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Club 67 Was A Popular Place In Arkadelphia During Wwii, Wendy Bradley Richter

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December 7 marked the 75th anniversary of Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, and the United States' entrance into World War II. Several years ago, the Clark County Historical Association published "We Were There: Clark Countians in World War II," to "honor those who served, both on the home front and in uniform." Indeed the book commemorates the efforts and sacrifices of local citizens, highlighting the fact that during the war men and women from Clark County participated in all types of activities in places all around the world. Many veterans contributed to the book's preparation, and numerous people were interviewed. …

Postcards Feature County Towns, Wendy Bradley Richter

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The Clark County Historical Association has just released the 2016 edition of the Clark County Historical Journal. Published since 1973, the Journal is one of the Association's major projects each year. The book is lavishly illustrated by dozens of photographs and images. The cover features 1886 postmarks from the Clark County towns of Beirne, Gurdon, and Okolona.

History Of Clark County's Media, Wendy Bradley Richter

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For decades now, small-town newspapers have traditionally served as sources of news for Arkansas citizens. Among the stories included in the local papers were items about politics, government, deaths, marriages, social occasions, church activities, business and economic development, advertisements, community news, and personal stories. Arkansas' first newspaper was the Arkansas Gazette, founded by William Woodruff at Arkansas Post in 1819. The Gazette served all of Arkansas Territory, and moved with the territorial capital at Arkansas Post to Little Rock in 1821. On the local level, Clark County has been served continuously by at least one newspaper since 1868. However, Arkadelphia's …

Agriculture Significant To Clark County, Wendy Bradley Richter

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The Clark County Historical Association has just released the 2016 edition of the Clark County Historical Journal. Published since 1973, the Journal is one of the Association's major projects each year. The 2016 Clark County Historical Journal includes an article featuring news items extracted from front pages of Arkadelphia's Southern Standard weekly newspaper of 100 years ago, 1916. The articles illustrate the variety of news published by the paper, and offer a glimpse into life in early twentieth-century Clark County. Agriculture remained important, automobiles began to appear on area roads, and long distance telephones offered new communication capabilities. As always, …

Evolution Of Local Post Office, Wendy Bradley Richter

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At this time of year, many people begin to make preparations to send or receive packages by mail during the holiday season. Today, relatively few homes or businesses fail to receive some sort of communication each day the United States Postal Service operates. But, many don't stop to think about the improvements that have taken place in that service through the years.

Living History Ii, Wendy Bradley Richter

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On Sunday, October 30, the Clark County Historical Association will present a living history program featuring some of Clark County's earliest citizens. Among the characters making appearances will be "Jacob Barkman," "Rebecca Barkman," and "George W. Featherstonhaugh." The public is invited to meet these and other historical figures by attending the free performances to be held at the historic Rosedale Plantation Barn at 879 Old Military Road beginning at 2:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m., October 30. The site is not far from the Barkman's original home along the Caddo River. Plus, the Rosedale Barn itself is significant; it was added …

Clark County Historical Association To Highlight County's Earliest And Distinctive Citizens, Wendy Bradley Richter

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Later this month, the Clark County Historical Association will present a living history program featuring some of Clark County's earliest and most distinctive citizens. Among the characters making appearances will be "Abner Hignight," portrayed by Meeks Etchieson; "Jacob Barkman," portrayed by Bob Thompson; "Rebecca Barkman," by Charlotte Jeffers; and "George W. Featherstonhaugh," by Steve Hennagin. The public is invited to meet these and other historical figures by attending the free living history event to be held at the historic Rosedale Plantation Barn on Old Military Road beginning at 2:00 p.m., Sunday, October 30.

Rorie Led Dispatch Unit During Wwi, Wendy Bradley Richter

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In 1924, Arkadelphia's Southern Standard newspaper included this headline: "Former Local Boy in Prominent Role in Six-Reel Movie." However, the young man described in the article remains largely unknown in the annals of Clark County history. With the nickname of "Speed," Clem Rorie commanded a unit of General John J. Pershing's dispatch riders in France during World War I. After returning home to the United States he became an "internationally famous motorcycle rider and professional daredevil."

County's Timber Industry Emerged In Late 1800s, Wendy Bradley Richter

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Throughout the history of the United States, wood has been one of the nation's most useful raw materials. For pioneers of the Clark County area, plenty of timber was available from forested areas and from the clearing of land. In the late 1800s, with growth and expansion of population and improvements in transportation, a great lumber and timber products industry emerged.

Clark Countian Gerig Had Distinguished Career, Wendy Richter

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Through the years many Clark Countians have enjoyed distinugished careers in public service. One such man was engineer William Gerig. Although not a native of this county, he came to call Arkadelphia "home."

Salt Manufacturing: One Of County's Earliest Industries, Wendy Bradley Richter

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Salt manufacturing has long been a source of curiosity for many interested in southwest Arkansas' earliest days. It is not known precisely when Indians first began extracting the mineral from the earth near the Ouachita River in Clark County, but it was certainly prior to the arrival of the first European explorers. Because of its lengthy historical significance, one site, Bayou Sel, was added to the National Register of Historical Places in 1974.

