Looking Back

(Editor’s Note: This column crowd was on hand to take tolerated in the yard between looking back at St. Francis advantage of the new river the road and the house. These County’s history is featured each launching area. Some 35 to 45 stopping places were said to Friday on this Lifestyles page boats were in the water. An have been spaced from five to along with the week’s History even larger crowd was on the 20 miles apart. Besides a resting Photo. The items included in banks, watching the boating place, it usually denoted a good this column were printed in activities. Free boat rides and spring of water. So heinous previous editions of the TimesHerald.) drinks were provided for the were his crimes that the Indians boaters and spectators. called Murrell the "White Man's

Births - Mr. and Mrs. Robert Devil." Some of his most brazen B. Johnson, 612 White Oak Dr, acts were in Mississippi County FC, boy, Danny Allen; Mr. and where he robbed, raided and Mrs. Louis Joseph Penochie, terrorized the country. One Gen. Del. Wynne, girl, Teresa story had it that he had an Ann; Mr. and Mrs. Ellis Reid underground passageway from Nabors, 411 1/2 Sharp, FC, boy, Miron to the Tyronza river Stanley Wade; Mr. and Mrs. through which he transported Cecil Ray Ford, 225 Franklin, stolen goods and slaves. When FC, girl, Anthony Wade; Mr. and the band caught a lone traveler, Mrs. Jimmie Wayne he was usually stripped of Stephenson, 430 Beach Grove everything of value. If his horse Dr, FC, girl, Gladys Renee; Mr. looked like it could be sold in and Mrs. Sidney Stanford Shaw, Missouri or Tennessee, the 511 S Izard, FC, girl, Sydney traveler was usually killed, his Ann; Mr. and Mrs. James body slit and filled with stones Marvin Parham, Gen. Del., FC, and dumped in a nearby river. boy, James Marvin Jr; Mr. and If his horse looked unable to Mrs. C.V. Casey, Route 2, make the journey, the rider was Widener, girl, Rhonda Sharon; permitted to keep him and Mr. and Mrs. Murray Neal continue his journey. Because Harris, Gen. Del., Caldwell, girl, the early settlers had few Catherine Kay; Mr. and Mrs. possessions of value, the Bobby Davis, Box 356, State travelers knew the dangers of College, boy, David Earl; Mr. taking valuables through the and Mrs. William Travis Moore, new territory. The Murrell gang Star Route, Box 32, FC, boy, dealt largely with horses, mules Terry Reynolds; Mr. and Mrs. and slaves. Some of the slaves Robert Wiley McCuistion, 506 were even sold back to the Laughrun Dr., FC, boy, James owners from which they were Edward; Mr. and Mrs. Howard stolen at times. A Mississippi Loyd LaCroix, 602 S. detective named Stewart wrote Washington, FC, boy, Jeffrey a book about the gang and it Scott; Mr. and Mrs. Alfred C. gained wide circulation Funderburg, Route 1, Box 42, through Arkansas. The book Colt, boy, Clayton Stanton; Mr. said the detective joined the and Mr. Ross Weatherford, Box gang to get the facts for his 105, Moro, girl, Kimberly Renee; story. The gang was supposed Mr. and Mrs. Calvin Eugene to have pasture and cavern Dennis, Gen. Del., Chatfield, about 25 miles from girl, Margie Ann; Mr. and Mrs. Arkadelphia where they often Robert Dale Caraway, Gen. Del., hid during forays outside of FC, boy, Victor Dale; Mr. and Eastern Arkansas. Stewart said Mrs. Alan Eugene Mitchell, he escaped from the gang after Gen. Del., Colt, boy, Jerry he learned the identity of many David; Mr. and Mrs. William of its members and the secrets Earling Varner, Route 4, FC, girl, of their operations. He listed Melinda Jean; Mr. and Mrs. some of the names in his book. Vernon Robert Kass, 953 Hickey, Folks in Little Rock and many FC, girl, Delores Eileen; Mr. and other section of the state got Mrs. Guston Walton, Route 1, excited about the book and Box 166, Red Gum Plantation, formed vigilante committees. Hughes, girl, Myra Jane. Strangers were examined

New City Maps - New maps carefully. Some were ordered to of Forrest City would be made leave and others taken into the available in about two months. woods and beaten. Whatever The Chamber of Commerce happened to Murrell is a matter announced that ads for the of wide conjecture. maps were being sold by Miss Hemingway Made Arkansas Mildred Cargill and Mrs. Jerry Hunting Trips Frequently Author Christopher. The Chamber Ernest Hemingway noted that the maps were made frequent duck hunting “badly needed because of trips to the Stuttgart area in the tourists and new people years in which he visited and moving into Forrest City." The lived in Arkansas, even as late last city maps made in 1958 as 1957. Hemingway still were destroyed by fire in the retained a fondness for hunting Chamber office in February a in Arkansas. It was on one of year ago. Besides the these jaunts that I met advertisers receiving maps, the Hemingway. In the fall of '57 chamber would receive about the colorful author was 1,000 city maps free of charge traveling through at the for distribution. The maps Memphis Municipal Airport. He would be indexed. stood in the lobby, dressed in

