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 1939
Injured In Fall - Saralu Fondren, small daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J.T. Fondren Jr., suffered painful and probably serious injures when she fell from a tree near her grandmother's home on North Forrest Street. She landed on concrete and was knocked unconscious. She was rushed to a Memphis hospital in the Stevens Ambulance soon after the accident happened. Update: The condition of Saralu Fondren was reported about the same last night. The child is under treatment for a brain concussion and skull fracture. She had not regained consciousness. Update: Saralu Fondren condition is still unchanged. X-ray pictures taken yesterday, it is reported, showed the fracture to be around the center of the skull.
Receives Honors - Honors were bestowed on four members of the Forrest City chapter of the Future Farmers of America at the closing session of the 10th annual Camp Couchdale near Hot Springs. Billy Bryan, past president of the state organization, was presented with a scholarship to Arkansas Polytechnic College in Russellville. Another honor will be given him, it was announced, at the national F.F.A. convention at Kansas City in October when he will be presented the American Farmer Degree along with seven other outstanding F.F.A. boys of the state. Three local F.F.A. members received the State Planter Degree. They were Albert Stewart, Buddy Rowland and Rod Bryan. Only 127 out of 8,000 members in the state were accorded the same honor for the year.
Robbery - Thieves broke into Goldstein's ready to wear store, sometime during the night last night and escaped with approximately $500 in merchandise. They gained entrance to the store through the front door by using a glass cutter and a brick. The robbery was not discovered until this morning when an early customer called at the store before it opened and found the glass door broken. Joe Goldstein, owner of the store was notified immediately. Although an inventory to determine the stolen articles has not yet been made, among the items that have already been found missing from the store are one coat, priced at $19.95; one coat $60.75; a sport coat; 30 dozen pair of ladies hose valued at $1 a pair, eight silk dresses priced at $4.95 each; and 12 dresses valued at $6 and $7.95. The loss was not covered by insurance.
Three Fined - Three women were fined $10 each and court costs before Justice J.E. McCutchen on charges of assault and battery. They were Anabelle Rice, Ora Griggs and Charity Jones. The Rice woman was also fined $50 on the charge of carrying a pistol. The three were involved in a fight which took place at Hick's corner, the justice reported.
Taxi Hits Bicycle - Marshall Carlisle, son of Mr. and Mrs. Raoul Carlisle, received serious injures this morning when a bicycle on which he was riding was hit by a taxi of the Careful Cab Company on Washington Street in front of Grobmyer's Market. He received a broken left arm, fractured in two places and painful bruises on the head, hip and legs. Marshall was thrown over the handle bars of the bicycle and landed on the pavement. He is now confined in bed at his home. The taxi driver was Sam Hawkins.
Inquest - An inquest was held into the death of Fred Richardson, negro, who worked on the plantation of Dr. Luther Davis on this county, Coroner Parham Christopher reported. The man, the coroner said, died from a shotgun wound in the head, allegedly inflicted by Curley Davis, negro, who also worked on the Davis plantation. An argument over loading hay resulted in the shooting, Mr. Christopher said. Davis fled after the shooting and had not, up until noon today been found by officers.
Cotton Ginned - L.E. Burch of Hughes is credited with having grown the first bale of cotton ginned in St. Francis County this season. The bale was ginned at the Tucker Gin Company in Hughes. It weighed 560 pounds. The cotton was grown from an early variety of D.P. L. seed planted in April on Mr. Burch's farm north of Hughes. The seed was purchased from Palmer Kellogg of the Syeamore Bend Plantation.
Escapes Serious Injuries - A tourist and a St. Francis County man barely escaped serious injuries in an auto accident which happened on Highway 70 east, near the A.M. Bradford residence. The tourist was C.E. Nobeker of Chicago and the man, Napoleon Larimore. Both received minor cuts and bruises. The accident happened when Larimore, driving east, attempted to turn on to a side road from the highway, J.K. Rowe, investigating officer, reported. The tourist's car going west crashed into the front of Larimore’s car, swerved toward the embankment and turned over. Both automobiles were badly smashed.
New Bridge - The state Highway Department is calling for bids to be opened for the construction of a concrete and steel bridge over St. Francis Bay, east of Levesque on the ParkinWynne Road (No.64). The bridge will be on a new location, north of the Missouri Pacific railway bridge and will be approximately 1,600 feet in length. The cost is estimated at $200,000 and 800 working days will be allowed for its construction.
Still Fertile After 129 Years The first Anglo-Saxon child born in what is now Arkansas was John Patterson, who originally owned and operated the farm that was first to be put under agreement with South Crowley Ridge Soil Conservation District. The farm is now owned and operated by A.C. Mahhan, It consists of 750 acres and lies two miles east of Marianna, on Crowley's Ridge. It was the home site and is also the burial place of John Patterson. John Patterson, the son of William Patterson was born in 1790 in an Indian village six miles south of what is now Helena. When John was about 20, his older brother Hunter, went hunting and came upon the L'Anguille River. He floated down the river and built a cabin on the fertile land where Mr. Mahan's farmstead is now located. Hunter later gave the cabin and land to his brother John. He moved on the farm in about 1819 and started clearing and cultivating the land. John was married seven times and had 20 children. The farm Mr. Mahan now has under agreement with the South Crowley Ridge Soil Conservation District 129 years in cultivation.