Burrow Gang In Clark County (Or Famous Outlaw Has Ties To Clark County), Wendy Bradley Richter

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Clark County has seen its share of crime in the years since it became a part of Arkansas Territory in 1819. One of the Territory’s five original counties, the county covered a large geographical area in the earliest years. And, the Military Road (later called the Southwest Trail) passed through the heart of the area, carrying people of all sorts on their way to the West and Southwest. Later, the railroad crossed the county, too, somewhat paralleling the road.

Baseball A Hit In Clark County For Over A Century, Wendy Bradley Richter

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Baseball is among the nation's most popular sports, and Arkadelphia's history of the sport goes back almost 150 years. According to local legend, baseball was introduced in Clark County by a young man named Charley Murta in 1874.

One Of County's 'Most Notorious Murders' Remembered, Wendy Bradley Richter

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About a year ago, the Clark County Historical Association published a small booklet entitled "Wanted: Crooks, Scoundrels, Notorious Characters, and Other Legendary Figures in Clark County, Arkansas." Among the characters featured in the volume were the nationally-known outlaws Jesse James and Rube Burrow, who both have Clark County ties. However, another lesser known criminal committed what some have termed "one of the most notorious murders in Clark County," and perhaps the only murder remembered with a place name---Clyburn's Leap. Originally researched by local historian Grace Benton Nelson, Clyburn's story is featured in the "Wanted" book.

Smith's Accounts Give Look Into Clark County's Early History, Wendy Bradley Richter

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One of Clark County's pioneer citizens was Willis S. Smith - a sheriff, teacher, doctor, farmer, and writer. Arriving in the county in 1833, Smith witnessed the area's transformation from frontier wilderness to a typical, rural Arkansas region. And, significantly for us today, his accounts of those early days offer glimpses into the past not available elsewhere. We owe much of our knowledge about Clark County's beginnings to Smith.

Rose Hill Cemetery Dates Back To 1870s, Wendy Richter

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Historic Rose Hill Cemetery on Main Street in Arkadelphia has served the city as a principal burial place for decades. In that capacity, it is now the final resting place for some of Clark County's most well-known citizens Its historical significance has been recognized nationally, being added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1999.

Okolona Settled In 1830s, Grew For Decades, Wendy Bradley Richter

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The town of Okolona was first settled by Americans in the early 1830s when settlers began arriving by covered wagons from Okolona, Mississippi. These first residents built their homes on low ground nothwest of where the railroad depot later stood. After a few years of mud, the small settlement moved to the town's current location on higher ground. The pioneers included the Shackelford, Ethridge, Buchanan, Tarpley, Anderson and McGuire families. Among others who came were Pettus, Cargile, East, Ross, Park, Bell, Hays, Hardin, Weir, Harris, Cloud, McGill, Bonner, Logan and Wingfield.

New Book Recounts History In Dallas, Clark Counties, Wendy Bradley Richter

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The Dallas County Museum in Fordyce and Turtlehull Publishing have recently made available a new book that contains information about Clark County, Ouachita College and south Arkansas region."'My Own Precious One': A Year of Courtship in Letters from 1889-1890 between Princeton, Arkansas, and Pittsboro, Mississippi," edited by Sandra Parham Turner, Melrose Smith Bagwell and Doris Smith Beeson Faulkner, is a real treasure.

Curtis Founded As Fuel Stop For Trains, Wendy Bradley Richter

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The community of Curtis, south of Arkadelphia on U.S. Highway 67, was first established in the 1870s along the route of the Cairo & Fulton Railroad (later St. Louis, Iron Mountain, & Southern Railroad). Railroad officials chose the location as a fuel stop along the rail line, about halfway between Arkadelphia and Gurdon. At first, trains picked up wood there, and later, they stopped for coal.

The first train to receive supplies at the Curtis fuel chute arrived on June 30, 1873. A group of area residents celebrated the even, but realized the place had no name. According to local …

Graysonia Once A Thriving Community, Wendy Bradley Richter

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The town of Graysonia in western Clark County once boasted of a population of about 1,000 people, but today, can no longer be found on area maps. The story of its rise and fall parallels that of many southern timber company towns which no longer exist.

Graysonia was established soon after William Grayson and Nelson McLeod became the principal stockholders in the Arkadelphia Lumber Company and renamed the company Grayson- McLeod Lumber Company. The company operated the sawmilling community of Daleville, located across the Ouachita River from Arkadelphia. By 1907, the company had depleted the timber supply in the Daleville …

Okolona, Elkins' Ferry Hosted Civil War Battles, Wendy Richter

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One hundred fifty-two years ago, in April 1864, thousands of Union and Confederate troops were in Clark County. The Clark County Historical Association recently unveiled a new marker describing the military events in the southwestern portion of the county during the spring of 1864. The official ceremony included remarks by Historical Association president Bob Thompson, Okolona Mayor Sara Cox, museum coordinator Laverne Todd and editor and local historian Joe May. The marker, sponsored by the Historical Association and funded with a grant from the Arkansas Civil War Sesquicentennial Commission, now stands in Okolona and tells the story of what happened …

