Looking Back

will anniversary (Editor’s be celebrating Note: in Forrest May. its 150th City In

conjunction anniversary, this column with looking the

back at St. Francis County’s

history will be featured each

Friday on this Lifestyles page

along with the week’s History

Photo. The items included in this

column were printed in previous

editions of the Times-Herald.

January 1942 Eldridge-Scott-Mallory Again in Mule Business - R.C. Eldridge, J. Rufus Scott Sr. and Bert Mallory were again in the mule business. Nineteen years ago, with the boom of the automobile industry, the three decided to abandon their mule business and devote their time to selling motor vehicles. The automotive industry, which now was at a low due to war conditions, had again influenced them in their decision to return to their former business. The three men bought the mule barn and stock of 53 heads of mules and horses owned by James R. Scott Jr. The barn was located on Buford Street. The stock of mules and horses would be increased and saddles would also be added.

Monticello Man Who Met Death was in the city before James F. Dillard, 43, well-known Monticello business man who burned to death in his room at the Ben McGehee Hotel in Little Rock, was arrested here Saturday night on a drunken driving charge. The arrest was made by State Police officers Short and Nelson and Mr. Dillard was taken to the county jail where he spent the night. He was released Sunday morning after paying a fine of $100 and court costs. Mr. Dillard registered at the Little Rock hotel Sunday and remained Monday. He had left a call for 6 a.m., and when the room clerk got no response to telephone calls, an employee was sent to the room. The body was found on the floor near the bed. A verdict of accidental death was returned by Dr. Howard A. Dishongh, coroner. Dr. Dishongh said the body was covered with burns. Apparently he had left his bed when he discovered his plight but collapsed before he could raise an alarm. Mr. Dillard was operator of one of the largest wholesale businesses in the vicinity of Monticello. He also had large property holdings. His family was one of the wealthiest in Drew County.

Five-Room House Construction work started on a cottage for Mr. and Mrs. A.B. Gilbert at the corner of Izard and Mississippi streets on a lot purchased by Mr. Gilbert from the Vaccaro-Grobmyer Co. The cottage would have five rooms and a bath and would be covered with asbestos siding.

January 1963 Melson Hurt in Crash Walter L. Melson, 75, 908 Dillard, a retired timber buyer for Griffith Lumber Company of Madison, was injured in a car/truck accident on the New Castle Road. State Trooper Al Pace said Melson was driving a 1953 Dodge which struck a parked log truck. The accident occurred near Hughes Cemetery. Melson was taken by Stephens Funeral Home ambulance to Forrest Memorial Hospital where he was recovering from multiple injuries.

Ish-doro is Most Unique Gift - The 'Ish-doro" has won Mrs. David all the honors this season as the most unique gift. The gift (translated is an Oriental stone lantern) was sent to Mrs. David by her son Bill, who had been a resident of unassembled years. of The Japan in gift for seven was a number large sent wooden stood 61/2 boxes feet tall. and It assembled had been attracting much attention at Mrs. David's home since its arrival. Army War College - Lt. Col. Neil N. Snyder Jr., son of Lt. Col. (ret.) and Mrs. Neil Snyder 1011 North Izard, was selected to attend the Army War College at Carlisle Barracks, Penn. Currently assigned to Headquarters, Alaska. Command, Colonel Snyder would be one of 200 top military officers selected to attend the 10-month school. Completion usually led to a higher rank and only the most promising officers were chosen. Colonel Snyder, a graduate of Forrest City High School and Arkansas State Teachers College, would be joining the sons of two famed generals of World War II at the college. Also selected to attend were Lt. Col. John S. Eisenhower, son of General of the Army, Dwight D. Eisenhower and Col. Henry H. Arnold Jr., son of the late General "Hap" Arnold.

Travis Moore Rites - Funeral services for Travis Moore, who accidentally was electrocuted, were incomplete pending arrival of relatives and would be announced by Stevens Funeral Home. Moore, 22, was killed while pruning trees at Tuni. He was employed by Mrs. John J. Callahan, contractor for Woodruff Electric Cooperative. Born at Good Hope on Jan. 9,1941, Moore was the son of Leatie Stone and Charles Wesley Moore. A Baptist, in 1960 he married Miss Margaret Sue Davis. Survivors included his wife, of the home on Route 4 near Crow Creek; a son, Terry and a daughter, Sheila Renee of the home; his parents also of Route 4.

Gattinger to be a Page - Don Gattinger, son of Mr. and Mrs. Joe E. Gattinger, 1132 N. Division would be a page to Rep. E.C. "Took" Gathings in Washington. Chuck Martin, son of Mr. and Mrs. Wallace Martin Jr., of Parkin, would be floor page for the month. Gattinger, a senior at Forrest City High School, had been active in athletic and governmental affairs at the school. He was president of both his sophomore and junior classes and was business manager of "The Emissary" the school paper. A member of National Honor Society, he held two varsity football letters and was defensive captain of the Mustang grid team. He also was a member of the Mustang basketball team. In addition to his school activities he was district president of Methodist Youth Fellowship and president of MYF at First Methodist Church. In Washington, Gattinger and Martin roomed together at the residence of Mrs. C.L. Richardson, 15 Second Street, N.E. They worked from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, but Gattinger intended to continue his studies at the government's school for pages.