Killed - At a coroner's inquest into the death of Leroy Williams, negro, the jury found that Williams came to his death from a wound to the head, caused from a pistol shot fired by Jim Hale, another negro. Williams was killed in a shooting scrape between Hale, Percy Jewell. another negro, and himself, which took place near Hughes. Hale and Jewell escaped after the shooting.
Rose Garden - There has been growing in the rose garden at Bogart's Clinic an American Beauty with a stem so long that a florist would turn away in despair in trying to find a box of ample length to hold it. The stem measures 9 feet and seven inches and has ample foliage from top to bottom. Its blossom is much smaller than the other American Beauty roses grown in the Bogart garden, but its fragrance is just as sweet. Dr. Bogart nursed the rose and watched closely its growth as he does the many other beautiful specimens in the Clinic's rose garden.
Soap Box Derby - Al Nimocks, son of Mr. and Mrs. A.B. Nimocks of this city, placed second on the fourth heat of the out-of-town entrants, Class A, in the Mid-South Soap Box Derby held in Memphis. His time was 40 seconds.
Lincoln School Grounds The H.L. Williams Undertaking Company, the largest and most progressive enterprise of its kind in the city among negroes, celebrated its 25th anniversary at Lincoln School. Aug. 3, with a free barbecue, program and ball game which attracted upwards of 2,000 people from all parts of the state, chiefly of St. Francis County. Prominent persons attending were P.L. Dorman and L.A. White of Little Rock; Rev C.C. Brandon of Augusta; U.S. Johnson and family of Holly Grove. There were also groups attending from Helena, Marianna, Brinkley and Wynne. The morning was devoted to community singing, led by B.H. Howard and addresses by Dr. J.E. Burke, president; A.N. Darden, secretary; P.L. Dorman and C.C. Brandon. Rev. F.M. McClendon presiding, introduced the official staff of the company along with the agents of the Peoples Burial Insurance Association. This organization has more than 7,000 members with 30 agents. Agents present were: Rev. T.J. Wolfe, Widener; W.L. Reaves, Round Pond; G.E. Patton, Haynes; Willie Murphy, Lakeside; Rev. Jas. Gray, Colt; Prof. C.L. Bondon, Wheatley; E.L. Evans, Madison; Callie Upshaw, Forrest City; Birdie Stegall, Madison; and Rev. F.M. McClendon, director of agents.
First Cotton Boll - The first boll of the 1939 cotton season grown in St. Francis County to be reported to the Times-Herald was brought here by Jack Wardell Shaffer, who lives two miles north of Widener. The cotton was grown on the Shaffner farm and is a specimen of an early variety. Sixteen acres of the 40-acre farm is planted in cotton and many of the stalks there have been already put forth bolls, he reported. Last year Shaffer planted 15.7 acres in cotton which produced 16 bales.
Water Carnival - Forrest City will participate in the Grand Parade which will be one of the highlights of the White River Water Carnival to be held at Batesville. A beautifully decorated float will be carried to Batesville to be ready for the parade. Miss Patsy Hughes, Forrest City's princess, her maids, Misses Ernestine Crutchfield and Gladys Williams; and bathing beauty honors on the float with Queen Elberta X of the Crowley Ridge Peach Festival, Miss Jean Thompson of Helena. Forrest City's float is being decorated by Miss Marcelle Currie and Billy Seaton under the direction of Frank King. Queen Elberta and the Forrest City beauties will be accompanied to the carnival by Henry C. Baker, president of the Young Business Men's Club and Mrs. Baker. The Forrest City High School Band and director, J.M. Shofner Band will be among musical organizations from Batesville, Mountain View, Searcy and other towns competing for prizes in the parade.
Much Impressed Impressions of a young man from Holland on his first visit to the big peach orchards and vast hay and cotton fields of St. Francis County were most enthusiastic and favorable, according to J.R. Chappell Sr., one of his companions on the county tour taken yesterday. The Hollander is J.V. Kenlering a textile man from The Hague and in America for the first time. "He recorded his impressions in a little black notebook as we continued our journey," Mr. Chappell said, "and took many snapshots." He was particularly anxious to know what happens to the trees that are cut away when land is being cleared and explained that in Holland every twig is put to use, Mr. Chappell said. "The vastness and richness of the American fields seemed to have made the biggest impressions upon Mr. Kenlering and the abundance of raw materials at America's disposal." On their trail through county fields, Mr. Chappell and the Hollander talked at length on the European situation. It is Mr. Kenlering's belief, Mr. Chappell asserted, that Hitler will definitely take Danzig, not with force if he can get around it, but will one day declare Danzig as being German. In this event, Mr. Chappell quoted the visitor as saying, Holland will more than likely declare was on Germany. Mr. Kenlering's stay in St. Francis County continued only several hours. He left in the late afternoon for Memphis where he was to board a plane for Chicago. He plans to complete his tour of the U.S. in 30 days.
Hughes Dr. Injured - Dr. W.D. Burch of Hughes is under treatment at Campbell Clinic in Memphis for injuries he received the first part of the week in an automobile accident at Huber Corner, one mile east of Hughes. He is suffering with a broken collar bone and a large cut on his head which required three stitches to close. It is reported that Dr. Burch will have to under go an operation before his collar bone may be properly set.