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

Most creative mask in our Searcy AR RE/MAX office?We are open but must wear masks during our office attendance.  I met this scary guy in the hall yesterday!  After screaming, I asked if I could put his picture on my blog.....just for fun.  He replied, "Sure.  It will be good publicity and bring me business!"So here he is, John Holt, definitely our most creative agent who has come up with a most creative mask.  John is a music lover along the lines of  __________.   (Fill in the blank......I am not sure.)  He has a great sense of humor and we all love him.  And he also does a great real estate business.ORCould this mask be a form of vanity?? 08/14/2020

Remember Burma-Shave signs?  Here's a book that I just found at an estate sale.  I can barely remember the Burma-Shave signs.....but I do remember a few and they were entertaining.  This book says they began in 1927 and went on to 1963.  The book was written in 1965 and has the jingles for all of the signs.For all you young ones this is how it worked.  You'd be driving down some road and you'd see a sign that might say, "Don't lose your head,"  and a little further down a sign would say, "To gain a minute,"  and a little further another sign, "You need your head,"  and a bit further, "Your brains are in it."  Then finally, "Burma-Shave."  They were pretty funny.  Folks loved them.  How about this one?DEAR LOVER BOYYOUR PHOTO CAME BUT YOUR DOGGONE BEARDWON'T FIT THE FRAMEBURMA-SHAVEThe b... 08/08/2020

Almost priceless picture of downtown Searcy AR landmark.On ebay right now, priced at $23.75, is this wonderful postcard of the original  Robertson's Drug Store (now operated as Quattlebaum Music) in downtown Searcy AR.  It was established in 1860, according to the card.  I seem to have put this building up several times in this blog history.  Here's another view of it .https://activerain.com/droplet/5krtAnd check out this one that has a closer view of the window on the side.  https://activerain.com/droplet/5nD5  07/31/2020

1954 Phone call prices from Searcy AROur kids today think phone calls are free.  And they are.  They can talk for hours on their cell phones.  Let's educate them by saying phone calls were once very expensive.  Check this phone book page.  You live in Searcy AR.  You have a friend in Little Rock.  You want to call the friend.  If you call station-to-station it is cheaper.....3 minutes for 50 cents!  If you want to call person-to-person (which means if you don't get the person you don't have to pay)  it is 80 cents for the 3 minutes.  Plus tax will be added as explained at the bottom of the page.  So you also have a friend in Miami.  $1.70 for 3 minutes or 2.40 for person-to-person.  The further away you were the more it cost.  Nights and Sundays were cheaper.  And there was Collect call... 07/28/2020

D for Duncan's?  Cheerleaders for PeeWee Football 1997.And who were they cheering for?Here they are.  1997 PeeWee Football players and their coaches.  See if you can find yourself if you were growing up at that time.  I believe the sponsor was Duncan's Chrysler Plymouth Jeep.   07/28/2020

 More Searcy AR Memories.....Prince Gardner Leather Company?Coming up in a few days is another estate sale being done by my daughter who owns VSmith Estate Sales.  And here she pulls out more great Searcy history.  The pictured items above came from Prince Gardner Leather Company and the leather items were owned by a person who worked there for many years.  My understanding is that when International Shoe Company (located on S Main) closed it became home to a leather company in the building.  Searcy Sleuths may have to give more information on how it operated but by seeing these leather goods, they must have put out some fine leather items.  Notice a name for the men's items on the left, named Prince Gardner and on the right for girls, Princess Gardner.  Interesting, also, is the price ... 07/24/2020

Searcy AR football team 1939 - 1942This great old picture was loaned to me by Ginger Pickens Brookshire and husband Frank.  Frank was a member of another football team in approximately 1970 sponsored by Duncan's Chrysler Plymouth car dealership and still loves football. https://activerain.com/droplet/57KH This picture is so interesting because it names the folks in the picture.  You will probably remember (note I did not say recognize) several of them.  #99, Gerald Pickens, owns the picture and was another one who loaned it to me.  He bragged about their record for the years and it is written at the bottom.Thanks for another great Searcy history photograph! 07/17/2020

