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 1940

One Killed - In a rear-end truck collision on Highway 70, west of Hicks Station, an unidentified rider was killed shortly after noon and the driver seriously wounded. The driver, Joe Riley, was carried to a Memphis hospital and the body of the man killed was brought to Forrest City in a Stevens Funeral Home ambulance. The truck driven by Riley ran into the rear end of a truck of the East Texas Motor Freight line. G.B. Whitt, driver of the fright truck, told TimesHerald that he was driving at about 25 to 30 miles per hour, when he was struck by the truck driven by Riley. That there was no approaching traffic, that he had not applied his brakes or slowed down before being struck and knew no cause for the accident. Riley was suffering too great pain to give any statement at the time, The Times-Herald was told by Whitt. The truck driven by Riley a one and one half ton Chevrolet, was loaded with cotton seed meal and had an Oklahoma City license. It was brought here by a wrecker of the St. Francis Motor Co. Both trucks were driving west. Stevens Funeral Home reports finding in the wallet of the dead man a fishing license issued to Leon Peter Barnett, 22, Bellflower, Calif.

Fire On Izard - Fire partially destroyed the two-story house on South Izard Street, known as the Bell residence. The furnishings of three families were damaged by the blaze but the greatest loss was suffered by Mrs. Ainsworth who occupied the upstairs. Mr. and Mrs. George Gray and Mr. and Mrs. Auther Stubbs occupied the lower floor of the house. The origin of the fire, which broke out in the attic, was not known. The home belonged to the John C. Bell estate.

Second Run - Firemen were summoned two times yesterday to the two-story residence on South Izard Street known as the old Bell home. The second call came last night when it was discovered that the first which broke out there earlier in the day was still smoldering. The attic and upper story of the house was destroyed by fire.

Whitaker-Brown - Mrs. Abby Brown Whitaker of Peach Orchard, Ark., announced the engagement and approaching marriage of her only daughter, Ann Adelle, to Dewey Franklin Brown, youngest son of Mr. and Mrs. Harris O. Brown of Wynne. The marriage will take place May 26, at the home of the bride-elect, with her cousin, the Rev. Frank Ford Norfleet of Des Arc, officiating. Miss Whitaker is the granddaughter of the late Abe Brown, pioneer citizen of Clay County and a direct descendant of Peter Brown, who came to America in 1620 on the Mayflower. She is a granddaughter of former State Senator Whitaker, founder and for 25 years president of the Board of Trustees of Arkansas State College, Jonesboro. Miss Whitaker attended the University of Denver and participated in the National Forensic Speech Convention in 1938. She will receive her degree from Arkansas State this month. Mr. Brown attended Bald Knob High School and was graduated from Texarkana High School. He was graduated from Arkansas State and is electrical engineer connected with the United States Soil Conservation Service at Forrest City.

After Three Years Gets Rabies - Physicians abandoned hope for recovery of an 11-year-old boy whose life slowly was fading away as a result of the deadly fever of rabies, apparently caused by a cat that scratched him three years ago. When he was eight years old, Hailey Jones Jr., of Heth, and two companions rushed to the aid of a cat that had fallen from the limb of a tree. His companions, bitten by the cat, received treatment with antirabies serum. Hailey, who suffered only a slight scratch was not treated. All apparently suffered no ill effects. But last week, Hailey complained to his mother that his back hurt. His

mother believed his illness was not serious, but gradually he became worse. A Heth physician diagnosed the child's case as rabies and instructed the parents to bring him to a Memphis hospital for further examination. Memphis physicians confirmed the Heth physician’s opinion. The long dormant germs had awakened.

Cabins - Construction work was started on four tourist cabins for Mr. and Mrs. E.L. McBride on their lot on Highway 70 east of Forrest City. The cabins are being built back of Swing Inn which is owned and operated by Mr. and Mrs. McBride. They will be covered with Colonial siding and will be painted white.

