Windyville is a small community about three or four miles from Bennett Springs State Park.
It is located at the corssroads of county roads MM and K. Marie Durrington and Edrie Harris
gave us a description of this early community.
There are two main stores on the south side of the intersection. The store on the S.E.
corner was the store built by Healey Bennett. It was owned after that by Martin Corkery
for two years. Then Healey Bennett bought it back. In 1920 Herbert Scott bought it. Herbert
was Edrie Scott Harris's uncle. They sold general merchandise in the store: cloth, shoes,
children's clothing and of course, candy; they traded cream, eggs and produce from the farmers
and sold them sugar, salt, and slabs of meat. The store bought chickens and turkeys. Edrie
remembers, "At Thanksgiving and Christmas time it was really something. They used to hang
those old turkeys up ther and strip them of their feathers and take them into Lebanon or
Phillipsburg and ship them on out."
They had a canning Factory behind the store. They canned tomatoes. Edrie's dad, Arch Scott
and Herbert Scott built it. They ran it together until Arch took his family to Colorado. Then
Herbert ran it by himself for a while. Herbert ran it off and on for a few years.
On the S.W. corner, Henry Day had his store. To the west of it there was originally an old
mill. the mill was there before Edrie's uncle Herbert bought the store. He may have been
helping with the mill before he bought the store. The people of the community used to bring
their corn and wheat and have their feed, chicken feed and flour and meal ground and take it
home. They had their corn cracked for the horses.
The first mill was south of the intersection downin the field next to the Harrris's place.
Calvin Scott ran the old mill for several years. By 1920 the mill was not doing the same
business. They were cracking corn but it wasn't used as much by then. People would take their
wheat by wagonload to Phillipsburg or Conway, wherever they could get the best price at the
time. From there it was bought and shipped out. There were a lot of wheat fields close
around Windyville.
The store that says, "Macks" was built by Henry Day. Ernie and Vivian Burtin ran it and
had the post office with it for a while. Ernie Burtin now lives just south of Windyville on
Highway K. His store was general merchandise. They sold it.
WINDYVILLE BAPTIST CHURCH was organized 12 Aug 1914. After a revival meeting held by
Rev. J. R. Sharp and M. B. Scrivner in what was then known as the Pea Ridge School House,
a church was organized with the following members: Willaim Perryman, John A. Phillips,
Melda Phillips, Emery Hildebrand and Hulda Hildebrand, Allen Perryman, Eva Perryman, Lula
Jones, Arvilla Scott, Healey Bennett, Ona Hildebrand, Frank Jones, Martha Jones, Minnie Jones,
Flossie Chapman, Minnie Phillips, John Jones, Bert Hildebrand, Jeff Freeman, Lloyd Bramwell,
Willie Jones, Jane jones, Oma Bramwell, Tilda Clark, Maude Peppers, Anna Medley, Early
Hildebrand, I. N. Lamar and Roosevelt Hildebrand.
On August 16, 1914, the church met and 22 of the above charter members were baptised. Bro.
J. R. sharp was the first pastor. (p. 64)
CEDAR RIDGE FREE WILL BAPTIST CHURCH. A revival meeting began at the Cedar Ridge School house
on Sept 8, 1906 with Rev. M. E. Brazier and Rev. J. D. Smith as ministers . . . 48 were
converted. Charter members were J. M. Brackley Jr., H. R. Franklin, W. H. Williams, M. G.
Vest, Sam Junkins, W. M. Phillips, Victor Burtin, George Burtin, Wilburn Vest, Frank Franklin,
W. H. Williams, M. G. Vest, Sam Junkins, W. M. Smith, Maggie Burtin, J. W. Smith, Ellen Burtin,
Addie Smith, Etta Burtin, Hattie Burtin, and John Lynch. One of the early ministers was W. M.
Phillips. Cedar Ridge is located three miles north of Long Lane on County Road P. (p. 70)
LONE ROCK METHODIST CHURCH was organized in 1881 by Rev. J. W. Bond. The church got its name
from the large rock which was thought to be a meteorite. The rock is approximately 100 feet
long, 60 feet wide, and about 30 feet to the top. At the top of the rock is a hole formed like
a large pan. Many activities were held at this rock. It has been standing like this for as
long as anyone can remember. Sunday School picnics and gatherings of all kinds have been held
around and on this rock.
Some of the charter members of this church were John A. and Samantha Davis, David and
Louisa Manley, Jacob and Margaret Keller, and Abija and Barbara Bennett. It wasn't long until
the church had a membership of 45. Services were held in a brush arbor in summer and any
place they could meet in winter. In 1884 they decided to build a church building.