Holly Springs, Dallas
County, Arkansas
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Holly Springs, a Dallas County community located 15 miles
southeast of Princeton on Highways 9 and 128, was originally
settled in 1841. Holly Springs received its name from the Holly
groves and beautiful springs in the area. Some of the early
settler's names were Launius, House, Key, Crownover, Galling,
Head, Proctor, Stells, Peterson, Chambers, Sorrell, Beard and
Henry. Holly Springs Township was formed in 1850. At the time
there were two general merchandise stores. One was the Henry
and Proctor store and the other was the W. B. Head store, who
was also Justice of the Peace. Richard C. Key was the first
postmaster in 1850. Cap. John A. Goodgame, merchant and farmer,
came to Holly Springs in 1851. Holly Springs had some steam
powered gristmills and two cotton gins Joe Key built the first
gristmill in Holly Springs and also had a tannery. During the
war, he made shoes for the soldiers.
In Holly Springs, the St. John's lodge was organized in 1850
with charter members R. C. Key, A. A. Key, and D. C. Campbell.
The lodge met every Saturday night before the full moon.
The schools of Holly Springs were at first private, then
subscription schools. The school met in a log cabin. The
Judson Baptist Association sponsored a High School at Holly
Springs that was called the Judson Baptist Academy. It
was a tuition school for boys and girls. W. R. McEwen was
the professor. McEwen also published The Star Weekly, a
four page four-column paper with Dr. O. O. Wozencraft as
one of the stock holders. The Judson Baptist Academy operated
until 1901 when the building burned. In 1902, the Judson
Baptist Association deeded the land to the Holly Springs
School District. After the new Holly Springs School building
(two story) was erected the Masonic Lodge leased the upstairs
for their meetings for the sum of $1 (lease was good as
long as the lodge maintained a charter). The Holly Springs
school trustees in 1903 were O. O. Wozencraft, W. H Henry,
G. L. Sorrells, E. E. Pryor and J. W. Jones.
Politics and the medical profession were strong in Holly
Springs. W. L. Patterson was elected to the House of Representatives
in 1885 and served until 1889 when he was elected Senator.
The doctors in Holly Springs were Moses J. Mitchell, O.
O. Wozencraft and Folden. Dr John K. Hodge was born in
Holly Springs in 1950. After about six years in practice
at Holly Springs with his father, Hodge moved to Princeton.
W. L. Wozencraft joined his father in practice at Holly
Springs.
In Holly Spring religion has a long history. The Methodist
congregation existed in 1827. In 1848, the Methodist preacher
T. Q. C. House, a teacher, landowner and business man,
began his ministry. The Baptist church was organized in
1833 with Rev. P. J. Crowder as pastor. Holly Springs had
an influential Negro preacher, the Rev. Richard Anderson
Sinquefield (born near Indian Springs in Butt County, Georgia,
in 1832 and died 1908).
Source: Merritt, Richard (1976) Review of Dallas County, AR
History gleaned from the Bicentennial Edition of the FORDYCE-NEWS
ADVOCATE.
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