Introduction
This newsletter,
for and about Newton County, Arkansas (Newcoa), was established
to make contact with those of you who have an interest in Newton County...
her families, individuals, & landmarks...her past, her present.
Take Care,
Judy Tate, Editor
Newcoa Newsletter
Scrapbook...
For those of you who enjoy looking through photo
albums and scrapbooks, you are invited to visit Newton County, Arkansas Scrapbook®
The scrapbook went online February 21, 2000 and contains over seven hundred photographs and
documents. Many more items will be added as time allows. You will find pictures of families,
individuals, and landmarks. As well as scanned images of various documents and paper work.
To view, click here:
Scrapbook®
To share photographs and to have them appear in Newcoa Newsletter,
send via email to: Newcoa
An Obituary Section has been added to the Newton County site.
Obituaries of Newton County and other areas of Northwestern AR are included.
Obituary Index
If you have obituaries that you would like to submit, email to me or
Rosa Cline.
Rosa has been a BIG help with the obituaries.
Thank You Rosa!
Calendar...
The following events take place each year in Newton County
Spring Dogwood Tour
3rd Weekend in April
$5 per person
Sponsored by:
Buffalo Ranger District,
Beautification Comm.,
Jasper School, and
U. S. Forest Service
Bus Tour Reservations:
Forest Service
807-446-5122
OR
County Extension
870-446-2240
Town Square Music
Every Saturday,
May thru June
Jasper Town Square
Elk Festival
Last Weekend in June
2 day event
Hosted by:
Jasper Chamber
of Commerce,
Rocky Mountain
Elk Foundation, and
Arkansas Game &
Fish Commission
For additional info:
870-446-2693
4th of July
at Deer School Grounds
Hosted by:
Deer's Volunteer Fire
Department
Deer is located two
miles off Scenic 7
on Highway 16
For additional info:
870-428-5906
County Fair & Rodeo
Last Week in August
County Fair Grounds
in Jasper
For additional info:
870-434-5376
OR
870-446-2270
Ponca Days
2nd Weekend September
Sponsored by:
Ponca Fire Dept.
Parade, flea market,
and craft booths
For additional info:
870-861-5578
Forest Fest
4th Weekend September
at Ponca
BBQ, music, & raffle
Heritage Days
1st Weekend in October
at Jasper
Parade, games, mule
show, Civil War
Re-enactments
Foliage Tour
3rd Weekend in October
Bus Tour Reservations:
Forest Service
807-446-5122
OR
County Extension
870-446-2240
Library Dinner
Coincides w/foliage
tour in October
Includes dinner,
auction, and tour
of Beckham Cave
For Reservations:
870-446-2258
OR
870-446-2983
Trail of Lights
In December
Jasper Town Square
Christmas Festival
1st Weekend in December
Jasper Town Square
Parade, music, tree
lighting, nativity
For additional info:
870-446-5080
OR
870-446-2258
Park Service Events
Held throughout the year
National Park Services
870-446-5122
Camping...
Camp Sites:
Lost Valley
Erbie
Kyles Landing
Mt. Hersey
Carver
Steele Creek
Rush
Tyler Bend
Woolum
Buffalo Point
For additional info:
Buffalo National River
PO Box 1173
Harrison, AR. 72602
Park Headquarters
870-741-5443
Pruitt
870-446-5373
Tyler Bend
870-439-2502
Buffalo Point
870-449-4311
Hearing Impaired
TDD 870-741-2884
Hiking...
