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.)
August 1929
Locals- Mrs. J. R. Simmons who is building an attractive bungalow on Tennessee street has included in her plans a large dining room that will seat from seventy to a hundred. She expects to open a tea room in connection with her dining room that will prove to be a delightful gathering place for people of Marianna as well as Helena and other nearby places. ***Judge N. B. Nelson, Mrs. E. A. Logan and son, and Miss Kathleen Nelson, left Monday for a visit with relatives in Stanton, Mason, and Covington, Tenn.***Mr. and Mrs. John R. Stinson, who have recently come from Wilmette, IL, Mr. Stinson being the new manager of the Forrest City Box Co., have taken Mrs. T. C. Merwin's home and will occupy it some time next month. Mrs. Merwin expects to go to Colorado to be with her son, Will Merwin. ***Members of the Cosmos Club who have not received the new year book may obtain their copy by calling at the store of R. H. Winfield & Co. ***Joe Boone Sanders left this morning on Rock Island train 45 for Little Rock where he will have a tryout with the Little Rock ball team. ***The members of the Woman's Auxiliary of the Presbyterian Church are having a picnic this afternoon at Norfleet Springs if weather conditions are favorable, if not it will be held in the basement of the new church. ***Advices were received in the city today announcing the death of Mrs. I. D. McClure. Rev. and Mrs. McClure formerly lived in Widener. Mr. McClure was preacher of the Methodist Church at Widener and Madison. Friends of the family will read of her death with much sorrow. ***L. G. Hastings of the United States Public Health Service, who has had charge of the anti-Mosquito campaign in a number of towns in Arkansas, including Forrest City, spent today in the city. Mr. Hastings leaves shortly for Virginia, and will be succeeded in his work by F. P. Gilbert. D. S. Nelson, local inspector, and Mr. Hastings, made an inspection of the city today, and state that the work has been satisfactory in this city. They report fewer mosquitos this year, and if the work is continued next year it is expected that there will be even less.
August 1929
Killed By Passing Train Thomas Edward Cox, familiarly known to hundreds of loyal friends as "Tom,” passed away in Methodist hospital in Memphis from injuries he received when struck by a train on the Rock Island tracks, west of Forrest City, near his home, sometime Saturday night. Cox was not found until the following morning and his weakened condition prohibited him from giving a detailed account of the accident, but it is assumed that he did not stop quite far enough from the tracks and still far enough that the train crew did not realize he had been hit. Neither of the train crews running through Forrest City that night reported an accident. His leg was badly shattered and he was carried to Memphis shortly after found for hospital treatment but passed away a few hours after his arrived there. Deceased was engaged in farming activities and was well known and liked in the community. He was 46 years of age, the father of nine children. At the coroner's inquest, being conducted today, his son, Tom Cox Jr., testified that the last seen of him by the family prior to the accident, was about 8:30 Saturday night, an account due him. He collected the account and was returning home when the accident occurred, it seems, from later evidence introduced.
Court Named - Upon arrival in Forrest City Friday, all visiting young ladies who have been selected to serve officially as members of "Queen Elberta's" court will be expected to report at the National Guard Armory where they will be welcomed and assigned to homes for entertainment during the festival by a committee of prominent ladies made up of Mrs. James Fussell, Mrs. O.N.
Warren, Mrs. George E. Parker, Mrs. W.W. Campbell and Mrs. N.C. McCown. The committee has completed the choice of the personnel of Queen Elberta's court from the eight counties of the association as follows: Greene County, Miss Alice Hitchcock, princess; Miss Virginia Ellis, maid of honor; Craighead County, Miss Sara Stuck, princess; Miss Rosalee Graham, maid of honor; Clay County, Miss Millicent Meyers, princess; Miss Mary Louise Sowell, maid of honor; Poinsett County, Miss Eva Metz, princess; Miss LeNeal Landers, maid of honor; Cross County, Miss Ruth Dorris, princess; Miss Kathhryn Scruggs, maid of honor; Lee County, Miss Frances Lynch, maid of honor; Phillips County, Miss Edwyne Gordon, princess; Miss Mary Lake Wooten, princess of honor; St. Francis County, Miss Elizabeth Fussell, "Queen Elberta;" Miss Evelyn McDaniel, princess; Miss Margaret Eldridge, Miss Mabel Parker and Miss Eleanor McCown, maids of honor.
