Roberson's Rendezvous and Missouri Pacific Bus Station, Searcy ARHere's another good view of Searcy's famous restaurant/cafe, Rendezvous, showing the view from the corner. It seems to be an artist's rendering.  I found it on an old postcard that has already been sold on ebay.  Here's the back of the postcard. Notice what it said on the card?  The cafe (restaurant) had a banquet room that would seat 450 people or a Blue Room for private parties.  That sounds like a big area!  Searcy Sleuths, were you at either of these party spots when the Rendezvous was operating?  We have done other blogs about this historic spot.   You can see a couple of those if you click these spots.   Click here.  Click here. 01/24/2021

Searcy AR High School Girls Ensemble PictureWhile thumbing through a 1975 SHS yearbook looking for something else, I saw this picture and did a double take.  WOW!  Look at all those dresses that made me remember when most mothers sewed and made clothes for the family......mostly the girls in the family.  So did moms make these dresses?They are interesting also because of long ago when feed was sacked in lovely type material that was used for sewing outfits for the kids or for Mom. I also wondered if this was a one-year outfit for the girls or whether it was used for several years.  You will agree, I'm sure, that the picture is interesting and is filled with lovely girls!  01/22/2021

Rare Book.  To be found at Estate Sale.  An estate sale is coming up this very weekend.  January 22 through January 24, 2021.  The address is 611 N Maple, Searcy AR.  This was published so long ago.....so historic!  White County Historical Society take note!!!  If you don't have a copy, you might try to grab this one.  If you attend the sale, check the home also.  It is for sale at a great low price of $125,000! 01/18/2021

This is a very historic chair!  You can find it in many Searcy High School yearbooks.We are fortunate, my daughter and I, to have been chosen to market the house and the contents of the home that has been occupied by members of the Roberson family.  What makes the Roberson family special?  THE RENDEZVOUS!  The Rendezvous was one of the best and most popular restaurants in Searcy AR for many years.  It was started by the Roberson family and was often the chosen location for happy functions.  Click here for an early view of it.The family says that this wrought iron chair was often used for events.  It would be picked up from their house and carried for use to help with formal pictures at various places, sometimes at the Rendezvous.  In one picture below it is definitely this chair but the... 01/18/2021

Look what was mailed to families way back then.I saved this.  I should have spent the money.  50 cents was sent to me and many others, I assume, wanting us to keep up with our television viewing so that they could bring us more programs of our liking.  I saved the money but not the diary.  Drat.I have a pet peeve now.....if I get a plea for money with a paid-for stamp (and a stamp now costs somewhere around 50 cents) for me to return my contribution I definitely do not give.  My thinking is that if they can throw money away like that, they don't need my donation.  I wrote on the back of this, "Approximate 1980's."  The blasted quarters are turned so that I can't see the dates and are glued down so I can't turn them.  I wonder if Nielsen is still doing this research and I wonder what the... 01/01/2021

                            Guess who came to Christmas?  I suspect it was Dolly Parton's "Coat of Many Colors."Yes, the guest walked through the door and all eyes widened!  This guest had on a coat that would attract attention anywhere!  I suspected theft....she'd found Dolly Parton's "Coat of Many Colors" and quietly walked out with it.But no one can walk out with a coat like this without notice.....or enter a room wearing one like it without notice.  So she's innocent but the coat surely makes you think of that famous country song from 1971 made famous by Dolly.We bragged on the coat.  It really is very special and lovely.  It helped make a bad 2020 Christmas a good Christmas. 12/28/2020

A tobacco work crew.  Times were hard then as they are now.I remember doing an older blog about working in tobacco in South Georgia when I was a teen.  The blog even has a picture of me! Published in a newspaper!  Working on a harvester-tractor used in tobacco harvesting.  Ok, ok, here's the blog.  Go read it and see the pictures.https://activerain.com/droplet/5pVBWasn't that fun?  Now the picture above was the way it used to be.  Poor people needing money working under the shelter of the typical tobacco barn which was found all over the south when tobacco was king and everyone smoked.  The workers might take their kids who could hand the tobacco leaves to a person who would string it on slender sticks of wood that was to be hung in the tobacco barn.  The leaves were picked out in the f... 12/24/2020

I Don't Remember This!Look closely!  There's my daughter in this rag-tag football picture!  When did Searcy have girl's football?  I did a little research (because I do NOT remember it) and discovered that it was started in October 1973 when Harry Miller was in charge of Parks and Recreation in Searcy AR.  Harry was wonderful and was especially instrumental in trying to get sports for girls.  I remember my daughter's playing softball and she loved being on a swim team and she played tennis.....but I do not remember football.   Let's read what Harry said about the teams.  There is a touch of humor in this article. So, since I don't remember any of this I asked my daughter to tell me what she remembers.  She said,"It was no-tackle but there was still a lot of pushing and shoving.  To 'tac... 11/27/2020

Looking back to 1984 MLS entryWith today's 3% or less interest rates when buying a home, let's take a look at a listing from July 1984.  Searcy AR had started getting Multiple Listing Books every two weeks in the year 1982.  How'd we do that?  We had a California real estate agent move to Searcy and told us how the real world worked and we subscribed.  It was wonderful!Anyway, back to this listing.  Notice the information that was included, especially the loan information.  It told how much was owed on the house and at what interest rate and gave the equity in the home.  This information was very important because of disastrous interest rates during the 1980's.  To sell a house, we had to depend a lot on how a buyer could afford the home.  VA and FHA loans were assumable without a credi... 11/22/2020

