I have gained a picture that is in a huge shadow box.  The anatomy of the box is amazing.  Look at these pictures.  The box is 7" deep, 36" tall, 30" wide and probably weighs 30 pounds and is made of solid wood. Here is a corner. And here is the back of it with what looks like a final fastener.And now you must see the whole box propped up against the wall.  The picture is surrounded by velvet and has gold trim around the edge of the picture.What's that?  You think you have seen this picture before?  Yes, you have if you follow this blog.  Before going any further click here to see a little history regarding this picture.  Be sure to read the comments.  The year was 2012 and this picture was in a house that I had listed for sale.  Anita Hart Fuller had sold it at an auction of her mother... 01/14/2018

I have been asked if I might help find someone who might have a picture of some of the Headlee family.  I have recently, several times, come across family photos that have been discarded because no one cares about them.  It is sad, sad, sad, to discover this.  Check and see if you, being an old-time Searcy person, might have any old pictures of this family.  Here is what he wrote and what he is seeking.    I need some advice and possibly a referral to a Searcy person that might be able/willing to do some genealogy research for me.   My great grandfather, John Franklin Headlee (same name as my late brother) lived in Searcy for 40 or so years passing in 1920.  I have attached a partial biography that I recently wrote.  The problem is that I have no photos of him…or perhaps one blurry one.... 01/09/2018

 Since when have you needed to visit a shoemaker?  That used to be in a very active business.  These shoes from the past show what the past was really like.  Ladies needed to have a pair of dress shoes for church or shopping and you probably remember (if you are older) that ladies did not wear pants except for doing hard labor in the fields.  These pictures are of a pair of high heeled dress shoes.  When they became aged you just kept wearing them and you took them to the shoemaker and he'd put on new soles.  Looks as if these have also had some new inside pieces.  I'm not sure why I bought these things at a flea market but I did several years ago.  Perhaps they reminded me of my mother who wore similar shoes, only wore dresses except when working in tobacco fields or other farm labor a... 01/02/2018

The way it used to be!  Getting your picture in the local newspaper held lots of prestige and I know the parents of these two young artists back in 1981 felt pride when this large picture came out.  My memory is that they were in my Art class when I taught at Searcy High School.  I reviewed some of my saved student art work a day or so ago and came across this clipping.  I think it should be shared.I am also curious about whether the art work is still there at the center court mark.  Someone check and see if the names of Jeff Pulliam and Amy Osborn still show up and possibly use one of those new-fangled iphones that take wonderful pictures and snap a picture and put it on this blog.  That was 36 years ago so I will be embarrassed if you tell me the entire gym has been replaced!  And if ... 12/27/2017

I have to ask Anita Hart Fuller whether the audience screamed and fainted when the Searcy Rialto Theater was visited by famous Ricardo Montalban and she attended and GOT HIS AUTOGRAPH on this sheet of paper.  Or did the screaming just start with Elvis and the Beatles?  So I am asking her on this blog.  She has graciously agreed to share this with us and she points out that the lipstick mark is where she kissed it and she has treasured it for so many years.  On the other side is the autograph of Julia Adams but she does not remember who she was but she shared the show with Ricardo.  So, okay, Anita, Searcy historian, let's have the whole story!!   12/17/2017

I know, I know, it's progress.  But it is still rather surprising to drive around a street and find several houses missing.  Just gone, like overnight.  This view shows the corner of North Elm and West McRae Street in Searcy AR.  You can see apartments in the background and the parking spaces across from the football field on the right.  The little house that was in the corner is gone and this small rock house has been taken.  It definitely was in disrepair but it was once a charmer, I'm sure.A little further around was this charming home that was the home of a very respected and loved family for many years.  The Morse Mallett family lived there.  It still looked  good when this picture was taken and these pictures came from court house data which does not get erased so quickly that we ... 12/17/2017

Browsing old newspapers can be so much fun and interesting!  I found this old picture of several handsome young guys who were golfers.  They must have been pretty good and this clipping indicates they were favored to win in an important tournament.  (Wonder if they did?)I remember them all.  Some are still in Searcy.  Perhaps they will all see this blog and tell us about their lives now!     11/28/2017

