Guy

Guy Church of Christ, Faulkner County, Arkansas
Guy Church of Christ, built by Silas Owens, Sr.
from Log Cabin Democrat Centennial Edition

Two miles north of Greenbrier along U. S. Highway 65 and then along Highway 25 north and east about seven miles lies the town of Guy. T. J. Rowlett moved into this area in 1848. W.W. Martin and the Gentry family moved in a little later, about 1865. Jacob Hartwick built a grist mill in 1868 on Cadron Creek just below the northern boundary of the county. He built the first dam across Cadron Creek to impound water for the steam boiler of a grist mill which was constructed of logs. He was also the liquor distiller of the area.

The Old Texas settlement nearby had Math Hartwick, Daniel Martin, Hosea King, Bevil Cargile, John Walton, John Rowlett, Eli and Bob Foster, Bill Bynum, and Ned King as early settlers. They were homesteaders and raised everything that could to support the necessities for the family.

W. W. Blessing came to the area February 18, 1860. J .A. Jolly settled downstream in the Black Fork community with Rev. H.C. and J .R Jolly. I. Green had the first store and it served as the landmark in giving directions for the location of people and places. John Edgar and Willis Tomlin were sons of Theodore Henry and Lucy Caroline Langford Gray who moved into the area in 1867. Theodore had served in the Confederate army. George Thomas Mode was born January 11, 1871 near Hartwick Mill. His parents were John and Mamie Mode.

John Rimmer came to Faulkner County in 1876 and settled near Cash Springs on the old Russell place. After one year they moved to the Mallett bottoms near Fishtrap Bridge, then to a point three miles west of Guy on the Pinnacle Springs Road. Here they homesteaded land. By 1880 he had cleared 20 acres which he cultivated with two steers and a horse, producing two bales of cotton and 150 bushels of corn. Prior to 1885, the cotton was taken to Quitman or Pinnacle Springs for ginning. Later, a gin was located three miles southwest of Guy as well as one in Guy on Wolf Branch.

Liquor was declared illegal within a three mile radius of the California Church, April 7, 1882. The post office was first located at Ruray about two miles to the north of Guy with Marcus H. Garrett as postmaster. It opened May 3, 1886 and closed October 26, 1891. When Garrett moved away, the first post office was moved to Guy on June 5, 1890 with Charlie Martin as postmaster. His store doubled as a post office.

Dr. Frank Montgomery and a Dr. Flemming came to the community in 1885. The first school was located on Wolf Branch about three-fourths of a mile north of Guy. Later a school was located south of Guy at Copperas Springs. A spring was nearby and the community cemetery was located in this area. Both of the schools came together in 1898.

Following the depression years of the 1930s, the Guy community, as did many rural communities, made good use of the federal works program in the use of native materials such as rock and timbers to construct better school buildings and civic buildings. It was during this time the Smith-Hughes agriculture program was used in many of the communities. As a result, intensified farming and improved living conditions on the farm became a reality and rural life has not been the same since.

In 1914, Guy had 140 subscribers to the telephone exchange. In 1924 a fire destroyed the business district of Guy. Only four buildings were left standing. Dr. B.F. Banister, Sr. lost his office building valued at $1,500; Hartwick Mercantile business loss was estimated at $6,000: H. W. Montgomery estimated his loss at $7,500; R.L. Lieblong estimated his loss at $11,500; G.T. Mode had purchased his store two days prior and set his loss at $1,500; S.F. Glover had a loss of $700 and L.C. Allen estimated the loss of his blacksmith shop at $2,000. This was a blow which was felt in more ways than the financial losses. Some of these rebuilt, but some relocated and were lost to the community.