Historical Facts and Stories from Glade
If you have traveled Slate Gap Road in the past six months, especially 20659 Slate Gap Road, you know that the Glade Post Office has returned. The roof has been replaced and the sides of the exterior walls have been patched and filled. Post Office renovation has now slowed because of winter, but when it is warmer, window frames and glass will be installed. Later in 2015, during Phase Four of our five-year plan, the interior work will begin. Then, in Phase five, the museum conversion will begin.
All of us walk in the footsteps of Ozark pioneers. Traveling Arkansas Highway 127 to Garfield evokes wonder at the hard working people who dug roads around Whitney Mountain back in the day when horses and mules were used. Today, we can see the progress on U.S. Highway 62 as men work in heat, rain, or snow to complete the road widening project from Avoca to Garfield. History provides insight into the many people who have had vision and dedication to make our lives easier.
Vision, dedication and hard work were important to Clyde Ellis who had a passion to bring electricity to the rural areas of Arkansas. In his later years he was known as “Mr. Rural Electrification” because he fought the power companies who opposed rural electrification. The Rural Electrification Administration (REA) provided low interest loans to the nation’s electric cooperatives. Ellis also helped bring electricity to people in 30 other countries through the Agency of International Development (AID).
Clyde Ellis was born in Garfield on Dec. 21, 1908, the was the same year that Orville Wright made his first airplane flight of over one hour long. Large families were the norm in those days, and Clyde was the oldest of nine children. Much of Benton County was rural then and most farms did not have electricity, and Clyde’s family was no exception. Clyde was a bright child and it is thought that he attended Ruddick No. 15, also known as Ozark School No. 15, which was located near the head of Little Sugar Creek which merged with Big Sugar Creek near Pineville, Mo., to form the Elk River.
Clyde must have been considered very bright because it is known that he attended public school in Fayetteville, Ark., though it is unknown how his family provided for him to live away from his home. Clyde attended the University of Arkansas, received his Bachelor of Science and began teaching in 1927. By 1929, he was superintendent of schools at Garfield. Clyde married Izella Baker in 1931 and they had two daughters. He attended the U of A Law School and was admitted to the Arkansas Bar in 1933 and began a practice at Bentonville.
Clyde was attractive, charismatic and blessed with a gift of gab. At age 25, he won election to the State House of Representatives. Then in 1935, he was elected to the state Senate and passed important legislation to create electric cooperatives. He was elected as a Democrat to the 76th Congress and reelected to the 77th Congress serving from Jan. 3, 1939, until 1943.
He was an unsuccessful candidate for United State Senate in 1942. He served as a combat officer in the United States Navy from 1943 to 1945. Then he became general manager of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association in Washington, D.C., from January 1943 until his retirement in September 1967. In January 1968, he was appointed as a special consultant to the Secretary of Agriculture in 1968 and 1969. He was a special area development assistant to Senator John McClellan from 1971-1977; and in 1977, he returned to the Staff of the Secretary of Agriculture where he remained until his retirement in August 1979. Clyde resided in Chevy Chase, Md., and died Feb. 9, 1980. He was buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
Dues are $25 and can be paid to Sam Reynolds, treasurer of 20916 Slate Gap Road, Garfield, AR 72732. The funds are needed to continue our Post Office/ Store restoration. Please pay as soon as possible.
We are currently in the design stage of a web site for the Glade Community Historical Society. Our goal for the site is to provide you an easily accessible link to ongoing news and activities of our organization. We’ll let you know when it’s ready for roll out.
Our April meeting will be an old-fashioned pie supper.
Plans for the July meeting include meeting and touring the Glade Post Office.
Our October meeting will be our annual soup supper with Susan Young as our speaker.
The year 2015 is definitely shaping up to be an exciting year for The GCHS!
Happy New Year from your Glade Community Historical Society Board members: Pat Heck, Sam Reynolds, Larry Hanner, Dorothy Williams, Judi Walter and Jerry Morrison.
••• Editor’s note: The work of the society is to preserve the history of the communities by researching and gathering stories, documents and artifacts.