Fred Stewart, cartoonist, did this scary, wonderful picture using pen and ink.  It has just been discovered after having been packed away for many years.  The lower one shows it framed and the top one shows the fantastic pen strokes that make up the picture.  It was done in 1972.  We wrote a blog a few years ago about his book, called "Coptoons," that he eventually wrote and you can read it by clicking here.The book explains what happened to Fred.  In his own words, here is what he wrote about himself. "Fred Stewart has been involved in law enforcement since 1964 when he started with the Skokie, Ill. police department.  He has been a patrolman, Sgt., small town police chief, a road deputy, an investigator, and is currently an elected Arkansas constable. In 1986 Fred was shot in the face... 05/17/2022

This makes me think of all the Searcy experts who help me with this blog.  It is an Avon Super Sleuth Magnifier which has a handle that screws onto the magnifying glass and is called Everest After Shave.  The after shave is still in the handle and contains alcohol!  Age is not stated but it has been in my attic for many years.  Searcy Sleuths, can you help with this vintage item? This blog is a tribute to all of you and I do like the artwork!  You are a handsome group!!   04/19/2022

A different style for Searcy AR house, now gone.This house at 1302 E. Race in Searcy AR has been taken down and I will miss it.  It was the only house in Searcy of this style.  Arches, a tower, and when it was built in 1934 it was probably considered "way out in the country."  The courthouse says it was 1460 sq. ft. of living space and that is where I found this picture.  When I drove by a day or so ago, it was being taken down.  I wish we had some history of its builder.  Searcy Sleuths?  I do know that it was Riley Real Estate for many years but who built that style house and why? 03/25/2022

Remember the old depot on S Main Street in Searcy?Most likely you will not see it when you drive by again because it is finally going down.  I hear that it has been sold and when I stopped by a few days ago it was almost gone.  Its story is rather interesting in that it was owned by a railroad but no one could find anyone at the railroad to ask about purchasing it and reviving it.My friend, Shelly Churchwell, told me that no one had noticed that the deed had a reverter clause which said that if the railroad ever stopped using it it would revert back to the previous owner......one of the members of the Lightle family.  Of course that person has been long deceased but he had heirs.....over 20 of them who had to agree to let a new owner have it!So it has successfully been sold and unfortun... 03/22/2022

Stop and StareThat's what I did when I saw these in the window of a building at the corner of Beebe Capps and Sawmill Road in Searcy AR.  The glare sorta hurts seeing the detail in these pieces of paper that covers the window but check it out for yourself.Perhaps it is intended to be art.....but I think it is accidental art from paper that has been damaged.  My favorite is the center one which reminds me of a cowboy from the waist down with his guns showing!Interesting for sure!!! 03/09/2022

An estate sale visit cost me again.  I found several old bound copies of Harding's The Bison newspapers.  They were from back in the 70's and 80's.  This was an advertisement from September 13, 1985.Click here  to see the tribute that I made for her when she passed away in 2013.  This little ad above shows her creative and humorous nature and  reminds me of how much we still miss Tina Beavers DanielThe tribute has many pictures and you'll see lots of Searcy real estate agents in it.  Notice that in the ad she was Beavers.  Later she married Walt Daniel and we loved and respected Walt immediately and still do.  Here's that link again.https://activerain.com/droplet/6SSV 02/21/2022

Picture on Feb 2 2022.  Another one bites the dust in Searcy AR?  Picture from White County Courthouse.Another double-take for me!  Passing by this house at 301 East Market today made me stop and stare because there was a huge machine attacking it.  I was so sad to see that it is apparently being taken down.  It looks historic and when I went to the National Register of Historic Places I found it there. It was placed on the Historic Register in 1991.  It says that Ben Lightle built the home in 1898 after moving to Searcy from Carlisle in Lonoke County.  It is an example of Folk Victorian architecture.  If you want to search the history there go to this address. https://www.arkansasheritage.com/arkansas-preservation/properties/national-registry?cities=SearcyHurry for your final view, how... 02/03/2022

 Dot Beck had a wonderful school for kids!Kids and parents loved the Dot Beck Kindergarten in Searcy AR.  My own son, Paul, first on the left front row, loved going there.  I seem to recognize a few others of the children but it would be nice if everyone could be named.  The second lady on back row, left, was Lorene Smith.  Lorene became a REALTOR, owned her own real estate office, and was very successful in her new profession.  Dot Beck is the first on right on back row.  The kids are beautiful and it would be nice to see them in a group today. 01/17/2022

1982 Newspaper Clipping for Searcy AR actressAnother interesting newspaper clipping has shown up.  Seems that I can remember relatives talking about a Susie Wasson and how she grew up in Searcy and had become a fairly famous actress.  This clipping tells about her.  I googled her and found that she was born in 1942  and says she was Susanne Wasson.  This clipping says she was in Star Trek.  Searcy Sleuth Expert Anita Hart Fuller says that is incorrect and her birth would have been earlier and that, in fact, Susie lived across the street from her on West Arch Street!   Searcy Sleuths, do you remember her? 01/13/2022

Searcy boys look older?I was given a treasure.  It is a 1922 Searcy High School yearbook.  The yearbooks back then were called The Reveille.  Some of the pictures in it were small but this one showed up nicely so I decided to share it. I do like the guy's uniforms.  Note a couple of them have funny kneepads.  The guys are identified only by their last names.  For some reason, they seem to look older than the young guys of today.Last names were:  Sowell, Smith, Thomas, Ferrel, Butler, Adcock, Watson, Hassel, Harder, Robertson.     01/10/2022

