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

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