Great Trails:
Buffalo River Trail
approx. 37 miles
Lost Valley Trail
approx. 2.1 miles
Ozark/Pruitt Trail
approx. 2 miles
Mill Creek Trail
approx. 1.3 miles
River Trail
approx. 1.2 miles
Tyler Bend Trail
approx. 6.5 miles
Buffalo Point Trail
approx. 6 miles
Overlook Trail
approx. 0.7 miles
Indian Rockhouse
approx. 3.5 miles
Forest Trail
approx. 0.7 miles
Campground Trail
approx. 1.4 miles
Morning Star Loop
approx. 0.3 miles
Cecil Cove Loop
approx. 7.4 miles
Rush Hiking Trail
approx. 2.2 miles
Farmer Trail
approx. 1.3 miles
Parker/Hickman
approx. 0.4 miles
Old Erbie Trail
approx. 1.8 miles
Alum Cove Trail
approx. 1.1 miles
Hemmed In Hollow
approx. 18.3 miles
Pedestal Rock Loop
approx. 2.5 miles
King's Bluff Loop
approx. 2.0 miles
Judy Tate
3129 Carlock
Wichita, Kansas 67204
© Copyright 2001
Contents of this web page may only be reproduced with
the permission of
Judy Tate
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WELCOME
Hope that you enjoy Newcoa...drop us a line
Visits With Colleen...
Hello Everybody...This is Colleen Haynes Rongey. I now live in New Orleans, but my
heart still lives in Newton County.
The Hotel at Lurton Remembered
continued from: Newcoa, April 2001
(Taped interview of Ted Tatro, transcribed by Lloyd Sutton)
Another person I remember that was hired to help was Dan Hefley’s daughter, I
think her name was Hattie. I can remember her reading me the bible…some of
the stories in the bible. She was a great gal, I liked her very much.
(Note from Colleen...Lillie Hefley also helped Josie Tatro there at
the Hotel and she has more Hotel stories for another Visits With
Colleen...when we feature her as one of our 'Great Ladies' in Newcoa...)
There was a large area next to the hotel, on the right side between the
hotel and uncle Mitchell’s place and there was a parking lot… was a big oak
tree there. And, I can remember having some pot lucks there, everybody in
the whole area would come and bring food and we would have a great time. we
made home made ice cream and the people got together and had a lot of fun.
These people came with food and to meet with each other and visit with their
friends. We have had dinner on the ground when we have had singing
conventions and decorations, but we just had this as a community fun thing…it
was fun too I can remember it very much.
I can remember one time my dad coming home with a big radio…a big Philco
radio. It had two car batteries in it. after that, on Saturday evenings in
the summer, dad would turn the big radio’s speaker toward the big window, and
people would start to gather around. Usually come in to the big city for
entertainment and visiting with one another. And then, about dark, dad would
turn on the radio and people would be gathering around outside. Usually it
was fight night or Saturday night fights but there was always, "I Love A
Mystery", and that was one of my favorites. Then "Grand ‘Ole Opera", that was
one of the things that everyone seemed to really love. To me, these things
were the ones I really remember, there were many other things. About 10:00 it
seemed like everyone would light up their lantern and start walking away
going home.
The winters were especially memorable, to me. The evenings started around the
big heating stove in the living room. The stories the men told, working for
TSI or the Forest Service seemed so impossible, so unbelievable. One would
tell a story and the next one would try to best it.
I was born in the back room in the Hotel. My folks named me Harry Jr., then
they thought more about it, then they tried Thaddeus, and then it didn’t seem
to work. One of the men that worked for the TSI told my folks that Harry, Jr.
Was a pretty heavy name to lay on a little guy like me. He said that he would
put me through college if they would name me Ted, and so they did. So, I am
Ted Allen, I don’t know where Allen came from, maybe from the same name. when
I got out of high school, mom tried to get in touch with my name sake, to no
avail.
Now I am that little small boy living in the big…great big ‘ole hotel.
Well, it was awesome to me that my friends lived in houses about the size of
our living room. Our lives in the hotel was quite different than most,
probably. One of my favorite places in whole the hotel was a room under the
stairs. That’s where I did my thinking, planning, and playing. As I said the
room under the stairs was my favorite place. I spent most of my time there,
dreaming about things to come and things at Lurton and all the things that a
young boy would think about…the places I would go and what I would do, and
the things of today, tomorrow and forever.
