RECOLLECTIONS
50 Years Ago Pea Ridge Graphic Vol. 2 No. 44 Thursday, Nov. 2, 1967
Marvin Dean resigned last week as a Pea Ridge school bus driver. He closed out 21 straight years of school bus driving without a single accident. During the last 10 years, his route up toward Gateway covered about 80 miles a day. In 10 years, that would total around 72,000 miles not counting the endless trips to basketball games and other school activities —— in the dead of winter at times and sometimes taking the bus as far as Mountainburg. We as a community should feel most grateful to Marvin and to his good fortune through these past 21 years of dedicated service to our students.
Other recollections stirred by the old band picture and crowd attending the 1909 Confederate Reunion recently published in the paper brought a bit of reminiscing by a Springfield, Mo., subscriber, Hugh Lee. It was about his grandfather, the late “Cap” Cyrus Pickens. Captain Pickens not only fought in the Battle of Pea Ridge but remained a Pea Ridge citizen the rest of his life, working hard at, among other things, the pursuit of establishing a national military park here. At the time of his death in 1929, he was president of the Pea Ridge National Park Association. Of course, his dream was not to be realized until long after he was gone, but today, the main street is called Pickens Road in his memory, and his old home still stands at the west end of the winding road.
40 Years Ago Pea Ridge Graphic-Scene Vol. 12 No. 44 Wednesday, Nov. 2, 1977
Pea Ridge and Elkins will shoot it out at the Pea Bowl Friday night for second place in the Ozark Conference and probably a wildcard berth in the Class A state play-offs. Pea Ridge, Elkins and Decatur each have six wins and one loss in conference play. Decatur, last year’s conference champs are heavily favored against Farmington. Since Decatur has beaten both Pea Ridge and Elkins, the Bulldogs would be the number one team if they win Friday. The winner of the Pea Bowl shootout will be number two.
Wade Barnett of Pea Ridge was named County Champion Boy at the Annual County 4-H Banquet held last week in Bentonville. Barnett was honored, along with other local 4-H members, for their achievements in the organization during the past year. Barnett was presented with a $50 savings bond from Citizens Bank of Bentonville, pen and pencil sets from Bentonville Chamber of Commerce, 4-H Foundation plaques from the County 4-H Foundation, and “I Dare You” books from the Danforth Youth Foundation.
30 Years Ago The TIMES of Northeast Benton County Vol. 22 No. 44 Wednesday, Nov. 4, 1987
Tri-State Speedway will hold its 16th annual awards presentation and dance Saturday night in Fort Smith. Johnny Bone, Pea Ridge, will be honored as the top driver in the late model class for the second time in three seasons, while Billy Hunter, Alma, the 1974 track champion, will receive the championship ring for the grand national class.
Dave Montgomery took off his apron and ran in the New York City Marathon on Sunday. He finished the race after a frustrating start, and will be back in Pea Ridge minding the store as soon as he can get back here. (Guessing he won’t run; might be bad weather this time of year back east.)
20 Years Ago The TIMES of Northeast Benton County Vol. 32 No. 44 Thursday, October 30, 1997
The Pea Ridge City Council began procedures Oct. 21 for the annexation of Givens Place subdivision just north of Pea Ridge off of Arkansas Highway 94. There is a corridor of property between the Givens Place and the city limits that will have to be annexed at the same time in order to annex in one “blanket” effort. Assistant city attorney, Trish Baggett said that at this point the acquiring of permission of 50 percent of the land owners owning 50 percent of the land to be annexed would make the procedure of annexing easier than waiting until more lots in Givens Place are sold. After the required signatures are obtained, the intent of annexation will be published in the paper and then there will be a hearing in county court where anyone objecting to the annexation can express views.
Clint Bell of Pea Ridge and his son, Alex, 10, landed several largemouth bass last Friday morning at Lake Loch Lomand in Bella Vista. Alex caught the largest one at seven pounds. There were three over six pounds, two about five and a half pounds and one a little over four pounds. Bell said that he plans to mount two of the fish. The Bells were using a chartreuse spinner bait.
10 Years Ago The TIMES of Northeast Benton County Vol. 42 No. 44 Wednesday, October 31, 2007
“You deserve it,” called out a student as he passed Tim Pate, being congratulated by students and parents at Monday’s honors banquet at Pea Ridge High School. “Honored, pleased… I’m totally shocked,” Pate said of Monday’s honor. A biology teacher, Pate has been teaching in Pea Ridge for seven years. He has been a teacher for 18 years, teaching before in Arizona and New Mexico. He and his wife, Lora, moved to northwest Arkansas to care for a relative. “I’m truly shocked,” he said. “Pea Ridge has great kids.” Currently teaching AP Biology, honors biology and biology, Pate has taught P.E., physical science and eighth-grade science. He has also coached both football and basketball.
As the city has grown, newcomers have moved in and stopped at City Hall, the newspaper office and the Chamber of Commerce office asking for a city map. Until now, there has not been a professionally produced map showing the city’s streets. A cooperative effort by city officials and the Pea Ridge Women’s Business Association has changed that. A professionally-produced map of the city, showing subdivisions and other landmarks, with a map of the county on the back, is being produced by Riley Marketing according to Sandy Button, city recorder/treasurer. “We’re really excited about this,” Button said, adding that in the 30 years she has worked for the city, there has not been an official city map.