Do you have relatives in this picture?  It was loaned to me by Betty Mote, who knows a lot about Searcy history.  I like seeing again how hair styles change and how girls seemingly have always wanted to have matching hair styles.I assume the girls were cheer leaders but I don't know for sure.  And what's that man doing back there?  Here are the names written on the back of the picture.  Left to right:  Floy Elliott, Era Greer, Mary Elliott, Helen Gerbert, Evamae Caraker, Ludie Allen, and Wesley Gilliland.  If you have information, we'd love for you to share. 11/22/2022

 Another one bites the dust?Clicking the address   here    will take you to a fantastic picture of the above house and a great article about it.  The house definitely appears to be going down.    The ones above showed it about two days ago.  It may be gone now.  It is located at 702 West Center St in Searcy AR. It was built in 1925 and placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1991.You might want to jump in your car and go say your good-bye to a once lovely home that housed great families and was always a beauty to drive by.  Wouldn't I love a call from someone telling me they have bought it and are restoring it!!   Also be sure to go read the article that was in The Daily Citizen a few weeks ago when you click the address above.  10/08/2022

Who made frying pans?While digging around in old stuff in my garage I came across this interesting frying pan (my folks would have said skillet).  It was different, kinda pale and not heavy at all.  But most interesting was the still-attached ticket saying "Home made for Dewey Wright."  I remember Dewey.  He passed away in January 2005 and he may have been a camping type.But who, in Searcy Arkansas, would have been able to make him a frying pan?  If any of our Searcy Sleuths can remember, share it with us.  And if there is a relative of his who might know, give us a "holler" and let us know. 10/01/2022

Look at this ad from 1970!  The Pit Drive-In was located in Searcy AR on East Race.  It was greatly loved and look at the price of a tub of chicken......$1.49.  Compare that with today and cry.  Many folks went there to get their fried chicken instead of trying to cook it at home.  I wrote a blog about it several years ago.  Let's review it.  Click here to go to that blog.  Be sure to read all the comments while you are there. 09/26/2022

I know.  It is not Valentine's day or even close but this old blog that I did several years ago talking about a Valentine Queen for Searcy was fun then and is still fun now.  This cutie in the photo and what she replied is meaningful today because it shows that history repeats itself.  The picture of a girl on a boy's bike was a bit of a scandal back in the 1940's when it was taken.  Please go now to this old blog and read it.Are you back?  Now if you did not take time to read the many comments, I will show you what the no-longer-little-girl said.  ""To answer the comments about the boys bike:  I got this bike for Christmas, one Christmas during "the war"  (WWII).....there were no new bicycles to be bought  in Searcy and no girl's bike could my parents find.  This was a used bike.   I, ... 09/14/2022

 1957 White County 4-H Club WinnersFound!  Treasure from 1957 with pictures of two winners at the fair.  I'm guessing but I think she may have won a sewing machine and he won for having a great steer.  The style of the day is obvious.  She was wearing a dress and I loved the way he had those jeans rolled up.  She was Jo Ann Swain and he was Leslie Scarborough.  Prizes were evidently given by The Searcy Bank which is now First Security Bank.  Searcy Sleuths, tell us what you can about those old times and the folks if you knew them! 08/22/2022

Searcy AR RevisitThe lady on the right above is Betty Mason Martin and she lived in Searcy way back in about 1947.  Her memories of Searcy are quite favorable except for one so she just paid us a visit.  She now lives in Virginia, drove to Arkansas, and had a visit with old friends from her childhood.  Mary Kay VanPatten James is shown with her in the above picture.The bad memory is of her father's death.  Her father, Lester Mason, was superintendent of Searcy Public Schools.  Her mother, Alice, was a teacher of music and was choir director at a local church.  Mr. Mason was driving home from Bald Knob on what is now Hwy 13 By-Pass.  There was a big bridge across the river (it has now been replaced) that he had to cross and for some reason he did not make it across and he died in the acc... 08/12/2022

Anyone recognize the Searcy girl in the picture of Maud Crawford serving tea at Arkansas Girls State?  My friend and great Searcy Sleuth has found this picture in the newspaper or on line and knew the girl.  Here's what Anita wrote about it."Arkansan and author, Beth Brickell, has published another book "Solving the Puzzle of the Disappearance of Maud Crawford" - and recently the Arkansas Democrat Gazette  published excerpts.  Searcy Sleuth, Anita Fuller, who attended Girl's State in l953, recognized a Searcy classmate in the photo, and Jo Ann Cooper verified:  Dorothy Anderson Maple.  JoAnn attended Girls State with Dorothy in l956, but doesn't remember Mrs. Crawford."Dorothy is the girl on the right, says Anita.  Anyone remember her? 07/31/2022

Searcy Beethoven Club.  A friend of mine loaned me some interesting folders that she had found at an estate sale.  The folders were all about Searcy Beethoven Club history.  The club operated in Searcy AR and articles date back to at the least the 1950's and possibly earlier.  Lots of pictures showed that it met in member homes or churches or various places.  Assuming you know the husband's name, you may recognize some ladies because if I remember "way back then" we ladies had no identity except for the husband's name.  Seems as if I wrote a blog about that one time. (Click to see the interesting photo)The club also put on shows and did interesting brochures to pass out at the meetings.  The first picture above shows very young participants in a program and the second picture shows some... 07/25/2022

 Because it is so hot these old pictures are interesting.Wonder what the temperature was?  This old picture dates back to about 1950's and shows how things used to be.  If you wanted a suntan, this is the way you got it.....out in the hot sun showing your bodies.  Later on, there was the electric suntan booth which could be used inside.  Still later on, and probably most popular right now is the spray-on tan.  I was always so envious of girls who tanned well because I didn't.   And here's another picture of how it used to be.  Possibly the same girls in the swim suits of the day.....one piece suits....no bikinis.  These pictures were found in an old photo album that Super Sleuth Anita Hart Fuller loaned me.  She may be able to identify the ladies.  Written on the back of one of the pict... 07/21/2022

