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.)

April 1928

Progress With White Way - Work on installing the white way posts on Jackson and Rosser streets has made good progress and it is expected that the juice will be turned on in the next few days. Encouraging news has come forward from the Washington Street project. Agent C. C. Birkicht has been advised that the Rock Island will contribute the amount requested for the installation of posts along its property on Washington Street. They will be the largest contributors on that street. The railroads have shown a very commendable spirit in the movement. The Missouri Pacific paid for the posts at their crossing at Jackson and Front streets. Forrest City is fortunate in being served by two great transportation lines, keenly interested in our growth and expansion.

Gets Electric Chair - Grady Swain and Robert Bell, negro youths convicted last week in Circuit Court of murder in the first degree, for the purpose of robbery of Julius McCollum, 12year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. B. McCollum, and Elbert Thomas, also a negro youth who was McCollum's protector, were sentenced to electrocution by Acting Judge R. J. Williams, Monday. The case was tried by Judge Williams, who occupied the bench on account of the illness of Judge Davenport. The date of the electrocution was set for June 15. The two have been carried back to the penitentiary in Little Rock to await the date of their execution.

Oldest Store Gets New Location - The Fussell-GrahamAlderson Co., the oldest mercantile establishment in Forrest City – in fact the oldest in Eastern Arkansas, after a location of 52 years on Front Street, is today located in its new $ 30,000 home on Washington and Jackson streets. Moving started Monday and although it was a mammoth stock, force sufficiently large was employed to make the move quickly and the store today presents an orderly appearance, though not quite all the stock has been placed on the shelves, nor the plate glass windows on Washington Street entrance been placed. The store, however, is open for business in its new home.

The Marion - The TimesHerald has been informed that negotiations are underway for extensive improvements to the Hotel Marion. These improvements will include the installation of more baths and of running water in each room.

Manager A.G. Combs states that it is almost certain these improvements will be made. Word comes from Little Rock that other improvements contemplated include the construction of an annex, covering the present park site. Vice president Keeton and General Superintendent Ashogard of the Interstate Hotel Co., lessees of the hotel, were here last week and expressed the opinion that Forrest City was growing with such rapidity that additional hotel facilities would be justified. They are negotiating with C. L. Fritz, operating vice president of the Rock Island Lines La Salle street, Chicago, asking that these improvements be made. The Rock Island owns the Marion Hotel. It is a 36 room hotel.

Eloise Brown - The funeral of Eloise Brown, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Will Brown, was held at 10 o'clock Wednesday morning from the Catholic church, with services conducted by Rev. Gallagher of Little Rock. Eloise, who died at the age of 10, had been seriously ill for three months with tumor on the brain. She had received hospital treatment in Memphis and everything possible had been done for her relief, but her ailment was pronounced incurable.

Town of Bright Lights - The White Way lights on Jackson and Rosser streets were turned on for the first time yesterday afternoon for a try out and then turned on at 8 o'clock last night. They will be a regular part of the lighting system of the city from hence forward. The posts extend on Jackson Street from the Methodist Church corner to the Missouri Pacific Railway crossing and on the west side of Rosser Street from Jackson to Front and two posts on Front Street, opposite VaccaroGrobmyer Co. The posts were installed at the expense of the abutting property owners, on voluntary contributions from them. The Missouri Pacific Railway installed the posts at their Jackson Street and Front Street crossings. James Fussell and O. N. Warren took the initiative in raising the funds; the council co- operated by having the regular force of the water and light plant do the installation work and further co- operated by supplying the current without cost. Superintendent Barton had his force do the work at odd times and without additional expense. All parties participating are deserving of praise for their efforts and the whole city is to be congratulated. Forrest City is the busiest spot on the Broadway of America and is one of the best lighted.

Motorcade Passes Through - The Broadway of America motorcade, starting from San Diego, Calif., will pass through Forrest City during the afternoon. At noon today about 250 cars with passengers estimated at about 800, had reached DeValls Bluff, where they are enjoying a big fish fry, prepared for them by Judge Thweatt and other enterprising citizens of DeValls Bluff. At 1 p. m., the procession began crossing the White River at DeValls Bluff and will detour to Cotton Plant, reaching Brinkley at 2: 30 or 3 p. m., and Forrest City between 3:30 and 4 o'clock. Forrest City will turn out to greet them at City Park, where addresses of welcome are to be extended by Judge O. B. Rollwage and Judge A. I. Hutchins.

Appeal - Judge W. J. Lanier announced today that he would appeal to the Supreme Court for a new trial for Grady Swain and Robert Bell, negro youths convicted to the chair for the murder of Julius McCollum, 12year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. B. McCollum, of near Chatfield. Judge Lanier contends that the boy met his death by accidental drowning and that the "confessions" used as evidence in the trial were not voluntary, but made after severe thirddegree measures had been used in the state penitentiary walls.

Probably Fatal - W.K. Yancey, of Prescott, an agent of a St. Louis farm loan bank was probably fatally injured at noon today when the southbound Missouri Pacific Cannonball freight struck the Chevrolet coupe in which he was driving, northbound, at the crossing of State Road No. 1 and the Missouri Pacific Railway, south of Caldwell. Yancey was brought to Forrest City by Will Donley and given first aid by Drs. J. O. Rush and P. P. Bogan. At shortly after 2 o'clock, Dr. Rush stated that he had a fractured skull and held but little hopes of his recovery. Yancey is about 50 years old and a frequent visitor here. His family lives at Prescott.

Steel Bridge Ordered For Crow Creek - The State Highway Department will construct a steel bridge across Crow Creek according to District Engineer W. G. Huxtable. The bridge will be here within three weeks and within another three weeks should be open for traffic. The heavy rains sent a torrent of water down the creek that swept about one third of the piling from under the wooden bridge. It was the fourth bridge at this point to be rendered useless in the last 20 months. N.B. Graver, bridge engineer of the State Highway Department stated that the steel bridge would have a span of 80 feet; that it would take care of the situation until the permanent route of No. 70 was selected and that if the route was changed this bridge could be unbolted and sent to some other point. Traffic is now driving through the water more than five or six inches deep and the bottom is gravel. The wooden bridge is being torn down to make room for the steel structure.