Road Repaired Through black denim trousers, deep-set Palestine - Huge potholes that boot, bright plaid shirt topped kept motorists dodging when with a French beret, also black. traveling through Palestine had By this time, his beard was been filled and smoothed with white, flecked with brown and a pre-mix solution. Some of the black. His soft manner did not street pockets became a foot bespeak his frame, which was deep in places, making driving massive. I introduced myself to hazardous. Mayor of Palestine, the literary giant and he began Floyd Pannell, said that an speaking as if we were old entire coat of black top would friends and not complete be spread over the road which strangers in an airport terminal. stretched about a mile and a This was his manner. He felt a half through the town. The kinship with the world at large. town government maintained We talked of books, Arkansas, the street, known as the comfort and conflict, the zest Sloniker Mill Road. Pannell said for living. His voice always the road work would be done remained low, in a minor key. It sometime later in the summer. was at Piggott, Ark., that he

Might Be Spot Where wrote portions of "A Farewell to Outlaws Stopped - A tall, Arms," published in 1929, one lonesome pine around Forrest of the books on which his fame City might be the historic was founded. His second wife earmark of a time when the was an Arkansas girl. outrageously wicked gang Hemingway married Pauline chieftain, John A. Murrell, Pfiffer of Piggott in 1927 and roamed this area. Trees may spent much of the 1930s there, have been planted between working on numerous novels. 1838 and 1857 by the outlaws. Mrs. Ruth Gwin, librarian at The noted outlaw was Piggott, said she remembered supposed to have built a shack Hemingway would not go to the near an old Shawnee Indian premier of "Farewell to Arms" Village not far from what was in the silent film version now Forrest City for their "because the show had a happy headquarters. From here, he ending, contrary to the way he and his ruthless band of had written it." Hemingway cutthroats and robbers held up met Pauline in Parris, according travelers along the Old Military to press dispatches, while she Road from Memphis, west. also was working as a fashion Their operations were said to reporter for an American have extended into Tennessee, magazine. They had two sons, Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas Patrick, who lived in Africa, and and Missouri. Along their most Gregory, a medical student in traveled routes, the band of Florida. His wife divorced him desperadoes had sanctuary in 1940 on the grounds of among non-active members of desertion and won custody of the Murrell gang who would the boys. She never married feed the robbers and permit again, and died later in them to rent themselves and California. Hemingway was a their horses. Many of these powerful force in his private as non-participants co-operated well as public life. The world, through fear, or for a share of which he knew firsthand, lost a profit. At these places where the mortal friend. W. Gwin-Times desperadoes were at least Herald News Editor.

July 1961

Library Beginnings - Three decades ago, Mrs. F.L. Proctor rolled up her sleeves and went to work at the library. It was early in 1921 that a group of women in Forrest City banded together to form a Community Service Circle and one of their objectives was a library service of some kind. With few donated books, a library was opened in a room given by the Elks Club. Mrs. Proctor was president of the original Community Service Circle which established the library in the early 20s. She kept the library one afternoon a week when it was housed in the courthouse, before the arrangement was made with the Elks to use a room in their building. A "woman exchange" was begun, and with the aid of silver teas and various means of community aid thieved for several years, when for lack of support, it was closed. But the need had been demonstrated and a certain amount of interest had been established. In 1927, an offer was made to the city by Mr. and Mrs. Sam H. Mann, who offered to buy books contributing $500 a year for five years. Forrest City was canvassed and individuals and firms were asked to subscribe for $8 a year. The library was opened once more with books of the earlier library as a nucleus. Miss Louise Turley was employed as librarian and she served until the fall of 1928 when Mrs. Charles Buford took her place. The city donated the water and lights. New bookcases were made and painted. Citizens were "sold" on the venture and the library did such good business, that at the end of the first five years, Mr. Mann renewed his offer of books each year. Mrs. Proctor was employed as librarian in August of 1931 when Mrs. Buford resigned. Mr. and Mrs. Mann kept a lively interest in the progress of the library and Mr. Mann made several trips to Washington trying to get federal funds for the erection of a building for the library. The grant for the Forrest City Public Library building was approved through the Public Works Administration early in 1938. Tragically, neither of the Manns lived to know the realization of their dreams. Mrs. Mann died in 1936 and Mr. Mann died in 1937. But the architect's plans which they had provided were used and ground was broken on a plot donated to the city by J.M. Dennis. The Forrest City Garden Club took the job of landscaping the grounds, a full quarter block which is still one of the beauty spots of the town. The FC library was unique in that it is the only library in Arkansas which was not tax supported. No tax, except that for the bonds used for the building has ever been voted for the library, though an Arkansas law provides either city or county to vote up to a 1 mill tax to the support of a library. The building now occupied was ample for many years...but was now "busting at the seams." There were more than 10,000 volumes in the library, nearly 3,000 of which were in the children's room. Two years ago, Mrs. Proctor went into retirement "that didn't take," and gave up what she calls "her child" to Mrs. Mervyn Ragland, the present librarian. "It was hard at the time," she said, "but a most wonderful job has been done the past two years and I am perfectly happy."

Smith Injured While Skiing On River - A 36-year-old local man received multiple bruises and a broken leg in a water skiing mishap at Madison. James L. Smith, an Arkansas Power & Light employee, was taken by ambulance to Campbell Clinic in Memphis. Following a boat powered by Sammy Nix, Smith slammed into an overhanging tree in the St. Francis River, apparently while making a turn. Smith had taken in a "good amount of water" before he was pulled into the boat. This was the only accident reported at the new boat ramp site at Madison on the July Fourth holiday. A large