RECOLLECTIONS

50 Years Ago Pea Ridge Graphic Vol. 4 No. 21 Thursday, May 22, 1969

You might say that the town of Garfield is the dipper with which folks in many states daily take a drink from the pure sweet water of natural springs of the Ozarks. Actually, the “dipper” isn’t a gourd one or even a galvanized cup. It’s a string of 10,000-gallon capacity railroad cars in which the water from Eureka Springs is shipped regularly to many states. The water is hauled from Eureka Springs to Garfield by way of transport trucks, each bearing the name “Ozarka.” Ozarka has been the name of the business since it was first established in Eureka Springs about the turn of the century. We talked recently with Richard R. Thompson of Eureka Springs, who owned Ozarka Water for about 40 years. As Thompson recalls the story of the company’s origin, it was first envisioned by a man named W.M. Duncan, who had come, first to Harrison, from Gettysburg, Pa. Duncan purchased a bank in Harrison — which he later traded for one in Eureka Springs. He also established many other businesses in Eureka Springs.

Pea Ridge Military Park attracts many visitors. Pea Ridge college student, David Webb, served one summer as a season ranger. The park is a monument to the most decisive battle of the Civil War west of the Mississippi River, and a federal victory. Visitors by the many thousands visit the park each year, stopping by the visitor center to see the displays and hear the recorded documentaries and then taking the sevenmile tour road through the 4,210-acre battlefield. The famous battle was fought on March 7-8, 1862.

Of course, no one edition can ever scratch the surface of all the fascinating things about the Ozarks. Those of us in this area tend to think of these aged mountains as being confined to northwest Arkansas and southwest Missouri. Not so, though! The Ozarks stretch all the way from northeast Oklahoma cutting a vast swath across Arkansas and Missouri and stretching all the way across Missouri and into the state of Illinois.

40 Years Ago Pea Ridge Graphic Scene Vol. 14 No. 21 Wednesday, May 23, 1979

The 41 seniors of Pea Ridge High School’s Class of ’79, processing to the traditional march “Pomp and Circumstance” by Elgar, played by the Blackhawk band, will take part in graduation exercises at 8 p.m. Friday in the school auditorium. Valedictorian Lesa VanZandt, salutatorians Andrea Fletcher and Scott Mendenhall, and class president Ricky McCrary will address their fellow students prior to presentation of senior awards by school superintent Roy Roe. Seven seniors are recipients of academic scholarships and grants.

Gasoline allotments to Benton County have been cut back 15% by the supplier according to Benton County Sheriff Claude Penn and County Judge Al Norwood. Norwood stated that the gas allotted to the county for use of the Road Department, including the diesel fuel allotment, has been cut and that he’s had to study ways of decreasing use to permit the county to operate with the allotment. Penn noted that the decrease will also require very careful scheduling to save 15% of the usage from last year’s receipts of gasoline for his department’s vehicles.

Governor Bill Clinton indicated we are facing a shortage of gasoline in the United States. He met recently with the representatives of the petroleum industry, of business, of state employees, and officials from the state Energy Office. “Today, I am asking all Arkansans to join in the effort to conserve gasoline. Do not let panic alter your present pattern of gasoline use. Also, I ask that each person cut out unnecessary driving. Sacrifice measures will not be necessary if each of us uses gasoline sensibly. I intend for state government to take the lead in this program. I am today ordering a 15% reduction in gasoline used by the state; savings in excess of 15% have already been achieved by several departments with no reduction in the quality of service. For my own part, I am today giving up one of the four staff cars used by the Governor’s office.”

30 Years Ago The TIMES of Northeast Benton County Vol. 24 No. 21 Thursday, May 25, 1989

The Oehlerts of Pea Ridge started with 100 strawberry plants six years ago and now have enough to cultivate on all of their 13 acres. The strawberries — 30 75-foot rows of them “are a good cash crop,” Oehlert said. “It requires a lot of work, but it’s a good cash crop.” The Oehlerts sell the strawberries to anyone who has a taste for them, something that Mrs. Oehlert doesn’t have. The strawberry season, she said normally lasts from the first of May through the end of June. Mrs. Oehlert said that they will probably sell 600 or 700 quarts during the season.