Searcy ladies campaigning for Ed Bethune.Ed Bethune, who lived in Searcy AR in 1978, has a new book called "The Thinking Spot. A Sequel to A Pearl for Kizzy" so it might be timely to recall this old picture from the Searcy Daily Citizen.  His books are quite enjoyable and educational.  Seems as if he was running for Congress and had lots of support from Searcy.  Reading under the picture tells where they were going but not who they were.  The lady on the right was Louise VanHook who was co-owner of the Van-Atkins store in our town.  The VanHook estate sale that was just held is where this old picture was found.Notice the style....bell bottom trousers, waist high, dragging the ground.Searcy Sleuths, who were the other ladies?  And were you perhaps part of the campaign?  And all of you ch... 06/29/2020

How about Christmas in July?These two little folks are singing their hearts out.  Picture them singing a Christmas song in the window of the Van-Atkins store on North Spring Street in Searcy AR.  That was their job for many years.  They were plugged in to electricity, had movements and recorded songs to sing.  When kids went by they had to love these guys. When the store was closed they went to the home of the VanHooks (owners of the Van-Atkins store) and were tucked away until the recent VanHook estate sale.  Looking at them again, they seem to be pleading.....no one bought them at the sale because no one knew who they were.  That hurt!I meant to have this blog up before the sale and I am not sure that they can still be sold (check with V Smith Estate Sales) but their story needs to be... 06/26/2020

Yarnell's Ice Cream....Turkey Hill Ice CreamWe have read that our hometown ice cream factory is going to start making Turkey Hill All Natural Ice Cream.  We are not sure when or how or wheather Yarnell's will have a new name.We are just sure that as the old saying goes, "Till the cows come home," applies here and we will definitely love Yarnell's till the cows come home.  AND!!  LOOK!!  Has a giant cow arrived to stay?  Or is she just passing through?"  She has been parked at Yarnell's for several days so I snapped a picture.  I am in love with her already so I hope she stays! 06/18/2020

Searcy Sleuths, who were they?An estate sale is being held this weekend, June 19-21, and so much Searcy history has been uncovered.  It is called the VanHook estate sale and Alvin VanHook and his two sons are in the picture.  Ricky VanHook is first on the left in row one and Ron VanHook is third from the left in middle row.  Perhaps some of you can name the others in the picture.The team must have been sponsored by a Veteran's Administration.  (No, I have been corrected.  The VA stands for Van-Atkins, who sponsored the team.) Give us information about it, too, if you have any. Definitely go to https://www.estatesales.net/AR/Searcy/72143/2549679?force-reload=true for about 150 pictures of things in the sale.  I assume the young lad beside Ricky VanHook was too young to be a part of the t... 06/15/2020

Miss Arkansas parade in Searcy AR 1978This great picture of a parade in downtown Searcy AR shows a Searcy lady, Naylene Vuurens, in a convertible driven by Ron VanHook in 1978.  She won the Miss Arkansas pageant and went to the Miss America pageant representing Arkansas. She was beautiful and the driver is rather handsome also.  A Searcy Sleuth will have to tell us who the little girl was.  Notice Searcy businesses and Cumberland Presbyterian Church in the background.Searcy Sleuth, please also tell me the name of the business that started with SIN......And if you were there and see yourself in the crowd, tell us!The picture was taken by Baker - Walker Photography. Mystery solved!!!!  The little girl in the picture was Jennifer Nier, daughter of Wendell and Gail Nier!!  Thank you for  te... 06/11/2020