Holidays are good for giving you time to go through old things.While going through old papers today, I found this ad.  I thought, "WOW!  That is the first open house that I ever held when I started in the real estate business!"  I started looking to see if was the same one that I thought it should be.  I looked and looked!  You can look and look and there seems to be a small problem......no address for the property.  I did work for Lightle Dobbins & Lightle and the address for that office was Corner Arch & Apple.  So that is not the address of the house.  The date of the ad was 4/25/1980 and it was not my listing.  The real estate agent who had it listed did not want to do it so I held it open with his permission.  Thinking back, I remember only one visitor and they were neighbors.  So ... 11/26/2017

 Aerial view photos!We who have been in real estate for many years really appreciate the ease  with which we can obtain photos of our listings.  In Searcy AR we can go to a free courthouse web site called ActDataScout.com and find out the information about a property.  Not many years ago we had to pay 10 cents a minute to get the information online, which was a good thing because before that we had to visit the county assessor's office to get the information.Even at the court buildings, however,  we could not get aerial-view photos.  In the early 90's I had an 1800 acre piece of property that I was selling off in small sections.  Getting aerial view photos was expensive  and was ordered from, I think, the highway department.  The price for a section or two was around $40 to $50 and was ... 11/07/2017

 It is well worth taking a drive (or walk!) down West Race Street and West Center Street, just a few blocks apart, to see these two lovely homes that have been redone with paint and special attention to detail.  I call the top one, located at 610 West Center, the Van Patten home.  It it still in the Van Patten family with a for sale sign in the yard.  A tree had fallen on part of it with some damage so it has now been repaired and has a fresh coat of paint.  An artist, Bobby Van Patten, grew up there and posting this house reminded me of a blog that I did a few years ago about a special Lion that he did for a class reunion.  Click here to see it. I call the second one, located at 600 W Race,  the Shoffner home because it was in the Shoffner family for so long.  It has been sold to Shelt... 10/28/2017

 Absolutely gorgeous young boys.And fairly handsome coaches!It was somewhere in the early 1970's or late 1960's when PeeWee Football was started in Searcy AR.  These young boys are now grown up and professional in so many different fields.  One coach, Rodger Duncan, on the right is still a football lover who likes looking back on his coaching career.  The other, Sid Quattlebaum, has passed away but the two friends loved coaching these boys.  The names are on the back but let me see if you know any of the boys and can tell us about them now!  In 2010 I did a blog about this team.  If you want to see that blog, click here. 10/21/2017

  A few years ago I made a trip around our RE/MAX Advantage office at 200 W Mulberry Street in Searcy AR.   In 2015 we had all moved into a new building and we all had an office to prepare. Those office pictures are posted on facebook at RE/MAX Advantage Realtors.Today as I cruised by offices at the office, I did a quick stop!  We have a new person at RE/MAX.  She is    Anna Layne.   She has a Regions Bank mortgage office and has been with us for probably  6  months and she welcomes  mortgage seekers at our location.Having been an old Art teacher, I notice colors, color coordination, and beauty.  Therefore, look again at the picture above.  Look at how the colors all go together from the clothes she has on to the cup holding her coffee and the folder in the holder on the desk to the gol... 10/17/2017

Another pile of rubble in Searcy AR and we can say that another one bites the dust.I know.  Progress.  We grow and grow and things change but it is still sad to drive by a familiar house and say goodbye just before it goes down.  This house in Searcy AR was unique, not elegant, but unique with its different looking arrow shutters.  And look closely at the siding (probably asbestos) and it has a curvy looking edge.  Trees shaded it nicely and it was close to downtown Searcy so the occupants since 1950 when it was built (so says the courthouse records) probably walked to and from the downtown on the sidewalk in front of it.  Some of you probably know who lived there and remember them fondly.But that's it.  Another one bites the dust. 10/15/2017