I remember when out playing around the hotel in the evening, I would smell
the potatoes and the onions cooking. This always brought me home. I would run
in the house, go into the kitchen and reach up…couldn’t see the skillet,
grab potatoes cooking out of the hot pan, and from one hand to another to
keep from burning, I would run off blowing and going.
Eating at the hotel was really a interesting thing, and an experience. We had
a huge table and ate all together family style. The guests…if we had too many
guests the family would eat second. After the guests had finished we all sat
down at the table. Like when we ate second and had chicken, the only thing
was left was backs and wings. Well, that wasn’t too bad I guess. We had it
good, I guess. Better than most people in our area. We had a way of getting
some money…most people had no way of getting money, no jobs, they just
existed. It was hard times, it was the best of times, but to us I guess we
didn’t know we didn’t have money. The jobs was scarce and money was scarce.
Just to spend the night at the Hotel and have dinner and breakfast was thirty
five cents. And I tell you, it was hard times, it was the best of times, the
worst of times, but we are the better for it, I suppose. Realistically, that
having family was the most important thing we could have.
I keep going back to the men that stayed at the hotel, I guess it is because
they made quite an impression on me. One time the men was talking about who
could shoot the best. All of them had revolvers or pistols. One said the best
to put all this argument to rest was have a contest. So, they told me that if
I would gather up all of the bottles and put them on the rock fence behind
and down below the hotel, they would give me a nickel. A nickel was a lot of
money. When men was only making fifty cents a day. and, I gathered up the
bottles and put them on the fence, and when they came in that evening, the
men told me to get the bottles ready. They went out and they started shooting
at the bottles, one at a time. they shot and they shot and they shot, until
it got quite dark. Then they all came in and they talked about who was the
best and who was the best shooter, and they argued about all these things.
Anyway, that evening didn’t finish the shooting. They said, tomorrow get some
more bottles, we want to finish this. Finally, I picked up all the bottles I
could find laying around Lurton in the dumps and put them on the fence and
the men shot them all up. The next evening, no more bottles, but I went to
Sutton’s handle factory and picked up some blocks the size of bottles and put
them on the fence for the men to shoot at. The men never did settle who was
the best shot. They talked better than they shot. There never was a
conclusion who was the best shot, they just went on each night talking about
who’s the best and anyway we will go on to another subject.
Mom was very religious and everyone who came along preaching, would have a
free place to stay. If there was going to be a preaching, mom would send me,
my brothers, Enos and Venus out running like Paul Revere, shouting, "There’s
going to be a preaching tonight", all around the neighborhood. Then, in the
evening, if it was going to be cold, we would go to the school house, build a
fire in the big pot bellied stove and light the lanterns. I don’t know who
was in charge of the school house. It seemed like we always had the job of
building the fires in the big pot bellied stove and lighting the lights.
I remember one time at the school house, it was a big picnic or I guess you
would call it a carnival or what, but anyway it was a place where they had
games and all this kind of stuff. I remember uncle Mitchell (Smith) who had
the dance hall next to the hotel. He went to Russelville and hired a black
band to come up and play and he built a dance hall at the end of the school
house. And he charged for people to come up on the dance floor and dance. He
charged an admission for people to dance and listen to the music. But, if you
stood outside you could listen to the music and watch the people dance. There
was dart throwing at balloons, and there was ball throwing at fuzzy dolls,
ping pong balls throwing into fish bowels. There was a greased pig, chase the
greased pig or climb the greased pole. I remember Pleas Ricketts won the
climb the greased pole one time, there was a dollar tacked on top of the pole
and Pleas said he filled his pockets full of dirt and put on the pole to
where he could climb the pole. There was also sack races, and wheel barrow
races and all the fun games like that. We sure had a good time. There was
plenty of things to do. There was places selling hot dogs, hamburgers, soft
drinks, ice cream, and popcorn, candied apples and cotton candy. All the good
fun things of life. Things you couldn’t do without at a picnic.