Oil Well - There's a feeling of good cheer among many of the people of Brinkley and Wheatley over the news that a deal was closed this week by Lee Bearitto of Houston, Texas, an oil prospector, whereby drilling will soon be in progress near the old original oil test wells 1 1/2 miles northwest of Wheatley, at Whitted field, on another test well. The first oil and gas test well was started at Whitted Field in the summer of 1921, years ago by Jenning, an oil man from Oklahoma, and R.C. Langston was superintendent and driller. Langston and others have always claimed that Jennings spoiled the well and deterred the bringing in of oil; that there was every evidence of both gas and oil and that would eventually be brought in near the identical spot of well No. 1 which Jennings had "fussed up" or ruined. Jennings attempted to sink other wells but got badly mixed up by a shortage of finances and left before a fair trial was given, it was claimed by many. The No. 1 well continued to give off gas even after it was abandoned and for several years it was noted to give off gas so that when a match or flame was struck near it, the flame would burn. This together with the burning of gas from the test well sunk later near Beeton gives assurance to many that Red Langston is not wrong in his persistent claim that there's something under the ground and that it looks like, smells like and burns like gas and oil. Lee Bearitto, who was in Wheatley this week closing up arrangements for another test well, is said to have arranged for the machinery and rig of the second test well between Beeton and Hunter and will return Aug. 5 to go to work in earnest on the job of proving that we have oil here. Red Langston it is said will do the drilling.
Dies At 104 - County Health Officer P.P. Boggan reports the death on July 21 of Sue McMillan, colored, at the age of 104 years. A few years ago Dr. Boggan reported the death of another colored woman at 128 years. Few attain the century mark and health conditions must be generally good when as many as two in a county live to be 100 or more. There are several in the county now past the 90 mark and The Times Herald wishes for each of them to set new records.
Parrott School - Opened Monday morning with Mrs. Pattie Hightower as superintendent and Miss Vera Satterfield, primary work. We are very glad to welcome Mrs. Hightower back to our school and community. This is her sixth or seventh term and we think we can safely say that every pupil and patron are always glad to see her return. She is a very capable teacher, her work is always efficient and we hope that each patron will show their appreciation of her good work this term. Miss Satterfield has never taught here before, however we feel sure that the directors made worthy decision when they gave her the contract.
Lease Of Creamery Announcement was made that the dairy plant recently established in Forrest City had been leased to a new organization to be known as the Forrest City Creamery, incorporated and capitalized at $15,000 with W.W. Draper of Forrest City, as president and manager; W.E. McClintock of Marianna, as vice president; and C.W. Norton of Forrest City, as secretary and treasurer. The new
company has leased the plant for a period of six months with an option to purchase at the termination of the lease. Mr. McClintock, who recently resigned as assistant cashier of yesterday he and his brother-inlaw. C.W. Norton, well known attorney of Forrest City, had been investigating the dairy outlook in St. Francis and Lee counties and had come to the conclusion that prospects indicated a profitable business. The plant at Forrest City has a capacity of 10,000 pounds of milk per day. This is manufactured into cheese which finds a ready market. Later on the company plans on installing a butter machine. Mr. McClintock also stated he and his associates were establishing milk routes, using trucks to collect the cans of milk for delivery at the plant.
To The Women of Forrest City - Forrest City women are vitally interested in bettering conditions in this city, as that means improving their home life. There is not a single housewife here who would not like to have a little larger budget upon which to operate her household. She likes pretty things but her ideas must be governed by the amount of money available. Every wife is anxious that her husband's position and financial standing shall not be impaired, yet every husband in this city will have his earning power restricted when everything possible is not purchased from stores operated by citizens of this city. Money spent with a foreign mail order corporation or branch store of an outside corporation, or a peddler, retards this city’s growth, and that intimately injuries every one in Forrest City. The women of this city can, therefore, contribute mightily to their own cause, that of their children and their husband's future and the city, by supporting a campaign that will build Forrest City instead of some other city. Aside from improving the financial standing of all its people. A policy of that kind will mean better schools and churches and everything else. The city should receive first consideration in the minds of all its women.
Camp Fire Girls - The first meeting of the Forrest City Camp Fire Girls was held at Leavitt's store. There was a general discussion of the principles of the organization. Mrs. Albert Grobmyer was appointed guardian of the camp of girls between the ages of 11 and 16. Miss Idona Leavitt was appointed guardian of the camp from 16 to 20. Miss Dolly Clark was appointed assistant guardian of both camps. Regulations as to time and place of meeting and camp names will be announced later. Camp Fires does for the girl what the Scouts does for the boy. It begins for each girl a new chapter – the making of new friends, the broadening horizon of new interest and the fun of being at home out of doors. Whatever their talents may be Camp Fire girls have unlimited opportunities for developing themselves through the more than 700 honors and ranks. Camp Fire honors and ranks measure the girls' progress in the craft they enjoy. Camp Fire is team work and the building of citizenship.
Progress On The New EightStory Hotel - Good progress toward securing the prosed eight-story hotel is reported by committees working on the project. H.W. Gregory, general chairman, has appointed 10 soliciting committees and about half the funds have been pledged, while other group committees are yet to report. Several members of the soliciting committees are away on vacations, others preparing to leave, and a thorough canvass has not yet been made, but Chairman Gregory and others on the general committee feel confident of success. At a meeting held Monday the committee voted to accept the Rollwage site, corner Washington and Garland streets, at a price of $10,000. This site was acceptable to Mr. McAninch, who offers to build the hotel providing the site is donated by the committee. Under the agreement between Mr. McAninch and the committee the purchase price of the site must be secured by the end of August and if this is done he agrees to commence construction work in four months on a building to be not less than eight stories in height.