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 TimesHerald.)
May 1929
Tornado - A tornado that circled Brinkley took a toll of 11 lives and injured many others and wrought great property damage, according to reports. The greatest damage was at Wheatley, five miles east of Brinkley and at Eden, three miles west of Brinkley. The tornado did not hit Brinkley, though the roar could be heard in that city and high winds did some damage to trees and shrubbery and put out of commission the electric light service. One death is reported from within the town of Wheatley and several others from farms in the Wheatley territory, and four are reported dead from Eden. The one dead from Wheatley is Mrs. Hamp Dozier, who was injured in the storm and carried to the Brinkley hospital where she afterwards died. Her husband is also injured, probably fatally. The unidentified dead from near Wheatley are three negroes at the P&L ranch. Mr. and Mrs. McCorkle and two children are reported injured. The four reported dead from Eden are Mrs. Dave Edwards, a daughter and son, and a youth named Bobo. Twenty-one are said to have been injured at the Red Cross Refugee Camp at Dagmar. The Bankhead Garage at Wheatley, a brick structure, was destroyed. It was operated by AB Williams. It is stated that Mr. Williams and family escaped injury by taking shelter in a large ditch. The Brownlee store building, occupied by Hardy Sorrels, was also damaged and nine residences destroyed. Reports say 14 injured were carried to Brinkley for treatment. A negro child, aged four, died from injuries received at Cross Landing, two miles west of Brinkley. The home of M. Armitage on the P&L Ranch was destroyed. Mr. Armitage and family escaped injury by fleeing from the home a few minutes earlier.
High Water - Auto traffic between Forrest City and Marianna via Haynes was restored after a suspension of four or five weeks on account of high waters. Traffic resumed more than a week ago between Forrest City and Palestine. Practically every line of business in Forrest City suffered losses due to a suspension of through auto traffic. Hotels, restaurants and garages of course were the hardest hit, but other business places felt the blow. When traffic is normal several hundred people spend the night at hotels, tourist camps and lodging houses from Wheatley on the west to Blackfish Lake on the east, and the money spent finds its way into general circulation as payrolls to employes and for purchases of groceries and other supplies, in addition to the large sums spent with garages.
Prizes - The three winners in the declamation contests by boys of the senior class of the high school before the Rotary Club were announced at the high school and the prizes were awarded. The prizes are furnished each year by Ed Ash, who is the chairman of the Boys' Work Committee of the Rotary Club, and yesterday Mr. Ash served as master of ceremonies at the meeting when the prizes were awarded. Winners were Tom Gatling, first who has chosen law as his vocation and college years; C.W. Moore, second, who also chooses to be a lawyer, and Tom Bridgeforth, third, who has chosen electrical engineering as his vocation. Three talks were made to the boys, one by the Rotary Club and local manager of the Scott Stores, one by Col. Thomas A. Davis, president of the Naval and Military Academy at San Diego, Calif., and the third by Edward Roleson, who announced the prize winners. Colonel Davis took a number of moving picture scenes of the meeting and afterwards a picture of the entire school out on the grounds.
Tea Shop - The Little Tea Shop, opened and operated by Miss Ann Cooley on Jackson Street, was purchased by Mrs. Chas. H. Haven and will be operated under her management in the future. Miss Cooley made the sale in order that she could give her entire attention to the Cooley Manufacturing Co., a wash dress factory opened by her a few weeks ago. The Little Tea Shop has enjoyed a splendid patronage since its opening day, being especially popular with the ladies and on account of its location enjoyed also a fine patronage with auto tourists passing through the city. Mrs. Haven has had wide experience in the restaurant business and will doubtless enjoy an ever increasing patronage. She extends a cordial invitation to everyone to call and see her at the Little Tea Shop.
Fine Resident - J.T. Sanders has awarded to contractor John A. Moore contract for a new residence, to be built on the new site now occupied by the Troy Sanders residence. Vaccaro-Grobmyer Co., will supply materials. The residence will be of brick veneer and attractive in appearance. The contract price was approximately $11,000. Construction is to start immediately.
Fine Soldiers - Messrs. Belton J. Clark and Hazel Powers, who enlisted in the Army in June, 1927, are now members of the 17th Infantry at Fort Crook, Neb. The commanding officer of this Fort has informed the recruiting officer at Little Rock that both these young men are outstanding soldiers. Both hold the grade of Private 1st Class. Mr. Powers has qualified as marksman and Mr. Clark as sharpshooter with rifle. Mr. Clark also holds the rating as specialist with automatic rifle.