Hignight Known As Bear, Buffalo Hunter, Wendy Bradley Richter

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Among Clark County’s earliest settlers was a man named Abner Hignight, who moved to the area shortly after the beginning of the nineteenth century. According to family legend, Hignight traveled southwest from Missouri into Arkansas, riding a buffalo along the primitive path that was later called the Southwest Trail or Military Road. Hignight eventually settled along that road, about two miles west of Hollywood. In 1823, after the U.S. land office opened in Washington, Arkansas, he acquired land on the east side of the Terre Noir Creek where the road from Hollywood to Antoine crosses the stream today. It is …

Gardening Has Been Part Of Area For Decades, Wendy Richter

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Spring has officially begun, and some area residents are beginning to plant gardens, flowers, and other items in their yards and fields. Years ago, a good bit of agriculture-related news appeared in front-page stories of the local newspaper. Indeed, in 1915, Arkadelphia's "Southern Standard" addressed issues connected to planting, and told of many of the growing season's firsts as the year progressed. Legends and lore, as well as factual information, were all included in the paper's stories.

Bozeman House, A Reminder Of Successful Farming Operation, To Receive Historical Marker Dedication, Wendy Bradley Richter

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About four miles west of Arkadelphia, the historic Bozeman House stands as a reminder of a bygone era. The frame, Greek-Revival structure was built in the mid-1840s for early settler Michael Bozeman. Bozeman owned one of the most successful farming operations in pre-Civil War Clark County, amassing holdings of more than 9,000 acres.

Michael Bozeman was born in Georgia in 1808. His family moved to Alabama in 1819, and later, he moved further west to Clark County, Arkansas, in 1835. As he stated in later life, one of his goals in coming to Arkansas was to “prove that cotton could …

Rebecca Davis Barkman Has Fascinating Story, Wendy Bradley Richter

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Jacob and Rebecca Barkman were among Clark County’s earliest residents, arriving about 1811 and constructing a cabin near the Caddo River on land acquired from the Indians. Jacob Barkman is quite well-known in the annals of Clark County history, and many have even called him the “Father of Clark County.” However, his wife’s life story is equally fascinating.

Some of the earliest descriptions of Arkansas’s pioneer settlers came from travelers. One visitor whose work was widely read was geologist George William Featherstonhaugh (pronounced fan-shaw), who came to Arkansas and Clark County in the 1830s. His book about the trip, “Excursion …

Telephone One Of Top Stories Of 1915, Wendy Richter

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The 2015 edition of the Clark County Historical Journal was recently relased by the Clark County Historical Association. The volume includes articles on a wide range of topics. One of the articles, as its title suggests, "100 Years Ago: Front-Page Stories from the Southern Standard," features items found in the 1915 local newspaper. Among the newsworthy subjects was a new means of communication -- the telephone.

Clark County Historical Association Organized In 1972, Wendy Bradley Richter

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Since 1972 the Clark County Historical Association has pursued its mission to “discover, preserve, and disseminate” information about Clark County and its people. To achieve these goals, the organization’s activities range from the operation of a Museum in a historic structure to publication of historical information to placement of historical markers to production of living history events.

The Clark County Historical Association held its official organizational meeting at a local restaurant on October 30, 1972, with 127 in attendance. Interested parties from all walks of life attended that first meeting, organized primarily by educator Amy Jean Greene. Their common objective …

Horse Theft Recalled In Clark County Historical Association Book, Wendy Richter

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From 1895 to 1897, reminiscences of an early citizen of Dallas and Clark counties were published intermeittently in Arkadelphia's Southern Standard newspaper. Signing himself "Pioneer" or "Old Pioneer," the writer is not identified. Pioneer's writings include a reminiscence about a Clark County crime, and that story is among those found in the Clark County Historical Association's book, "Wanted: Crooks, Scoundrels, Notorious Characters and Other Legendary Figures in Clark County, Arkansas."

Richardson's Work Remains A Star, Wendy Richter

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Through the years, Clark County has seen its share of talented individuals. In fact, the work of one of Arkadelphia's early 20th century artists continues to be highly sought-after today. Charles Richardson's well-known and very recognizable landscapes featuring river scenes and beech trees have become prized possessions for many.

Dunbar Expedition Stopped In Clark County: Public Invited To Attend Program On Expedition Today, Wendy Bradley Richter

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In 1804, a cadre of explorers left Natchez, Mississippi, seeking to learn more about the Ouachita River and the celebrated hot springs of the Ouachitas at the request of President Thomas Jefferson. This meant that Lewis and Clark were not the only explorers of the United States’ huge, newly-acquired parcel of land called the Louisiana Purchase. William Dunbar of Natchez and George Hunter of Philadelphia led the excursion up the Ouachita, constituting the first American investigation of its new territory. Their reports pertaining to the river’s environs provide some of the earliest descriptions of the Ouachita River region, including the …