Author Archives: Faulkner County Historical Society

Fall 2020 Faulkner Facts and Fiddlings Published

Cadron Blockhouse, Faulkner County, Arkansas

By Cindy Beckman

The Fall 2020 edition of Faulkner Facts and Fiddlings, the journal of the Faulkner County Historical Society, has been published. Society members should receive their copies in the mail this week.

This issue includes an article submitted by Nancy Breeden Mitchell on the Frederick Nahlen family. Originally written by Clarence Nahlen, it traces the story of Continue reading

Through the Cabin Window – March, 2019

100 YEARS AGO, 1919

♦ J.W. James, proprietor of James Business College, moved his furniture and other equipment from his former location on the west side of the railroad to rooms on the third floor of the new Halter Building. His new quarters would allow him to better accommodate a larger number of pupils.

♦ The Racket Store, formerly owned by Percy Rankin, became the property of C.H. Nelson and Mack Seay. The business would continue under the same name and E.W. Rogers would be in charge of the store.

♦ The Lincoln-Jones Electric Company offices were remodeled. Space was gained by an additional room that allowed the company to handle a larger assortment of fixtures and supplies. Mrs. Rosa L. Hicks moved her office to the rear of the store.

75 YEARS AGO, 1944

♦ Conway Civic League met to discuss plans for enforcing the local option which would become effective in Faulkner County on March 18.

♦ The largest group of selectees ever to be sent to the Little Rock induction center from Faulkner County left the national guard armory. At 6 a.m., 135 men, including 12 high school students and six transfers from other boards. The record would only last one day, however, because 153 were scheduled to leave the following morning.

♦ Students from ASTC moved back into their old dorm rooms that were vacated by the WACs. Men students moved from Doyne Hall to Baridon Hall with Dr. and Mrs. Jeff Farris as host and hostess. Junior and senior women moved to Bernard Hall.

50 YEARS AGO, 1969

♦ A groundbreaking ceremony was scheduled for March 18 for Kimberly Clark’s $6 million tampon manufacturing plant—to be known as Conway Mills. The new facility would be constructed in the northeast corner of the Conway Industrial Park at Commerce Road and Exchange Avenue

♦ Nabholz Construction was building 30-bed addition to the north end of Conway Memorial Hospital. The addition would run east-west.

♦ Post Office officials were considering a former lumber company as the temporary location of the Conway Post Office while a new Federal Building and Post Office was being constructed. The 7,200 square-foot building at 1103 Front Street formerly housed Cash Lumber. Before that, it housed L.P. Crafton Flour & Feed and was owned by George Shaw.

25 YEARS AGO, 1994

♦ Frank E. Robins III, a fourth-generation publisher of the Log Cabin Democrat, announced his retirement. Michael Hengel, 39, editor of the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin in Ontario, California, was named publisher of the Log Cabin Democrat. Stauffer Communications, which purchased a minority share of stock in the Log Cabin in 1989, selected Hengel and announced it would purchase the majority of the stock in the fall.

♦ The two-and-a-half story Colonial Revival-style Robins house at 567 Locust was being considered for nomination to the National Register of Historic Places.

♦ Dr. Bobby New, superintendent of Greenbrier Public Schools, asked that his contract not be renewed because he had been offered the superintendent position in another district.

10 YEARS AGO, 2009

♦ Graduates representing seven decades of Conway education filled the newly renovated auditorium, part of Conway High School-East, to rededicate the building. Jim Stone, a 1950 graduate, took his fellow “antique Wampus Cats” on a stroll down memory lane during the program. Members of the class of 1937, the first group to graduate from the building, were special guests.

♦ Nabholz Construction hosted a cocktail reception at the Clinton Presidential Center to celebrate its 60th anniversary. More than 200 employees, clients, company friends and current and past state legislators attended Continue reading

Fireside Chat: “History of Greenbrier” on February 7

The Greenbrier EAST programs will be hosting a Fireside Chat to gather historical information, photos and old senior composites to document our programs history.

The goal of this Fireside chat is to not just further our projects, but to get to know more about the beloved town we grew up in. The Greenbrier EAST program invites you to share your knowledge about Greenbrier and our surroundings communities.

The Fireside chat is 4pm on Thursday, February 7 at the Greenbrier Middle School. Please RSVP by calling 501-679-8315 or email [email protected]

Through the Cabin Window – December, 2018

100 YEARS AGO, 1918

♦ The official American casualty list from WWI announced the names of over 6,000, including two boys from Faulkner County. Solomon W. Styers of Mayflower was killed in action, and Irwin Smith of Greenbrier was listed as missing in action.

♦ Conway young men in service overseas were notifying their relatives of their safety following the signing of the armistice. Some of the cards received were dated the exact day of the termination of hostilities. The men sending the cards were Continue reading

County Cotton Gins: “Looking Back”

Although many Faulkner County farmers brought their cotton to Conway to be ginned and then shipped on the Little Rock-Fort Smith Railroad, some farmers preferred to take their crop to a local gin. Cotton gins could be found in many of the rural communities of Faulkner County. Here are just a few of them:

The Little Plantation in the Lollie Community southwest of Conway consisted of approximately Continue reading