Coke Hop - An informal party was enjoyed by the local young teen set when the Junior Cotillion had its January party, a "Coke" Hop at the Civic Center. The party hours were 7:30 to 10 p.m., and popular record discs, record covers and albums, and open sheet music adorned the party room walls. The color motif for the party picked up the popular records, black, red and yellow. Name tags were miniature platters which poured out of old-fashioned Victrola megaphones placed at focal point. Over the "Coke" bar, crepe paper festooning in the chosen colors formed a draped backdrop for discs, modernistic keyboards and colorful notes. The juke box held a place of interest, furnishing music for dancing in the modern mode. Several dance contests featured the limbo, the twist, the stomp, the waltz and rock 'n roll. The eighth grade honors went to Miss Linda Trimue and Jimmy Hargraves. The dance sweepstakes went to Miss Linda Jones and Gene Crawley. They won laughing and playing stuffed animal clowns with instruments.

Dedication - Forrest City's National Guard armory received a new sign, erected by Arkansas National Guard. It proclaimed the building, opened last summer, was dedicated in the memory of Capt. James L. Montgomery, who was commander of the Guard unit here when he died of a heart attack after participating in one of the unit's field exercises. Montgomery commanded the unit, Battery B., 5th Howitzer Battalion, 142nd Artillery, from 1953 until his death in 1961.

New Corral Opens - "The Corral" opened at the corner of Division and Tennessee streets. Owned by Vernon "Curly" Joyner Jr., it featured sandwiches, soft drinks and dairy products for the junior and senior high school student trade. Shirley Whitlatch managed the new business, which sold out on its first school day.

Police Chief Honored Forrest City officials honored Police Chief George Trusty for 20 years of faithful, diligent and efficient service to his city, presenting him with a citation and gold watch at a special city council meeting at city hall. The citation came in the form of a resolution read and passed at the meeting, which had been delayed from last week in order to make the award after the chief had reached the full 20 years. About a dozen of Trusty's friends attended the session, which had not been publicized so the watch would be a surprise. Chief Trusty joined the force on Jan. 11, 1943. On July 1, 1947 he became chief of a force which consisted of himself and three other men and he was the only one of that four still serving.

New Project - Results of a meeting between St, Francis County farmers and representatives of food processing plants, held at the community room of National Bank of Eastern Arkansas, indicated that East Central Arkansas would gradually grow into a major fruit and vegetable-producing area. Over 50 persons attended the meeting to hear processors outline what crops they would buy in this area and what approximate market price would be at harvest time. Most wanted okra, cucumbers, peaches and sweet potatoes. Tom Pegelow, manager for the Birdseye Frozen Foods plant at Searcy, asked that okra acreage be increased and said his firm again would operate a buying station here. Average yields of okra in 1962 were 3,500 pounds per acre at a market price of 4.5 cents per pound. Ray Taylor of Atkins Pickle Company said his firm was interested in having 250 additional acres devoted to cucumbers and that his firm would operate a buying station here if at least 65 acres were devoted to that crop. Market price for cucumbers would be 10 cents a pound for small (5/8 inch diameter) cucumbers and 1 cent per pound for the larger sizes. Cucumbers in this area average about 130 pounds per acre, he said, and three persons were needed to pick an acre. George Jones of Gerber Products, Inc., plant at Fort Smith said his firm had supplied over 25,000 peach trees to farmers to plant on 280 acres for harvest in 1965. The plant under construction would not be operated until then. The firm had also contracted for 20 acres of plums and 18 acres of pears and the entire fruit crop would bring about $250,000 a year to farmers in this area. About 225 acres were in St. Francis County, and the firm distributed 22,500 cling variety trees to farmers for planting here. Elmer Jordan, produce buyer for Kroger Stores, Little Rock, said his firm was interested in buying other varieties of vegetables during the season. However farmers did not appear to be particularly interested in this said county agent.

Frozen Stiff - Memphis A.P. An 80 year old man, "frozen as stiff as a wooden Indian" was found in front of a rural grocery store here-still alive. "All he could move was his eyelids," said one of the men who found Arthur Vinson. Vinson was listed in poor condition at a hospital after being thawed out. A physician said it could take several days to determine whether amputation due to frostbite would be necessary. Neighbors said Vinson, apparently mistaking the hour, had walked two blocks to the store in zero temperatures. He arrived before it opened and sat down on the steps to wait. He toppled off the steps though still in a sitting position, when he was found. Ambulance attendants said they had to "pick him up gently, like a block of ice that you don't want to chip."