the old Hut Club sign is still by the building, what's left of it anyway. It's located to the right of the white metal building that's currently on the lot. In case you're wondering, the metal building was formerly the Electric Cowboy Nightclub, which closed in 2016, and is now a Marijuana dispensary.
Overall, there really isn't much about the Hut Club online that I could find. All I did manage to find about the club was that it was fairly refined for a roadhouse, with a series of relatively small rooms set aside for dining, dancing, and the bar.
Elvis at the hut
"According to Cotton, afterwards, Elvis, and Thompson appeared at Texarkana's Hut Club from 10:00 p.m. until 1:30 a.m. An article in the Texarkana Gazette (December 27, 1981) reported that the club's owner, Roy Oliver, paid Elvis only $17.50 to play the club. He wouldn't have booked him at all except that he came with the Thompson package. According to Dewanda Jo Smith, who had a sister that worked at the club, the hut was fairly refined for a roadhouse..."
Pictures of the hut club and surrounding signage
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