Interesting Democrat Gazette ArticleToday's Arkansas Democrat Gazette had this interesting "Remember...?" article written by Celia Storey about the history of Yarnell's Ice Cream that operated in Searcy for about 80 years.  We have a tendency to forget how many years have passed as we remember the past.  It is nice that we can still buy Yarnell's ice cream and this humorous article spells out why we are able to do that.  Read it and smile.....as I did!  And I really like that cow that has come to Searcy, lives outside the factory, and belongs to Turkey Hill Dairy! 07/18/2022

Beautiful old doors!Some interesting Searcy AR history has just surfaced and there are beautiful antique doors for sale.  At the corner of Market and Gum in Searcy stands Bliss Salon in an old building that the court house says was built in 1884 and was renovated a few years ago by Bliss Salon owners.  I did a blog about it and you have to stop now and go back to read the blog.  Click here, Those buyers loved the old doors that were either in or around it and saved them.  They are scaling down and will part with them at their estate sale this weekend.  Check here for the information about the sale.  It is worth attending the sale just to see the doors!  The sale is fantastic and full of wonderful things.  You will be impressed.Lots of pictures of sale items are at estatesales.net.     07/13/2022

Spring Street, Looking North, Searcy ARKTo really appreciate this old card and this blog you need to enlarge the picture and see the small details.  Ads on the buildings told me something I didn't know.  The barber shop had baths!  Go to the barber shop and get yourself a shave, haircut AND a bath!!  In Searcy Arkansas!One is for an optician and I can't tell what else is on that wall. Then there is something about "car."  Car dealer?  Street car?  Coke sign is there for sure.Then there are the vehicles parked on the sides of the street with one looking as if it might have a flat and is leaning.  The card is from 1933 so you have the possible age of the vehicles.  I like seeing two of them meeting each other in the street.  Note also how many gents are probably visiting on the sidewalks.... 07/11/2022

 From this drawing in 1979....to this exhibited art work at Searcy Art Gallery, 300 East Race St.I was teaching Art in 1979 at Searcy High School.  One of my most talented students was a young man named Bill Reames.  He loved art and did lots of illustrations in the year books.  The 1979 yearbook said, "Bill Reames has been drawing for as long as he can remember but the true interest began in the 7th grade.  Bill started making up comic book characters modeled after D. C. and Marvel characters.  Since then Bill has won first and second place in the White County Fair art exhibit and he drew last year's yearbook cover as well as some caricatures of several teachers for the book.  Bill hopes to get a job penciling for either Marvel or D. C. comics."I somehow still have some of Bill's work ... 06/22/2022

Graduation? Big Party?  Where?Searcy AR had several places for parties way-back-then?  This one has lots of young people so it may be a school prom.  What I wonder is where it was being held.  The Mayfair had big rooms, I think.  So did the very popular Rendezvous Restaurant.  Roseann Motel? It is sorta contemporary in style except for the chairs and it appears to have a floor where they could play a slow song and the folks could dance.  Searcy Sleuths, can you give us more info.  Perhaps you are in the crowd?Here's another get together and I am thinking that it was at the American Legion Hut in Searcy AR.  Note no ladies present at this one. 06/22/2022

Governor Orville Faubus visits Searcy and the band greets him.These are interesting old pictures of the then Governor Faubus arriving in Searcy AR for some function that was important enough to bring out the band.  Searcy Sleuths can tell the year by the vehicles, I predict.  To the left would be the historic Mayfair Hotel and to the right we see favorite stores like The Ideal Shop and Morris & Sons.  It was before my time because I don't remember a Lure Cafe or a Headlee Drug.  Was VanAtkins there already?  A Sears sign is down the street.  Old and good memories!  Mostly! 06/14/2022

Parade downtown Searcy. Here's an interesting picture of a parade in old down-town Searcy AR.  The original brick streets are visible and interesting.  The court house is in the distance.  To me, most interesting is the service window that has now been closed but once was a part of what is now Quattlebaum Music Store on the corner of Arch and Spring Streets.  That's a Truman Baker Chevrolet float and some of the Searcy Sleuths may recognize the lady on the float.  Someone may also know the date by observing the cars.  Definitely a good historic photo!! 06/13/2022

Karen Fuller in Searcy ARKaren Fuller has returned to Arkansas.  She was a top TV news anchor a few years back in Arkansas....so good that she was stolen away by other news stations in other states.  She has returned and is working for KTHV  11 as an early morning TV anchor.  Her mother, Anita Hart (sometimes I call her Tart) Fuller grew up in Searcy AR and married Bobby Fuller and they traveled the world.  Anita has provided SO much history for this blog.  Just google her and she will pop up many times! I was lucky enough to have Karen and Anita visit me yesterday for lunch and a little sight-seeing of the long-ago Searcy.  Anita remembered where all her friends had lived and "cussed" a little if houses had been taken down that she remembered with love.Welcome back, Karen Fuller!!  And... 06/05/2022

Early look at Arch Street in Searcy ARI stumbled across this old card that is for sale on ebay right now.  We often wonder what the old buildings originally looked like.  Here is the possible answer.  Only Baugh Drug Store appeared to have a protective covered sidewalk and the streets were dirt.  The brickwork was interesting.  I plan to compare it to the same street today. There was no date on the card but it called for 1 cent postage for US and 2 cents for foreign postage.  Those were the days...... 05/23/2022

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