 Jim Bohannon, former Searcy AR resident. This is Jim Bohannon and  he is a life-long student of railroad history and a collector of original 19th and early 20thcentury USA maps and railroad timetables.  He sent me pdfs of old historic roadmaps and sounds as if he would do the same for you.  He graduated from Searcy High and still keeps up with Searcy news.  He has graciously offered to share his stash with you if you are interested.  He says, "In my retired senior citizen years, I stay interested and active by sharing with public libraries, historical societies and other non-profits (at no cost) copies of modern-day prints, that have been scanned from my original 19th and early 20th century maps and railroad timetables.   The modern-day pdf map prints have been scanned from my ownershi... 11/20/2020

Thanks to a friend in Georgia!She found my blogs, decided I liked history, wondered if I'd like to have this historic 1925 Gallowegian yearbook that had been kept by a relative!  Did I!!!  I loved the idea.  She mailed it and it is wonderful!  Check out this magnificent 4 page fold out of the student body.Now let's see if we can see a closer look.  This was an all girl's school in 1925.  Eventually it became Harding College in Searcy AR and then Harding University as it is today.  Here's a view of the left side.  And here is a view of the right side.  It is a large group of girls and their dresses are quite similar.Look how all arms are folded!  Hairstyles alike! And here is a closeup of the ones in the ones in the center.  I have about three other Gallowegians and none of them have a s... 11/15/2020

Important people.  1962 Cub Staff.Look through this group and see how many you know or perhaps, Searcy Sleuths, you are in the picture!  The small 1962 Cub from Searcy AR is so interesting with boys and girls who grew up to be Searcy leaders.  Many are shown in the picture above.  Enjoy!! 11/04/2020

How old is this!! 11/03/2020

Found!  An old newspaper clipping of early voting.I stumbled upon this old clipping.  Don't we all clip family pictures from the newspaper?  How this one ended up on the front page of the local newspaper is a mystery BUT it means so much right now.  It makes us think of the good old days.....no masks......no safe distancing.....just stand in line to early vote.Another sad change from 2004 to 2020 is the demise of so many newspapers.  This one, The Daily Citizen, used to be delivered almost daily.  Now it is delivered three times a week by the US Post Ofice.  It is also very thin, almost no news, and still struggling to stay alive at all.Let's go back to the Good Ole Days! 10/26/2020

Postcard on ebayThe top picture is a postcard that is for sale right now on ebay and the building appears to be in great shape.  I don't think trains were anywhere near it in 1978 but it is called the MoP depot, there is an old railroad track on the side in the top picture, and it is in Searcy, AR.  Nosy me. What does it look like now?  The second picture shows a more recent view.  Looks as if its days are numbered.It is located on South Main if you'd like to drive by.  Perhaps the city of Searcy could try to restore it and preserve it as a historic building. 10/16/2020

As good as a real museum....except you may purchase things!We are all tired, bored, lonely during this Covid year.  Today I made a visit to Searcy AR's "Old Hippy" store that is located at 1216 S Benton.  I already have too much stuff in my house to be shopping to buy more but I DO like to look.  In fact, I like museums.  But we don't have one close by.While browsing through all the treasures that are on display out there I had a sudden thought.  This is just like a museum!  There is history all over the place.  Old pictures.  Vintage furniture.  And look at the old trunk in the picture above!  Seems like my parents had one like that.  If you'd like a little time away plan a visit.  The owner says he loves to have people visit and look around!  The thing that bothers me is that I can ne... 10/12/2020

May Day Parade on Spring Street looking North, Searcy AR.This wonderful old card is available on ebay right now.  I think I may have used it in a blog before but we probably have new viewers.  ( https://activerain.com/blogsview/3389859/two-great-searcy-arkansas-cards-for-sale-on-ebay---may-day-celebration-)    We did!!  Please do read all the comments on the location and information about the picture when you go to this early blog. Interesting is the Tom Keene cigar sign on the brick building.  Also interesting would be the possible location of what is now Mayfair Hotel.  If you go to the ebay site they have pictures that are nicely enlarged.  The mailing was in 1912 with the normal message, "How are you doing?  We are doing fine."  That was the way cards, letters, etc., were always sta... 10/05/2020

Smile!  You have to.I have made several trips by this property and this happy sight remained.  A shiny red convertible had parked itself under this tree.  For shade?  Meeting someone? A flat tire? Forgotten?Whatever the reason, I had to smile and feel good each time I saw it.  I hope you did too if you drove by there. 09/21/2020

Another treasure on ebay.Here's another historic post card showing our beloved old court house that is in the middle of Searcy AR.  It was postmarked 1909 with a one cent stamp.  Folks were good about sending letters and post cards back then.  Now they reach out with cell phones.  Will history no longer have evidence?  Perhaps so.....with this blog.....Activerain has done a great job of keeping our blogs alive and they pull up easily in searches.Thanks, Activerain!!!! 09/01/2020

  Old Postcard found on ebay. Here's another treasure to be found right now on ebay.  But before we see the street, let's look at the creative way it was addressed.  I was puzzled.  Something looked like a handsaw but why?  And then there were more scribbles in front of it.  THEN I GOT IT!  In R (picture of a can) (picture of a saw).  Go back and look!  Creative, isn't it!!Now the picture.....It is an old 1927 view of Arch Street in Searcy AR.  The street seems to be so much wider then than it it now but I guess the vehicles were just smaller and perhaps the sidewalks grew.  It is a really historic scene showing Baugh's Drug Store, a book store, the court house, and the cross streets of Arch and Spruce.  Is that also a grocery store?  And is that a mudhole in the street?Check it out if ... 08/24/2020