Garland County Historical Society program on early Lonsdale history

“Rural Hill, Rural Dale and Lonsdale Early Scenes” is the topic of Garland County Historical Society’s program at noon Tuesday at Garland County Library. Steve Perdue, whose family settled in Saline County in 1839, will show early photos of western Garland County and eastern Saline County and explain how the families and history of this area were related. The public is welcome.

Perdue taught Arkansas and American history for 28 years in the North Little Rock School District. After retiring, he worked at the Arkansas History Commission and in 2001, took charge of state, county and local history and genealogy at the Saline County Library.

He has served on the board of trustees for the Arkansas Historical Association and as president of the Bauxite Historical Association and Museum. He helped to organize the Bryant Historical Society and the Haskell Historical Society. He serves as president of the Saline County History and Heritage Society, on the boards of the Gann Museum of Benton and the Arkansas Genealogical Society, and as vice president of the Saline County Art League. He has published the History of the Hiram Hogue Family, Saline and Grant County Arkansas Pioneers and has written articles for The Saline, the publication of the Saline County History and Heritage Society.

Submitted photo EXPANDING RAILROAD: Lonsdale Depot, May 1, 1900, decorated for celebration of the opening of the Little Rock and Hot Springs Western (“Hot Western”) line into Hot Springs. In 1917, it became the Missouri Pacific line.

Submitted photo LONSDALE ORGANIZER: John Gerdes Lonsdale Sr. (1872-1943) organized Lonsdale, circa 1900. A nationally known Hot Springs banker, he ran a railroad through Lonsdale, built a summer estate there, and contributed in many ways to its development.