  Searcy AR ledgers from Robbins-Sanford included in estate sale.Over 100 years old!!Take a look at the dates on these old ledgers.  These are just a few of the treasures to be found at the VanHook Estate Sale on June 19-21 in Searcy AR.  The VanHook family opened Van-Atkins when Robbins-Sanford was closed in approximately 1954.  A family member reports that the upstairs room in the building had a lot of these and these may be the last ones to be found.  They are beautiful with hand-written names and amounts owed or paid.  They are the history of Searcy Arkansas and if you are from Searcy you can probably find your great grandpa's name in them somewhere!Lots of pictures are here. https://www.estatesales.net/AR/Searcy/72143/2549679 06/11/2020

A rack full of double knit leisure suits from the disco age!I think the double knit stage in the 70's was so much fun and the estate sale coming up has several suits.  The Van-Atkins owner apparently had lots of them from his store, was a snappy dresser, and had a wife who saved things.  So out from some closet comes a box full of wonderful leisure suits.  Go on-line and check out the disco dancers wearing these suits while performing spectacular moves.  The first one above seemed more casual. (I know it needs a little ironing.  But hold it!  The wonderful thing about double-knit was no ironing, no wrinkles, no binding, just comfort!  So these just need to hang up for a while.  Living in a box for perhaps 50 years is even hard on the perfect fabric.)  The one below is probably for dress... 06/09/2020

A Stein CollectionA very important estate sale is going to be conducted in Searcy AR in a few days.  V Smith Estate Sales is going to be conducting it and the selections are wonderfully varied.  I get a preview because V Smith Estate Sales is owned by my daughter, Valerie Canepa.The way these steins were displayed as a group caught my eye.  Steins, used a lot for beer but mostly just collectible, are not things that I have collected but they are always so attractive and complex in their construction.....or so it seems.  The VanHook family, who owned and operated Van-Atkins in Searcy, has an amazing amount of things to sell.I hope to see you there.  Go here to see other items being offered.   https://www.estatesales.net/AR/Searcy/72143/2549679 06/07/2020

Grand Opening!  Van-Atkins Searcy ARSearcy folks loved Van-Atkins, a store that had everything.  Women's and Men's clothing and shoes and a drug-type store for a while.  But I'll bet that if a Searcy citizen was asked what year it opened, we'd not remember.  Searcy lost Van-Atkins a few years back.  The family home has this huge framed advertisement for the grand opening hanging on a wall in the garage.  Examine the fine print and you will find this.  The date was 1954, March 17!The family is planning an estate sale to be held later this month and the sale has so many wonderful memories of Searcy and Van-Atkins.  Watch for details and more pictures from my daughter, Valerie Canepa, at Estatesales.net, and on her facebook VSmith Estate Sales.  Just don't miss it.Here's a question for Sea... 06/07/2020

And this treasure could be yours!While listing a house at 2405 Brittany Lane in Searcy AR I noticed this georgous lamp post in the front yard.  I said, "Surely that is not one of the historic street lamp posts from Searcy!"  The owner replied that it is.  He bought it when Searcy had removed them.  He is the type who can do anything so he put it in his front yard with underground wiring that turns it on at dusk and off at dawn!    And he has kept it in perfect condition throughout the years.  He wishes he could take it with him when he has to move but perhaps we can persuade him to leave it with the house.  If you are in the market for a house, this one at 2405 Brittany may be it.  Here is a picture of it with the lamp post looking lovely in the front yard.    05/30/2020

210 E Vine....REALTORS'S home for 13 years.Changes are coming to Searcy AR.  Big changes.  The newspaper reported demolition permits were given for 6 addresses near downtown Searcy.  First Security Bank seems to be planning a new complex and has bought many properties that are very close to the court square.  The above picture shows the Searcy Board of  REALTORS home for the past 13 or 14 years.  It was one of the purchases.  While moving we found a sign for Ed Bethune's law office.  He had his office here when he lived in Searcy. 511 N. Main......a charming older cottage.This property has always been a charming home with a lovely front chimney.  It will be going down.  Others listed to be taken down right now are 504 N Spring, 500 N Spring, 104 E Vine, 106 E Vine.  Several of these are... 05/10/2020