At one of these picnics, dad was called because of a disturbance, and he went
out to the car to get his billy club and his gun. When he pulled on the gun,
it fires…missed him but it blew powder in his hand, which he had in his hand
as long as I can ever remember, this black spot. It is a good thing it missed
him. it seemed like being constable in Lurton was a hard job, but dad was
always ready for the job.
Please Visit:
Colleen's Place
Colleen's Frame & Art - New Orleans
My Newton County Roots
by William Gorman
(William at age 2 1/2...you sure were a cutie)
You know, sometimes these old family stories like Samuel's never really struck me as being something other people would be interested in. That is, until I started reading some the the stories contributed to your Newcoa Newsletter. Although I have never been to Newton County (I plan to correct this situation soon), I was born and partially grew up in the cotton farming community of Rankin, Ellis County, Texas and actually lived with my g-grandfather Stephen Roland Seaboalt, son of William Riley Seaboalt who was Sheriff of Newton County in 1865-1867. (As far as is known, William Riley was the one who inserted a second 'a' in to the surname Seabolt. Most of his male descendant line spells their name with two 'a's' while about 20% have reverted to the single 'a' spelling). Stephen was 18 years old when the family moved from Newton County to Texas. He died in 1944 at the age of 89 (I was 10 years old at that time). He actively ran his farm up until the day he died. He prospered well by Newton County
standards and in 1904 he built a fine 2-story white Victorian style house with three large bedrooms upstairs, two large bedrooms down stairs, a large dining room and a kitchen. His bedroom had the only fire place and, thus, it was also the family room where we would all gather in the evenings for story telling, Bible reading by kerosene lamp, or the playing of dominos. In the summers, we would gather on the large front porch (he called it the 'Gallaried') and listen to the Bob Whites whistle and see the moon come up. At night, I would sleep in the bed with 'P' (as I called him) and he would tell me stories about his youth in Newton County where he had hound dogs and hunted for deer and bobcat. Even with this fine-made and well-furnished home, there was no indoor plumbing, no electricity and no telephone. Although he owned an automobile which he always drove, he farmed with mules and cultivators and never owned a tractor. He had the help of his oldest son, Lonnie, and two black families who lived
and sharecropped on the place.
The farm was self sufficient where we raised all of the food we ate, except for a few staples such and flour, corn meal and spices. We raised big gardens...chickens for eggs and frying...hogs which were butchered at the first frost in the fall and a cow for milk and butter. Monday's was always wash day and all the water used for washing had to be drawn from the well and 'toted' about 50 yards, one bucket at a time, to fill the big black wash pot under which a good fire of logs and corn cobs was getting started. My grandmother would get out a bar of lye soap and use a knife to shave pieces into the boiling pot. Then the dirty clothes were thrown in and a big wooden ladle used to agitate them by hand. (of course the finer things where treated more gently in cooler water with the use of Oxydol or Duz). Then, the clothes were lifted out of the pot and placed into a tub along with a mixture of hot and cool water. This is where the washboard came in...and more lye soap. After sufficient scrubbing, the
clothes were passed through two tubs of cold water for rinsing and, for the white things, a few caps of 'Blueing' was added to the final rinse. Then, of course, the cloths were carried out to the clothes lines which were strung between any two convient vertical structures (trees, corners of out buildings, etc...my other grandmother, Texas Owen Gorman, would hang clothes on the nearby barb wire fence.) Every Saturday night, I would get a bath in one of these wash tubs placed in my grandmother's kitchen...whether I needed it or not! Each Sunday morning it was off to Sunday School and Church. Sunday noon meal was always the biggest meal of the week often with company and visiting. Then back to church on Sunday evening for a lot of singing and a little more preaching. Wednesday evenings was also spent at the church in what was known as a prayer service...but we still had plenty of singing and preaching. There were only two churches in the community. A Church of Christ and a Southern Baptist.
Its funny, the Seabolt family, from which my mother came, attended the Church of Christ while the Owen and Gorman families (my father's side) were all Baptists. How my mother and Dad ever were allowed to get together I will never know. Each group thought the other side was going to Hell because they did not worship just the right way (like how you hold your little finger when drinking tea with the English!). I always loved both sets of my grandparents and figured there was room in heaven for all of them and me too...so I became a Methodist!