Old Calendar by Ramsey Printing Co. Searcy ARI found this while digging through old files looking for something else.  It is a 1948 calendar plus note pad.  Pretty nice, isn't it.  BUT!!!  Where was 801 North 8th Street in Searcy Arkansas?  It was a long time ago when phone numbers started at the number 1.  This company had phone number 170....pretty low.Do any of our Searcy Sleuths remember this company? 01/03/2022

  You may want to go visit!The Barkin' Barn is located near downtown Searcy AR on Gum Street and is open on Friday and Saturday from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm.  They would like to have longer hours but need more volunteer workers.When I entered the store, I was stunned to see so many fine items for sale at very low prices.  Many families are having to scale down and are donating lovely and beloved items to charitable organizations.  Barkin' Barn is operated by the Humane Society .  Someone called me and said they had even seen a 1968 painting done by Barbara S. Duncan!  It must have been called Bell Book and Candle.Plan a visit.  You will be amazed! 01/02/2022

Interesting Memory from Roseann Restaurant MotelOn ebay right now is this old menu from the now-gone Roseann Motel in Searcy AR. It is not forgotten, however, because it was quite popular and was located on East Race.  The listing says it is from the 1950's.  One very interesting thing about it is possibly a bit of sexism?  Look at this closeup.Note it says their good food is "prepared by expert women cooks." I don't believe it would be correct today.  Were women cooks better cooks or did it mean that women were only useful for cooking?  Now glance at the prices and compare to today's pricing.  Ouch!! 14 oz T-Bone for 3.50!  I never knew that chicken livers were fried in butter!Try this older blog that tells about the hotel.    12/29/2021

Anita Hart FullerThe lady on the left above has been so helpful with this blog.  She has supplied us with lots of historical pictures and information.  Google her and she how many times she pops up.  Here she has popped up again!  An old scrapbook has her in it with this article about saving lives making up a full page.  Note the date 1995.And those of us in Searcy AR remember her daughter, Karen Fuller, who worked as a beloved news anchor in Little Rock AR for many years.  The scrapbook, actually, is about Karen.  Now Karen and Anita have moved back to Little Rock AR for retirement.  Google Karen also and learn how she was loved as she lived and worked in Little Rock.  How does she look now?  Still beautiful.  Here she is!Welcome Back, Karen and Anita!!   12/13/2021

Another house gone.I wasn't surprised when I drove by this house a few days ago and saw that it was being taken down.  It has been in bad condition for a long time.....probably not livable.  But it was the subject of a blog or two because of its rumored history.  The address is 407 E Vine and it was once a part of the house on the West side of it (410 N Oak) thus I called it half a house.The bigger part of the house is in beautiful condition and when they were originally  combined the two were located facing Race Street on the corner of N Oak and E Race.  They were moved back so that a newer house could be built.  It is still there and is called The Watkins House.Here is the way it looked earlier.  The courthouse said it was built in 1915.  The other part of it was built in 1890 says th... 11/28/2021

 Historic Mayfair Hotel in Searcy AR is almost 100 years old.And I had the pleasure of a short guided tour today.  The picture above shows the Mayfair as it is today.  The town has grown up around it and its charm is still there.  I have done several blogs about it in the past.  I'll try to list some of them at the bottom of this blog so be sure to pull them up and read the comments.  Searcy Sleuths always provide so much information.This small sign was in the owner's office and he reported that it has been there since the hotel first operated.  It is more like a reminder for departing guests.  In the owner's office was this framed picture of the way it used to look.  It was built in 1924.  I have seen postcards of this view but not a large one.....possibly the original.....like this on... 10/26/2021

Memories!  You want memories!  We have found them!Let's assume you went to school in White County AR sometime from about 1950 to 1974.  W. E. Orr, from Judsonia, was instrumental in beginning and continuing a White County Girls' Basketball Tournament during those years.  It was called "The South's Most Spectacular Cage Tournament" with a new program made up each year. His daughter, Fonda McCarty,  has a wealth of not-used and saved programs from those years.  Go right now to That's Judsonia on facebook and find her comment and pictures about the programs.  Click here. She is selling the old memory books for $1 each!  They are SO interesting.  I was fortunate to have a few given to me earlier by friends and I treasure them and have done several blogs about the girls' teams that participa... 10/17/2021

Benjamin Clayton Black House in Searcy ARFound!  Another old newspaper clipping that has interesting history about the house.  Problem?  No date.Solution?  I checked Google to see when it was placed on the Historic Register and found that it was done on 11-20-1974.  That still does not date the article but helps with reading it.  And please do read it.  It gives some history about the Benjamin Clayton Black family.  Once your interest has been revived, travel to the house and visit it.  It is now our art gallery and is open certain hours, owned by the city and needs attention.  For another view of it (when it was a real estate office)  Click here   10/12/2021

Quilting BeeHere's a fun picture that was clipped and saved by someone in the past.  These Searcy ladies (who have no names except through husbands and we've complained about this in other blogs) are on the porch of the old house located in Pioneer Village in Searcy.  They have on period dress and are named.  It has no date saved so we can only guess about the time.  The one called Mrs. Jim Wilson is actually my sister-in-law with the nice name of Barbara and she was a Duncan before becoming Mrs. Wilson.  Some folks have said to me, "I know Barbara Duncan."  and they sorta disbelieve that I am now Barbara Duncan.  Look through them and see if you remember the ladies or the affair. 10/06/2021

Homemade Hammer?  Weapon?I stumbled across this the other day at my own home!  Has it been here forever? Did it come from one of my daughter's estate sales?  A gift from above for my protection?  I don't know but it is definitely interesting.  It is definitely made by hand by some person who needed a tool.It looks old and weathered and perhaps the scraped bark was to keep the hand of the user from bruising.  Looks like a tiny hole with perhaps a nail to keep the handle secure is on both sides. Searcy Sleuths may be able to add info.........  10/02/2021