A Haunted Arkansas Inn Built by the Marshal Who Helped Catch the Dalton Gang Is Listed at $1,350,000
Reddit called it "a haunted hotel or your very own Rose Apothecary" — the Schitt's Creek reference landing alongside a genuine ghost reputation for an 1887 Arkansas inn with a history that would embarrass most novels. The Beard & Lady Inn in Chester, Arkansas is listed at $1,350,000, comes with a six-figure hospitality business already in operation, and is the only structure in Chester to have survived two fires and two floods. The building has been through more than most things standing.
The Man Who Built It
Jacob Yoes built the Chester Inn from hand-kilned bricks in 1887, housing a hotel and dry goods store in a two-story structure on Front Street. By 1889, President Benjamin Harrison had appointed him US Marshal of the Western District of Arkansas — one of eight marshals to serve under Judge Isaac Parker, the "Hanging Judge" of Fort Smith, who presided over one of the most lawless jurisdictions in American history. Yoes commanded 200 deputies and was directly involved in the capture of the Dalton Gang. He survived being shot twice at the Battle of Prairie Grove during the Civil War, killed approximately 50 bushwhackers during his military service, and built a small commercial empire along the Frisco Railroad. The community of Yoestown, Arkansas is named for him. He died in 1906 and is buried in the National Cemetery at Fort Smith. His hotel was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.
What's for Sale
The 9,600-square-foot fully restored inn has 11 uniquely themed rooms including two luxury suites, a commercial kitchen, a spacious dining hall with a wood-burning stove, and an on-site Mercantile & Apothecary Shop — complete with a stage for live music and a large seating area, which is exactly what the Rose Apothecary comparisons are about. Outdoors, a large patio, lush gardens, a stream with a covered bridge, and RV hookups surround the property. The inn hosts weddings, festivals, murder mysteries, train excursions, and interactive plays, generating six-figure annual revenue. Recent upgrades include a new roof, updated HVAC with mini-splits, modern electrical, and hot water heaters. A $150,000 price cut in April brought the ask from $1.5 million to $1,350,000. The Reddit commenter who said they would love to own a B&B but noted it is "damn remote" is correct — Chester is a small Ozark community. That remoteness is, depending on your disposition, either the liability or the entire point.
The Internet Has Thoughts
Naturally, this listing caught the attention of Reddit's r/zillowgonewild community. See what people are saying about it here.
Built by a Dalton Gang-capturing US Marshal. Survived two fires and two floods. Reportedly haunted. Your own Rose Apothecary included. View the full listing here.