In summary, when I hear people telling stories of their youth in Newton County, I can truly relate to what they are saying, the only difference being that there were no hills and hollers and very few trees on the black prarie land of Texas.
If you recall a tune or phrase from an old song and
would like lyrics or to hear a midi of that tune, send email and I will
do what I can to find it for you. Send your stories of how radio, singing,
and music has played a part in your life or the lives of your families.
When Lloyd Sutton sent his interpretation of
the below old radio show, he wrote:
"This has to be the most scariest moment of my life, or close to it."
My Favorite Radio Program
On A Country Road
November 16, 1950, when I was 10 years old, we lived far out in the country
and had gotten electricity on our farm the year before. We had a big console
AM-FM radio from Montgomery Ward. As was common in those days, we all had
favorite programs on the radio. One of my favorites was Suspense. It was
always exciting, with dramas and mysteries unfolding each time I listened.
You have to keep in mind that in 1946 a Phantom Killer was around the
Texarkana, Arkansas-Texas area. He had killed several people and was never
caught. Some were out in the country. We lived about twenty-five miles south
of Texarkana. So this may have had a bearing on my over active imagination on
this particular night.
On this night, my brother, Don, and I were alone, while the rest of the
family had gone to a neighbor's house. My brother, being four years older
than me, was not afraid to be there by ourselves. Well, we tuned in our Radio
to the Suspense program that night. It started out with a man and his wife
returning home from an outing. It was getting dark and a storm was moving in.
They were running late, so the man was taking a short cut through the back
country roads.
I could hear the thunder and could even picture the lightening flashes, in
my mind's eye. While they were listening to their radio, a bulletin came on
telling of a crazy woman that had killed a couple of people with a meat
clever, and had escaped from an insane asylum. This was in the area in which
this couple were traveling. The wife tried to get the man to turn around and
not take that back road, but the man was determined to make the shortcut.
They were traveling along when their car ran out of gas. The woman was scared
to death as the radio kept putting out the bulletins about the crazy woman.
The wife was frantic with fear.
By this time, I had gotten so scared that I was sitting on the floor, with my
back in the corner of the room right next to the radio. I could picture the
scene, there in the stormy night, with the crazy woman getting closer to the
stalled car. The sound affects along with the music had my adrenaline
pumping. I was afraid to breathe. The scene was more scary in my imagination,
than could have possibly been pictured on a television screen.
In the dark, a woman ran into the back of the car with a loud thump. The man
and woman were scared and you could hear the dialog as they were discussing
what to do. The lightening flashed and they could see this woman peering into
the car with long, stringy, gray hair, wet from the rain. She wanted in, but
the couple were afraid to open the door. The woman went to the back of the
car looking for something. The man was sure that she was looking for the meat
clever that she had dropped when hitting the car.
You could hear a crash and the breaking of glass! The woman had just broken
out the car window with a large rock. I was petrified with fear. I have never
been as scared in my entire life as I was that night. I could see the flashes
of lightening, I could see the woman with the wet, stringy, hair, the broken
window and the meat clever in my mind's eye.
There is much more that I can remember about this story, but to try to keep
it shorter, I will just say that
the man wound up nearly killing the woman with a knife, before it was over.
Then, there appeared a police officer. After telling him that they had the
crazy woman, unconscious, in the back seat of the car, they were told that
the crazy woman had already been caught. Who was this woman? She was caught
out in the storm and was afraid of the crazy woman herself, it seems.
This was the most frightening moment of my life…the night I let my
imagination run away with me.
I still have this old family radio in my home and I just accumulated a copy
of this old Radio Show. Even though it was not as scary, now, as it was when
I was ten years old, It was just as I remembered. This is the only Radio show
that I can remember in detail, as it had been indelibly etched in my mind. It
starred Cary Grant and Cathy Lewis.