The Pea Ridge City Council conducted a second and third reading of an ordinance to pass the rezoning of the land where an independent care facility is to be built. The facility will be located at Wade Lane and South Curtis Avenue. Last week, the Bank of Pea Ridge approved a $300,000 loan to build the facility, said contractor Larry Goins. Goins told the council the care facility will be named “Oak Ridge Retirement Lodge” and groundbreaking ceremonies will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, June 3.

Pea Ridge Elementary School principal Ozy Murphy will resign at the end of the year to become principal at Eastside Elementary in Rogers. Also leaving is Garfield Elementary principal Jennie Bea Brooks. Brooks will become principal at Grace Hill Elementary in Rogers. Murphy will have approximately 200 more students at Eastside.” He said, “I leave Pea Ridge with very mixed emotions. The decision to leave Pea Ridge was not an easy one to make.”

20 Years Ago The TIMES of Northeast Benton County Vol. 34 No. 21 Wednesday, May 26, 1999

There will be no easing into the girls basketball coaching position at Pea Ridge High School for Betsy Gillham. “I’m just thrown into it, but that’s all right,” says the new coach of the senior and junior high girls. “It will be an adjustment.” She plans to move here the weekend of June 5, begin an elementary school camp June 7, then coach in a summer league. She replaces Toby Tevebaugh, who coached at Pea Ridge three years, the last as coach of the high school and junior high girls. He coached the junior boys and girls his first two years. Tevebaugh’s contract was not renewed when the school board met May 17.

Brian R. Easley, son of Ray and Sandy Easley of Pea Ridge, and grandson of John and June Easley of Pea

Ridge and Bernell Spotts of Rogers, will graduate May 29 from the United States Military Academy at West Point, N.Y. Easley, a 1995 graduate of Pea Ridge High School, has been at the academy for the past four years, and upon graduation will receive a Bachelor of Science degree and be commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army. While at West Point, Easley’s academic major was American history with a minor in systems engineering.

At the May 18 monthly meeting, six residents of Henry Little Circle addressed the Pea Ridge City Council about water still flooding their street. Since February, residents of the area have been asking for help with drainage, which has been a problem for years. Last month, city engineer John Lutsky offered suggestions for solving the problem that varied in price from $2,300 to $11,000. City inspector Darrell VanRoekel said he had investigated court records and found no document designating property in the Henry Little Circle area as drainage property.

10 Years Ago The TIMES of Northeast Benton County Vol. 44 No. 21 Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Dogs owned by residents in the city limits must be licensed by the city. They must also be either fenced or restrained by their owners. Stray dogs are picked up by city police officers and taken to the Pea Ridge Veterinary Clinic, with whom the city has a contract for housing stray animals. The contract was approved last week by the City Council. More than half of the dogs picked up as strays are owned by city residents. Many of those dogs are either not licensed or are not wearing their city dog tag. The dog tag regulation requires the dog to be vaccinated and costs $10 for non-spayed females and $4 for males and spayed females. There is a limit on number of dogs and cats owned by city residents.

A meeting was designed to be full disclosure for the volunteer Ambulance Service of Northeastern Benton County was not. Last month during a town hall meeting, members of the board of directors of VAS promised to supply the public with copies of the financial statements, bylaws and proposals to move the service to an Advanced Life Support Ambulance Service. During Tuesday night’s board meeting, only the financial statements were available, then only through a Power Point presentation. Upon being denied copies of the records, many of those in attendance at the meeting simply picked up their belongings and walked out of the meeting.

The newest councilman for Pea Ridge has a long history here. Jack Kelly spent many years away from Benton County, but returned before some of his peers on the Pea Ridge City Council were born. The newest councilman, Kelly was approved by Mayor Jackie Crabtree and the council at the regular meeting. He will fill the seat vacated by James Dawson, who resigned.