Efforts To Restore - When the first white settlers came to Eastern Arkansas more than a 100 years ago they found the length of Crowley's Ridge thickly populated with yellow poplar trees. Today a successful effort is being made to restore this tree to its only native habitat in this state. Several thousand yellow poplar seedlings were planted on the Ridge in 1933 and again last year in St. Francis, Cross and Clay counties through the combined efforts of the Extension Service, Soil Conservation Service and Farm Bureau, and according to Extension Forester Fredrick J. Shully, a survival of more than 90 percent resulted. Their average height is 18 inches, which Mr. Shully reports is unusually good for such a short period. One thousand seedlings were planted per acre and projects being sponsored by home demonstration club women. Probably better known as the tulip tree because of the tulip shaped flower it bears in the spring, the yellow poplar was almost exterminated from the Ridge, much of the timber being wasted. With intelligent handling, what could now be a thriving industry in Eastern Arkansas from the Mississippi line almost to the Louisiana line will be bringing thousands of dollars into the pockets of farmers annually. There is every evidence that this valuable tree was used for firewood, siding on early homes, shingles, and other utilized to poor advantage from a standpoint of forest revenue. Mr. Shully, who has spent much time in tracing the denuding of poplars from the Ridge, has accumulated a number of pieces of wood more than three quarters of a century old, including a rail which he estimates is fully 80 years old. One Virgin Stand - The only known virgin stand of poplars on the Ridge is at the site of the old Fitzpatrick home, near here, now a part of the holdings of the Home Investment Company, operator of some 1,000 acres devoted to peach and apple trees and constituting what is widely known as Summersweet Orchards. These trees, carefully guarded for many years by T.O. Fitzpatrick, civil war veteran who recently died at the age of 93, are between 3 1/2 and 5 feet in diameter and are estimated to be between 300 and 400 years old. There are about 50 in the eight-acre grove. Mr. Fitzpatrick, who several years ago visited the grove with J.M. Thomason, St Francis County Extension Agent, and Robert Nelson, forester of the SCS, stated that when he came in the area in 1855 from Tennessee there was an abundance of yellow poplar, black walnut and red and white oak, and that in succeeding years a thriving sawmill industry developed. Sixty percent of the timber on the original Fitzpatrick place was poplar, he recalled. He remembered one gigantic poplar tree standing near the St. Francis River in 1870 that measured 7 feet in diameter and was so large the sawmill refused to purchase it. Since Crowley's Ridge is the only natural habitat of the yellow poplar in Arkansas, it is believed that reforestation efforts will prove successful and that with proper attention an important future industry can be developed. Seedlings planted last year were in the nature of an experiment and their success has increased interest in the program. Forestry authorities report that the yellow poplars in Eastern Arkansas have a strong resemblance to those in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. They grow to a height of from 100 to 160 feet and in rare cases

have a diameter of eight feet. Crowley's Ridge is occupied by a deciduous type of forest that is closely related to that of the Southwestern Appalachian region. The Ridge, which originates in Missouri, is approximately a half mile wide and is 75 feet higher than the general bottom lands. It is principally used for orchards, grazing and forestry. Beech, hickory, locust and shortleaf pine are found on the Ridge in addition to poplar, walnut and oak.

Rhode Island Hen - When Dr. J.T. Brown, who lives at Willow Hill six miles southeast of this city, went out to his hen house of his farm Thursday to collect his daily supply of eggs, he found waiting for him "the largest egg he had ever seen." The egg is three inches long and weighs over three and a half ounces. It was laid by a Rhode Island hen.

Drowns In Crow Creek Funeral services were held at the Madison Cemetery for Jesse Turner, 12-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Turner of Madison, who was drowned in Crow Creek late Saturday afternoon. The body of the child was recovered around 7 o'clock Saturday night in back water near Crow Creek bridge located a mile south of Madison. It is believed that he either fell or jumped from the bridge between 4 and 5 o'clock that afternoon. The body was found by Carl Miller and Jodie Cook.

Brigade To Pass Through The Seventh Calvary Brigade, composed of approximately 2,300 officers and men and over 800 vehicles, will pass through Forrest City on its march from Monroe, La., to Ft. Knox, Ky., after having participated in the Third Army maneuvers in the Sabine area. The brigade is expected to reach the outskirts of Forrest City at approximately 9:45 a.m.

Infantry To Camp Here Approximately 1,600 officers and men of the 10th U.S. Infantry will camp overnight in Forrest City, according to word received from Arthur R. Underwood, colonel of the infantry, Mayor Chas. Buford announced. The 10th Infantry will stop over here en route to headquarters in Fort Benning, Ga., from maneuvers in Alexandria, La. The officers and men will arrive in 230 trucks and cars at 3 o'clock Wednesday afternoon. The camp site chosen for them here is located on the V.O. Turner farm north of the city, the mayor said.

Miss Wynne - Miss Helen Daugherty was chosen "Miss Wynne" over a field of 30 other candidates at the conclusion of the Shrine beauty contest. She is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J.V. Daugherty and was graduated from Wynne High School in 1938. Miss Daugherty will wear the beauty crown of the city of Wynne June 12 when she will go to Memphis to compete with approximately 50 other beauties for the crown of "Miss Memphis." The winner of the contest there will receive a trip to the San Francisco World's Fair and also will have a screen test.

Gambler Faces Murder Charges - Memphis, Tenn. May 31 Big Bob Berryman, who has figured in criminal court news in Memphis for many years, was charged with murder after a shooting in a beer tavern just off Beale Street had claimed the life of John Phillips, notorious bouncer in one of Berryman's night clubs. Phillips, wounded seven times last night with automatic sawed off shotgun and pistol shots, was still on his feet when police arrived. "It was over the night clubs down in Mississippi," Phillips said a few minutes before he died. He referred to several gambling spots just across the TennesseeMississippi line built to accommodate Memphis citizens after city police had padlocked all Memphis gaming establishments. Witnesses said Phillips sought to escape by fleeing by a back door when he saw Berryman pull up outside in his car. The back door was locked, however, and after he had been shot twice with the shotgun he begged Berryman not to shoot him again. "No use shooting any more," he was quoted as saying. "You have already killed me." Witnesses said Berryman threw down the shotgun, pulled out a pistol, and fired five more times.