50 Years Ago Pea Ridge Graphic Vol. 2 No. 45 Thursday, Nov. 9, 1967

A log cabin that has been a landmark on Sugar Creek Hill, south of Pea Ridge, for some 34 years was destroyed by fire of unknown origin early Monday evening. Both the Pea Ridge and Rogers Fire Departments responded to a summons from neighbors, who spotted the fire through the timber surrounding the cabin, but the fire was too far gone to save the one-room structure. As neighbors and townsfolk from Pea Ridge gathered at the site of the fire, someone recalled helping to erect the cabin during a house-raising about 1933. The cabin was built for a widow, Mrs. June Harrington, and her daughter, Betty Jane. It was reported that Mrs. Harrington is now deceased, and that her daughter, who still owns the property, resides in California. The Walter Brown family is said to have been residing in the cabin, but was thought to have moved out within the past few days.

The office of U.S. Congressman John Paul Hammerschmidt advised the Pea Ridge Graphic by telephone this week that Lionel J. Bienvenu, a career employee of the National Park Service, has been named the new superintendent of the Pea Ridge National Military Park. He expects to assumes his duties here Nov. 19. He succeeds William Dyer, who was transferred by the Park Service to Tennessee.

On this Veteran’s Day 1967, the Pea Ridge Graphic takes pride in reviewing the illustrious story of a young man who was born here at Pea Ridge, reared as an orphan at Gravette, soared to the No. 2 spot in the World War I aviation story and died a hero’s death soon afterward. His name is preserved in memorials at Gravette and in Coffeyville, Kan., and the United State air base in Bermuda bears his name. That name is Captain Field E. Kindley. Capt. Kindley was still young when he died a hero’s death in his plane a little more than a year after the first World War had ended, but his place in aviation history had been secured.