Maidwell Garment Company - Workmen this week are busy fitting up and installing 16 additional machines for the Maidwell Garment Co., in one of the Ed Ash store buildings on Hill Street and the place will be operated as a branch of the Maidwell This expansion Garment follows Company. the installation of about 20 additional machines the first of the year and 40 a few weeks ago. It will increase the employees about 20 and will bring the total number to about 250. Every foot of available space in the main factory building, which is 88 x 132 feet was used when the last 40 machines were installed, and further expansion meant building a second story or opening a branch. Orders have come so rapidly that there was no time for construction of a second factory was story the and only the solution. branch Another reason for the branch factory was the question of labor. The factory has grown faster than the city, though the city has been making steady progress and sufficient white labor The branch has not factory been available. will be operated by colored labor.
Bread Contest - The 10th annual county bread contest of negro club women and girls was held at St. Francis County Training School in Forrest City. More than 300 persons were present, 225 club women and girls from the following communities participated: Colt, Caldwell, Telico, Forrest City, Widener, DeRossitt, Bond, Harry Cook, Round Pond, Heth and New Hebron. Entries of loaf cake, white loaf bread, rolls, soda biscuits and corn bread constituted the exhibit. Breads were entered and rolls, four biscuits and one loaf of corn bread. Twenty-three complete bread groups and 18 cakes were exhibited.
Navy Graduate - Raymond H. Bradford, son of Mrs. W.H. Bradford, 207 Izard Street, enlisted in the Navy in June, 1926. He is a graduate of the radio school, is a second class radio man on the submarine tender Holland and has been recommended the further promotion to the $84 pay grade in his speciality. He was traveled extensively, including Panama, Cuba, Mexico and Hawaii.
Pine Tree Notes - Lots of rain and crops are late in this community. Mrs. Turner visited her sister, Mrs. Pruett last Sunday. Mr. Hubert Neil and family and Uncle Johnny Mace and wife and J.D. Jackson and wife visited Grandma Holcomb last Sunday. Joe Holcomb and family and Mrs. Harris visited Clarence Beiber Sunday. Hubert Neil and family called on Mr. and Mrs. J.D. Jackson Saturday evening.
Hot Shop Bakery - Mr. Briening announced that the Hot Shop Bakery has just installed a new machine that improved the bread 100 percent. The new machine and other improvements were installed at an approximate cost of $1,000. In order to introduce the quality of the new bread, Mr. Briening is placing a coupon in each loaf, save the coupons and when you have 25 of them take them to the bakery and get a cake free. He invites all to come and inspect and sample the new bread.
Talking Pictures - Manager L.F. Haven of the Imperial Theatre has just recently installed the Vitaphone equipment for talking pictures and gave the first performance of this week to a large and appreciative audience. The equipment is of first class and this picture are more entertaining as well as a novelty by the new equipment.
Flooded - State Highway No. 70, the main road between Memphis and Little Rock, is again closed at Palestine, and also at Dagmar. For the second time this year the road near Palestine went under water the best part of last week and was closed to all traffic Monday. W.G. Huxtable, district engineer, states that westbound traffic is being routed via Wynne to Jelks on No. 16; south to Cotton Plant on No. 17; West on No. 38 to Des Arc; south on No. 11 to Hazen. This applies to light traffic only. Buses and trucks must go south from Memphis on No. 61 on the Mississippi side, ferry to Helena where they will take No. 20 and No. 1 to Marianna, Nos. 3 and 78 to Wheatley, No. 70 to Brinkley, No. 17 to Cotton Plant, No. 38 to Des Arc and No. 11 to Hazen. The ferry that was to be installed between Forrest City and Palestine has had so much trouble in getting up the river that it has not reached its destination yet, but it is possible that the ferry will begin operation about Friday.
Legion Dance - The new Sterling Store building on Rosser Street was the scene of a very the Legion. local enjoyable Music post was of dance the furnished American staged by by Philwin and Tate's orchestra of Memphis. The attendance was kept down by the fact that dance goers from the south and west were cut off by high waters and also that a dance was being given at the same time at Harrisburg, opening a new garage in that city, that kept the crowd from the north attending. Regular meeting is announced for next Thursday night, May 30, and at this meeting plans will be mapped out for the annual "fish fry" given for the members of the Legion families. and It is urgently their respective requested that all members be at this meeting that the fish fry subject and others may be carried out. Also that it will soon be time for the nominating committee to be selected for next year, as the convention is being held in Blytheville this year in July, thus causing an early call for post rosters from the state department.