Lloyd Sutton Fouke, Arkansas
That was a good read Lloyd, thanks for sharing...I imagine
those radio programs spooked quite a few listeners, young and old alike.
I continue to hear from folks about the ever popular Red Wing as well as other old standards...
My mother used to sing this song before we went to bed at night as children and
one of my brother-in-laws found it and passed it along to me. I really am happy
to have this song again. Thanks, Scott Peterson
I am interested in finding a casette tape or cd with the tune to Red Wing. I
live in Houston. Can you suggest a source? Thanks, Nancy Fay
Judy, just wanted to say Thanks! I have enjoyed visiting Newton County and
especially the old tunes my Dad played on his fiddle. Linda (Coffman) Freeman
This is a happy day for me. I am 62 years of age, and I was trying to find the letters of
this song. I was taught that song when I was 7 years of age. I do not remember why I learn that
song, or related to what holiday, but I always like this song. I was singing this song at a
school conference, for 3 consecutive years. Thanks for making my day. I live alone, and this
afternoon I just thought to enter the title on the internet, and I FOUND THE OLD BLACK JOE,
that I was missing for many years. Thanks a lot. Gloria
Nancy and Douglas Tate are here again! As many of
you know, we are always ready to go hiking, camping, and site seeing.
Our favorite place for these family activities is in Newton County.
We love the Buffalo River, the many hiking trails, bluffs and caves,
the winding creeks and their clear cool waters, and the beautiful
forests and valleys. Those of you who have spent time in Newton County
understand why it is our favorite place. If you also enjoy hiking, camping
and site seeing in Newton County, we would like to hear from you. Visit our
website and leave us a message. Trail Mix
In March of this year we spent a few days in Newton County. One morning we took a
nice canoe float on the Buffalo River. The river was calm and we enjoyed a smooth, slow drift down river. We started noticing the 'Faces' in the bluffs and rocks along
the water. And this summer we have been going through pictures looking for more faces in stone. Had never heard anyone else talk about them, so we were glad
when we received an email from Mark Stanberry from Ozark, Arkansas. He had taken a picture of the Natural Bridge at Alum Cove in May and he found our Natural Bridge
picture that appeared in the April 2000 Issue of Newcoa. Mark had been looking for other pictures of the
bridge, because he saw faces too! He wanted to see if something was really there or if it was his imagination. And he said there was something that looks a LOT like a ghost in his picture.
There is also an image of a man in our picture. We compared the two pictures and they both show that many faces are in the rocks and underside of the arch. Momma wrote back to Mark: Sure am
proud you see the faces too, isn't that the neatest thing! Got to thinking something was wrong with all of us here, for being able to see faces in rocks. She told him how it is very similar
to what we have on our webpage. She said they must have stood in about the same place to take the picture, because the 'big profile face' is at almost the same identical angle. Mark wrote back:
I made an enlargement of the photo and took it to work Monday, and people there saw the faces as well, so if those of us that see them are a few fries short of a happy meal, then so are about
75 other folks I know...LOL! We thought that was a funny way of saying it. Mark gave us permission to use his picture and we would like you to take a look and see the Faces At Alum Cove too.
See if you also find the faces and even the ghost in Mark's picture. And if you can see faces, let us know because we don't want to think we are "A few fries short of a happy meal".
1910 US FEDERAL CENSUS
Newton County, Arkansas
The Newton County 1910 Census will be available the end of July 2001. Cost per copy is $35.00, this includes shipping and handling.
All orders received by August 15th will receive a $5.00 discount towards the 1900 Newton County Census, which will be out in September.
And we will also have the 1920 Newton County Census available later this year. To order your copy, send check or money order to:
Carri L. Vance
PMB# 102
9141 East Stockton Blvd. Suite 250
Elk Grove, Ca. 95624
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OR:
Lori Reddell
H.C. 30 Box 92
Pelsor, Arkansas 72856
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Newcoa Newsletter Index
Newton County, Arkansas
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