 Remember Van-Atkins?Of course we remember Van-Atkins Department Store which was downtown just off the square.  They had everything at some time and I believe they replaced the old Robbins-Sanford store.  I like this picture because it is so clear showing how dusty the car was, how it was probably without air-conditioning because of the rolled down window and remembering how  guys used to meet downtown and chat.  And look at the parking meter!  It has been a long time since we had those.  This picture was taken from the ads in the 1960 Searcy High School yearbook.  Someone can surely tell us what the car model was and someone may even recognize the men in the picture. 10/03/2017

 Bet you none of you  have even seen one of these.  I had not.  It shows how far we have come in this modern world.  I found this as I visited the wonderful First Security Bank in McRae AR.  The friendly banker demonstrated for me.  So in this next picture you see the proportional size of the object.  I have blogged about this delightful historic spot before.  Click here and review the blog.  The banker remembered me and said, "We have gained something new since you were here."  I found the thing fascinating, as is the entire old bank.  Be sure to review the first blog.  Don Thompson, Super Sleuth, who has now moved to California will probably know exactly what is is because he is SO gadget minded!  Don, I hope you are watching!! And just so you don't forget, here is another picture of ... 09/28/2017

Leon Person lived in Searcy AR all his life.  I came on the scene around 1967.  I married into the Duncan family and Leon worked at that time at the Duncan Auto Sales dealership. He was a person that I met and loved quickly,  Sadly, Leon passed away on Sept 21, 2017.  I'd like to show a few pictures of Leon and give him a tribute.   I looked back through a lot of photos and found so many good memories of Leon and his family.  The pictures tell some things about Leon.  Let's start with two pictures of a wild bachelor party held by Leon and friends in approximately 1967.  Rodger Duncan was about to get married!Leon loved to laugh and he loved to make others laugh. The couch (next picture) that these guys are sitting on and laughing on was sold to me by Leon, who left the car dealership an... 09/23/2017

Aren't they handsome?My good friend Leon found this picture in his historic collection of Searcy items and has let me borrow it for this blog.  He, plus my husband, knows who they are but I am wondering how many of the Sleuths out there can name them.I love the way they are dressed with rolled up jeans and some colorful socks.  Notice how different the jeans are....almost like today.  Slim fit, boot cut, etc.  Best of all I like the jeans going to the waist instead of todays's pants-on-the-ground style.  Leon says this was the old grammar school building and the one on the right was the cafeteria.  Perhaps a Sleuth knows whether to agree.  Definitely, we all agree that they were good-looking kids!!  09/17/2017

The Rialto Theater in Searcy ARWe have seen so many pictures of the Rialto!  We have it stored as a beloved memory!  We love that it has been restored to what it was when we were growing up.  So since we never get tired of the Rialto, here's another picture.  This comes from the advertisements in the 1960 Searcy High School yearbook on page165.  Names are there and perhaps someone can say whether the ones in the picture paid for the ad or whether the group was for seniors.  It is unusual in that it does not show the Rialto but features the ones in the picture so that we can clearly see their enthusiasm for their entry into life after high school!    09/05/2017

What a lot of boys!  Boys State held at Camp Robinson 1953.This great picture of boys from all over Arkansas is going to be in the estate sale held by VSmith Estate Sales in Searcy AR this weekend.  August 31 and September 1.  34 Foxboro.  I don't know the price but thought it would be nice to put it out for blog readers to see.  I need to get myself a magnifying glass and see if I recognize any of them.  Four names are written in pencil on the back.  They look like Lonnie West, Deke Wilson, Winston Wilson, and Bobby Stiliell (this one in not quite readable as a last name).  It needs a frame and a lot of admiration!  The sale has lots of other neat things. 08/30/2017

BOYS!  Loitering around a funeral home!Really....this is from a 1955 Searcy AR high school yearbook and it does look as if these guys are "hanging out" right there at what the sign says is James Funeral Home, phone 180, and owned by Robert "Bob" James.  Even a close-up does not let me identify these guys but perhaps some of our Searcy Sleuths will know who they were.  Searcy Sleuths can also help with the history of this building.  I think it is located at the corner of Market and Main, now an eye clinic, but it has probably had lots of different businesses there.  Was it once a night club?  And what was the tall building in the background?We might even get some information regarding the popularity of corner doors as entrances to buildings.  There are lots of them.  (Note Quattlebaum Mu... 08/23/2017