Looking Back
(Editor’s Note: This column looking back at St. Francis County’s history is 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.)
December 1939 Critically Injured - Homer Ellis is reported in a critical condition at the Veterans Hospital in Memphis where he is being treated for a severe skull fracture which he suffered while he was repairing a pump on the Love Banks farm in Palestine. A heavy iron chain Mr. Ellis was using in his work struck him on the head. Mr. Ellis was taken to the hospital immediately after the accident, where he under went an emergency operation. It is reported that 32 pieces of shattered bone were removed from his skull during the operation which lasted three hours.
Passes Away - Stephen Alford Devereux, prominent St. Francis County farmer, passed away at his home in Newcastle of a heart attack. He had been seriously ill for several weeks. Mr. Devereux had been a lifelong resident of the county. He was born in Forrest City on April 4,1880. He lived here until 1913 when he moved to Newcastle where he owned and operated a large farm.
Award - The senior and junior members of the Forrest City High School band who have performed outstandingly in the organization the past year have been given recognition by band director J.M. Shofner and presented with military chevrons to designate their rating. Eight members were the winners of this high honor which corresponds with the West Point system of chevrons to be worn on the tunic sleeves of the uniform. Award winners were: Tommy Lloyd, chief musician; James Dillon, captain; Rufus Wood, captain; John Wood, captain; Charley Myers, lieutenant; Jerry Hicky, lieutenant; George Morledge, lieutenant and Albert Laser, lieutenant.
Dance - E.E. Sulcer and Hubert Clark will call the figures of the square dance which will be one of the features of the big barn dance to be held in the gym of the Forrest City High School. Admission to the dance will be 25 cents. The rural schools of the Forrest City District will receive the proceeds from the affair.
Claims Paid - Claims totaling $2,099 in three cases which were out growths of an accident which happened near Forrest City involving a state highway truck and in which one man was killed were allowed by the State Claims Commission in Little Rock. The commission approved payment of $2,825 to Mrs. Clemons Moore of Wynne as administrator of the estate of her husband, killed Nov. 17,1937 on Highway No. 1 near here when a car he was driving ran into the rear of a State Highway Department truck which had stalled on the highway. She sought payment of $23,000. Ralph Kinney of Brinkley, owner of the car driven by Mr. Moore and which was demolished in the collision, was allowed $175. A payment of $99 to the Wilson Clinic of Wynne for treatment to Elmer Gatten of Colt, driver of the highway truck, was also approved. The commission rejected a claim of $1,378.08 presented by Mr. Gatten for injuries he sustained in the accident.
Services Held - Funeral services were held at Colt Methodist Church for Mrs. Annie Moore, 70, who died at her home in Colt following a week's illness. Mrs. Moore was the widow of the late C.T. Moore, one of the pioneer residents of this section, who died about three years ago. She leaves 68 living descendants including a grandson, Forrest Henderson and step-grandson Edward G. Mullins, who made their home with her. In Eastern Arkansas - About 5,000 persons, one of the largest crowds Wynne has seen in several years, assembled for the second annual Christmas parade opening the holiday season. The parade was several blocks long and included 30 entries, including 15 decorated floats. The Forrest City High School band played. There were two queens, the Misses Ova Statham of Wynne High School and Josephine Burton, for the NYA girls' resident project. Heading the line of March was an official car bearing Mayor C.H. Pool and members of the City Council. ***Blytheville - Three hundred and seventy five farm families of Mississippi County will turn on electric current in their homes for the first time today. The first unit of the Rural Electrification program in this county was completed with the turning on the current at 10 o'clock this morning and 225 more customers are expected to receive current within a week or 10 days. ***Paragould - The City of Paragould went forward with plans for submitting a project to the WPA for a new city hall to coast approximately $100,000. To Play Part - Marian Bell, play production student of Miss Genevieve Hunt of Forrest City, plays the difficult roll of the character Petunia, the frightened, love sick maid in the mystery drama "The Curse of the Incas" to be presented at the Forrest City High School auditorium.